Overview
Enormous Lake Titicaca, the ethereal lake of Inca legends, lies in an austerely beautiful setting, ringed by dramatic Andean peaks. From Cusco, a scenic train journey across the high and wild altiplano brings you to the lakeside town of Puno, set at 12,500 feet. From here, visit the traditional weaving community on Taquile Island and the Uros community on their “floating” islands.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1
Cusco / Puno
Travel from Cusco to your hotel in Puno, a 10-hour journey by train. Enjoy lunch and afternoon tea in one of the dining cars, decorated in the style of the 1920s Pullman carriages. The open-air observation car is a great spot to take in panoramas of the passing Peruvian landscapes, often referred to as one of the most beautiful train routes in the world. Alternatively, you can fly from Cuzco to Juliaca, a 55-minute flight (call for pricing). Transfer to your hotel on the shores of Lake Titicaca...L
View Lodging
Puno, Peru
Days 1 to 2 (2 nights)
This modern hotel’s location—on its own private island right on the edge of Lake Titicaca—is one of its striking features. You’ll have spectacular views by day and night as well as unforgettable sunsets. The lobby is a comfortable place to relax and watch the local fishermen in their boats. The hotel has a private dock on the lake.
Puno, Peru
Days 1 to 2 (2 nights)
Built in 2007 in a magical location on a peninsula on Lake Titicaca, this luxurious hotel has 18 lakeview suites with panoramic windows, heated floors, and spa bathrooms. Rooms are categorized as “dusk and dawn,” depending on which direction the windows face, and here you’ll find the sunrises and sunsets over the lake to be unforgettable. Huge windows flood the entire hotel with natural light, leaving you with the feeling you are on the water rather than on land. This is a special place and it comes with personalized service, a serene atmosphere, and an excellent restaurant.
Day 2
Lake Titicaca, Taquile Island and floating Uros Islands
Mythological birthplace of the first Incas, Lake Titicaca is a shimmering "inland sea" at 12,500 feet surrounded by mighty snow-capped mountains. By boat, visit the traditional weavers of Taquile Island and the Uros Indians on their floating reed islands and see how they use the reeds to make their traditional boats called totoras. Overnight at hotel...BL
View Lodging
Puno, Peru
Days 1 to 2 (2 nights)
This modern hotel’s location—on its own private island right on the edge of Lake Titicaca—is one of its striking features. You’ll have spectacular views by day and night as well as unforgettable sunsets. The lobby is a comfortable place to relax and watch the local fishermen in their boats. The hotel has a private dock on the lake.
Puno, Peru
Days 1 to 2 (2 nights)
Built in 2007 in a magical location on a peninsula on Lake Titicaca, this luxurious hotel has 18 lakeview suites with panoramic windows, heated floors, and spa bathrooms. Rooms are categorized as “dusk and dawn,” depending on which direction the windows face, and here you’ll find the sunrises and sunsets over the lake to be unforgettable. Huge windows flood the entire hotel with natural light, leaving you with the feeling you are on the water rather than on land. This is a special place and it comes with personalized service, a serene atmosphere, and an excellent restaurant.
Day 3
Puno / Lima
Transfer to the Juliaca airport for your 55-minute flight to Lima. Time permitting, visit the archaeological site of Chullpas de Sillustani, a collection of funerary towers of the Colla people on Lake Umayo...B
Reverse Itinerary
Please Note: This trip can also operate in reverse. For post-trip extensions: Cusco/Puno by train then Juliaca/Lima flight return (operates Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays). For pre-trip extensions: Lima/Juliaca flight then Puno/Cusco train (operates Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays).
Details
Length:
3 days
Arrive:
Cusco, Peru
Depart:
Lima, Peru
Meals:
Meals as indicated
Activity:
Archaeology, Cultural Adventures
Trip Level:
Cultural explorations and walking tours
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.
Easiest
Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Examples:
Easy to Moderate
Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Examples:
Moderate
Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
Examples:
Moderate to Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Examples:
Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Examples:
Very Strenuous
Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.
Examples:
Visa Requirements
A visa is not required for U.S. citizens visting Peru. A tourist card will be issued to you on the flight to Lima.