Lake Titicaca Tour
Length: 4 Days/3 Nights from Cusco
Season: April to November
For those who want to experience authentic Quechua culture first-hand and feel like you’ve traveled back in time, nothing beats a visit with a family on Taquile Island, one of Lake Titicaca’s natural islands. Isolated from the modern world until the last half of the 20th century, Taquile’s inhabitants retain a relatively untainted culture handed down from Inca times. Equally fascinating are the man-made floating reed islands of the Uros inhabitants in Puno Bay. This cultural Lake Titicaca tour extension explores life in the Altiplano, the high desert plains and the world’s highest navigable lake.
Day-by-Day Itinerary:
DAY 01: CUSCO/PUNO
Pick up at your hotel and transfer to the airport for the flight to Juliaca. From here we drive to the town of Puno located on the shores of Lake Titicaca at 12,505′ (1 hour drive). Along the way we have a guided visit of the enigmatic Sillustani Burial Towers overlooking Lake Umayo. Upon arrival, we transfer to the Libertador Hotel, located on a peninsula jutting into Lake Titicaca, not far from Puno. The remainder of the afternoon is unstructured for personal explorations. Dinner is included tonight to try the fine Peruvian cuisine served at the hotel. (D)
DAY 02: PUNO/TAQUILE ISLAND
After breakfast, we drive to the nearby docks to board a comfortable catamaran-style boat with covered seating area for 30 passengers, panoramic windows and modern safety equipment for the 1.5-hour ride across Lake Titicaca to Taquile Island. En route, we stop at one of the fascinating, floating Uros Islands. Upon arrival to Taquile, we walk 35 minutes along a trail leading to the peaceful island village to learn about the ancient ways of the Incas from the people who consider themselves their true descendants. We watch as locals build their boats, till their fields, weave their mantas and hats, care for their medicinal herbs and plants or possibly hold a communal meeting or celebration in the town square. After lunch in a simple restaurant serving local cuisine, we have a chance to purchase exquisite textiles directly from weavers before we walk to the docks and board our catamaran for the return navigation to Puno. We transfer to the familiar Libertador Hotel. Note: today’s visit is seat-in-boat (non-Southwind passengers also aboard) but privately escorted, roundtrip navigation is about 3 hours. Total excursion time is fom 8am to 4:30pm. While comfortable, motion sickness remedies are advised. (B,L)
DAY 03: PUNO/LIMA (OR CUSCO)
Late morning drive back across the Altiplano to the airport in Juliaca for a flight to Lima. In the capital, join your local guide for a tour of the colonial sector of Lima and the Larco Herrera Museum known for its extensive collection of pre-Columbian artifacts. Leisure time is available to explore Miraflores and taste the well-known Peruvian seafood. Return to the airport with check-in assistance for your flight home. (B)
DAY 04: USA
Arrive in the US this morning and make onward connections home.
Prices from:
$1,600 p.p.d. for 2 participants.
p.p.d.=per person based on double or triple occupancy. Price does not include local flights.
NOTES ON THE LAKE TITICACA ITINERARY: For those traveling to/from Cusco and Juliaca, flights are limited. A seat-in-car tourism vehicle also takes participants between Cusco and Puno. It is a 7-8 hour scenic ride that includes stops at communities, La Raya Pass, and a visit to the Inca site of Raqchi. If 4-6 Southwind travelers are doing the extension, a private vehicle with an escort/guide can be provided at additional cost. A new option is the first-class PeruRail Titicaca train servicing Cusco-Puno-Cusco. The scenic ride is 10.5 hours and departs every day except Tuesdays. Please contact your Travel Consultant for current train cost and schedules.
We recommend an overnight stay in Arequipa (7,675′) before the Titicaca Extension if it is being done prior to visiting the Cusco region in order to begin acclimating to the elevations of the Altiplano highlands. This is especially true for those who live at sea-level or at lower elevations.
Inclusions/exclusions and how to sign up