Lake Titicaca Peru: Discover the Magical Floating Islands!

Located somewhere along the Andes Mountain range lies the incredible Lake Titicaca Peru, the highest navigable lake in the entire world. A wonder of nature of sorts, the lake lies at an incredible 3,812m above sea level. To put that into a little bit of Peruvian context, the ruins of Machu Picchu, perched high up in the Andes mountains, are almost 1,400m closer to the sea. Not only is this magical lake located higher than the summit of many of the world’s highest mountain tops, Lake Titicaca Peru is also incredibly vast, spanning an area of over 8,000km. There is something quite incredible about gazing across such vastness in such an isolated location as the Andes Mountains.

As if the incredible lake wasn’t enough, the vast body of water is home to many islands with local inhabitants who actually live atop them. These islands are completely man-made by the locals, who used a floatable reed called ‘Totora’ to create the artificial land. With limited resources, these fantastically innovative locals have managed to thrive in such an obscure location, finding wonderful ways to make the most of what they have. The magical floating islands and the beautiful Lake Titicaca Peru truly are incredible and worth everything it takes to visit the beautiful ecosystem above the clouds!

Lake Titicaca Peru Tours

Generally, there are three main offerings of Lake Titicaca tours from a range of different operators. The most popular tours are either the ‘Full Day’ or ‘2 Day/1 Night’ tours that involve visiting the different islands in the area and, with the overnight tour, spending a night on one of the synthetic islands with the locals who made it! For those stuck for time, there is also a ‘2-hour’ tour available allowing those with only a morning or afternoon in Puno to explore the magical mountaintop lake, making this tour quite popular in its own right. We recommend that you check out the official Lake Titicaca Peru website for more information and the best prices on Lake Titicaca Peru tours.

2-Hour Tour

This short and sweet tour of the Uros floating islands is the perfect way to get a taste of what Lake Titicaca is all about on a schedule. This tour tends to cost as little as $10 and operates twice a day; one in the morning at 06:30 and another in the afternoon at 16:00. This tour is not the most immersive of the options, but it is a great way to see the best of the beautiful lake, all while riding one of the traditional reed boats which are famous to the area.

1-Day Tour

This tour is one of the most popular options and is a fantastic way to get the most out of your Lake Titicaca Peru Tour for little cost. This tour should cost around $20 and includes not only a visit to the Uros islands, but also to the island of Taquile. This more isolated island is s fantastic way to discover the wonderful ways of the indigenous people and, with the help of the experienced bilingual tour guides, you’ll learn everything about Lake Titicaca’s culture.

2-Day Tour

This is the most immersive tour option available and as a result, the most sought after. This tour includes tours of both the Uros islands and the Taquile island while also visiting the island of Amantani, one of the most traditional of the islands in Lake Titicaca Peru. The tour should cost you $40 and is the perfect way to totally connect with the locals from the Uros islands. The islanders love to sing and dance, so you’re guaranteed to have a fantastic time!

How to Get to Lake Titicaca, Peru

The start point for the majority of Lake Titicaca tours is the city of Puno, in southern Peru. The most popular and cost-effective method of reaching Puno is by bus, as it is with much of Peru. There a range of bus services available in Peru, both public and private, so we recommend you take a read of the comprehensive guide available on the best bus companies to get you to Puno. We believe for this journey, the best option is the hop-on-hop-off bus service of Peru Hop/Bolivia hop. Their easy-to-use bus passes make it effortless to reach Puno from as far north as Lima to La Paz, Bolivia. Peru Hop’s hop-on-hop-off style passes mean you can enjoy all of the wonderful locations you’ll pass along the way that you would simply skip over with other more direct services. From Huacachina to Arequipa, there really is so much to do between Lima and Puno so, for that reason, we recommend Peru Hop as the bus service to reach Lake Titicaca.

What to Bring to Lake Titicaca Peru

• Small backpack
• Water
• Sunscreen – Very important
• Hat, sunglasses
• Warm layers, sweater or jacket (can reach -10ºC)
• Basics like toilet paper, etc
• Snacks
• Personal medications (if necessary)
• Money for drinks
• Camera
• If doing the overnight tour, bring a small overnight bag and toiletries

So What are you Waiting for?

With the wonderful floating islands of Lake Titicaca waiting for you, a trip to Puno is a must while traveling in Peru! So hop on the Peru Hop bus and explore the wonderful world of Lake Titicaca Peru and discover all that the mystical islands has to offer. For more information on the lakes like where to stay during your adventure, check out the official Lake Titicaca Peru website, and enjoy your trip!