Puno and Lake Titicaca
Itinerary
Day 01 ARRIVAL AT PUNO
WHERE THE INCA NATION WAS BORN
Arrival day: The details and times of arrival depend on the type of transport used. Arriving passengers will see the city and the bay area of the lake as they arrive in the city of Puno, where they will be transferred to their hotel.
Arrival from Cusco by bus: Along the way you will be able to enjoy the changing scenery as the bus leaves the fertile landscape of the Vilcanota valley and crosses La Raya (the border between the departments of Puno and Cusco and the highest point of the journey). From here we can observe the high Andean plains typical of this part of Peru and along the way we will have time to visit a number of remarkable attractions (such as the colonial church of Andahuaylillas with its famous works of art, the ruins of the temple to the creator god at Racchi and the handcrafts village of Pucara).
Arrival by air: Those arriving at Juliaca airport will be transferred by bus to their hotel in the city of Puno (a 40-minute or 45 kilometer drive across the plains).
Arrival by road from Arequipa: This is a five-hour drive via Juliaca, during which passengers will have the opportunity to visit archaeological sites such as the burial towers of Sillustani, as well as to observe typical Andean fauna (birds and South American camelids).
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Day 02 TITICACA LAKE VISIT TO UROS FLOATING ISLAND AND TAQUILE ISLAND
KINGDOM OF REEDS
You will be transferred in the early morning to the port on the shores of Lake Titicaca for the 25-minute boat ride to the remarkable floating Uros reed islands, made from a local reed known as “totora”. These ancient islands with their remarkably stable surfaces were first created centuries ago from the same reeds which their inhabitants still use to build their houses and boats. The totora reed is also important in the islanders’ diet.
After visiting the islands we will journey by boat for a further two and a half hours to the island of Taquile, where we will hike up from the local port through the native community of the island, with plenty of time along the way to observe local customs and admire the superb textiles produced by these expert weavers who are descended from the Incas.
Return to the port at Puno and transfer to the hotel.
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Day 03 VISIT TO SILLUSTANI AND DEPARTURE TO NEXT DESTINATION
TRIP TO SILLUSTANI
We will leave Puno today and visit the ruins of Sillustani. This archaeological site is composed of a series of 90 conical burial towers, or “chullpas”, made from large carved blocks of volcanic stone. Some of these chullpas are 12 meters high. They were built to house the remains of the deceased nobility, including priests and rulers, whose bodies were then venerated in a “cult of the dead”. After visiting this imposing sight on the shores of beautiful Lake Umayo we will continue to Juliaca, from where there are flights to Lima or Arequipa, or overland to Cusco or Arequipa, in accordance with your individual itinerary.
Special Products Donations / Non profit activities / Horses / Amaru Express
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