Lake Titicaca extension

Name: Lake Titicaca extension
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

5.0/5 from

Activity Level

Easy & Moderate

Ways to Travel :

Activity :

Trip Extensions

Group Size :

Ages :

16+

Trip Code :

XTNTITICA3

Carbon Footprint :

70kg CO2e per person per day

Titicaca’s floating reed islands, native communities and ancient burial towers

Journey across the spectacular high altiplano to Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable freshwater lake (3800m). Explore its waters by boat and visit the descendants of the Uros Indians who live on floating reed islands, and are also known for producing fine textiles. Back on the mainland, we visit the pre-Incan site of Sillustani, comprised of burial towers with fantastic views over the region.

Highlights

Spectacular drive across Peru's altiplano, with stops at La Raya Pass and Raqchi Temple Complex
Boat trip to visit the floating reed islands of the Uros Indians
Sillustani burial towers
Lakeside Puno city and its markets and textiles

Key Information

3 day Lake Titicaca extension
Travel by shared tourist coach and by boat
Price from GBP £349 per person (shared room and travelling together)
Compulsory sole traveller supplement from GBP £165
This extension runs on a shared basis with non-Exodus guests

Countries visited: Peru

What's Included

2 breakfasts and 1 lunch
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Local representative and guide

What's Not Included

Tour leader
Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request from £70)
Visas or vaccinations

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony though practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

TRIP

XTNTITICA3 - Lake Titicaca extension

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Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes

Itinerary

Cuzco Hotel Juliaca Airport

Today we travel by shared tourist coach across the altiplano, the high plains separating the Andes from the jungle. Although it is quite a long drive (approx. 10hrs), it is interesting and often spectacular as you get a feeling for the immensity of the Andean landscapes. There will be a bilingual guide on board who will provide information in English and Spanish. There are four scheduled stops along the route (plus a lunch stop) to visit some of the most interesting sites: Andahuaylillas Church, the Raqchi Temple Complex, La Raya Pass (4335m) and the lithic Museum of Pukara. We arrive into Puno in the late afternoon (around 5pm), a high, chilly town on the shores of Lake Titicaca. A local representative/guide will meet you off the coach and take you to your hotel. There will be a short briefing about the next two days.

Accommodation: Hotel Casona Plaza (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

A morning spent exploring Lake Titicaca by boat, visiting the descendants of the Uros Indians, who live on islands of floating reeds and produce some fine textiles. In the afternoon there is a visit to Sillustani burial towers outside of town. Though the altitude here is tiring, the air is very clear and the lakeside views magnificent, with the snow-capped peaks of the Peruvian and Bolivian Andes towering in the background.

Accommodation: Hotel Casona Plaza (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast

A transfer to Juliaca airport is included today – the extension ends here for land only clients. Those who have booked a flight inclusive package from London will board a flight to Lima or Cuzco, then connect with your overnight international flight back to London.

Meals included: Breakfast

Essential Info

Is this trip for you?

This extension is offered after any Peru tour which ends in Cuzco; we do not offer it pre-tour as Puno/Lake Titicaca is situated at high altitude (3800m) and acclimatisation is required.

There is no Exodus leader on this extension but you will have the services of local guides and transfer agents and be provided with the contact details of our local partner in Peru in case you should require assistance.

Altitude is a factor to consider when booking this extension and may make activities feel more strenuous than normal; please see the Altitude Warning within the Trip Notesfor further information. The maximum altitude reached is 4335m at La Raya Pass, on the drive from Cuzco to Puno.

You should be comfortable getting on and off boats and have the mobility to do so. There is one long drive; the drive from Cuzco to Puno is by shared tourist coach and takes around ten hours including stops at sites of interest along the way and a lunch break.

Protest action/strikes are not uncommon in Peru, and whilst these are generally peaceful, they can involve roadblocks and cause disruption to travel. Occasionally our local partner may have to adapt your itinerary in response to this. Similarly, occasionally Lake Titicaca’s waters can be too rough for boats to go out and it may not be possible to reach the Uros Islands, in which case an alternative activity will be offered (usually you would visit the Llachon Peninsula instead).

The sun is strong at altitude however at the same time it can be very cold; you will need to bring suitable sun protection and warm clothing.

Joining Instructions

3 days starting Cuzco hotel, ending Juliaca airport

A car and driver will collect you from your hotel in Cuzco in the morning and transfer you to the tourist coach on which you will travel to Puno. Upon arrival at Puno bus station in the afternoon, a local representative will meet you and take you to your hotel where they will give you a short briefing about the next day.

On the last day of the extension you will be transferred to Juliaca airport where the extension ends.

Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.

Location start: Cuzco Hotel
Location end: Juliaca Airport

Vaccinations and Health

Peru

There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, typhoid, tuberculosis and yellow fever. Additionally, Zika fever, a mosquito‐borne viral disease, is a known risk in Peru. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so you should take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Please check all vaccination recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.

Amazon: If you are travelling to the Tambopata reserve in the Amazon rainforest, the risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your doctor or travel clinic for further advice. We also strongly recommend that you obtain a yellow fever vaccination. Additionally, dengue fever and chikungunya are known risks in the Amazon region. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Visa

Peru

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Peru. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/peru
Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/peru
United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/peru/entry-requirements
USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Peru.html

Food & Drink

All breakfasts and one lunch are included in the extension. On the drive from Cuzco to Puno there is a scheduled lunch stop en route – usually comprising a buffet, serving a mixture of local and Western dishes.

Please do not drink the tap water in Peru – it is not potable.

Weather

Peru’s diverse geography results in a very varied climate between different regions.

Cuzco and the Andes have a temperate climate. December to March is the rainy season in Cuzco/the Andes and April to November is the dry season; characterised by clear skies and strong sunshine in the mornings, sometimes clouding over as the day progresses. Daytime temperatures are usually pleasant (approx. 20 degrees C on average) but night times only 5-10 degrees C, except for May, June, July and August when days are cooler and nights are often close to, or a few degrees below, freezing. In the Andes, however, anything is possible at any time of year, including cloud, rain or even snow, and rapid and unexpected changes!

Lake Titicaca is high, lying at 3800m above sea level, and at this altitude the sun is strong but the air can be cold, and nights can be close to freezing. You will need to bring some warm layers and a waterproof or wind-stopper.

Peru is affected by the El Niño weather phenomenon whereby warming of Pacific Ocean surface water off South America drives a shift in the atmospheric circulation resulting in abnormally high levels of rainfall over parts of South America. These events occur at irregular intervals of two to seven years, and last nine months to two years. A strong El Niño event occurred in 2014-16. In El Niño years, temperatures in Lima can be much warmer than described above but it still rarely rains in Lima.