Our Lake Titicaca homestay tour takes you to the area’s world-famous totora reed floating islands and community-run tourism projects that help the people whose homes you visit.
Start with a visit to the traditional community of Chifrón on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Here, stay in a locally run guest house with stunning views of the lake, the world’s highest navigable body of water.
Next, visit the inhabited islands of Uros Titino. These floating reed islands are built the same way as the famous Uros floating islands. However, the Uros Titino islands are still inhabited, opening up a more authentic experience with the people of Lake Titicaca.
A local family opens up about their daily lives, showing you how their floating islands and boats are built using lake reeds. Later return by boat to the Pensinsula Llachon, where you will have lunch with a family living on the shores of the highest navegable lake. Here you learn more about farming and weaving, and even try your hand at preparing local delicacies.
This Lake Titicaca tour ends with a sailboat visit to the remote island of Tikonata. On the journey, you’ll learn about local fishing methods, ancient and new. Tikonata is also home to a mummy museum, with mummification an intrinsic part of this fascinating culture.
This tour starts in Cusco but can also be picked up in Juliaca or Puno, Lake Titicaca.
We offer these as day trips, or you can stay the night in a homestay and get a glimpse of people’s lives during your visit to Lake Titicaca.
Read our blogs about Lake Titicaca (Amantani) and sleeping on the Uros floating islands – we offer overnights on both.
Lake Titicaca is a beautiful area to visit, and our socially responsible overnight and day tours ensure you leave a positive footprint. The Uros Titino floating islands visit provides an authentic and sustainable tour to this incredible part of Peru.
Socially responsible tours on Peru's natural wonder, Lake Titicaca.
Visit and learn about the fascinating Uros Titino floating reed islands.
Get a glimpse into some of Peru's oldest cultures.
Stay overnight in a locally-run guesthouse in the community of Chifrón and learn about daily life from your hosts.
Try your hand at cooking and fishing with the local people of Lake Titicaca.
Visit picturesque Tikonata Island and its small museum displaying the mummies discovered there.
The trip was fantastic. The train to Puno was a real treat. Being in the lap of luxury after the trek was a nice contrast. Lake Titicaca was majestic and very interesting. Also a great guide. Walter, and a great visit to Taquile with a beautiful lunch. Thank you again Tom. The boys and I will always remember this trip.
S. Lloyd, Lake Titicaca
In the morning, transfer from your Cusco base to the Turismo MER bus station for your journey to Puno. The tourist bus features a bilingual guide, Wi-Fi, and onboard tea and snacks. It leaves from Cusco at 7:00 am and arrives in Puno around 5:00 pm.
Note: This tour also starts in Juliaca or Puno. Contact us for more information.
Along the bus route, you visit several attractions. The first stop is Andahuaylillas, where time seems to have stood still. Large trees shade the houses around the square, and the narrow streets create a picturesque scene. The most beautiful building is the church, built in 1580 and known as the Sistine Chapel of South America, featuring beautiful wall paintings. Unfortunately, photography inside is not allowed.
Next, you stop at the temple of Wiracocha in the village of Raqchi. This impressive structure hosts the annual Day of the Sun celebration on June 16th. The local population still uses the aqueducts and irrigation channels left by the Incas.
Around noon, you stop for a buffet lunch (included). The journey continues, gradually ascending to La Raya pass, the highest point between Cusco and Puno, at 4,335 metres (14,222ft). Our last stop will be the museum in Pucará, a town known for the decorative bulls seen on rooftops.
At around 4:30 pm, the bus arrives in Juliaca, a bustling and windy city close to Puno and Lake Titicaca. At Juliaca, you leave the bus and meet your driver, who will take you to the Chifrón community, about 20 minutes drive away.
Once settled in, you have dinner and spend the night at Inti Wasi Guest House. The house has stunning views of Chifrón’s sandy beach and Lake Titicaca, with Bolivia’s Cordillera Real visible in the background.
The rooms with private bathrooms are simple and clean, with solar-heated hot water, towels, and heating. (Lunch, Dinner)
A transfer takes you from the guest house to the port of San Pedro in the community of Llachón, located on the Capachica peninsula. If you’re feeling energetic, you can choose to cycle from the guest house along the shore to the launch spot on the lake’s edge. From there, you board a boat to the floating Uros Titino islands, a journey of around 30 minutes. Unlike the more visited Uros Islands, the Titino Islands are home to families still living on the floating islands.
*Option for experienced kayakers: Take to the water and kayak through totora reeds to the Uros Titino islands, a serene experience bringing you close to the lake’s birdlife (additional cost)
On arrival, a local family greets you and explains their daily life on the floating reed islands. They’ll explain how the totora reeds form the basis of their floating islands and boats. Walking on the island feels somewhat like a waterbed. There’s also the chance to ride on a traditional reed boat, a wonderful experience.
Afterward, you return to the community of Llachón to enjoy a typical lunch at a local family’s home.
Next, learn more about life on the shores of Lake Titicaca: You’ll learn more about farming and weaving and can even try your hand at preparing some local delicacies. You could also opt for a stroll in the surrounding countryside.
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
After breakfast, join your guide on a sailboat to visit the small island of Tikonata. During the trip, you learn about the local fishing methods on Lake Titicaca. On Tikonata, you will explore the island on foot and visit a small museum showcasing mummies discovered on this little island.
After a walk to a beautiful viewpoint, you return to your guesthouse for lunch. You are free to enjoy the afternoon at your leisure. You can take a walk to the beach, relax in the sun, or read a book until it is time for you to head back to Juliaca or Puno to continue your journey.
This community-run tour is one of the best on Lake Titicaca. It offers a chance to see the real floating island lifestyle.
(Breakfast, Lunch)
Prices From $404 / £328 per person
Enquire about booking
Transfer to Cusco bus station, bus ticket Cusco-Juliaca, Titicaca program including transportation, all activities mentioned, overnight stays, bilingual guide and all mentioned meals.
Flights, insurance, tips, hotel upgrades, single supplements, meals not listed, personal belongings, alcoholic or soft drinks, optional kayaking activity at Llachón.
The guesthouse on Lake Titicaca is simple and clean, rooms have a private bathroom with solar-heated hot water, towels, and heating.
There is a lovely garden to relax and enjoy the views over the lake. Dinners are enjoyed in the spacious main building, which the family sometimes shares as a common room.
Our representative will meet you at Juliaca bus station and take you to your guesthouse, giving you any necessary vouchers and advising you of any changes in plan etc.
They will drop you off at the airport/station at the end of the trip.
Guides are from the area, and by visiting local families and staying at a locally run guesthouse, you are helping the community preserve its lifestyles.
We can cater for all dietary requirements, please let us know.
Meals are generous; you can watch your host prepare them in the open kitchen.
Breakfast will feature teas, coffees, juices, cereals, fruit, eggs, toast and jams, among other things.
Lake Titicaca is suitable for most ages and fitness levels. The main challenges are the high altitude (3,800m/12,467ft), daytime sun strength and the contrasting cold wind and very cold night temperatures.
Walks are generally short, although some hikes involve 30 minutes to an hour of walking, so you must remain hydrated. Lake Titicaca is an excellent place to acclimatise before heading to Cusco, or to visit after Cusco. You can go straight to Lake Titicaca from sea level with no previous acclimatisation. However, note that this can be hard and is not ideal.
It is much better to spend some time in Cusco or Colca Canyon/Arequipa beforehand or in highland Bolivia to become accustomed to the high altitude.
Most trips start early in the morning, around 07.00, with a break for lunch around 13.00, and finish around 16.00, with free time to explore the islands until sunset.
You may be invited to dinner and some music/dancing at the guest house.
Peru is the perfect holiday destination for adventure travellers that want an amazing variety of activity, geography and cultural travel experiences.
The breadth of travel experiences in Peru is breathtaking – from trekking in the Andes to Machu Picchu to the tropical jungle of the Amazon, and plenty in between.
The people of Peru make it a special destination too, with its colourful and traditional street life and friendly locals.
Peru is made up of 3 distinct geographical areas: the coast, the mountains and the jungle.
The costa or coastal region is a narrow ribbon of desert 2,250 km long, crossed by fertile river valleys flowing from the Andes. It takes up 11% of the country and holds more than 40% of the population.
The cold Humboldt current gives rise to a blanket of mist – the garua – which hangs above coastal cities like the capital Lima from May to November.
Heading east, you’re soon climbing above the garua and into the Andes. The sierra, or mountainous region, covers some 25% of Peru’s territory and contains 50% of the population. The sierra inhabitants are mainly Indigenous or Mestizo, and many still speak Quechua or Aymara.
The sierra contains dozens of 6,000-metre snow peaks and volcanoes, including Huascaran (6,768m) the highest mountain in the tropics. The deep valley basins contain most of the towns and arable land; the terracing and canal systems of the Incas and pre-Incas are often still used today.
The eastern Andes are heavily forested up to 3,350m and sweep down into the Amazon Basin.
Peru’s selva or jungle makes up almost two thirds of the country’s area, but holds only about 6% of the population: the only towns with significant populations are Iquitos and Pucallpa.
You can also read about the weather of Peru in our blog.
Peru is located in the southern tropics (latitudes 0º to 18º), but climate varies significantly according to season, altitude and region.
Lima & the coast
From May to October, Lima is often overcast, but with minimal precipitation. There are sunny spells, and it’s a fresh to pleasant 13-20ºC.
At the same time, inland areas and the north coast mid to high 20’s ºC.
November to April is generally warm and sunny and Lima enjoys warm temperature of 19-25ºC, with the coast averaging 22-30ºC.
The Andes
Climate depends largely on altitude. As a rule of thumb, below 2,000m climate is mild and above 2,000m warm clothing is required for evenings, nights and early mornings.
The Andean sun is very strong.
May to Oct (dry season in The Andes)
Cusco (3,300m): Average max/min temps: 22ºC /2ºC. Average 3 or 4 wet days per month.
Arequipa (2,380m): Average max/min temps: 26ºC /9ºC. Sunny more than 340 days/year with minimal precipitation.
On highland treks: Conditions are generally dry. However, at this time of year, expect a range of conditions within a single day: cold/freezing nights at camps above 4,000m, where pre-dawn temperatures can be -5ºC; warm, spring-like mornings and afternoons; and cold evenings.
Note that mountain weather can be fickle and localised, and that precipitation is not unknown in the dry season. Expect temperatures to swing between sun and shade, sheltered and exposed ground and with altitude gain and loss. A quick-setting sun means temperatures drop fast.
In the cloud forest, e.g. around Machu Picchu, daytime conditions are generally warm or hot, and evenings cool.
Nov to March/April (wet season in The Andes)
Cusco: Average max/min temps: 23ºC /6ºC. Average 13 wet days per month.
Arequipa: Average max/min temps: 25ºC /14ºC.
On highland treks: Wetter conditions, with cooler days and milder nights than dry season. Jan-Mar usually the wettest months.
The Amazon rainforest
Year-round, weather conditions are hot and humid and there is always the risk of rain
There is a ‘dry season’ in Tambopata and Manu between May and October. The average daytime high temperature is between 25°C and 34°C and the average nighttime low is between 16°C and 22°C. Heavy downpours typically occur every few days.
Around 80% of annual average rainfall – approx 2,000 mm in Manu and Tambopata and 1,400 mm in Iquitos – occurs in the wet season Nov-April.
On rare occasions, between May and September, cold fronts from Argentina – ‘friajes’ – can sweep into southwest Amazonia and push temperatures down to 9° C. (Friajes usually last between 1 and 3 days).
Good kit is vital for every trip.
Book with Andean Trails and get 15% off Páramo’s fantastic ethical and high performance outdoor gear.
Overview
When planning for the varied climatic conditions you will encounter across Peru, layering is the most practical and versatile clothing system.
The sun is very strong throughout the country, so good sun cream, a hat and sunglasses are vital.
It can also get very cold at night time especially in the mountains. Jumpers, fleeces and warms hats – which you can buy there – are also essential.
Give plenty of thought to kit selection, and try to keep weight down.
Below is a more detailed guide.
Detailed kit list
Miscellaneous others
Andean Trails has 25 years of experience of putting together the best South America holidays.
We pay a fee to the CAA for every licensable passenger we book since we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking.
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When you buy an ATOL protected air holiday package from Andean Trails Ltd you will receive a Confirmation Invoice from us confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 6275.
You can read more about ATOL, who is covered and what protections you have if not ATOL-covered, on our ATOL page.
What is ATOL?
The CAA’s ATOL scheme offers protection to your money and your holiday if you book with us. Not everybody is covered (see ‘Who is covered?’ for more), as you must purchase an ‘air package holiday’ with Andean Trails to be protected.
And ‘air package holiday’ is defined as including a flight and some ground services (hotel, transfer, trek etc). This is also known as an ‘ATOL-protected holiday’.
Who is covered?
To be covered by ATOL, you must book a flight and some ground services with us and be from the UK. If you are from the UK and only book ground services and no flights, you are not covered by ATOL (see below for more on how non-ATOL clients are covered).
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For land only holidays not involving any air travel, in accordance with “The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992”, all UK passengers booking with Andean Trails Ltd. are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all money paid to us, arising from cancellation or curtailment of travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Andean Trails.
I’m not ATOL covered, what protection do I have?
If you are not ATOL covered, any payments you make to us go to a Trust account.
We can only access this money once your tour has been completed, meaning that if anything happens to Andean Trails Limited while you are on holiday, then your money is secure and you can either complete the trip or be able to make it home.
If you pay for your holiday with a credit card, some offer payment protection – please check with your cardholder.
You also should have cancellation protection written into your insurance (which we recommend you have at the time of booking) in case you need to cancel.
Peru boasts in its Amazonian region a vast swathe of world-class tropical wilderness with several rain forest and cloud forest reserves which are home to an immense diversity of wildlife.
Accessible from Lima, Iquitos or Cusco, the Amazon jungle is just a short flight away.
In Peru’s southeast lies the extraordinary region comprising the Tambopata National Reserve and the Bahuaja Sonene and Manu National Parks, with the greatest animal and plant diversity anywhere in the world.
Whether you choose to base yourself at a comfortable lodge or enjoy a more demanding camping trip, you can be sure of a unique, exhilarating and unforgettable experience.
The beautiful colonial city of Arequipa is replete with history and culture, and is the gateway to the condors of Colca Canyon.
Nestled at 2,325m/7,627ft, the ‘white city’ sits at the foot of three tremendous volcanoes: El Misti (5,821m/19,098ft), Chachani (6,075m/19,930ft) and Pichu Pichu (5,542m/18,182ft).
Arequipa’s attractions include the Cathedral, Compañía de Jesús Church, Santa Catalina Convent and the Dama de Ampato (Juanita Mummy) Museum.
With a year-round spring climate and sunshine guaranteed for 300 days of the year, it is the perfect place to begin acclimatising before continuing upwards.
Nearby is the famous Colca Canyon. At hundred kilometres long, this incredible gorge is said to reach a maximum depth of 3,400m/11,155ft – twice that of the Grand Canyon.
An overnight tour to Colca gives you the chance to see the iconic, soaring condors of the canyon.
Cusco is the archaeological and cultural capital of South America.
The one-time centre of the vast Inca Empire is a bustling highland city with bags of character.
Its whitewashed streets and plazas feature a fascinating blend of Inca and Spanish colonial stonework and offer endless possibilities for exploration.
You don’t have to venture far to find outstanding examples of high quality Inca architecture, including the monumental temple fortress of Sacsayhuaman.
There is also the fertile farming land of the Sacred Valley on the doorstep, with many Inca terraces, temples and fortresses, plus colourful local markets and small villages.
At night, Cusco offers an excellent array or restaurants and bars plus the continent’s best Andean folk music scene.
In the northeast of Peru lies Kuelap – the jewel in the massive archaeological crown of the Chachapoyas Cloud People.
The mystical structure of Kuelap – dubbed the Peru’s second Machu Picchu by locals – is 1,200 years old.
It features massive limestone walls towering 60 feet, pottery, bones and hundreds of mysterious round stone structures, and away from the crowds of other sites.
This is a remote area of sub-tropical valleys, half way down the eastern slopes of the Andes. The jungle is impenetrable, dense with low trees, bromeliads, bamboos, orchids and mosses.
Lake Titicaca, at around 4,000m/13,123ft above sea level, is a vast shimmering body of water on the Peru/Bolivia border.
It is the world’s highest navigable lake, set against a breathtaking background of towering ice-covered Andean mountain peaks.
The islands and shoreline of Lake Titicaca support many Indian communities, including the well known floating islands of Uros and the more remote islands of Taquile and Amantani. Here, traditions are strong and it appears time really does stand.
Agriculture, fishing, knitting and weaving are important to the islanders and by staying a day or two you gain just a small insights into this traditional way of life.
Islanders welcome tourists into their homes and this is a wonderful opportunity to experience island life.
Lima, the capital city of Peru, is a vibrant bustling place with a wide variety of things to do.
Stroll or bike around the historic centre, visiting the many museums or just chilling out in a café or restaurant in Miraflores.
In Parque Kennedy you can sit outside in Parisian fashion and watch the world go by in cafes and restaurants, or walk to the shore and the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
There are a number of artisan shops & market stalls, plus a big silver jewellery trade, and a burgeoning number of top end restaurants with delicious food.
The centre of Lima is home to impressive Colonial architecture – Plaza de Armas has the Palace, official residence of the president, on one side, and on another is the Cathedral.
San Francisco Church, home of the Catacombs, is well worth a visit, as is the Inquisition museum.
Nothing says Peru quite the way Machu Picchu does.
The Lost City of the Incas, perches dramatically on a ridge-top 400 metres above the Urubamba river. The extensive site, with its many terraces, temples and palaces, is set amid a beautiful landscape of deep gorges and thickly forested mountains.
When Machu Picchu was rediscovered early in the 20th century and cleared of forest, it was found to be very well preserved. It has since presented archaeologists with many unanswered questions regarding the role it played in Inca times.
The sense of grandeur, whether you arrive on the Inca Trail or not, is impressive.
Try to arrive early at the site to enjoy it at its best – and late afternoon can often see you almost alone in the ruins.
North east of Lima, the Cordillera Blanca offers fantastic mountain scenery and some of the best trekking and climbing in the Andes.
The Cordillera Blanca boasts dozens of peaks over 6,000 metres, including Peru’s highest Huascaran at 6,768m/22,205ft above sea level.
The Blanca range also contains the world’s largest concentration of tropical glaciers.
This is an ideal destination for treks, from just a few to 12 days or so and also an ideal starting place for learning or improving mountaineering skills.
The nearby Huayhuash mountain range contains a dazzling array of snow peaks including seven summits above 6,000 metres.
This is a trekking paradise with breathtaking majestic panoramas and stunningly remote and picturesque camping spots. There is no better place to visit to get away from it all.
Select an available date to view pricing and information for that particular trip.
2024 price, based on 4 people, shared room basis $404 per person 2 people: $519 per person Shorter/longer stays possible Single supplement applies
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