Puno

On the water, the Uros islands are built from layered totora reed and rebuilt continuously as the lower layers rot — dozens of small floating platforms, still inhabited. Further out, Taquile is known for its weaving: UNESCO listed Taquile textile art as Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the island’s knitted garments are made by the men, a rare inversion of Andean tradition. Amantani, further still, is where overnight homestays with local families take place. Inland, the pre-Inca chullpas of Sillustani — cylindrical funerary towers built by the Colla above Lake Umayo — predate the Inca presence in the region.

Our Puno tours run from a half-day trip to the Uros floating islands to a full day taking in Uros and Taquile, a two-day Titicaca homestay across Uros, Taquile, and Amantani, and a separate tour to the Sillustani ruins.

Altitude tip: at 3,827 meters, Puno is higher than Cusco. If you’re combining both, arrive in Cusco or Arequipa first — starting a trip in Puno is the hardest way to acclimatize.