Fast Boat Tour, Lunch Included

Ride a fast boat across Lake Titicaca from Puno to the man-made Uros floating islands and Taquile island on this 9-hour day trip. The day comes with lunch and local guides.

Overview

This nine-hour day trip from Puno packs the two Lake Titicaca stops most visitors want, the Uros floating islands and Taquile, into one long outing with no overnight stay. Hotel pickup within the historic centre comes first, then a fast boat out onto the lake. The first stop is the Uros Islands, built by hand from reeds, where the group spends about an hour learning how the islands are constructed and how residents live on the water. From there the boat crosses to Taquile Island for roughly five hours, a stretch that includes lunch and a walk up to the island's high ground before the return to Puno.

The pace suits most travellers. The listing caps the group at 30 and says most people can take part. Lunch is served on the island as part of the long stop there.

A bilingual guide, speaking English and Spanish, accompanies the group throughout, and entrance fees, the pier embarkation tax, lunch and transport are all covered by the booking. Breakfast and dinner are not. The optional reed boat ride at Uros costs 15 soles extra.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Hotel pickup in PunoTransfer is included for hotels within the historic centre of Puno. Hotels outside the centre carry an extra charge per way.
2. Boat to the Uros IslandsThe group travels by fast boat from the Puno pier out onto the lake toward the floating islands.
3. Uros Floating Islands, 1 hourAdmission is included. The hour covers the island visit and an explanation of how the reed islands are built and maintained. An optional reed boat ride costs 15 soles extra.
4. Boat to Taquile IslandThe crossing continues across the lake to Taquile, with open water views along the way.
5. Taquile Island, 5 hoursAdmission is included. The stop combines a walk up to the island's high ground with an included lunch before the return leg.
6. Return to PunoThe boat heads back to the mainland and the group is dropped off at hotels within the historic centre.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points come up repeatedly in feedback from past guests, and they are easier to sort out before the morning pickup than on the dock.

• Bring cash. Carry soles in cash. Decide on a spending limit before you land.
• The Taquile climb. One reviewer's advice was simply to go slowly. There are no stairs on the climb, according to that same account.
• Group feel. The listing sets a maximum of 30 travellers, but some reviewers reported bigger turnouts on the day, with the crowd split into smaller groups for guiding.
• Lunch on Taquile. Lunch is included and served on the island. Reviewers bring it up often and mostly favourably, with several calling it excellent or very good.
• On the boat. Reviewers mention a toilet on board and a clean boat. The crossings between stops take a while, so settle in and keep something to do within reach.
• Views and photos. Several guests single out the lake views from the boat and from Taquile's high ground. Keep a camera handy during the crossings, since the open water stretches are where the scenery opens up.

Common issues. The listing states a maximum of 30 travellers, yet some reviewers reported noticeably larger groups on the day, and one described passengers standing on the minibus transfer. One reviewer found the stairway back onto the boat at Taquile steep and unassisted. One reviewer also reported a late start at the port with no communication about the delay. The tour is not wheelchair accessible, infants must sit on laps, and the listing advises against it for anyone with serious heart conditions. Hotels outside central Puno incur a charge of 25 soles each way.

Common Questions