Puno: Uros & Taquile Island Day Trip by Boat

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Duration10h

GroupUp to 19

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Reed Islands & Weaving: A Day on Lake Titicaca from Puno

You board a comfortable motor boat in Puno and spend a full day crossing Lake Titicaca to two islands: first the Uros floating communities, where you walk on reed islands and meet families who've lived there for generations, then Taquile, where a 30-to-40-minute uphill walk rewards you with panoramic views and a chance to see UNESCO-recognized weaving traditions in action. Lunch with fresh trout or quinoa omelet and Coca tea is included, along with your guide, all transfers, and entry fees—you return to Puno by evening.

10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Lake Titicaca boat tour and islands visit

Board comfortable boat in Puno
Cruise across Lake Titicaca
Explore Uros Floating Islands
Meet Uros locals and learn culture
Optional reed boat ride on lake
Travel to Taquile Island
Hike from port to main square
Enjoy panoramic views of lake
Have traditional lunch with tea
Return to Puno

The Experience

The boat horn sounds at the dock in Puno, and you're stepping onto a motor vessel with wide windows and bus-style seats—the kind of boat built for a long crossing. Lake Titicaca spreads out ahead, the highest navigable lake in the world, and the Andes rise behind you in layers of brown and grey. The journey to Taquile takes two and a half hours, but the first stop comes sooner: the Uros floating islands, where the Uros people have lived for centuries on islands they build themselves from totora reeds. You walk onto ground that feels soft underfoot, nothing like solid earth. A local will show you how they weave the reeds, how they repair the islands, how they live without soil or stone. If you want, you can pay 20 soles extra to ride a traditional reed boat across the water—it's optional, but most people do it.

After Uros, the boat continues to Taquile Island, and the climb starts right away. The walk from the port to the main square takes 30 to 40 minutes uphill, and the views open up as you go—the lake below, the mountains beyond, the island's terraced fields. Taquile is car-free and quiet. The textiles here are UNESCO-recognized, and you'll see people weaving in their homes and on the streets; men and women both work the looms, and the patterns carry stories. Your guide will explain the traditions, the colors, the meaning behind the designs. By the time you reach the square, your legs know you've climbed, but the air is clear and the perspective is worth it.

Lunch happens in a local restaurant on Taquile—fresh trout or an omelet, both with quinoa soup and Coca tea, which locals say helps with altitude. The meal is included, and it's the kind of food that tastes better because you've walked to it. After eating, you have time to wander the island or rest before heading back down to the boat. The return to Puno takes the same 2.5 hours, and you'll be back at your hotel by evening. The whole day is managed—transfers from downtown Puno, the guide in English or Spanish, entry fees, the boat, the meal—so you show up and the logistics are already handled.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup from downtown Puno and return transfer to your hotel, a professional guide in English or Spanish, entry fees to both islands, lunch on Taquile (fresh trout or omelet with quinoa soup and Coca tea), and passage on a comfortable motor boat with panoramic windows and an onboard bathroom. The reed boat ride on Uros is optional and costs extra.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Inca Lake

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Lake Titicaca's two most visited islands in one day without arranging separate boats, guides, or meals—the fixed itinerary and included transport mean you only need to show up at your hotel.