Uros Floating Islands
Man-made islands built from layers of totora reeds on Lake Titicaca, home to Uros families. Boat trips show the reed houses and boats and explain how the islands are made.
Puno and Lake Titicaca
At this high-altitude lake town, visitors get to meet local communities and to see the Uros reed islands that float on the water.
Attractive locations
Sillustani
A windswept lakeside site with tall round stone burial towers, called chullpas, built by pre-Inca and Inca peoples. The setting beside Lake Umayo is open and photogenic.
Puno Cathedral
A baroque stone church overlooking Puno's main square, with a richly carved facade. It is a short walk from the lakefront and a quiet stop in the old centre.
Lake Titicaca
One of the highest large lakes in the world, shared by Peru and Bolivia. Puno is the main base for boat trips to its reed islands, island villages and Andean shoreline.
Taquile Island
A small island in the lake where Quechua-speaking residents farm on terraces and are known for fine hand-knitted textiles. Visitors hike between viewpoints and stay for a village lunch.
Amantani Island
A round, hilly island in Lake Titicaca with farming villages and two hilltop ceremonial sites. Many visitors stay overnight with local families and watch the sunset from the summit.
Inca Uyo
A walled enclosure at Chucuito, south of Puno, filled with large upright stone phalluses linked to fertility rites. It is often visited together with the town church.
Airports
Inca Manco Capac International Airport JUL
It is about 44 km in a straight line from Puno and Lake Titicaca.
Scams and safe taxis
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan9.2 °C84 mm
- Feb9.1 °C92 mm
- Mar9.0 °C60 mm
- Apr8.3 °C25 mm
- May6.6 °C9 mm
- Jun5.7 °C2 mm
- Jul5.2 °C4 mm
- Aug6.3 °C5 mm
- Sep7.6 °C16 mm
- Oct8.9 °C34 mm
- Nov9.9 °C21 mm
- Dec9.7 °C71 mm
Driest months: Jun, Jul, Aug. Wettest months: Jan, Feb, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 52% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
religious
Virgen de la Candelaria (Puno)
Masked dancers in their thousands gather beside Lake Titicaca.
religious
Virgen de la Candelaria (Puno)
Masked dancers in their thousands gather beside Lake Titicaca.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 105. Ambulance 106. Fire 116.
local government
PromPerú (Peru's tourism promotion agency)
Helps with: Peru's tourism promotion agency, which runs the iPerú visitor information service. Its website lists a head-office phone line and address in Lima for travel questions.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Peru or planning a trip there.
Phone: (511) 616 7300
Address: Calle 1 Oeste N° 050, San Isidro, Lima, Peru
ngo
Peruvian Red Cross (Cruz Roja Peruana)
Helps with: Peru's national Red Cross society. Its website describes disaster risk management, health and wellbeing work, emergency response, and first aid and CPR courses.
Who qualifies: People in Peru who need its health, emergency or disaster-related services.
Phone: +51 986 204 095
Email: contacto@cruzroja.org.pe
Address: Av. Arequipa 1285, Urb. Santa Beatriz, Lima
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Peru
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Peru since 1966. It gives humanitarian support to migrants, displaced people, returnees and host communities.
Who qualifies: Migrants, displaced people and returnees in Peru. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +51 1 6330000
Email: iomperuatencion@iom.int
Address: Calle Miguel Seminario 320, San Isidro 15047, Lima
local government
Police emergency number 105
Helps with: Reaches the police. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 105
local government
Ambulance emergency number 106
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 106
local government
Fire emergency number 116
Helps with: Reaches the fire service. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 116