Lake Titicaca is a large lake at a high altitude. It straddles the border of Peru and Bolivia and both countries have a lot to offer on the lake. The following itinerary with the various things to do at Lake Titicaca starts in Bolivia and ends in Peru. However, you can reverse the itinerary if you are going in the other direction.
The main two towns on Lake Titicaca are Copacabana, Bolivia, and Puno, Peru. These are the two main hubs from which all tours leave. We will talk about the main tours that you can find from each of these towns.
This guide will also go through the border crossing requirements from Bolivia to Peru. If you are from the United States and are looking to cross the border from Peru to Bolivia, you can read more about this experience and the requirements for the Bolivian visa here.
Itinerary Options to Explore the Things to Do at Lake Titicaca
The following are a few different options that will allow you to visit both sides of Lake Titicaca. Option 2 allows you to stay on two separate islands within Lake Titicaca. However, Option 3 is intended for those who are tight on time.
Option 1
Day 1
Take a morning bus from La Paz to Copacabana
Walk around town and make your way up to Cerro El Calvario
Day 2
Take a half-day or full-day tour to Isla del Sol
Take a bus from Copacabana to Puno
Day 3
Take an overnight homestay tour to Amantani Island
Day 4
Finish the overnight homestay tour
Take a bus to leave Puno
Option 2
Day 1
Take a morning bus from La Paz to Copacabana
Take a boat to Isla del Sol and spend the night on the island
Day 2
Finish the tour to Isla del Sol
Take a bus from Copacabana to Puno
Day 3
Take an overnight homestay tour to Amantani Island
Day 4
Finish the overnight homestay tour
Take a bus to leave Puno
Option 3
Day 1
Take a morning bus from La Paz to Copacabana with Bolivia Hop
Take the tour to Isla del Sol with Bolivia Hop
Take the Bolivia Hop bus to Puno
Day 2
Take an overnight homestay tour to Amantani Island
Day 3
Finish the overnight homestay tour
Take a bus to leave Puno
Day 1: Getting to Copacabana, Bolivia on Lake Titicaca
If you are trying to get to Copacabana, Bolivia, chances are, you are in La Paz or somewhere else in Bolivia already. The best way to get to Copacabana is via bus from La Paz. The best bus option is using Bolivia Hop. They are a tourism company (started in Peru and called Peru Hop there) that provides door-to-door bus services for tourists to different destinations in the country. Their buses run their routes once a day at the same time every day. If you want more flexibility with your time in Copacabana, we recommend using a different bus company to go from Copacabana to Puno.
A Breakdown of The Buses by Itinerary Option
La Paz -> Copacabana
Copacabana -> Puno
Puno -> Cusco or Arequipa
Options 1 + 2
Use Bolivia Hop
Use Bolivia / Peru Hop
Option 3
Use Bolivia Hop
Use Bolivia Hop
Use Bolivia / Peru Hop
Options 1 + 2
La Paz -> Copacabana
Use Bolivia Hop
Copacabana -> Puno
Puno -> Cusco or Arequipa
Use Bolivia / Peru Hop
Option 3
La Paz -> Copacabana
Use Bolivia Hop
Copacabana -> Puno
Use Bolivia Hop
Puno -> Cusco or Arequipa
Use Bolivia / Peru Hop
Using Bolivia Hop For Your Tours As Well
The Bolivia Hop company also has options for organized tours at different destinations that align with the time of their buses. This makes things very easy to plan things without doing additional research. However, if you have time to do additional bookings and research, there may be better tour options at these destinations.
The advantage of using Bolivia Hop is that it may allow you to combine Days 1 and 2 into a single, long day if you are shorter on time. You will get transferred early in the morning from La Paz to Copacabana, Bolivia. Then, you will visit Isla del Sol with the tour provided by Bolivia Hop. Finally, you will be transferred from Copacabana to Puno, Peru in the evening, arriving at your hotel in Puno around 9 PM.
Check out hotel options for Puno here
There are some hotels in the center of town and others on the edge of the lake with beautiful views.
Not Using Bolivia Hop For Your Tours
If you do not use Bolivia Hop’s tour and continued transportation to Puno, take the first day to relax and take in the town of Copacabana. You can hike up to Cerro El Calvario to get beautiful views of the lake and the town. It is a great spot to take in the sunset.
You will also want to set up your tour for the following day. You will have two tour options: one half-day tour of Isla del Sol and a full-day tour of Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna. The advantage of having the second day at Copacabana is that you will have the time to do a full-day tour of the two islands.
You can also do an overnight stay on Isla del Sol, allowing you to take full advantage of the unique island life here. You can check out accommodation options on Isla del Sol here. Then you can organize transportation to and from the island with the local tour agencies.
Day 2: Exploring Copacabana, Bolivia on Lake Titicaca
The Half-Day Tour of Isla del Sol
The half-day tour of Isla del Sol, the largest island on Lake Titicaca, takes you from Copacabana to one dock on the Isla del Sol, allows you to hike up the island to see different archaeological sites including the Temple of the Sun, the Fountain of Youth, and the Incan Staircase, and finally picks you up from a different dock to take you back to Copacabana. The entire tour takes 4-4.5 hours and typically starts around 1 PM.
You can purchase a ticket for this tour at the docks or from the different tour agencies around the town of Copacabana. (If using Bolivia Hop to get from La Paz-Copacabana-Puno in one day, you will want to purchase the tour directly with Bolivia Hop.)
The tour that you purchase from the agencies or the docks may not include a tour guide. However, an Isla del Sol local typically sells a tour of the island on the boat. This tour is valuable if you do not know what you are looking at on the island and want someone to guide you from one dock to the next. We did the tour and found it to be valuable. You do need to bring cash to pay for this additional service.
You can purchase your bus ticket in advance here to head to Puno after your tour .
You will want to schedule the 6 PM bus
The Full-Day Tour of Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna
The full-day tour out of Copacabana takes you to Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna. It starts at 8:30 AM from the Copacabana docks and takes you first to Isla de la Luna. Here you will have an hour to tour the island. After visiting Isla de la Luna, the boat will take you to Isla del Sol. Here you will have a couple of hours to tour the archeological sites of the island before returning to the boat. Some tours take you to white sand beaches of Yampupata on the lake where you can enjoy the views before returning to Copacabana.
You can purchase your bus ticket in advance here to head to Puno after your tour .
You will want to schedule the 6 PM bus
Bus Crossing the Bolivia-Peru Border to Puno, Peru
After your tour in Copacabana, you will take a bus between Bolivia and Peru, meaning you will cross a border. If you are going in the other direction, you will want to read about entering Bolivia and the Bolivia visa process for people from the United States here.
The buses that take people across the border know to stop at the different checkpoints. You will start by going through Bolivian customs where you will need to receive an exit stamp and fill out a customs declaration form.
You can purchase your bus ticket in advance here.
You will want to schedule the 6 PM bus
Then, you will walk through the border to the Peruvian passport control and customs office. Here, you will receive an entry stamp for Peru. You want to ensure you get the exit stamp from Bolivia and the entry stamp from Peru! Then, you will hop back on your bus and continue until Puno, Peru.
Check out hotel options for Puno here
There are some hotels in the center of town and others on the edge of the lake with beautiful views.
Days 3 + 4: From Puno, Peru: Amantani Island Homestay
Option 1: On these two days, we recommend doing an Amantani Island Homestay (or other homestay option of your choosing).
Option 2: Do a day tour to the Uros Islands and Amantani island. This is a great option for those who want to stay at a hotel around Lake Titicaca with beautiful views rather than a local homestay on the island.
If you are then continuing on to another town in Peru, you can take an overnight bus (via Peru Hop) to Cusco or Arequipa.
