Uyuni Salt Flats Tour from Puno: 3 Days, Buses and Border Included
$481 Full Day
Overview
1 day
06:30 to 20:30, from Puno
2 countries
The border at Kasani, both ways
1 hour
On the boat to Isla del Sol
from $195
Per person, lunch and boat in
The Bolivian side of the lake in one long day from Puno. Copacabana, its basilica, and the island where the Inca said the sun was born.
Every guide to Lake Titicaca says the same thing about Isla del Sol. It is in Bolivia, it is a separate trip, allow two days. That is true if you do it alone. This tour does it in one. It leaves Puno at half past six, crosses the border on the way, and has you on the boat at Copacabana by one. You climb the Inca stairs on the island and drink from the fountain. You are back at your hotel in Puno the same night. It is fourteen hours door to door, and every one of them is booked.
This day reaches the south of the island. The north is another trip.
Isla del Sol is ten kilometres long. The boat from Copacabana lands at Yumani, the village at the southern end. There the Inca stairs climb to the Fountain of Youth and the terraces. That is what one day allows. The rock of Titikala and the ruins at the northern end are the places in the legends of the lake. They are a three hour walk or a second boat away. If the north is the reason you are going, tell us and we quote a night on the island instead.
Two Sides of One Lake
Most of our travellers do the Peruvian islands first. This is the day that adds the Bolivian ones.
Peru side
The day
Boat from Puno at seven. The reed islands, then two hours to Taquile, lunch at the top, back by five.
Border
None. No passport, no clock change.
Price and who it suits
44 dollars. The first day on the lake for almost everyone.
This page
Copacabana and Isla del Sol
The day
Bus at half past six, the border, lunch in Copacabana, the basilica, an hour by boat to the island and the climb.
Border
Kasani, both ways. Passport in hand, an hour lost going and given back coming home.
Price and who it suits
From 195 dollars. Anyone who wants the Inca side of the story without a night in Bolivia.
The price depends on how many of you there are
| Travellers | For the group | Each |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $195 | $195 |
| 2 | $234 | $117 |
| 3 | $312 | $104 |
| 4 | $390 | $98 |
| 5 | $455 | $91 |
Six or more, ask us. The boat is shared, so the price falls as the bus and the guide are split between more people.
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You can get off in La Paz instead
The bus ticket home is Copacabana to Puno, or Copacabana to La Paz for the same price. If Bolivia is the next leg of your trip, tell us when you book. You do the island, stay on the bus in the evening, and sleep in La Paz. The three day Uyuni tour from Puno is the other way to carry on south.
The altitude is worth a word. Copacabana is at 3,840 metres and the top of the Inca stairs is nearer 4,000. The climb is steep, about two hundred steps, and it is done straight after lunch. Take it slowly and arrive at the lake with two nights of altitude already behind you. Our note on Cusco before Puno explains the order.
The Kasani border crossing has its own post, with what to carry and what changed there recently. Peru, Bolivia or both is the subject of Peru or Bolivia for Lake Titicaca. The rest of our Lake Titicaca tours are on one page with their prices.
Tour Highlights
- ✓ Isla del Sol in a day from Puno, which every guidebook says cannot be done. The border, the bus and the boat are all booked.
- ✓ The Inca stairs at Yumani, two hundred steps between terraces to the Fountain of Youth. The lake on three sides.
- ✓ Copacabana and its basilica, the white church of the Virgin who is the patron of Bolivia, with a guide inside.
- ✓ An hour on the open lake each way in a shared boat. The Bolivian side is deeper, bluer and emptier than the Peruvian one.
- ✓ Lunch in Copacabana, the boat, the island entrances, both bus tickets and a bilingual guide, all in the price.
- ✓ The option to stay on the bus to La Paz in the evening instead of returning to Puno. No extra cost.
What to Expect
Fourteen hours, two countries, one island, and home to Puno by half past eight.
Collected at half past six and taken to the terminal. The bus follows the lake for three and a half hours to the border at Kasani. You walk between two stamps and set your watch forward an hour. Copacabana at half past ten by Peru's clock, half past eleven by Bolivia's.
An hour and a half for lunch. Then the guide takes you into the basilica, the white church that holds the Virgin of Copacabana. At one the boat leaves. An hour on the open lake to Yumani, at the southern end of Isla del Sol. Then the Inca stairs, two hundred steps between terraces, to the Fountain of Youth and the Inca garden. The whole lake lies below.
The boat brings you back to Copacabana in the late afternoon. Onto the bus, the border in reverse with the hour handed back, and the shore road to Puno. At your hotel around half past eight.
Tour Itinerary
1
Puno to Kasani
Collected from your hotel in central Puno at 06:30 and taken to the terminal. The bus runs along the western shore for three and a half hours. The lake is on your left most of the way. At Kasani everyone gets off with their passport.
Time 06:30 AM start
Altitude 3,827 m
2
The border
3
Copacabana and lunch
4
The boat to Isla del Sol
5
The Inca stairs and the fountain
6
Back across to Copacabana
7
Copacabana to Puno
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Good to know
On the clock
Bolivia is an hour ahead of Peru. You cross at Kasani in the morning and set your watch forward. You cross back in the evening and set it back. The times above are Peru time. It is a fourteen hour day door to door. The only walking is the two hundred steps on the island, done slowly after lunch.
✓
Inclusions
- ✓ Pickup at your Puno hotel, transfer to the terminal, and back at the end
- ✓ Bus tickets Puno to Copacabana and Copacabana to Puno, or to La Paz instead
- ✓ Lunch in Copacabana
- ✓ The boat to Isla del Sol and back, and the island entrance fees
- ✓ A bilingual guide, Spanish and English, in Copacabana and on the island
X
Not Included
- X Breakfast, dinner and drinks
- X A Bolivian visa, which some nationalities pay for at the border
- X Tips for the guide and the boat crew
- X Travel insurance
- X The northern end of the island, which is a separate trip
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About the exclusions
On the price
The price is for the group and falls per person as the group grows. The bus, the boat and the guide are shared. One traveller pays 195 dollars. Five pay 455 between them, which is 91 each. Lunch in Copacabana, the boat, the island fees, both bus tickets and the guide are in. Dinner, tips and any visa fee are not.
Departure Information
Available: Daily departures
Group Size: Up to 25 people
Start Time: 6:30 AM
Pickup: Your hotel in central Puno
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you really do Isla del Sol in a day from Puno?
Yes, and this is how. The bus leaves Puno at half past six and you are on the boat at Copacabana by one. You climb the Inca stairs and see the fountain and the terraces. You are back at your hotel in Puno by about half past eight. It is a long day, and every leg is booked.
Do I need my passport?
How does the price work?
How hard is the climb on the island?
Which part of Isla del Sol do I see?
What is the time difference?
Can I stay in Bolivia instead of coming back?
What should I bring?
How many people are on the tour?
Is it worth it if I have already done Uros and Taquile?
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