Puno: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Puno lies at about three thousand eight hundred metres on the shore of Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in South America and among the highest navigable lakes in the world, shared between Peru and Bolivia. Take the altitude seriously: rest the first day and drink coca tea. If you continue to Bolivia, note that Bolivia cut relations with Israel in 2023; check the visa rules. Half a day on foot.

A short history of Puno

Puno stands on the shore of Lake Titicaca, at an altitude of about 3,800 metres, and before the Incas the area was home to the Pukara and Tiwanaku cultures. In 1668 the viceroy, the Count of Lemos, founded the town after putting down a blood feud among the silver miners of the nearby mines. On the lake near the town the Uros people live on floating islands that they build from totora reeds. Every February the town holds the Festival of the Virgin of Candelaria, with tens of thousands of dancers, and in 2014 UNESCO recognised it as cultural heritage.

The ten best sights in Puno

1
Puno Cathedral
A stone baroque facade on the main square
2
Museo Carlos Dreyer
Gold and pottery of the lake peoples
3
Parque Pino
A square at the end of the street
4
Mirador Kuntur Wasi
A condor statue over the bay
5
Mirador Puma Uta
A puma statue on the hill
6
Yavari
A steamship carried over the Andes in pieces
7
Uros Islands
Floating islands of reed
8
Taquile
The island of knitting men
9
Amantaní
Homestays on a terraced island
10
Llachón
A peninsula village of homestays

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Puno →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Puno:

Free walking tours in Puno

The town on the lake

Puno Cathedral · A cathedral of 1757 whose stone facade mixes baroque saints with carved mermaids playing the charango, the small Andean guitar — a sign of the local hands that built it.
Museo Carlos Dreyer · The collection of a German painter who settled in Puno, of gold, silver and pottery of the Tiwanaku, Colla and Inca peoples of the lake.
Jirón Lima · The pedestrian street of cafés and restaurants that is the centre of town life. In February, during the Virgen de la Candelaria festival, tens of thousands of dancers fill the streets; the festival was recognised by UNESCO in 2014.
Mirador Kuntur Wasi · A steep staircase climbs to a huge metal condor overlooking the town and the bay; climb slowly, because at this altitude every step counts.
Yavari · An iron steamship ordered from England in 1862, sent by sea in some two thousand seven hundred pieces, then carried over the Andes by mule and assembled on the lake, where it launched in 1870. Restored, it is now a museum.
Mirador Puma Uta · A statue of a puma on a hill above town. The lake’s name is often explained as rock of the puma in the local languages, and from the air its shape was said to resemble a puma hunting a rabbit.

The islands

Boats from the pier visit the reed islands of the Uros and the farming islands of Taquile and Amantaní, where families host visitors for the night. Two days, or one long day to Taquile; bring warm clothes for the nights.

Tourist pier · The pier from which the island boats leave each morning, through channels cut in the totora reed beds that ring the bay.
Uros Islands · Islands built entirely of layers of totora reed, anchored in the bay, which rot from below and must be topped up with fresh reeds every few weeks. The Uros say their ancestors took to the water to escape their enemies.
Taquile · An island whose textiles were recognised by UNESCO in 2005. On Taquile the men knit, often while walking, and the colour of a man’s knitted hat shows whether he is married or single.
Amantaní · A larger island of stone terraces with no roads and no cars, where visitors sleep in family homes and climb at sunset to the hilltop temples of Pachamama and Pachatata, Mother Earth and Father Earth.
Llachón · A village on the Capachica peninsula reachable by road, where families run their own homestays and kayaks on quieter shores than the islands.
Juliaca · The busy trading city of the high plain, half-built and full of markets, through which most visitors pass from the airport; it lies at about three thousand eight hundred metres.

Towers and the southern shore

Around the lake lie the burial towers of the lake kingdoms and, on the road to Bolivia, colonial towns and a mysterious door in a rock. A day by car or tour.

Sillustani · On a peninsula above Lake Umayo stand the chullpas, round burial towers of the Colla people, some about twelve metres high, built of fitted stones wider at the top than at the base. Families were buried inside in the foetal position.
Juli · A town nicknamed the little Rome of the Andes for its four colonial churches, built when the Jesuits made it a centre for training missionaries; one holds paintings of the school of Cusco.
Aramu Muru · A doorway shape carved into a red rock wall, seven metres high, with a smaller niche at its base. Local legends call it a gate to the world of the gods, and it attracts seekers of mysteries.
Mirador Kuntur Wasi · Back in Puno, the condor statue is the place to watch the sun set over the lake, turning the reed beds gold.
Puno bus terminal · From here buses go to Copacabana in Bolivia, about three hours away along the shore, and a scenic tourist train, the Titicaca, runs to Cusco over the La Raya pass at over four thousand three hundred metres.
Juliaca Airport · One of the highest airports in Peru, at about three thousand eight hundred metres; the thin air means long take-off runs.

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Getting to Puno and getting around

Juliaca Airport · About forty-five minutes from Puno
Puno bus terminal · Buses to Cusco, Arequipa and Bolivia
Tourist pier · Boats to the islands leave in the morning

Cheap eats in Puno

On the altiplano people eat for the cold: trout from the lake, fried or in ceviche; quinoa soup and pesque, quinoa cooked thick with milk and cheese; alpaca steaks; and chuño, potatoes freeze-dried in the night frost and the day sun, a technique older than the Incas. A trout plate costs about five or six dollars.

Jirón Lima · Trout and quinoa in the restaurants
Uros Islands · Taste the totora reed
Amantaní · Dinner with a host family

Museums in Puno

Puno’s museums are a steamship, a collection of lake gold and the burial towers.

Yavari · The steamship
Museo Carlos Dreyer · Lake gold
Sillustani · The chullpas

Nature and day trips near Puno

The high lake, reed beds and terraced islands under the clearest sky in the Andes.

Amantaní · Sunset from the temples
Llachón · Kayaks on the lake
Mirador Puma Uta · The view of the lake

Things to do in Puno with kids

With children: floating islands, a reed boat and an old steamship.

Uros Islands · Walk on floating reeds
Yavari · Explore the ship

Holy places in Puno

Catholic festivals danced in Andean costume, and offerings to Mother Earth on the island hills.

Puno Cathedral · The mermaid facade
Juli · Four colonial churches
Aramu Muru · The gate of the gods

Nightlife in Puno

Puno’s nights are cold and short — peñas with Andean music on Jirón Lima, and in February the Candelaria festival.

Jirón Lima · Peñas with live music
Parque Pino · Festival dancers in February

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Frequently asked questions about Puno

What is there to see in Puno?

The top sights in Puno are Puno Cathedral, Museo Carlos Dreyer and Parque Pino. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Puno?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Puno without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Puno?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Puno, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The town on the lake.

How do you get to Puno and get around?

The main ways are Juliaca Airport, Puno bus terminal and Tourist pier. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Puno, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Puno that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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