Cusco to Puno & Lake Titicaca: Self-Launched Andean Crossing
3 days · Peru
LimaTours charges £260
No-markup version: ~£168 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of LimaTours' 3-day Cusco-to-Puno crossing: instead of a private coach and pre-booked 3-star hotel, you ride the public tourist bus (or local buses if you want to go really cheap) across the altiplano, stopping at Andahuaylillas, Racchi, La Raya and Pucará, then take a shared boat out to the Uros floating islands and Taquile on Lake Titicaca. Sleep in a simple Puno guesthouse near the Plaza de Armas, book the islands tour direct with a local Puno agency or GetYourGuide, and buy your own entry tickets. Same route, same sites, roughly half the price — estimated costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Cusco to Puno across the altiplano (Sicuani, Racchi, La Raya, Pucará)
Cusco → Puno
Leave Cusco early (around 07:00) on the public tourist bus that runs the Cusco–Puno corridor — options like the Inka Express, Turismo Mer or Cruz del Sur 'tourist class' coach all do the same sightseeing route with an English/Spanish guide and make the classic stops. Book online a few days ahead (roughly £22–28 one way). Alternatively take a normal local bus (Cusco–Sicuani, then Sicuani–Juliaca/Puno) for around £10–12 total and arrange your own minibus taxi to the sights. Along the way you stop at Andahuaylillas and its gilded 16th-century Baroque church (entry ~£2), the Temple of Wiracocha at Racchi (~£2.50 — buy the boleto turístico parcial), the La Raya pass at 4,313 m for photos and coca tea, and Pucará with its Lithic Museum (~£2). Included lunch is standard on the tourist coach; otherwise eat at a Sicuani market comedor for £2–3. Arrive Puno around 17:00–17:30, walk from the terminal to a guesthouse near Plaza de Armas (~£14–16/night for a private double in a simple hospedaje or hostel such as those on Jr. Lima or Calle Ayacucho). Take it easy in the evening — you're at 3,800 m. Cheap dinner: menu del día ~£3–4, or a bowl of Puno's famous soup at the Mercado Central.
🚌Public tourist coach Cusco–Puno with guided stops, ~£25 one way (or local buses ~£11)
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel private double near Plaza de Armas, Puno (~£15)
- →Andahuaylillas church (San Pedro Apóstol) entry ~£2
- →Temple of Wiracocha, Racchi entry ~£2.50
- →La Raya pass viewpoint (4,313 m) — free
- →Pucará Lithic Museum entry ~£2
- →Evening wander around Puno Plaza de Armas
Uros floating islands and Taquile Island by shared boat
Puno / Lake Titicaca
Book the classic Uros + Taquile full-day boat trip directly with a local Puno agency at the port (Muelle Principal) or via GetYourGuide/Klook the night before — expect £15–20 per person for a shared boat with a bilingual local guide, versus the operator's included excursion. Boats leave around 07:00–07:30. First stop: the Uros floating islands, about 1.5 hours on the water and an hour with a Uros family — be aware there is a small community fee/recommended reed-boat ride (~£2–3 each, pay direct, don't overpay). Continue roughly 2.5 hours to Taquile Island, where you walk uphill to the village, learn about the island's weaving cooperative and UNESCO-listed textile tradition, and eat a simple lunch of trout or quinoa soup with the family who hosts your group (~£4–5, usually included in the tour price). Return to Puno around 17:00. If you'd rather slow down, spend the night on Amantaní or Taquile in a family homestay (~£10–12 including dinner and breakfast) and take the morning boat back — a great budget upgrade to the itinerary. Evening: sun set over the lake from the Puno waterfront and a cheap dinner near the plaza.
🚌Shared tour boat from Muelle Principal, included in trip price; local taxi to port ~£1
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel private double in Puno (~£15) — or family homestay on Amantaní/Taquile (~£11)
- →Uros floating islands visit (community fee ~£2.50)
- →Shared boat crossing to Taquile Island
- →Taquile weaving/cultural demonstration and hilltop walk
- →Optional reed boat ride with Uros family (~£2.50)
- →Sunset on the Puno waterfront
Slow morning in Puno, then onward to Juliaca or Bolivia
Puno
Breakfast at the guesthouse or a local panadería (£1.50–2), then a relaxed morning: climb the Mirador El Condor for lake views (free), visit the small Coca Museum or the Puno cathedral (entry ~£1), and browse the Mercado Central for alpaca goods at local prices rather than tourist-shop markups. Alternatively take a shared minibus to the Sillustani chullpas (funerary towers) about 35 km away — ~£4 return with a local combi from the terminal, plus ~£2.50 entry — which the tour ends without but is well worth the extra couple of hours. In the afternoon, onward transport is your call: shared taxi/vans or bus from Puno to Juliaca airport (~1 hour, £2–4) if you're flying, a bus to Arequipa (~5–6 hours, £8–10), or a bus onward to Copacabana, Bolivia (~3 hours plus border, £5–7). The original tour ends with a hotel-to-Juliaca-airport transfer; a shared taxi costs a fraction of that.
🚌Local combi/taxi to Sillustani ~£4 return; shared taxi or bus onward to Juliaca ~£3 (or bus to Arequipa ~£9 / Copacabana ~£6)
🛏None included (onward travel day) — or one more budget night in Puno ~£15 if extending
- →Mirador El Condor viewpoint — free
- →Puno Cathedral entry ~£1
- →Mercado Central souvenir shopping
- →Optional: Sillustani chullpas towers (~£2.50 entry + ~£4 transport)
Self-launched vs. LimaTours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | LimaTours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£168 | £260 |
| Duration | 3 days | 3 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £92 per person (35%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more LimaTours-style trips? Check them out here.~£168
estimated per person
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Cusco to Puno & Lake Titicaca: Self-Launched Andean Crossing cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £168 per person for 3 days in Peru. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with LimaTours?+
Yes — LimaTours charges around £260 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £168 — a saving of roughly £92 (35%) per person.
How long is the Peru trip?+
This itinerary runs 3 days, covering 3 day-by-day stops through Peru.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, budget, backpacker trip through Peru, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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