Highlights
- Visit the Inca ruins of Sillustani by the beautiful Lagoon Umayo
- See the great and amazing Inca and Pre-Inca culture tombs that rise up to 12m
- Have the option of visiting a farmhouse to see the life of the Andean people
- Combines Puma Uta viewpoint and Sillustani in one trip
- Afternoon timing means fewer crowds and golden light
Description
We pick you up from your downtown Puno hotel in the early afternoon (around 1:40 PM) and head north through the altiplano toward Sillustani. Before leaving the city, we make a short stop at the Puma Uta viewpoint — perched on the upper edge of Puno, where a monumental puma sculpture watches over the city. From here, you get a wide panoramic view of Puno's rooftops, the surrounding hills, and Lake Titicaca stretching out in the distance. It's a great first taste of the highland landscape you're about to dive deeper into.
From Puma Uta, we continue on a scenic 40-minute drive across open grasslands dotted with grazing llamas and adobe homesteads, climbing gently to 3,900 meters above sea level.
At Sillustani, your guide walks you through the archaeological complex on a roughly 30-minute trail along the peninsula. The chullpas — cylindrical stone burial towers built by the Colla and later by the Incas — are the real draw here. Some stand up to 12 meters tall, and the precision of their stonework is striking, especially considering these Pre-Inca and Inca structures were assembled without mortar. Your guide explains who was buried inside, why the towers narrow toward the base, and how the Colla's funerary practices shifted once the Incas absorbed them into their empire.
The setting itself adds a lot to the experience. The chullpas sit on a ridge overlooking Umayo Lagoon, a still body of water that reflects the sky and the surrounding hills on calm days. Take your time here — the light and the silence at this altitude have a quality that photos don't quite capture.
On the way back, you can opt to visit a local farmhouse in the nearby community, where a family shares their daily routines — from preparing quinoa dishes and fresh cheese to tending their animals. It's a low-key, genuine glimpse into highland life, not a staged performance.
We return to Puno by late afternoon, dropping you off at your hotel.
Includes
Inclusions:
Guide
Entrances tickets
Transportation
Excludes
Exclusions:
Any kind of meals
Easy cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
