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A stone archway above Lake Titicaca on Amantaní island

7 days · The Southern Andes

Titicaca & the High Plains

Arequipa, Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca, climbing step by step to about 3,800 metres.

From US$2,900 per person, excluding international flights

Length
7 days
Regions
The Southern Andes
Hiking
Easy walking
Highest night
~3,900 m · Very high
Best months
Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov

Overview

Why it works

The southern route climbs in sensible steps. Start in Arequipa at about 2,335 metres, cross the high puna to Colca's condors, then continue to Puno and the lake. A night with a family on Amantaní shows you Titicaca after the day boats have gone.

Highlights

  • Arequipa's picanterías
  • Condors at Cruz del Cóndor
  • Uros reed islands
  • Amantaní homestay
  • Taquile weavers

Altitude profile

How this journey climbs

Highest night about 3,900 m; highest point about 4,910 m (verify). Diamonds mark days with a pacing tip. Altitude, explained

7 days: Titicaca & the High Plains7 days. Highest night: Amantaní homestay, about 3,900 m (day 5). Highest point: about 4,910 m at Patapampa pass (day 3). Nights above 3,500 m: 3. All altitudes approximate (verify).
  • Low 0–1,500 m
  • Moderate 1,500–2,500 m
  • High 2,500–3,500 m
  • Very high 3,500 m+
  • Day's high point
LowModerateHighVery highSea level1k m2k m3k m4k m5k mD12,335D22,335D33,450D43,830D53,900D63,830D7150Sleep (m)

Hover, tap or use the arrow keys on the chart to see each night. Altitudes are approximate (verify). This is general guidance, not medical advice.

Show as a table
7 days: Titicaca & the High Plains: altitude by day
DaySleepSleep altitudeHigh pointTip
Day 1Arequipa~2,335 m · Moderate—Take it easy today
Day 2Arequipa~2,335 m · Moderate——
Day 3Colca Canyon~3,450 m · High~4,910 m (Patapampa pass)Take it easy today
Day 4Puno~3,830 m · Very high~4,500 m (Puna pass)Drink plenty of water
Day 5Amantaní homestay~3,900 m · Very high~4,100 m (Pachatata temple)Take it easy today
Day 6Puno~3,830 m · Very high——
Day 7Departure~150 m · Low~3,825 m (Juliaca airport)Heading lower: easier breathing

Day by day

Your itinerary

Fly from Lima and settle into the white city. A good first step up.

  • Sleep: Arequipa, ~2,335 m (moderate)
  • Flight
  • Road

Tip: Take it easy today

Stay: A sillar-stone house in Arequipa

Getting around

How you travel

  • Flight: Lima → Arequipa
  • Private road: Arequipa → Colca → Puno
  • Boats on Lake Titicaca
  • Flight: Juliaca → Lima (or continue to Cusco by train or road)

Accommodation

Where you'll stay

A stone courtyard with a fountain, volcanoes behind, in Arequipa

Arequipa & Colca Canyon · boutique

A sillar-stone house in Arequipa

White volcanic-stone arches around a sunny courtyard in Arequipa's historic centre, with a roof terrace facing Misti.

A thatched stone cottage on a green Andean hillside

Arequipa & Colca Canyon · lodge

A canyon-edge lodge in the Colca

Stone cottages above the Colca river, with hot springs a short walk away and terraces on every side.

Reed huts and a jetty on the shore of Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca & Puno (Uros, Taquile) · lodge

A lakeshore lodge on Titicaca

On the lakeshore outside Puno, with heated rooms, big windows on the water and an early boat to the islands.

Experiences

Along the way

Take it with you

Download the full itinerary as a PDF, with the day-by-day plan and the altitude profile for every night.

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Make it yours

Change the pace, the hotels or the order. Your Peru Specialist will shape this journey around you.

Start planning