Arequipa ⇄ Puno road trip

Our private Arequipa to Puno transfer links the White City with Lake Titicaca in about 5 hours and 295 km, from your Arequipa hotel to your Puno hotel. It is a half-day drive through high plateau, lagoons and volcano scenery, ideal for couples and families continuing their trip through southern Peru who would rather not depend on a bus timetable. Prices start at US$160 (S/ 560) per vehicle, not per person.

How the transfer works

Your driver picks you up in your Arequipa hotel lobby at the agreed time and helps with the luggage. Leave early and you reach Puno for lunch, with the afternoon free to stroll around the Plaza de Armas or the lakefront. On the way you stop wherever you like for photos, a restroom or a cup of coca tea. On arrival you are dropped at your hotel door, in the center or on the lakeshore. The price is confirmed on WhatsApp before you travel, and the Puno to Arequipa direction costs the same.

The route: volcanoes, vicuñas and high Andean lagoons

• Leaving Arequipa: on a clear day, Misti and Chachani watch over the climb.
• Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve: on the Cañahuas plain it is very common to see herds of vicuñas close to the road.
• High Andean lagoons: lagoons such as Lagunillas, where Andean flamingos and other birds can be seen in some seasons; they are not always there, but the scenery is worth the stop.
• The plateau: the road climbs above 4,400 m, through grassland with alpacas and llamas, before dropping toward Juliaca.
• Arrival in Puno: after Juliaca there are about 45 km left to the bay of Titicaca.

Which vehicle to choose

For 1 to 3 passengers with light luggage, a sedan is enough. With big suitcases, or if you are four or five, an SUV is more comfortable for a 5-hour drive. Families of up to 6 with all their luggage are better off in a minivan; groups of up to 12, in a Sprinter; and up to 16, in a minibus. For bigger groups, message us.

Tips for this drive

• Mind the altitude. Arequipa sits at about 2,300 m and Puno at about 3,830 m, with a high point above 4,400 m. If you have not been to Cusco or Colca first, take it slowly: eat light, drink water and rest on your first afternoon in Puno. Our altitude sickness guide has more advice.
• Coming from Colca? You will be partly acclimatized; head back to Arequipa first or ask us about a tailor-made route.
• Warm layers and sunglasses: on the plateau the sun is strong and the wind is cold.
• Check the road. Strikes or blockades happen now and then in the southern Andes; the day before, we tell you if any are announced.

Related trips

To continue to Cusco on the Route of the Sun, book the private Cusco ⇄ Puno road trip. Flying out of Puno? The Juliaca airport ⇄ Puno transfer takes you to the airport. Before leaving Arequipa, do not miss the Arequipa ⇄ Colca Canyon transfer, and to travel the whole south with one team, see the Arequipa to Cusco road trip. More ideas for Puno in our Cusco to Puno guide.

Frequently asked questions