Altiplano from Cusco to Lake Titicaca

The trip from Cusco to Puno is a beautiful journey over the high sierra, with wonderful views of the mountains rising over the altiplano. There are two ways of making this journey, both taking about 10 hours.

The train is very comfortable, with a dining compartment, an elegant bar and a lovely glass-walled observation carriage, allowing you to enjoy the views in style, although apart from a brief stop at La Raya, the journey is non-stop.

The road follows the same route as the railway line, and you get to visit several places of interest. Andahuaylillas, a colonial town, is home to one of the finest churches in the Cusco region, which contains many wonderful frescoes. At Raqchi there are remains of an important Inca building, the Temple of Viracocha. This was an enormous structure, almost 100m long and 15m tall, although only the bases of the columns remain. Sicuani is a relatively large highland town, about halfway between Cusco and Puno. The road from Sicuani to Juliaca initially climbs to the highest point of the journey, La Raya, at 4,300m, before descending to the ruins of Pucara, dating from around 1500BC-1000BC. The town is also famous for making the clay bulls that can be seen adorning many of the roofs between Cusco and Puno. The road is paved and in good condition.