Sillustani Half-Day Tour: Chullpa Towers over Lake Umayo
Half-day tour from Puno to Sillustani, the Altiplano’s most iconic chullpa burial site over Lake Umayo.
If you only have time for one archaeological site near Puno, most guides point you here. Sillustani’s chullpas — cylindrical stone towers built to hold the mummified elite of the Colla kingdom — stand on a windswept peninsula over Lake Umayo, some reaching 12 meters tall, carved with pumas, lizards, and snakes that have weathered the Altiplano wind for the better part of a thousand years.
It’s a half-day trip, not a full one, which makes it easy to fold into a short Puno stay without giving up an entire day. The walk itself is gentle — flat and downhill after the initial approach — but the altitude and the exposed, treeless setting are worth being ready for regardless of the modest distance covered.
If you’d rather see Sillustani alongside the quieter, less-visited Cutimbo site in the same day, our Cutimbo and Sillustani Ruins Tour covers both. This page is for the shorter, Sillustani-only version.
| 💰 Price from | $38 USD per person (private, 9 travelers) |
| ⏱️ Duration | 3.5 hours |
| 👥 Group type | Private, 1–10 travelers (11+ groups: contact us directly) |
| 🥾 Physical level | Moderate |
| ⛰️ Max. altitude reached | ~3,900 m / 12,795 ft (Sillustani) |
| 📍 Starts from | Puno (9:00 a.m., flexible on request) |
| 🏁 Ends in | Puno |
| 📅 Best season | April to November (dry season) |
| 🍽️ Meals | Not included |
| 🚗 Distance | 34 km / 21 miles from Puno (~40 min drive) |
The Sillustani Half-Day Tour is a private 3.5-hour excursion from Puno to the region’s best-known chullpa burial site, a collection of cylindrical stone towers built by the Colla people and later added to during the Inca period, standing on a peninsula over Lake Umayo. Some towers reach 12 meters tall, including the well-known Lizard Tower, carved with an animal relief.
It’s a fully private tour, capped at 10 travelers, focused solely on Sillustani — for travelers who want to see the region’s most dramatic chullpa site without committing to a full day. Those with more time can instead see Sillustani alongside the quieter Cutimbo site on our separate combined tour.
Sillustani is the best-known chullpa site in the Puno region, and for good reason: its cylindrical burial towers, built by the Colla people and later added to during the Inca period, stand directly over Lake Umayo on a dramatic, exposed peninsula. Any Sillustani tour from Puno covers roughly the same core route, though the pace and add-ons vary depending on which version you book. Some towers reach 12 meters tall, with select examples carved with pumas, lizards, and snakes — the same tradition of pre-Inca funerary architecture found at nearby Cutimbo, but on a larger, more visually striking scale here.
The drive out from Puno takes about 40 minutes across open Altiplano plains, and the walk at the site itself is short and largely flat once you reach the main path among the towers. What takes more adjusting to is the altitude and the wind — Sillustani sits at roughly 3,900 meters on an entirely exposed peninsula with no tree cover, so layers matter more than fitness here.
This is a standalone half-day version focused only on Sillustani. If your schedule allows for a fuller day, our Cutimbo and Sillustani Ruins Tour pairs this site with the quieter Cutimbo ruins in the same outing.
| ⏱️ Sillustani Half-Day (this tour) | 🌄 Cutimbo & Sillustani Full Day | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 3.5 hours | 6–7 hours |
| Sites visited | Sillustani only | Sillustani and Cutimbo |
| Meals | Not included | Box lunch included |
| Best for | A short window in your Puno schedule | Travelers who want the fuller pre-Inca chullpa story, including the quieter Cutimbo site |
👉 Choose this tour if Sillustani alone fits your schedule better. Choose the combined tour if you have a full day and want to see both chullpa sites in contrast with each other.
| Time | Stop |
|---|---|
| 09:00 | Hotel pickup, depart Puno (flexible timing available on request) |
| ~09:40 | Arrival at Sillustani |
| 09:40–11:30 | Guided walk among the chullpas, Lake Umayo viewpoints |
| ~12:00 | Return to Puno |
Departure time is flexible — this tour can also run in the morning or afternoon depending on your schedule.
This is a short, focused half-day trip built around a single site, with a gentle walk once you arrive.
Hotel pickup (9:00 a.m., flexible). Your guide and driver collect you from your hotel for the roughly 40-minute drive across the open Altiplano toward Lake Umayo. Since this tour is private, the departure time can often be adjusted to fit your schedule.
Arrival and walk to the main site: From the parking area, a short walk of about 15 minutes brings you to the main path among Sillustani’s chullpas. The approach involves a bit of a climb; the rest of the walk among the towers is flat and gently downhill.
Guided visit among the chullpas: Your guide walks you through the site’s history — the Colla kingdom that built the original towers, the later Inca period that continued the tradition, and the construction techniques behind structures that have stood for roughly 800 years. The Lizard Tower, one of the tallest and most photographed chullpas at the site, is a highlight stop, along with sweeping views over Lake Umayo from the peninsula’s edge.
Rural surroundings: Time permitting, the visit can include a stop near one of the local homes to see grazing llamas and alpacas — a small window into daily rural life on the Altiplano.
Return to Puno: The group returns to Puno by late morning or early afternoon, depending on your departure time, leaving the rest of the day free.
| 🍽️ Food | Not included |
| 🥾 Physical level | Moderate |
| 🚶 Walking distance | Light walking, flat to gently downhill after the initial approach |
| ⏱️ Walking time | 15–30 minutes |
| 📍 Starting altitude | Puno: 3,827 m (12,555 ft) |
| ⛰️ Highest altitude reached | Sillustani: ~3,900 m (12,795 ft) |
| 🚗 Travel time | Puno–Sillustani: ~40 minutes (34 km / 21 miles) |
None
Moderate
A light walk
15 to 30 minutes
Puno City: 3,827m (12,555 ft)
Sillustani: 3,840m (12,598 ft)
This tour visits only Sillustani and runs about 3.5 hours, without the drive to the quieter Cutimbo site. It doesn’t include a box lunch, but it’s a fraction of the time commitment of the combined full-day version.
Not originally. The Colla kingdom built the earliest towers at Sillustani, with the Inca Empire later incorporating the region and adding to the tradition rather than starting it.
No, it’s genuinely manageable — a short initial climb from the parking area, then flat to gently downhill among the towers. The altitude and exposed wind are more of a factor than the distance itself.
Yes, since this is a private tour, morning or afternoon departures can often be arranged — mention your preference when booking.
One of Sillustani’s tallest and best-known chullpas, named for a carved lizard relief on its stonework — a common highlight stop during the guided visit.
Yes, noticeably — Sillustani sits on an exposed, treeless peninsula, so the wind chill can make it feel colder than the actual temperature suggests, even on a sunny day.
This tour is private for 1 to 10 travelers, with per-person rates for groups of 1 to 9. For a bigger group, contact us directly and we’ll arrange the vehicle and quote.
It’s possible, but a guide adds real context here — the site’s history and the significance of specific towers like the Lizard Tower are easy to miss without one.
Yes, basic restroom facilities and a small area with local artisan shops selling souvenirs and handicrafts are available near the site.
This tour welcomes children from age 5 alongside a guardian 21 or older. Wind and altitude at the exposed site are bigger considerations here than the walking itself.
Morning or late afternoon tends to offer softer light for photography and a more comfortable temperature than the middle of the day.
No, climbing on or touching the towers isn’t permitted, since they’re fragile structures with real historical and cultural significance.
About 34 km (21 miles), roughly a 40-minute drive along the road toward the Altiplano interior.
Yes — if your flight timing works, Sillustani can be visited directly on your arrival or departure day instead of as a separate outing. Ask us when booking.
Season 2026
| Persons | Price (p/p) | |
| 1 | $ 112.00 USD | |
| 2 | $ 80.00 USD | |
| 3 | $ 60.00 USD | |
| 4 | $ 55.00 USD | |
| 5 | $ 51.00 USD | |
| 6 | $ 45.00 USD | |
| 7 | $ 43.00 USD | |
| 8 | $ 41.00 USD | |
| 9 | $ 38.00 USD |
Sillustani Half Day Tour from Puno
Sillustani Archaeological Site
Sillustani Archaeological Site
