Puno to Copacabana and the Isla del Sol

From Puno to Copacabana is 139 km by road along the lake shore, about three hours, with a border crossing on foot at Kasani, near Yunguyo: you get a Peruvian exit stamp, walk across, and get a Bolivian entry stamp. Copacabana is the Bolivian lake town and the port for the Isla del Sol. Since 3 December 2025 US citizens no longer need a visa for a tourist visit to Bolivia; other nationalities should check the rules for their passport before they go.

The road and the bus

The road follows the western shore south from Puno through Chucuito and Juli to Yunguyo, the last Peruvian town, and the border post at Kasani beyond it; Copacabana is a short drive on. The border at Kasani is 130 km from Puno and Copacabana 139 km, measured along the road; the Peruvian Congress’s profile of the Puno region puts Yunguyo about two and a half hours from Puno by car. Tourist buses run from Puno’s bus terminal to Copacabana, and some continue to La Paz; buy the ticket at the terminal the day before.

Crossing the border at Kasani

1. Leave Peru. At the Peruvian post at Kasani, Migraciones stamps you out.
2. Walk across. The two posts are a short walk apart, across the border line.
3. Enter Bolivia. At the Bolivian post you show your passport and get an entry stamp.
4. Change the clock. Bolivia is one hour ahead of Peru.

The posts close in the evening, and the bus companies time their departures to cross in daylight; do the same if you go by taxi or colectivo.

Entry rules (checked 27 October 2026)

• US citizens: since 3 December 2025, no visa is needed to visit Bolivia for tourism or business, for up to 90 days in a one-year period, according to the US Embassy in La Paz. You need a passport with at least six months of validity at entry, and you declare your address in Bolivia. You may be asked for an International Certificate of Yellow Fever Vaccination, especially if you are travelling on to the tropical lowlands.
• Other passports: Bolivia’s rules differ by nationality. Check with a Bolivian consulate or Bolivia’s Dirección General de Migración before you travel, not at the border.
• Coming back to Peru: you are stamped out of Bolivia and back into Peru at the same posts.

On 27 October 2026 the US State Department rated Bolivia at Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”; read the advice for your own country before you cross.

Copacabana and the Isla del Sol

Copacabana is a small lake town built around its white basilica, the shrine of the Virgen de Copacabana, with a beach where the boats leave for the islands. The Isla del Sol, off the tip of the Copacabana peninsula, is the island of Inca legend: a long ridge of terraces and footpaths with Inca ruins at both ends and no cars. Boats leave Copacabana’s beach for the island in the morning and early afternoon; the island communities charge small landing fees in bolivianos, so carry cash in Bolivian currency.

Is it worth crossing?

Cross if you are travelling on to La Paz, or if you have a spare day and want the Isla del Sol: it is the Bolivian side’s one big sight. If you are going back to Cusco, the Peruvian islands, the Uros, Taquile and Amantani, are a shorter, simpler trip from Puno and need no border. The Peru or Bolivia guide compares the two sides.

Organised day trips from Puno to Copacabana and the Isla del Sol do exist, but they are long days with two border crossings; most people who want the Bolivian side stay at least a night in Copacabana.

How these facts were checked

The entry rules for US citizens are from the US Embassy in La Paz’s message of 3 December 2025 (bo.usembassy.gov) and the State Department’s Bolivia travel advisory (travel.state.gov), read 27 October 2026. The distance to Yunguyo is from the Peruvian Congress’s profile of the Puno region (congreso.gob.pe). Border rules change: check them with the issuing authorities before you travel.