Trip report: logistics for Isla del sol 2 day trip from la Paz

This is the way I’d suggest doing a 2 day trip from La Paz to Isla del Sol and back. You leave early one day and come back the evening of the next day. I planned this based on a bunch of research on thorn tree, and also the need to be back home the next day in time to rest and recover for work the next day.
To Copacabana, there are tourist buses and local ones. The local ones leave from cemetery, which is further north, and due to traffic harder to get to, so I’d suggest the tourist buses that do hotel pick up. I bought a bus ticket on Kanoo Tours website, which books you through Vicuna tours for $7, and picks you up at hotels in the historical center. If you are staying outside the center, as I was, I’d suggest you go to a random hotel and set up the pick up there, as it is easier than getting picked up at the central bus station. I chose the LP Columbus hotel because it was the further south hotel in the pick up zone, so closer to my lodging. The pick up for the bus is around 7 am, and you get to Copacabana at 11 or 12 am. The bus stops at one point to cross a body of water, you have to get off and pay 2 Bolivianos to cross on a smaller boat while the bus crosses without passengers on a larger raft. You get back on the bus on the other side.
Once at Copacabana, buy your boat ticket to Isla del Sol. Every storefront in town seems to sell these tickets. I got the Andeas company, they are a bit faster of boats, but any boat is fine. It is 20 Bolivianos one way. The boats leave at 8:30 am and 1:30 pm. Since the bus arrived from La Paz at 11 am I had 2 hours to spend- go see the Virgin of Copacabana in the church, it is a significant church for Bolivians. Otherwise, I personally found the town not that appealing. I found a café with wifi and sunny terrace and ate lunch until the boat left. The boat is 1.5 hours- I took it to the SOUTH side- Yumani. I suggest sitting on the roof of the boat, but bring a coat, it’s windy.
I had booked in advance at Palla Khasa, an eco lodge. While they are quite expensive for the island ($45) I picked them for 5 reasons: good reviews, they pick up your bag and carry it up the hill for you, hot water, you don’t need a sleeping bag as they have nice/ample bedding, and they are on the trail from the south to north side of the island, so I was able to get a head start of the walk the following morning so I could make the 10:30 boat back to Copa from the North side. When I got off the boat, someone from Palla Khasa met me and took my bag (with a mule).
Once you have handed off your bag, you have time to see the ruins on the south side (Pilkokaina)- you don’t need to go check into the lodge. You take the steep but lovely Inca Stairs up, until you take a sharp left turn to walk to the ruins. There are no signs, so ask people along the way, they will tell you where to go. The ruins were nice, but small, and I wished I had come with a guide to learn the history. On both north and south side, no guides were around, you’d have to pre-arrange a guided tour to get a guide with you, which I might do if I were to go again.
After the ruins, I walked back, cutting on the path through the eucalyptus grove (turn up past the power tower) to walk up to Palla Khasa. I checked in, the views were spectacular, the room was fine, I sat in their garden with some wine and relaxed.
I walked 15 minutes back to town to eat at Las Velas, considered by many to be best food on the island (thanks to thorntree recommendations for that). It is a great place to watch the sunset, though some people suggested El Faro for that. I watched sunset and ate at Las Velas, then walked back up to Palla Khasa lodge (need flashlight- absolute must to get back, its very dark).
I woke up at 7 am for their 7:30 breakfast. If you want to catch the 10:30 am boat back from the North side, that is cutting it close. Ideally you’d leave by 6:45 or 7 am so you can really take your time on the hike. They wouldn’t do breakfast earlier, so you might want to pack snacks and leave earlier (I wish I’d done that). Breakfast was scrambed eggs, tea, toast with jam, juice.
I left by 7:50 am and walked the ridge path along the center of the island. The sun was to my bad the whole time (Sept). In just under 2 hours, at a steady but not fast pace, I was at the ruins in the north. Keep in mind that I started at Palla Khasa Lodge so had a 15-25 minute head start on anyone staying at the village, since it is already out of town. Chinkana, Sacred Rock, etc. Again, I wished I’d had a guide, but they were still lovely to see. Along the walk you pay various entrance fees, all of which are 10-15 Bolivianos ($1-$2).
From the ruins, it’s about 35 minute fast walk to the boats, supposed to be 45 minutes. I went super fast to make the 10:30 am boat, it would be nicer to take your time and enjoy that last part more, as it is lovely and passes through the village and along the beach. The boats are 10:30 am or 1:30 pm, so if you don’t need to make the 10:30 am boat, you can leave later from the south side, take your time on the ruins, sit on the beach on the north side, have lunch there, etc.
I just barely made the 10:30 am boat, which had me back to Copa at 12:15. I bought a ticket for the 1:30 pm bus to La Paz (used Titicaca tours, which is a nicer bus with a toilet) for 30 Bolivianos. There are lots of transit options, I found no need to buy tickets in advance for the bus. I spent the hour at a café, ate lunch, and the bus had me back in La Paz by 5:30 pm, which is rush hour, so it took some time to get back to my lodging.
This was my best way to see Isla del Sol in just 2 days. If you have longer, you could stay 2 nights, it is really lovely. Or, you could take longer on the Island on the North side, take the 1:30 pm boat to Copa, and the 6:30 pm bus to La Paz, getting in late, around 10:30 pm. I LOVED Isla del Sol, especially the hiking parts where there is no one in sight, and gorgeous landscape. Highly recommended!