Peru · April 25 - May 1 2024
Experience the highlights of Peru during a pilgrimage that teaches you a lot about yourself, the Andean culture and Mother Earth.
This Peru pilgrimage is a transformational experience that opens your deepest wisdom about yourself and your spiritual connection to Mother Earth. The 7 days travel program also includes a 3 days plant medicine retreat and 2 days Inca Trail, so you are able to heal yourself during this life changing journey and enjoy the fascinating highlights of beautiful Peru and the Andeas culture at the same time. This spiritual travel program is available as a group departure two times per month. If you are interested in a private booking or customized modifications, please leave us a message.
DAY 1
On your first day, you will meet our professional guide to talk about the schedule of the following days and give you a little briefing with all the information you need to know. Our professional guide will perform an Andean Blessing Ceremony to prepare you for this spiritual travel experience and set the right intentions. You will learn more about the purpose of this sacred ceremony and the ancient Inca and Andean beliefs. The rest of the day you can rest or discover the city center by yourself, getting used to the high altitude of Cusco.
Transfer from Cusco Airport to hotel in Cusco
Briefing with professional guide
Andean Blessing Ceremony
Overnight stay at 3* hotel in Cusco
DAY 2
Your Ayahuasca retreat experience in the Sacred Valley finally starts! You will travel to San Salvador, the location of our retreat center in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. After your arrival, you will be introduced to the shaman and medical staff and have some time to check out the retreat center. You will have a group meeting with the team and the other participants to talk about the sacred plant and the intentions of the different ceremonies (Ayahuasca ceremony, Offering to Mother Earth and Coca Leaf ceremony). After your first meeting, you will have an individual consultation with the medical doctor and shamanic healer about your aya plant ceremony, so you feel prepared and ready to start the first plant medicine session. In the afternoon, our shamanic healer will perform a Coca Leaf Ceremony and Cleansing Ceremony. Later, you will learn more about the ancient Inca principle of unconditional love and the Munay meditation. The meditation session helps you to get into the right mindset for your plant medicine ceremony that you will be having on this day in the evening.
Transport from Cusco to retreat center
Retreat facilitator who speaks English/Spanish/Quechua
Medical check (doctor & psychologist)
Consultation with shamanic healers
Cleansing & Coca Leaf ceremony
First plant medicine ceremony
Overnight stay at retreat center in San Salvador
Meals (no food, it is part of the retreat preparation)
DAY 3
Today you will start your day with a very light breakfast and then be brought to the dog shelter of the organization “Human Actions”. There you will do your volunteering activity, feeding the little puppies and giving them the love they need. You will learn more about the organization of the shelter and the stories of the dogs who had been abused and badly treated before they came to the shelter. After helping the staff, you will enjoy an organic snack and return to the retreat center. There you will have a meeting with the psychologist and shamanic healer to talk about your personal experiences during your first inca plant ceremony. These sessions help you find clarity about your visions. Later, you will have some time to relax and participate in group sessions to share your plant medicine experience. In the evening, you will be doing your aya plant ceremony. Our medical team and Andean shamans will be with you during the whole process.
Light breakfast
Organic snack
Volunteering at dog shelter
Consultation with medical doctors & healers
Second plant medicine ceremony
Accommodation at retreat center in San Salvador
Lunch, dinner (no food, it is part of the retreat preparation)
DAY 4
Today you will start your day with an organic breakfast. Afterwards, you will have another individual consultation with the doctors and shamanic healers about your last ceremony. Later, our shaman will perform an offering to Mother Earth. It is an important Andean ceremony to show our gratitude to Pachamama (Mother Earth) for everything that she gives to us. Also, you can buy some local handicrafts from the shamanic healers before you will be taken to Ollantaytambo, where you will spend the night before going to the Inca Trail.
Breakfast
Consultation with doctors & healers
Offering to Mother Earth (ceremony)
Transportation to Ollantaytambo
Accommodation at 3* hotel in Ollantaytambo
Lunch
Dinner
DAY 5
Early in the morning, you will catch the train to the trailhead at Km.104 of the Ollantaytambo – Machu Picchu railroad. You will visit the nearby ruins of Chachabamba and then begin the four-hour, 8km ascent to join the classic Inca Trail at the impressive Wiñaywayna archaeological complex. This consists of an agricultural sector with numerous terraces, and beautiful religious and urban centers. On the way up, you will take in magnificent views of the Urubamba River Valley, the Choquesuysuy archaeological complex on the opposite side of the river, and a beautiful waterfall minutes away from Wiñaywayna. Leaving Wiñaywayna, an hour’s trek along a trail of flat stones on the edges of the highland jungle cliffs brings us to the ‘Intipunku’ (Sun Gate), the ceremonial gateway into Machu Picchu. You will get our first glimpse of the sacred citadel of Machu Picchu from here. Later, you will descend to Machu Picchu and travel by bus to Aguas Calientes and relax in a hotel.
Breakfast, boxed lunch
English-speaking guide
Train ticket (Ollantaytambo-Km.104)
Entrance ticket to Inca trail
Bus down to Aguas Calientes
Accommodation at 3* hotel in Aguas Calientes
DAY 6
Early in the morning, you will leave your hotel to take the bus up to Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas“. It is a complete town with different quarters, squares, alleys, buildings, astronomical observatories and terraces. The city was rediscovered on July 24, 1911 by the US researcher Hiram Bingham. After a guided tour, you will have free time to walk around and explore the site, including climbing either Wayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountains (advance reservation required). In the afternoon, you will return to Aguas Calientes by bus and take the train to Poroy/Ollantaytambo. On the way back, you can enjoy the beautiful landscape of the Sacred Valley. Upon arrival at the train station, you will be taken to your hotel in Cusco.
Breakfast
Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and back
Entrance to Machu Picchu site
Shared excursion with English-speaking guide
Train ride from Aguas Calientes to Poroy/Ollantaytambo
Transportation from train station to your hotel in Cusco
Accommodation at 3* hotel in Cusco
DAY 7
On your last day, you will be picked up in time by our transfer staff and brought to the airport of Cusco. From there you will take your national flight back to Lima and your international flight home.
Breakfast
Transfer to Cusco airport
Accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary (3 star hotels, retreat center)
Activities, excursions, transportation, entrance tickets and meals as mentioned in the itinerary
Machu Picchu entrance ticket and Inca Trail ticket
Professional guides & translators during your stay
Train ticket from Ollantaytambo - Km-104 and Aguas Calientes - Ollantaytambo/Poroy)
3 days Inca plant medicine retreat in the sacred valley
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
International or national flights
Extra costs
Meals and beverages not mentioned in the program
Tip for guides, drivers & rest of the staff
Other activities or excursions that are indicated as optional or not mentioned in the itinerary
Meals on days of the Inca plant medicine ceremonies (part of the retreat)
For the Inca plant medicine retreat you must give us a medical report from your doctor to make sure that your general health condition is good. You can either take a copied scan or the original letter from your doctor with you, or send us the document per mail. This medical report is mandatory to be able to participate in this retreat. If you cannot bring the letter, you will have to make a check up with a doctor in Cusco, which will be charged an extra cost of $55 US. If you have any physical or psychological medical conditions or are under any medication treatment, please let us know before you book your retreat. Participants older than 50 years require an additional stress test. This can be done in your country of origin or in Cusco for a charge of $55 US.
Anyone who wishes to enter Peru must fill out the Peru Affidavit at least 72 hours before their flight. All nationalities can apply. To obtain this travel form, you'll need to provide information about your flight, health status, and intended stay in Peru. You must adhere to the country's safety protocols.
Please contact us to know the updates of requirements, since the situation can change a lot in this pandemic.
To prepare your mind and spirit for this spiritual retreat, we recommend you to do any discipline familiar to you from your own faith, such as meditation, prayer, and yoga. If you do not have a specific practice, you can send your intentions and wishes instead to all creatures in the morning and at night. Getting in the right mindset can help you to embrace your spiritual connection during this sacred trek. You can have the best shamans in the universe (Christ, Buddha, Krishna,) conducting ceremonies for you, but if your heart does not want to change nothing will happen. Only you have the power to change your destiny. Your own heart is in fact the best shaman for yourself in this universe. The best attitude is one of positivity; the right attitude includes honesty, love, patience, humility, respect, courage and a strong mental and spiritual determination. Approaching with these values will result in a fruitful experience. When you pray do not ask for miracles to mysteriously occur. Instead, ask for opportunities to create miracles with your own hands.
Cusco is 3500m above sea level and people sometimes get sick due to the high altitude and new conditions. There are several forms of medication that can be taken to alleviate the effects of altitude sickness but the interaction of some of this medication can have negative effects with Inca plant medicine. For this reason we recommend you to reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness by drinking MUÑA tea which is commonly available in the hotels. We suggest you to drink MUÑA tea at the airport or on your flight to Cusco as this will help to mitigate the effects of altitude sickness. You can also buy shots of oxygen at the airport. If the symptoms become worse, please let us know. Our professional guides are trained in case you get sick. There are many ways to make you feel better and treat altitude sickness. Our guides always carry oxygen bottles with them that you can use in emergencies.
Flying to Cusco can be tricky because delays often occur and due to the special conditions at the airport of Cusco, it is not uncommon for flights to be cancelled. Please be sure to arrive in the city of Cusco at least two days before your trip starts. The most reliable airline is LATAM because they offer you many re-booking options in case of a flight cancellation. On your last day you will come back to Cusco around 9pm, which means that you should always book your flight the next day when leaving Cusco. National or international flights are not included in this travel program. Please contact us if you wish to make customized changes.
Participating in an ayahuasca ceremony is an opportunity for deep healing and personal transformation. A plant medicine journey provides profound insights and is great potential for healing your body, spirit and mind. Besides the spiritual and awakening experience, there are recently more and more researches about the benefits of aya plant medicine. According to current research, ayahuasca may protect brain cells and stimulate neural cell growth. Researchers are still investigating the actual effects of the sacred plant medicine and are trying to find out in which way it boosts mood, improves mindfulness, treats depression and addiction disorders.
People with colon problems, high blood pressure, heart conditions, diabetes, or mental illness should be cautious since the sacred plant medicine can have strong effects on your body. You cannot do the ayahuasca or san pedro ceremony while being pregnant. Besides, period pain and discomfort may result in a negative experience while taking the plant medicine. This is why we recommend you not to do these experiences during your period. However, if you do not experience severe pain or discomfort, it is okay for you to participate. We recommend waiting until the second or third day of a period to allow you to gauge the intensity of the pain. The most important thing is that you feel ready for this retreat experience.
The diet purifies the body and mind for this shamanic healing experience, but also makes sure that your plant medicine experience is safe. This is why we recommend you NOT to eat/consume at least two weeks before the retreat: pork, alcohol, cannabis, drugs and spicy food. Please do not take any prescribed medications or drugs two weeks before the retreat starts. The Inca plant medicine is a potent form of medicine and can therefore have different effects when combined with other medications. One week before the retreat, you should abstain from: red meat, junk foods, sweets or candies, carbonated drinks (including diet sodas, energy drinks and non-alcoholic beer), dairy products, fermented foods, caffeine and other stimulants. The last couple of days before the retreat, we suggest you eat well. Do not make any extreme diets! It is important that you are in a good condition and feel well before the retreat. Try to reduce the consumption of salt, pepper and oil three days before the retreat. Good organic food with a moderate amount of salt and sugar is recommended. In terms of meat you may consume chicken or fish. On the day of the retreat, please eat a light breakfast based on juice and fruits, no bread or dairy products!
Tipping is always appreciated and should completely be based on your satisfaction. Although tipping may not be usual to you, it is important to the people who’ll take care of you during your trip (drivers, translators, spiritual teachers, shamans, etc.).