Sometimes, travel feels like coming home. Peru reminds us of things we’ve forgotten. It beckons us to explore, to listen, to play. The magic and mystery of the place awakens our inner child, inspiring awe and wonder, surprise and delight.
Nestled alongside the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley of Peru, Pisac offers one of the best artisan markets in Latin America and fabulous mountaintop Incan ruins.
Known as the stone city, Ollantaytambo is one of the most beautiful towns in the Sacred Valley.
During an optional two-day indigenous plant-based medicine ceremony, we will set our intentions for this soul-centric journey, activating our connection to this mystical adventure.
During our two days in Cusco, we will visit the Incan archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, take a city bus tour and visit the San Pedro market.
One of the pinnacle spiritual destinations in the world, the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu is an awe-inspiring testimony to the vast astrological and metaphysical knowledge of the Inca.
Against the austere backdrop of Ausangate, the hot springs of Pacchanta provide unexpected respite from the crisp alpine air.
The Q’eros people consider Ausangate to be one of the most sacred mountains in the Andes. We will hike to the base of this majestic mountain, which towers over 20,000 feet.
Nestled alongside the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley of Peru, Pisac offers one of the best artisan markets in Latin America and fabulous mountaintop Incan ruins.
Known as the stone city, Ollantaytambo is one of the most beautiful towns in the Sacred Valley.
During an optional two-day indigenous plant-based medicine ceremony, we will set our intentions for this soul-centric journey, activating our connection to this mystical adventure.
During our two days in Cusco, we will visit the Incan archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, take a city bus tour and visit the San Pedro market.
One of the pinnacle spiritual destinations in the world, the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu is an awe-inspiring testimony to the vast astrological and metaphysical knowledge of the Inca.
Against the austere backdrop of Ausangate, the hot springs of Pacchanta provide unexpected respite from the crisp alpine air.
The Q’eros people consider Ausangate to be one of the most sacred mountains in the Andes. We will hike to the base of this majestic mountain, which towers over 20,000 feet.
Starting with a psychedelic plant medicine ceremony and ending with a high altitude trek in the Andes, an expeditionary retreat is an immersive, physically rigorous, spiritual and cultural experience, designed to challenge, inspire and transform. In a ten day period, our clients often receive insights it would take years to achieve in traditional therapy.
What Makes an Expeditionary Retreat Different Than a Regular Retreat?
Many people come to Peru to participate in psychedelic plant medicine ceremonies or spiritual experiences rooted in indigenous cultural values. Sequestered in a retreat center, they have limited opportunity to explore Peru’s wild, natural beauty and its abundance of mystical archeological treasures. More importantly, many retreat participants leave without encountering the people and the beautiful culture that gave rise to the spiritual traditions of the Andes.
An expeditionary retreat visits these sacred places. We surround ourselves with the people and immerse ourselves in the culture that gave birth to Incan cosmology. We understand that contemplation doesn’t require stillness. Hiking, climbing, and adventuring are forms of moving meditation. On an expeditionary retreat, internal and external discovery are inextricably linked.
Why Psychadelics?
Five years ago, John Hopkins Medical Center launched its center for psychedelic research to identify new therapies for treating alcoholism, drug addiction, Alzheimer’s, PTSD, anxiety and drug resistant depression. Now, health agencies in many states are assembling task forces to examine how psychedelic therapies can be integrated into therapeutic settings.
Though science has provided proof of concept for the use of psychedelics, the use of plant medicines in a therapeutic setting vs. a ceremonial setting is similar to consuming wine with a group of friends vs. taking communion. The wine is still wine. But the experience is entirely different.
Modern medicine is learning what indigenous cultures have known for generations: man and nature are inextricably linked. We often speak of man and nature as if they are two separate things. This perceived disconnection lies at the root of many societal ills. We need a reminder that each and every one of us is indigenous to this planet.
Escape Bound ceremonies utilize plant medicine guides whose indigenous cultural values provide an authentic heart-centered backdrop for a transformative, life-changing experience.
Do I Need to Have A Specific Spiritual or Religious Belief?
People from many religious, spiritual, and non-spiritual backgrounds participate in these retreats. This is an amazing account from a Catholic priest who was inspired to learn from ayahuasca.
Incan teachings remind us of our connection with the earth. We will have the unique opportunity to meet Andean paqos, indigenous Q’eros teachers, whose ancestors have practiced animistic ceremonies for hundreds of years. We will spend several days immersed in nature, hiking through the mountains, allowing the awe-inspiring setting of the Peruvian Andes to open our hearts, bodies, minds and spirits to the unconditional love of the Earth Mother, the Pachamama. All religions / beliefs are welcome and celebrated.
Day 1: After arriving in Cusco, the capital of the Incan empire, we will descend 1,000 feet to Pisac, a quintessential Peruvian town in the Sacred Valley. Our quaint, family-run bed and breakfast offers sweeping views of farm fields, terraces and mountain paths leading to Incan ruins.
Day 2: In the morning, we will depart for Cusco, the former capital of the Incan Empire. In Cusco, we will visit the sprawling Incan citadel of Sacsayhuaman, which features impossibly large boulders, meticulously placed with perfect precision. The afternoon will include a bus tour of Cusco with time to peruse the San Pedro Market before heading back to Pisac.
Day 3: The morning will be free to explore the town of Pisac and peruse its extensive artisan markets. In the afternoon, we will drive up the mountain overlooking Pisac to savor dramatic, sweeping views from Pisac’s famous Incan archeological site, followed by a hike back down the mountain, which offers jaw-dropping views of the Sacred Valley and Urubamba River.
Day 4: This day will be dedicated to a sacred San Pedro plant medicine ceremony, which will be overseen by a practitioner with over two decades of experience in indigenous medicines. We will set our intentions and learn about the indigenous wisdom of the Incas as we prepare to receive earth-based renewal and healing.
Day 5: Ceremony participants will spend the morning sharing insights from their ceremony experience. With the help of our practitioner, we will learn to integrate newly expanded perspectives and apply them to our lives. After lunch in Pisac, we will enjoy a quiet, contemplative afternoon at Maras salt flats and the circular agricultural terraces Moray.
Day 6: After breakfast, we will leave the bed and breakfast in Pisac and drive through the Sacred Valley, stopping for lunch in Urubamba en route to the stone city of Ollantaytambo. The afternoon will be free to explore the Incan archeological site of Ollantaytambo and surrounding village. After an authentic Peruvian dinner made with fresh produce from the Sacred Valley, we will take a train to Aguas Calientes.
Day 7: Waking early in the morning, we will ascend the mountain on a bus from Aguas Calientes to the famed Incan citadel of Machu Pichhu. Heralded as one of the seven wonders of the modern world, Machu Picchu inspires awe in all who have the privilege to experience it. At day’s end, we will travel by train back to Cusco.
Day 8: In the morning, we will explore the San Pedro market, which is one of the most famous markets in Peru. Mid-morning, we will depart Cusco to travel three hours to the Andean village of Pacchanta, where the evening will be spent soaking in Pacchanta’s hot springs.
Day 9: At this point in your journey, you will feel as if you’ve covered months, not just days, since your arrival in Cusco. Each day helped you acclimatize for this day’s hike from Pacchanta to the base of Ausangate. The Queros people worship the Apu, or spirit, of the mountain. We will have an early lunch beside a lake at the base of this sacred mountain.
After lunch, we will meet 98 year old Maria Apaza or another member of the Apaza family. Maria is the only female altomisayoc (high priestess) recognized by the entire Q’eros nation, and has met the Dalai Lama twice. Maria or her family member will perform an Incan Andean Despacho ceremony of gratitude to the Pachamama, the Earth Mother.
After the ceremony, we will hike back down the mountain and spend one last night in Pacchanta.
Day 10: Return to Cusco to catch flights back home.
Will I be able to handle the physical rigors of this trek?
Ausangate is rated “difficult”, due to altitude and distance. That having been said, most people who can hike four hours in a day, would be physically capable of doing this trek. As with any aerobic activity, consult your doctor before embarking on this journey.
What is a sacred plant medicine ceremony?
In a sacred ritual known as a San Pedro ceremony, huachuma plant medicine will be offered. San Pedro is a heart-opening, consciousness expanding medicine designed to clarify our intentions and deepen our understanding of nature. The ceremony is optional, but is included in cost of the trip.
What is your cancellation policy?
In the event that the U.S. or Peruvian governments prohibit travel, the ground portion of the trip will be 100% refundable. Participants will book their own airfare and refunds are subject to airline policies. Participants are encouraged to secure trip insurance to cover any other circumstances that may lead to trip cancelation or delay.
Lodging
Transportation
Activities
Meals
International and domestic flights
Optional $30 trek to the top of Huana Pichhu at Machu Picchu
