Peru reminds us of things we forgot. 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 a 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.
After a transformative week in Cusco and the Sacred Valley, we will be acclimatized to the altitude, preparing us for the pinnacle Andes experience: the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu.
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.
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 a 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.
After a transformative week in Cusco and the Sacred Valley, we will be acclimatized to the altitude, preparing us for the pinnacle Andes experience: the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu.
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.
An expeditionary retreat is an immersive, physically rigorous, spiritual and cultural experience, designed to challenge, inspire and transform.
Plant based medicines are uniquely suited to awaken the heart to truths that would normally take years of therapy to discover. Maximizing the impact of this awakening, we will spend several days of integration, hiking through the mountains, allowing the awe-inspiring setting of the Peruvian Andes to continue to open our hearts, bodies, minds and spirits.
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. The evening’s highlight will be dinner at Ulrike’s cafe.
Day 2: Descending through the Sacred Valley to the stone city of Ollantaytambo, we will stop for lunch in Urubamba en route. The afternoon will be free to explore the Incan archeological site of Ollantaytambo and surrounding village. We will return to Pisac after an authentic Peruvian dinner made with fresh produce from the Sacred Valley.
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 picturesque hike back down the mountain.
Day 4: This day will be dedicated to our sacred plant-based 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. (Please note: Participation in this plant-based medicine ceremony is included in the price of the trip, but it is entirely optional.)
Day 5: We will spend the morning sharing insights from our 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 depart for Cusco, the former capital of the Incan Empire.
Day 6: After breakfast at the hotel, we will tour the city of Cusco by bus and enjoy an afternoon exploring the Incan archeological site of Sacsayhuaman, which features impossibly large boulders, meticulously placed with perfect precision.
National Geographic Explorer lists Salkantay as one of the 25 best hikes in the world.
Incans called the spirits that inhabit the sacred mountains of the Andes the apus. On an awe-inspiring five day / four night Salkantay trek, we will have the opportunity to feel the power of the Pachamama (earth mother) and apu Salkantay.
Day 7: After an early morning departure from Cusco, we will drive into the Cordillera Vilcabamba where we will rendezvous with our Peruvian mountaineering guide, chef, horse handlers and horses for a three hour trek to the glass-domed huts of Sky Camp. After lunch, we will take another three hour round-trip hike to Humantay Lake.
Day 8: This will be the most challenging day of our trek as we ascend Salkantay Pass, reaching a high point of 15,190 feet. We’ll be rewarded with jaw-dropping views of snowcapped mountains and verdant valleys as we descend to the edge of the Amazonian jungle. Our night will be spent sleeping in Andean huts.
Day 9: The third day of our Salkantay Trek will take us through lush tropical landscapes that include exotic flowers, rivers, waterfalls, and wildlife, en route to our camp at the Jungle Domes. We will spend the afternoon learning about coffee bean farming at a nearby coffee plantation.
Day 10: Hiking along part of the famous Inca Trail, we will have the opportunity to visit the Incan ruins of Llactapata and catch our first sight of Machu Picchu. Our night will be spent in a hostel in Aguas Calientes with double or triple rooms and private baths.
Day 11: We will have the opportunity to marvel at the world-renowned Incan citadel of Machu Picchu. 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 back to Cusco.
Day 12: We will spend the morning at one of the most famous markets in Peru, the San Pedro Market. In the afternoon, we will catch our return flights to Lima and home.
Will I be able to handle the physical rigors of this trek?
Salkantay is rated “difficult”, due to altitude and distance. That having been said, most people who can hike eight hours 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 plant medicine?
We will begin this retreat with a sacred huachuma plant medicine known to the indigenous people as a San Pedro ceremony. San Pedro is a heart-opening, consciousness expanding medicine designed to clarify our intentions for this transformative journey. The ceremony is optional, but is included in cost of the trip.
What if the US or Peruvian government has a lockdown due to Covid?
Covid continues to be an active threat. In the event that the U.S. or Peruvian governments prohibit travel, the trip cost will be 100% refundable. 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
Sleeping bag and walking pole rentals
Optional $30 trek to the top of Huana Pichhu at Machu Picchu
Optional $35 train ride from Hidro Electric plant instead of 3 hour hike to Aguas Calientes
