Essential Logistics for Ayahuasca Retreat at Sapan Inka: Cusco & Sacred Valley

At Sapan Inka, we deeply value your decision to embark on a journey of healing and growth with us. We understand that clarity regarding logistical details is fundamental, allowing your mind to relax and focus solely on the experience awaiting you. Our commitment is to cover absolutely all essential elements during the days of your retreat, guaranteeing an optimal, worry-free experience. This includes transportation, high-quality accommodation, and a diet strictly aligned with the required ceremony protocol. It is vital that you understand that our coverage of expenses is strictly limited to the duration of the retreat, from the moment of your pick up until we drop you off at your final destination. Any costs for accommodation, meals, transportation, or activities you incur before the retreat's start date in Cusco or after its completion will be entirely your responsibility. Our intention is for you to know exactly when our responsibility begins and ends so you can plan your free days with total independence and control over your budget.

The first logistical step is arriving in Peru, and we recommend planning this journey with extreme care, considering the geography. You will need to secure a flight from your hometown to the Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) in Lima, Peru, and then take a domestic connecting flight to the Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ) in Cusco. Once you arrive in Cusco, we invite you to consider a recommendation we deem vital for your well-being and safety: altitude acclimatization. The majestic city of Cusco is situated at a considerable altitude of approximately 3,500 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.), and this altitude can cause the well-known "Soroche" or altitude sickness, which could interfere with your ability to participate fully in the ceremonies. Therefore, we strongly suggest arriving in Cusco one or even a few days before the formal start of your retreat. This extra time will allow you to rest, hydrate, and acclimate before the first ceremony, which will take place on the first day of the retreat at 9:00 p.m. In addition to acclimatization, it is crucial that you respect the preparation protocol, ensuring you fast and rest properly for the 24 hours prior to that first ceremony, thus maximizing the benefits and safety of your experience.

Regarding the arrival at our Retreat House in the Sacred Valley, we take full responsibility for transportation. The pickup service is scheduled for the first day of the retreat, and our vehicle will pass by your accommodation between 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. It is essential that you take all necessary precautions and be ready on time, as no changes are made to this pickup schedule in order to respect the punctuality of all participants and the preparation of the House. We can pick you up from any location within the city of Cusco; we only require the exact address of your accommodation. If you have chosen to stay in the Sacred Valley, we can also pick you up there, although the pickup time will be slightly adjusted, likely starting from 4:00 p.m., due to the geographic distribution of accommodations in the valley. Once we are on our way, the travel time from Cusco to our Retreat House is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, a time you can use to relax and contemplate the Andean landscapes. Even if you decide to arrive in Cusco on the same day the retreat begins, we can pick you up directly from the airport. However, we remind you that the pickup time remains fixed at 3:00 p.m., which means if your flight lands very early, you would need to wait at the airport until the pickup time or, alternatively, check into an accommodation in Cusco during those hours and wait there for our transport.

Our services extend to the logistics of external activities, provided these are included in the retreat package you have selected. If your program includes a visit to Machu Picchu and other archaeological sites, you can be certain that all transportation is included. In the specific case of Machu Picchu, we facilitate transport from our Retreat House to the train station, and we include all train tickets (round trip), bus tickets (round trip) to travel from Aguas Calientes to the Machu Picchu Citadel, the service of a private and specialized guide, plus lunch at a selected restaurant in Aguas Calientes, and the final transport to take you back from the train station to our Retreat House. Similarly, if your retreat includes a visit to sites like Maras and Moray, all transportation, entry tickets, and guide services are completely covered.

Finally, the retreat culminates with a vital process of integration and feedback. On the last day, the finishing time ranges between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., as this time slot is necessary to conduct a private and personal conversation with each participant—a fundamental session that lasts approximately 30 minutes per person and varies depending on the total number of participants. Once we have concluded this important closing process and the retreat has officially ended, we will arrange return transportation, comfortably taking you back to the city of Cusco or any other location you choose in the Sacred Valley, thereby concluding your logistical experience with Sapan Inka.