5-Day Women's Ayahuasca Retreat — Sacred Valley, Peru

Who this retreat is for

The Shipibo tradition has a deep matrilineal line — many of the most respected curanderos in Pucallpa are women, but very few of them lead retreats marketed to Western participants. This center is one of the exceptions. The lead curandera, Maestra Olivia, trained for thirty-two years under her mother and grandmother, both well-known healers in the Ucayali region. She runs roughly six women-only retreats per year here, alongside her primary work in Pucallpa.

It's a good fit if you specifically want a women-led container, you've done some prior plant medicine work or you're a strong meditator coming to ayahuasca for the first time, and you can travel to Cusco. It's not the right retreat if this would be your first multi-day retreat of any kind — five days is short and three ceremonies in close succession can be intense for an unprimed nervous system. The 7-day or 10-day Peru options are gentler entries.

The schedule

This retreat does not run on the Western retreat-center pacing of one ceremony every other night. The compressed three-night sequence is closer to how Shipibo women's intensives are structured in Peru. It works, but it's worth knowing what you're booking.

The lineage and the women-only container

Maestra Olivia is the third generation of curanderas in her family. Her grandmother, Hilda, was a well-known healer in the Ucayali region in the 1960s and 70s. Her mother, Sofía, still practices in Pucallpa. Olivia trained continuously from age twelve and began leading her own ceremonies in her late twenties. She has been running retreats for Western participants since 2013.

The women-only structure isn't about exclusion. Several participants we've spoken with describe specific aspects of the work — body memory, lineage threads, reproductive and relational material — surfacing more accessibly without male energy in the maloca. The curandera and both apprentices are Shipibo women, the kitchen staff is women, and the integration facilitator is a Western-trained somatic therapist who has worked with this center for six years.

The icaros differ subtly from the male-led retreats. Olivia sings songs from her grandmother's repertoire that aren't part of standard male curandero practice — including specific icaros associated with women's healing. This isn't marketing; it's a real lineage difference.

What's included

• Lodging — shared rooms (2 to 3 participants per room); private room +$280
• Three plant-based meals per day, prepared in accordance with the dieta
• Three ayahuasca ceremonies with Maestra Olivia and two apprentice curanderas
• One floral bath
• One individual interview with Maestra Olivia (translated if needed)
• Daily group integration circles
• Roundtrip transfers from Cusco

Not included

• Flights to Cusco ($600–1,000 from US/EU including a connection in Lima)
• Travel insurance ($40–80)
• Pre-arrival medical screening ($100–200)
• Optional bodywork sessions ($60 each)
• Gratuities ($60–120 suggested)
• Post-retreat integration therapy ($150–400 for the first month)

What it costs to actually go

Real budget for one participant from a North American or European departure city:

• Retreat fee: $1,650 (shared) or $1,930 (private)
• Flights to Cusco via Lima: $600–1,000
• Travel insurance: $40–80
• Pre-arrival medical screening: $100–200
• One pre- or post-retreat night in Cusco for re-entry: $40–80
• Gratuities: $60–120
• First month of post-retreat integration therapy: $150–400

Total realistic cost: $2,700–$3,800. The retreat fee is on the lower end for credible Peru centers, which surprises some participants — the price reflects the shorter format and the center's intentional accessibility for women, not a quality compromise.

Frequently asked questions