Ayahuasca retreats in Peru
3 ayahuasca centres in Peru, listed because the substance they serve is legal there. This is a short list we have compiled so far from public sources, not every operator in Peru. Nothing operating underground is listed, however good its reputation.
Temple of the Way of Light
Near Iquitos, Loreto
Works with female and male Shipibo healers in the Peruvian Amazon, with an established screening and integration process.
Arkana Spiritual Center
Amazon and Sacred Valley
Two sites, one in the Amazon and one in the Sacred Valley, with ceremonies led by Shipibo healers and a documented screening process.
Nimea Kaya Healing Center
Near Pucallpa, Ucayali
Deliberately small: capped at 14 guests, with one-to-one consultations with Shipibo healers and facilitators.
Is ayahuasca legal in Peru?
Legal · AyahuascaAyahuasca is lawful and recognised as national cultural heritage.
Peru declared traditional ayahuasca use part of the national cultural heritage in 2008. Ceremonies are lawful. The country has no licensing regime for retreat centres, so standards vary enormously between operators. Legality here says nothing about safety.
More jurisdictions and substances in the legal status table.
What a programme usually looks like
Representative of the modality, drawn from operators' published schedules. Not any one centre's timetable.
- Typical length
- 5 to 14 nights; 3 to 7 ceremonies
- Typical cost
- $1,500 to $8,000
Published rates cluster around $3,600 for five nights and $3,950 for seven at the better-documented centres. Peru generally runs cheaper than Costa Rica for comparable programmes.