First Time on a Plant Medicine Retreat? Your Practical Guide to the Sacred Valley

Before booking, be upfront with our team about your full medical history — especially heart conditions, psychiatric diagnoses, and any medication you take (particularly SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, or lithium). Most plant medicines interact seriously with these. A short intake call or form is required for every guest at least two weeks before arrival, so our facilitators can flag any contraindication early and, if needed, plan a safe tapering schedule with your doctor.

Days in the Sacred Valley are warm and sunny; nights drop close to freezing, especially between May and August. Pack in layers:

• A warm jacket or fleece and a hat for the evenings.
• Comfortable, loose clothing in natural fabrics for ceremony (avoid tight jeans).
• A reusable water bottle, sunscreen, and sunglasses — the Andean sun is strong at altitude.
• A journal — most guests want to write during the integration days.
• Any personal medication in its original packaging, declared to our team in advance.

The Sacred Valley sits between 2,800 and 3,000 meters (9,200–9,800 ft) above sea level — noticeably lower than Cusco city (3,400m), which is one reason many retreats are based here. Even so, altitude sickness (soroche) is common in the first 24–48 hours: mild headache, fatigue, or shortness of breath. Arrive at least one full day before your retreat starts, hydrate constantly, avoid alcohol, and go easy on physical exertion until you've acclimatized. Coca tea, offered everywhere locally, genuinely helps.

Traditional plant medicine work asks for a "dieta" in the days leading up to ceremony: no red meat, pork, fried or heavily processed food, no alcohol, no recreational drugs, and reduced salt, sugar, and dairy. Beyond safety (some medicines interact with tyramine-rich foods), the dieta is also considered a form of respect and preparation — a way of arriving lighter, physically and mentally. We send a detailed dieta guide 10 days before every retreat.