10 Best Ayahuasca Retreats in the World 2026

With more than 1,000 ayahuasca ceremonies and over 1,600 participants since 2017, our team at APL Journeys knows what separates a good ayahuasca (or «iowaska») retreat from a risky one. Below are the 10 best ayahuasca retreats in the world for 2026, chosen for the experience of their maestros, the quality of screening and integration, group size and transparent prices. Prices were checked on each center's website in October 2026.

We compared centers on six things that matter more than photos or price:

1. Tradition and the experience of the maestros who lead the ceremonies.
2. Medical and psychological screening before you arrive.
3. Group size and how many trained facilitators are present.
4. Preparation and integration support before and after the retreat.
5. Transparent prices and a clear list of what is included.
6. Reputation: independent reviews and any reported safety incidents.

We used each center's own website and listings, independent reviews and first-hand knowledge: members of our team have worked with the Temple of the Way of Light and Soltara. Centers with serious unresolved safety reports were left out.

Founded in 1992 in Tarapoto, Takiwasi is one of the most respected centers in Peru. It combines traditional Amazonian practice, including master plant dietas, with a team of doctors and psychologists. Its separate long-term residential program for addiction is one of the best known in the world.

Location: Tarapoto, Peru
Program: about 13 days, including a purge, an ayahuasca ceremony and 8 days of dieta alone in a simple jungle hut (tambo), with sessions with a psychologist
Cost: S/ 5,000 (about $1,400)
Best for: people ready for a structured, disciplined dieta
+ Highly professional team with decades of experience
+ Clear medical and psychological evaluation
- Simple accommodation and only one ayahuasca ceremony in the standard program
- Long travel to Tarapoto

APL Journeys has run ayahuasca retreats since 2017, with more than 1,000 ceremonies and over 1,600 participants. APL works within one tradition only: ceremonies are led by Peruvian maestros of the Shipibo lineage, at an ocean-front center in southern Spain and at its own camp in the Peruvian Amazon near Pucallpa, where APL also hosts Master Plant Dietas. APL is one of the few centers with on-site therapists, alongside trauma-informed facilitators, and groups are kept small: up to 15 people in Spain and 6 to 12 in Peru. Every program includes screening, a preparation course and group integration. APL also runs non-profit programs that support Shipibo communities. This is not psychedelic tourism, but careful work within a living tradition.

Location: southern Spain and Pucallpa, Peru
Program: 7 days with four ceremonies in Spain (a 6-day program once a year); 8-day retreat and 12-day Master Plant Dieta in Peru
Cost: from €2,650 in Spain (6-day from €2,350); from $2,900 in Peru
Best for: travelers from Europe, the UK and the US who want Shipibo ceremonies with strong safety and integration support
Reviews: 5.0 from 255 reviews on REVIEWS.io and 5.0 on Google (50 reviews)
+ One tradition, experienced Shipibo maestros
+ On-site support team with therapeutic credentials
+ Spain is easy to reach from Europe and the US
- Not a budget option
- Thorough preparation is required

Nihue Rao is a traditional Shipibo healing center near Iquitos, founded by Maestro Ricardo Amaringo, a well-known Shipibo maestro. Programs focus on ayahuasca ceremonies and master plant dietas in a simple jungle setting.

Location: Llanchama, about an hour from Iquitos, Peru
Program: from 7 days up to 6 weeks
Cost: from $1,600 for 7 days
Best for: people who want an authentic Shipibo experience at a fair price
+ Strong Shipibo lineage and experienced healers
+ Good value for longer stays
- Basic jungle accommodation
- Most of the payment is made in cash on arrival

Founded in 2007 near Iquitos, the Temple of the Way of Light is one of Peru's best-known centers, working with Shipibo healers. It screens every applicant medically and psychologically, offers an integration program and says all of its profits go to projects in the Amazon. Members of our team have worked with the Temple.

Location: near Iquitos, Peru
Program: 8 or 12 days, or 12 days plus a 5-day integration program
Cost: from $3,330 for 8 days
Best for: people with time for a long, deep program
+ Strong reputation and thorough screening
+ Long programs with many ceremonies
- Popular dates often have waiting lists
- Higher price than most Peruvian centers

Soltara Healing Center runs two centers in Costa Rica, where ceremonies are led by Shipibo healers with a Western support team and an on-site clinic. The center reports approval from Costa Rica's Ministry of Health and includes a year of integration support. Members of our team have worked with Soltara.

Location: Costa Rica (two centers)
Program: 5, 7 or 12 nights
Cost: from $2,975 for 5 nights, up to $13,900 for a private suite
Best for: first-timers who want comfort and medical backup
+ Shipibo healers, on-site clinic and one year of integration
+ Comfortable, well-organized centers
- Costa Rica is not a traditional ayahuasca region
- Among the more expensive options

AYA Healing Retreats runs programs at El Encanto de Chullachaqui, a jungle center near Iquitos. Its screening process was developed with ICEERS, integration is supported through Nectara, and every guest gets a follow-up session after the retreat. Programs combine ayahuasca with huachuma (San Pedro), and a women-only retreat led by a curandera runs once a year.

Location: near Iquitos, Peru
Program: 7 days up to a 26-day initiation
Cost: from $1,850 for 7 days
Best for: people who value careful screening and follow-up
+ Screening developed with ICEERS and structured integration
+ Women-only retreat once a year
- Programs run several times a year, so dates fill early
- Combines ayahuasca with San Pedro, which not everyone wants

Arkana is a comfortable retreat center in Peru's Sacred Valley that works with Shipibo healers and combines ayahuasca with San Pedro and rapé ceremonies. It is one of the most reviewed ayahuasca centers online, with a 5.0 rating from more than 200 reviews on Retreat Guru.

Location: Urubamba, Sacred Valley, Peru
Program: 7, 14 or 21 days
Cost: from $3,000 for 7 days in a shared room, $4,020 for a suite
Best for: first-timers who want comfort and easy travel via Cusco
+ Comfortable rooms and easy to combine with Machu Picchu
+ Many independent reviews
- The Sacred Valley is not a traditional ayahuasca region
- Medical staffing is not described in detail

Feather Crown has run retreats in the Ecuadorian Amazon since 2008, close to Llanganates National Park and about four hours from Quito. Depending on the dates, ceremonies are led in the Shipibo or the Kichwa tradition, with private cabins and integration circles.

Location: near Santa Clara, Pastaza, Ecuador
Program: 5 or 10 days
Cost: from $890 for 5 days, $1,790 for 10 days
Best for: good value in a quieter destination
+ Private cabins and integration circles
+ Affordable for the length
- 5-day dates are rare
- Screening details are not published

Etnikas runs short ayahuasca retreats in the Sacred Valley near Cusco with an unusually large medical team, including a cardiologist, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a general doctor and a nurse, with a doctor on site around the clock. Applicants need a doctor's letter, and those over 50 need a stress test.

Location: Taray, Sacred Valley, Peru
Program: 3, 5, 7 or 8 days, with open dates
Cost: from $660 for 3 days, about $1,470 for 8 days
Best for: people who want medical supervision and a short stay
+ Doctors on site around the clock
+ Flexible dates, easy to combine with Machu Picchu
- Not a traditional ayahuasca region
- Short programs leave little time for integration

Hummingbird Healing Center has welcomed guests since 2010 at Varillal, about 14 km from Iquitos. Groups are capped at 10 people, the owner screens every guest personally, and there are daily integration circles.

Location: Varillal, near Iquitos, Peru
Program: 7, 9 or 12 days, up to 4 weeks
Cost: from $2,000 for 7 days
Best for: people who want a small, personal group
+ Groups of up to 10 guests
+ Personal screening and daily integration circles
- Limited published information on medical support

Peru is the home of the ayahuasca tradition and has the widest choice of retreats. Most centers are in four areas:

• Iquitos, reached only by air or river, with the largest number of jungle centers: Nihue Rao, AYA Healing Retreats, the Temple of the Way of Light and Hummingbird.
• Pucallpa and the Ucayali region, the heartland of the Shipibo people, where APL Journeys runs its ayahuasca retreat in Peru.
• Tarapoto, home of Takiwasi.
• The Sacred Valley near Cusco, which is easier to combine with Machu Picchu but is not a traditional ayahuasca region: Arkana and Etnikas.

A week at a retreat in Peru costs about $1,200 to $3,500 before flights. For the deepest immersion, choose a program of 8 days or more, or a master plant dieta. Read our guide to ayahuasca retreats in Peru for more detail.

In Europe, the legal situation differs from country to country, and few centers work with indigenous maestros on a regular basis. The APL Journeys ayahuasca retreat in Spain runs 7-day programs with Peruvian maestros of the Shipibo lineage, from €2,650, and is easy to reach from the UK and the US. Before booking anywhere in Europe, read our guide to the legality of ayahuasca, and see our guide to ayahuasca retreats in the UK if you are traveling from Britain.

Choose a program of at least 7 days with careful screening, small groups and integration support. Arkana, Soltara and APL Journeys are good starting points, and Etnikas suits people who want doctors on site.

Feather Crown in Ecuador (from $890 for 5 days), Etnikas (from $660 for 3 days) and Nihue Rao (from $1,600 for 7 days) are the most affordable centers on this list. For a full breakdown of prices and extra costs, see our guide to ayahuasca retreat costs.

Soltara (from $2,975) and Arkana's suites (from $4,020) are comfortable choices. APL Journeys offers the same level of comfort in both of its locations: an all-inclusive ocean-front center in southern Spain with a choice of room types, from €2,650, and a jungle camp near Pucallpa in the Peruvian Amazon, from $2,900. The camp has private rooms and bungalows built from the highest-quality local woods, hot water and electricity, a large ceremony hall, views over the lake and excellent food. Resort-style retreats in Costa Rica can cost $4,900 or more.

In the USA, ayahuasca is offered mostly by churches that hold weekend ceremonies for their members, usually for $550 to $1,000. For options and the legal context, see our guide to ayahuasca retreats in the USA.

Choosing the right Ayahuasca retreat is crucial for a transformative experience. Look beyond photos and price: ask who leads the ceremonies, how participants are screened, how many facilitators are present and what support you get after you go home.

Red flags:
• No medical or psychological questionnaire before you book
• Groups of 20 or more with only one or two facilitators
• Promises of cures or guaranteed results
• No clear information about who serves the brew and in which tradition
• Pressure to pay in full straight away, or unclear refund terms

Questions to ask a center:
• Who leads the ceremonies, and how long have they worked with ayahuasca?
• How do you screen for medications and health conditions?
• How many facilitators are present per participant, and does anyone on the team have therapeutic credentials?
• What integration support do you offer after the retreat?

Prices vary widely between these centers, so compare current ayahuasca retreat prices before you book. For more details, visit APL Shamanic Journeys

There is no single best retreat for everyone. The right one depends on how far you can travel, how long you can stay and how much support you need. On this list, Takiwasi and the Temple of the Way of Light suit people who want long, traditional programs in the Amazon, Arkana and Soltara suit those who want more comfort, and APL Journeys suits travelers who want Shipibo ceremonies in Spain or Peru with an on-site support team with therapeutic credentials.

Peru has the deepest tradition and the widest choice, especially around Iquitos and Pucallpa. Costa Rica offers more comfort at higher prices, Ecuador is good value, and Spain is the easiest option for travelers from Europe and the UK.

Most experienced centers recommend at least 7 days with three or four ceremonies, which leaves time for preparation, rest days and integration. Programs of 12 days or more, including master plant dietas, allow deeper work.

Look for detailed medical and psychological screening, small groups with several trained facilitators, experienced maestros, clear emergency procedures and integration support. Read independent reviews and search for any reported incidents before you book.

No. Most reputable centers welcome first-timers, as long as they pass screening and follow the preparation guidelines. Some shorter or more intensive programs are designed for people who already know ayahuasca.

On this list, prices range from about $660 for a 3-day program to $3,330 or more for 8 days at an established center. A typical 7 to 10 day retreat costs $1,500 to $3,500 before flights.