One of the reasons Cusco has always been a mystical place is the holistic ceremonies you can perform here. One of the most popular and relevant is Ayahuasca, a sacred medicine that allows you to experience moments of introspection through journeys of deep inner connection. If you decide to perform this ceremony, we will provide you with the best guidelines and recommendations based on our experience so that you are prepared and aware of the experience you are about to undergo.

• Ayahuasca
• How should I prepare for Ayahuasca?
• Where to perform Ayahuasca?
• What is the Ayahuasca ceremony like?
• Tips for performing Ayahuasca
• Frequently Asked Questions

Tourist starting the Ayahuasca ceremony

Ayahuasca

Used ancestrally by indigenous peoples such as the Shipibo, Asháninka, and Shuar, ayahuasca has a purpose beyond the therapeutic, as it seeks to achieve balance between the individual, their consciousness, and nature. It is a medicine that gives you the opportunity to approach a problem, trauma, or doubt from different angles, granting you a moment of complete sensitivity where we can see what we repress or simply ignore.

The word ayahuasca originates from Quechua, meaning aya (spirit) and wasca (rope). It refers to its ability to connect the inner world (usually repressed) with the outer world, something like a “rope of the spirit.” Ayahuasca is not a plant; it is a mixture of plants that generate a sacred psychoactive beverage.

Tourist performing the Ayahuasca ceremony outdoors

Symbolic Value of Ayahuasca
Performing sacred ceremonies like Ayahuasca must be approached with great respect and with awareness of the prior preparation required. Finding meaning, motivation, or doubt helps us make our journey more fluid and purposeful. It’s also important to be humble and grateful to the Earth for allowing you to live this experience, so we can also externalize it with any of the experiences we may have. Remember that this is an experience that will help us get to know ourselves better, and we must be prepared for it.

How should I prepare for Ayahuasca?

The main recommendation for performing the Ayahuasca ceremony is to have a sense or reason for why we want to do it. Immersing yourself in introspective experiences of deep connection should not be taken lightly; having a reason leads us to a much more fluid experience where we seem to find previously unperceived motives.

It’s also important to maintain a light diet in the days leading up to the ceremony, avoiding alcohol, red meat, and processed foods. On the day of the Ayahuasca ceremony, it’s best to eat only a small amount in the morning.

The Shaman guiding the tourist during the Ayahuasca ceremony

Where to perform Ayahuasca?

Ayahuasca is an ancestral medicine that must be strictly controlled at all times. Due to its transcendent experience, ayahuasca should only be used in safe environments where a spiritual guide or shaman can guide you so that your experience can be harmonious. Some places do it outdoors, while others do it in temples or sacred places with better controlled spaces, allowing you to feel comfortable and allowing the trip to be fully experienced.

Whenever you embark on any new or transcendent experience, we must always be guided by the location and context. It’s very important to do so in a place of trust and tranquility where the people who will instruct you are trained and do so with a sense of the value of the experience you are about to witness.

There are places in the Sacred Valley that stand out for the immersive experience they offer when you perform Ayahuasca. Spending a few more soles will allow you to find yourself in a safer and more beautiful environment, where from the moment you arrive you know you’re in the right place.

Ayahuasca Ceremony in the Sacred Valley of the Incas

What is the Ayahuasca ceremony like?

The Ayahuasca ceremony is an experience that combines introspection with visions, messages of peace in the community, music, and complete darkness to make the hallucinations more vivid. Ayahuasca is usually performed at night; we’ll share our experience with you.

As we mentioned before, it can be done outdoors or in a closed space like a temple; this second option is ideal. Some places have sacred spaces where ceremony participants sit in one of the designated seats. In our experience, we found ourselves in places where a mat and blanket (experiencing Ayahuasca at night can make us feel much colder than usual) awaited us. Later, we glimpsed a small bucket accompanying each of us. The spiritual guides told us to embrace it like a best friend, because we would need it during the journey.

The Ayahuasca ceremony begins with messages of reflection, guiding us toward peace, calm, and constant gratitude. Afterward, the dim lights of the temple are extinguished, leaving only darkness, along with a small light emanating from the place where the spiritual guide stands. Each person must approach the ceremony to receive their dose of Ayahuasca. (Discover the best time to visit Machu Picchu)

The trance usually lasts up to five hours , depending on the amount consumed. The ayahuasca begins to take effect after just over half an hour, during which time complete darkness prevails. Chanting and music are an essential part of the journey. In our experience, the guides played jungle instruments along with songs that seemed like angelic whispers, helping to provide direction for your visions.

It’s important for you to know that people who do it usually vomit; it’s an almost inevitable part of it, where it’s given a sense of purging or relief by expelling the negative, which is why the bucket was considered our best friend.

The experience you will experience is introspective, although hallucinations may also occur. The most important thing is to remain calm and accept the trance state. At the end of the Ayahuasca ceremony, messages of gratitude are given, as well as a small gathering where experiences are shared and small snacks are distributed.

Tips for performing Ayahuasca

If you’ve decided to venture into the Ayahuasca ceremony, we’ll offer some additional recommendations and tips that can help you have a much more harmonious and informed experience.

• Before practicing Ayahuasca, you must have clear intentions. Having a purpose helps your experience flow with greater harmony and meaning.
• To perform the Ayahuasca ceremony, remember that you should maintain a light diet in the days leading up to it, avoiding alcohol, meat, and processed foods.
• Ayahuasca is not a recreational experience, it is an ancestral medicine.
• Remember to bring comfortable, warm clothing, as well as plenty of water and paper towels in case you need them.
• This ceremony is performed in groups or collectives, which helps make the experience more shared and makes us feel much more secure and confident.
• Thanking Pachamama (Mother Earth) is very important before and after the experience, as this adds greater symbolic value to your experience.
• Nature and the earth are two main guidelines in this ceremony, because being in a state of gratitude and sensitivity allows us to have greater contact with everything around us.
• Try to practice Ayahuasca in a place you trust. The Sacred Valley is ideal for this; communities like La Pacha offer a completely immersive experience.
• Always remember to preserve and reciprocate with nature, just as they do in Andean culture. It’s a way of living in harmony, conscious of its importance and value.
• In any experience, the location and context will be essential for you to have a pleasant experience.
• The Sacred Valley is the best place to acclimatize during your stay in Cusco, and you can also take advantage of the opportunity to perform the Ayahuasca ceremony.

Frequently Asked Questions

• 1) Why should I do an Ayahuasca ceremony?

  If you can find a reason to heal, understand something profound, or connect with yourself from a more spiritual place, Ayahuasca can be a powerful tool. It’s not a recreational experience, but an ancestral medicine.

• 2) How should I prepare before the Ayahuasca ceremony?

  Ideally, you should begin physical and emotional preparation. Maintain a light diet and be clear about your purpose, answering questions like: What are you seeking? What do you want to understand or let go of?

• 3) What happens if I don’t have a clear intention?

  Although it’s not mandatory to have a specific question, having an intention will help you better understand what you’re experiencing. Ayahuasca often shows you what you need, even if it’s not always what you expect.

• 4) What should I bring to the Ayahuasca ceremony?

  Bring a comfortable and warm jacket, water, paper towels, and a willingness to open yourself up to the experience.

• 5) Is it normal to feel fear before the ceremony?

  Yes, it’s completely normal, because you’re about to experience something new and go through a process of introspection. The important thing is to acknowledge that fear and allow yourself to move through it with confidence.

• 6) Is the Ayahuasca ceremony safe?

  Yes, as long as it is performed in a suitable setting, with trained guides and in a space prepared for the ceremony.

• 7) What does it feel like to drink Ayahuasca?

  Each experience is different; you may experience visions, intense emotions, forgotten memories, or sensations like inner peace and happiness.

• 8) Why do people vomit during the Ayahuasca ceremony?

  Vomiting is called purging and is seen as part of the cleansing process, a way to release what you no longer need.

• 9) Can I do the ceremony more than once?

  Yes, many people participate several times throughout their lives, especially when they feel they have new intrigues or doubts. However, each ceremony should be done with respect.

• 10) What should I do after the ceremony?

  The later stage is important because it allows you to reflect, writing down what you experienced or talking to someone about it; it is a sensitive moment.

Advice from people who have been there

Chinchero

By: Emily R.

“Textiles are amazing“

“The textiles here are authentic and much cheaper than in the city of Cusco. I visited a weaving center where they explain the whole process with plants and natural dyes. Very interesting. There are also little known ruins and a colonial church with incredible murals. It is advisable to bring cash, some stalls do not accept credit cards.“

By Ticket Machu Picchu – Last updated, July 11, 2025