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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (October 2026). They will be updated if Ayahuasca Prajna submits its own information.

Ayahuasca Prajna: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca and San Pedro Retreats in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Ayahuasca Prajna is a small traveling retreat program led by facilitator Edmunds “Edmundo” Jakovels and his partner Alessandra, sold only through Retreat Guru. It describes itself as “a project dedicated to responsible use of master plants, specifically Ayahuasca and San Pedro.” Until March 2025 its 13-day journeys began with about six nights at an unnamed jungle lodge near Puerto Maldonado, with ceremonies led by the Amazonian maestro Don Bechin, before moving to Pisac. Its 2026 and 2027 programs are in the Sacred Valley only, with three ayahuasca ceremonies, a San Pedro day, a despacho with Don Juan de Dios Kucho of Cusco, a sweat lodge and excursions, for $2,300 to $2,700. All seven Retreat Guru reviews are five stars. No medical screening, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency plan is published, and the 2027 schedule puts a sweat lodge and a hike to about 4,000 meters on ceremony days. We found no incidents.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A retreat center in Pisac, Sacred Valley, Cusco, at about 2,970 meters, according to its 2027 event page. Earlier programs included an Amazon lodge reached by van and a 40-minute boat ride from Puerto Maldonado airport, according to its 2025 event page. A review names “La Pacha” temple near the Pisac ruins as a ceremony space.
• Approach: Ayahuasca ceremonies with icaros, kirtan and silence led by Edmunds and Alessandra, San Pedro with Andean maestros, despacho and fire ceremonies, sharing circles and meditation drawing on Dzogchen and Mahamudra, with optional rapé and sananga and kambo on request.
• Suitable For: Fit, medically healthy adults who want a combined ayahuasca and San Pedro journey with sightseeing in the Sacred Valley and are comfortable at altitude.
• Costs: For January 26 to February 6, 2027: $2,500 in a shared room, $2,300 early bird and $2,700 single. Earlier 13-day programs cost $2,750 shared. The price includes ceremonies, guidance, integration, ground transport, excursions, lodging, breakfast and translation; other meals in the Andes, flights and tips are extra. The deposit is “fully refundable until 1 day prior to retreat start,” and the full payment is refundable until 30 days before.
• Overall Assessment: Warm reviews, an experienced lead facilitator, small groups and clear refund terms, offset by no published screening, medical staff or emergency plan, a sweat lodge and a high-altitude hike scheduled on ayahuasca days, kambo on request, no website or legal entity, and a changing team. Directory evaluation: C+.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers call the retreat life-changing, praise Edmunds’ calm presence and music, Alessandra’s care in holding a safe space, the quality of the medicine, the professional team, the airport pickup and the Sacred Valley setting; one has attended several times. Our earlier profile also said reviewers praised Don Bechin and described the San Pedro day as deepening their connection to the Andes, and that July 2025 Retreat Guru entries praised safe facilitation; the latest visible review is from April 2025, so those comments remain unverified.

The negative feedback. No review below five stars is visible. One English-speaking guest relied partly on a translation app, since some sessions run in Italian and Spanish. Our earlier profile said some guests found that strong physical preparation is needed; that remains unverified.

Who is writing the reviews. The review base is small, entirely on Retreat Guru, and every review mentions Edmunds. Retreat Guru’s “Staff Pick” badge is the platform’s own curation, not an independent rating. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and Spanish-language news for reports involving Ayahuasca Prajna, Edmunds Jakovels, Alessandra, Don Bechin, Don Juan de Dios Kucho and Diego Palma.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: No complaints found.
• Legal action: No police action or lawsuits found.

Our earlier profile also found no theft, misconduct, crime or major safety issues as of August 2025.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with Ayahuasca Prajna, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Heat and altitude on ceremony days. The 2027 schedule places a temazcal sweat lodge on January 29, the day of the second ayahuasca ceremony, and a hike to the Quinsa Cocha lakes at about 4,000 meters on February 3, the day of the third. Heat, dehydration and exertion at altitude add strain on top of ayahuasca’s purging; kambo, offered on request, adds more. Ask how these are spaced and supervised.

A changing team. Don Bechin, who led the Amazon ceremonies, is not listed for 2026 or 2027, and the 2027 page adds a co-leader named “Gyanrahi” and names both Don Kucho and a “Don Vicente” for the Andean ceremonies. Retreat Guru notes that plant medicine is not included in payments through the platform, so how the ceremonies are paid for is not explained.

No website or company. The program has no website of its own and no named legal entity; bookings run through a Retreat Guru subdomain, with contact by email to Edmunds.

Peru’s legal picture. Ayahuasca and San Pedro are legal in Peru, which made a reservation for both under the 1971 UN Convention, and traditional Indigenous use of ayahuasca was declared national cultural heritage in 2008; retreat centers are not licensed or regulated, according to ICEERS.

Corrections to our earlier profile. The current program is in Pisac, not Puerto Maldonado, and arrivals for the Amazon leg were through Puerto Maldonado, not Iquitos. Prices are listed in dollars ($2,300 to $2,750), not €2,500 and €2,350, and we found no group discount. The operator names no Amazon lodge; our earlier profile’s mention of Corto Maltes Amazonia, vegetarian meals in the Amazon, a “family-run” hotel in Pisac, mapacho workshops, dietary and mental preparation workshops, screening for SSRIs and heart conditions, and the statement that about 55% of participants face temporary challenges all remain unverified. An earlier “A-” evaluation line and stray text in our old profile were errors.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

None of the operator’s 2025, 2026 or 2027 pages publishes a medical questionnaire, contraindication policy, medical staff or emergency protocol; guidance comes from facilitators and “experienced guardians.” Pisac sits at about 2,970 meters, and the program includes an acclimatization day. Pisac has a local health post, and the nearest full hospitals are in Cusco, about an hour by road. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Integration includes daily sharing circles and shared and private integration sessions. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

The operator describes a “traditional, high-quality Peruvian Ayahuasca brew” of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and chacruna leaves, which supply the DMT, as Erowid explains. San Pedro (huachuma), a mescaline-containing cactus, is served during a daytime ceremony. Rapé and sananga are optional during night sessions, and kambo is available on request from local facilitators at extra cost.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A retreat center in the town of Pisac, below the Inca ruins, with excursions to Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo and the Cochahuasi animal sanctuary.
• Rooms: Double rooms with private bathrooms and hot water; single rooms at extra cost.
• Style: A blend of Amazonian and Andean ceremony led mainly by foreign facilitators, with Buddhist-influenced meditation and kirtan, for groups of up to 15.

Practical guidance: Fly into Cusco; ground transport is included. Allow time to acclimatize before the first ceremony.

Should You Book?

It suits travelers who want a structured ayahuasca and San Pedro journey in the Sacred Valley. Before paying, ask for a screening form and contraindication list, who handles a medical emergency and which hospital is used, how the sweat lodge and the 4,000-meter hike are spaced from the ceremonies, and who leads each ceremony. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Edmunds Jakovels founded Ayahuasca Prajna and says he has led ayahuasca ceremonies and retreats since 2007, naming the Amazonian maestro Don Bechin and Diego Palma as teachers, according to his Retreat Guru profile. Alessandra, his partner, is a doula and Zen-Shiatsu practitioner who co-leads the ayahuasca ceremonies. Don Bechin is described as a maestro vegetalista from a village a few hours by boat from Iquitos with more than 40 years of work with master plants. Don Juan de Dios Kucho, from Cusco, leads the San Pedro and despacho ceremonies. Translation is offered in English, Spanish and Italian, with Latvian and Russian on request. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Discuss altitude, medications and any heart condition with your doctor, and arrive in Cusco early to acclimatize. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any operator.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

The next listed retreat runs January 26 to February 6, 2027, in Pisac, bookable through Retreat Guru. Before paying, confirm the facilitators, the schedule and the emergency arrangements in writing. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed October 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.