Atmosphere

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

EXPAND Peru: An In-Depth Review for an Ayahuasca and Q’ero Ceremony Journey in the Sacred Valley, Peru

EXPAND Peru is a once-a-year, nine-day luxury group journey through the Sacred Valley and Cusco led by Lena Franklin, who calls herself a medicine woman and transpersonal psychotherapist, combining Q’ero ceremonies at Inca sites with one optional Shipibo plant medicine ceremony, per its 2027 page. Ayahuasca is a small part of this program: the 2024 edition included “one ayahuasca ceremony”, and the 2027 page mentions only an optional plant medicine ceremony. Its 2024 listing described a structured intake with medical questionnaires and required travel insurance. Against that, no ayahuasca maestro is named for 2027, no credentialed medical staff or emergency plan is published, the $10,800 fee is non-refundable, no license is shown for its lead, and it has no independent reviews.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A luxury venue in the Sacred Valley plus days in Cusco; the 2024 edition used a hacienda in Huayllabamba, Urubamba, per its Third Wave listing, and the 2027 venue is not named.
• Approach: Q’ero rites and initiations at Machu Picchu, Pisac, Ollantaytambo and other sites, with one optional Shipibo ceremony and integration teaching.
• Suitable For: Travelers mainly seeking an Andean ceremonial journey, with ayahuasca as an option, who arrange their own medical advice. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $10,800 single occupancy for January 22 to 31, 2027, paid in full or in three payments of $3,600, and “non-refundable”; the 2024 edition cost $7,500 to $8,500. Meals, lodging, site entry and ground transport are included; flights are not.
• Overall Assessment: A luxury Andean pilgrimage with a structured intake, offset by an unnamed ayahuasca maestro, no medical staff at altitude, non-refundable fees and no independent reviews. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

No reviews were found on Third Wave, Retreat Guru or any other platform; the only testimonials are two promotional quotes signed with initials. No reviews of 3 stars or lower were found. 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 EXPAND Peru, Lena Franklin, Pablo Flores Diaz, Santos Machacca Apaza and the 2024 venue.

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

Several Q’ero team members are known by first name only and were not searched, so this absence offers limited assurance.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Franklin describes her own path into ayahuasca and her work with veterans in an interview; no psychotherapy license is shown. The 2024 ayahuasca ceremony was led by Maestro Pablo Flores Diaz, a Shipibo healer from Pucallpa, who no longer appears on the 2027 page. The page footer names LF Global Advisory House, with no registration found. It is a different operator from Shamballa Ayahuasca Retreats and runs a similar organizer-led model to Transcendent Institute.

Screening and medical support. The 2024 listing described consultation and intake calls, medical and life history questionnaires, informed consent and required travel insurance, but its “medical staff” heading named people without credentials, and the 2027 page mentions no screening at all. No emergency plan or altitude guidance is published for a program at 2,800 to 3,400 meters.

Incentives. The Third Wave listing offered $500 off for mentioning the directory.

Status. Operating, taking applications for January 2027.

Legal context. Peru declared traditional ayahuasca knowledge and use national cultural heritage in 2008, per Andina, and has no licensing regime for retreats, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ask who will serve the ayahuasca and their training before opting in, and plan for altitude. 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. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

In 2024 the maestro was said to source and prepare the medicine at his Amazon center; the 2027 source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: The high Andes of the Sacred Valley and Cusco, cool and rainy in January.
• Rooms: Luxury single-occupancy accommodation.
• Style: An executive-style “initiation journey” built around Q’ero ceremony, with one Shipibo ceremony.

Practical guidance: Fly to Lima and on to Cusco, arriving in Lima the day before; ground transport during the program is included.

Should You Book?

Only if the Andean program is the main draw. Ask in writing who leads the ayahuasca ceremony, the screening rules, who on site is trained in first aid and altitude sickness, the emergency plan and hospital route, and whether any refund applies if you cannot travel. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

EXPAND Peru presents itself as an initiation journey for legacy leaders guided by Q’ero and Shipibo elders. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Applications are on its website. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

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