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

Ikaro Ayahuasca Retreat: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Cusco, Peru

Ikaro Ayahuasca Retreat is a Cusco-based operator that runs one- and two-day ayahuasca and San Pedro ceremonies at a house in Viacha, outside Pisac in the Sacred Valley, and multi-day retreats at a family house in the Manu area of the Cusco Amazon, about five hours away. Its founder and general manager, Eric Churata, grew up in a Cusco Amazon village and describes himself as Mestizo; the site says its shamans are mostly Matsigenka, but names none. Prices run from $290 for one ceremony to $1,390 for seven days. It rates 4.9 from 34 reviews on Tripadvisor and 5.0 from four on Google, with guests praising a safe, personal and non-touristy experience. Against that, there is no medical staff on site, the jungle house is hours from Cusco’s hospitals, the antidepressant washout is only “suggested” at about two weeks, no legal entity or refund policy is published, and its “100% indigenous owned” claim is unverified.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: An office in Cusco; short ceremonies at a house in “Viacha, on the outskirts of Pisac” at 2,972 meters, and longer retreats at a family house at 689 meters in the Manu area, according to its website.
• Approach: Ayahuasca with rapé, coca-leaf readings, floral baths and San Pedro (wachuma), plus yoga, meditation, river activities and optional Salkantay or Inca Trail treks.
• Suitable For: Travelers in Cusco seeking a small, personal ceremony. Not suitable for people with heart conditions, schizophrenia or recent antidepressant use, or anyone who would need fast hospital access in the jungle.
• Costs: $290 for a one-day ceremony, $790 for three days with two ceremonies, $1,150 for five days and $1,390 for seven days with four ceremonies; a 50% deposit applies. No refund policy is published on the website.
• Overall Assessment: Warm reviews, small groups and a doctor’s-certificate requirement, offset by no medical staff, remote jungle retreats, a short and optional medication washout, no legal entity or refund terms, unnamed shamans and contradictory program details. Directory evaluation: B-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers, including solo women, describe feeling safe and cared for, praise Maestra Munay’s icaros, Eric’s communication before and after, small or private ceremonies, the host family and an authentic, non-touristy feel.

The negative feedback. A May 2023 three-star review says the guest chose the retreat for Maestra Munay but was told only the day before that a different Andean shaman focused on San Pedro would lead, without icaros, and felt largely unsupported. Others mention altitude at the Pisac house, basic lodging and a hard hike. Unverified.

Who is writing the reviews. Tripadvisor reviews arrived in bursts in mid-2022 and March 2023, several from accounts with one or two contributions, and the same reviews appear on three Tripadvisor listings. 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 Ikaro Ayahuasca Retreat, Eric Churata and Maestra Munay.

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

Our earlier profile found no theft, sexual misconduct or crime.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Medical cover. No medical professional is on site; coordinators are said to be trained yearly in first aid. The center says it is 40 minutes from an unnamed hospital, while the jungle house is about five hours from Cusco on a road that is 40% unpaved. Jungle programs include a 5 am pickup, the long drive and downhill biking or tubing before the first ceremony the same night.

Who runs it. No Peruvian tax number (RUC) or company name is shown, and the terms link on its booking form points to a website template’s demo page. The “100% indigenous owned” claim is unverified and sits uneasily with the founder’s Mestizo self-description.

Listing inconsistencies. Pages give maximum groups of 10 or 15, list food as both included and excluded, describe bathrooms as private and as shared, and give the five-day retreat three or four ceremonies.

Legal context. Ayahuasca and San Pedro are legal in Peru, where traditional use is national cultural heritage, but retreat operators are not licensed, according to ICEERS.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Three days with two ceremonies cost $790, not $650, and seven days cost $1,390 with four ceremonies, not $1,200 with five. The $50 evaluation is a cardiac and psychological exam at a private clinic before arrival, required only without a doctor’s certificate; it is not on-site care. The Pisac house is about 1.5 hours from Cusco, not two. The founding in 2016, the indigenous ownership and the Matsigenka and Ashaninka shamans are the operator’s own claims; the earliest independent trace is from 2022. The Pisac and Manu sites, five-hour drive, treks, groups of about 10 and yoga and meditation are confirmed.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Guests need a doctor’s certificate of heart and mental health or a $50 clinic exam. The center lists tachycardia, heart murmurs, pacemakers, recent heart surgery, blood pressure problems, schizophrenia, pregnancy, advanced diabetes and liver disease as contraindications, and “strongly suggest[s]” stopping SSRIs and MAOIs about two weeks before, according to its risks page. 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

The brew’s preparation is not described. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains. Rapé is used before each ceremony, and San Pedro is offered alone or with ayahuasca.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A countryside house above Pisac in the Andes, and a hot, humid jungle house by a river in the Manu area.
• Rooms: Twin or shared rooms for two or three; reviewers describe basic but clean lodging with a host family.
• Style: Small ceremonies with icaros, coca-leaf readings and a Pachamama offering, plus yoga, painting and nature activities; organic buffet meals.

Practical guidance: Hotel pickup in Cusco is included; airport pickup is not. Guides speak English and Spanish.

Should You Book?

Ikaro suits guests who want an intimate ceremony near Cusco. Before booking, confirm which shaman will lead, the emergency plan and hospital for your site, the refund terms, and your medication washout with your own doctor. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Eric Churata says he was raised by his grandparents in a Cusco Amazon village, moved to Cusco as a child, studied tourism and English, and guided on the Inca Trail before opening the center in 2016. Reviews name Maestra Munay, a shaman called Makawayana and several coordinators and guides. 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. Allow time to adjust to Cusco’s altitude. 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

Ikaro books through its website, with year-round availability listed. 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.