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

Inward Travel: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Tamshiyacu, Peru

Inward Travel is a Canadian-run tour operator co-founded by Curtis Smith of Free & Easy Traveler that sells ten-day group trips from Lima to an unnamed host center near Tamshiyacu, about 90 minutes by boat from Iquitos, Peru, with five ayahuasca ceremonies for up to ten guests at $3,470, per its Retreat Guru program page. It handles flights and transfers from Lima and is backed by an established travel company. Against that, it does not name the center where ceremonies take place or the shamans’ full names, publishes no screening, contraindications, medical staff or emergency plan, excludes emergency evacuation costs, and has no reviews.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: An unnamed, off-grid host center near Tamshiyacu, Loreto, Peru, described as about 800 acres and one of the longest-running centers in the area; the trip starts in Lima, and an 18-day option adds Cusco.
• Approach: Five ayahuasca ceremonies led by a shaman named Jose and Shipibo shamans in a maloca, with a dieta, flower baths, a sauna and yoga; Inward Travel also runs a psilocybin retreat in Huautla de Jiménez, Mexico.
• Suitable For: First-time travelers who want a guided group trip with logistics handled. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $3,470 for ten days or $4,575 for 18 days including Lima to Iquitos flights and transfers, per its ten-day program page. Retreat Guru shows the deposit refundable until a day before and full payment until 30 days before; the deposit amount is not shown, and emergency evacuation is excluded.
• Overall Assessment: Convenient group logistics from an established travel company, offset by an unnamed ceremony venue and shamans, no published medical safeguards and no track record. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Inward Travel has no reviews on its Retreat Guru page, and none were found on other platforms. A trip ran in May 2024, and gallery photos date from October 2023. 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 Inward Travel, Curtis Smith and Cheyenne Felker.

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

The host center and shamans are not named, so they were not individually searchable.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Curtis Smith describes himself as co-founder of Inward Travel, per his teacher profile, and founded Free & Easy Traveler, a Calgary tour company operating since 2000, per its company history. Guide Cheyenne Felker lists no credentials, per her profile. The lead shaman, “Jose”, and the Shipibo shamans have no published surnames, and no legal entity is named for Inward Travel.

Screening and medical support. No medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol is published, and emergency evacuation costs are excluded. Hospitals are in Iquitos, about 90 minutes by boat (our estimate).

Listings. Because the host center is unnamed, guests cannot check its own record before booking, and the deposit amount and full refund policy do not display.

Status. Operating, with trips listed for 21 to 30 November 2026 and 22 to 31 January 2027.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru and its traditional use is national heritage, while retreats operate without a licensing framework, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

With no published screening and a hospital far away by boat, guests must screen themselves carefully. 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

Ayahuasca served by the host center’s shamans; its source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Hot Amazon lowland forest upriver from Iquitos.
• Rooms: Rustic private cottages at the host center.
• Style: A Western-guided group tour to a Shipibo-style ceremony center.

Practical guidance: The group meets in Lima; flights to Iquitos and transfers are included.

Should You Book?

Possibly, if you want logistics handled, but only after you ask in writing for the host center’s name, the shamans’ full names and training, the screening questions and contraindication list, who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency and evacuation plan, the deposit amount and full refund terms, and the legal entity you are paying. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Inward Travel grew out of an adventure travel company and has run Peru ayahuasca trips since at least 2024. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing, plan any change with your own doctor, and buy travel insurance that covers evacuation. 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

Trips are listed on Retreat Guru. 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.