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

Sacred Valley Tribe: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Ceremonies and Retreats in Pisac, Peru

Sacred Valley Tribe, also known as Ayahuasca-Wasi, is a long-running ayahuasca operation in Pisac, Peru, founded by Diego Palma and Milagros Casaverde, that sells drop-in ceremony nights and retreats lodged at Melissa Wasi in Pisac: eight days with three ayahuasca and one huachuma ceremony for $2,200, or five days with three ceremonies for $1,800, per its retreat page. Its founders have run ceremonies since about 1998 and say they work with the same medicine family in Pucallpa. Against that, ceremonies have been reported at 40 to 100 people, no contraindication list, medical staff or emergency plan is published, payment is in cash on arrival, and reviews include complaints about limited support.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Ceremonies at the Maha Templo, a temple at the founders’ home in the Pisac area, Sacred Valley, Cusco, Peru, about 50 minutes from Cusco; retreat guests stay at Melissa Wasi, Pisac.
• Approach: Night ceremonies with icaros and live music, monthly and full-moon ceremony nights, and retreats with integration circles and Sacred Valley excursions.
• Suitable For: Experienced drinkers comfortable in large ceremonies. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $2,200 for the eight-day retreat and $1,800 for the five-day retreat, including lodging and meals; payment is collected in cash at check-in, per its website. No refund terms are published. Next listed dates are 8 to 12 December 2026 and March and May 2027.
• Overall Assessment: Long experience and named founders, offset by very large ceremonies, no published medical safeguards, cash payment without terms and mixed reviews. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

AyaAdvisors shows 4.0 from 9 reviews dated 2014 to 2025, praising powerful ceremonies and heart-centered music; three are 3 stars or lower. A 2017 reviewer found the brew weak, the hosts distant and the operation money-focused, and a 2015 reviewer described a crowded yurt of 25 or more people with little support on a frightening first night. An independent 2015 account said the author felt safe and that assistants helped an ill participant. 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 Sacred Valley Tribe, Ayahuasca-Wasi, Maha Templo, Diego Palma and Milagros Casaverde.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found. Diego Palma said in 2016 that no guest had needed hospital care in 18 years (unverified).
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found.

A guide known only as Jean-Paul is also named in reviews, so this absence offers somewhat limited assurance.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Diego Palma has led ceremonies in Pisac since about 1998 and built the Maha Templo at his home, per the Yale Globalist; the website names him and Milagros Casaverde as founders and says Milagros has worked with plant medicine for more than 25 years. Diego Palma is named as a teacher by the founders of Ayahuasca Prajna and Mamay Ayahuasca. No teacher, lineage, company or RUC tax number is named for the founders themselves. Its claims of “~15,000 People Served” and the “Oldest Running Ayahuasca Center in the Valley” are unverified.

Group size. Ceremonies were described with 40 to 100 people on about 80 mats in 2016, per the Yale Globalist, and a 2017 article called its full-moon ceremonies an “ayahuasca rock concert”, per Brewminate.

Screening and medical support. Applicants share their “health and motivation”, and the FAQ says antidepressants “can be a problem” and asks guests to disclose medications. No contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol is published. Hospitals are in Cusco, about 50 minutes away.

Status. Operating, with retreat dates listed from December 2026 to May 2027.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, its traditional use is national heritage, and there is no licensing regime for retreats, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

In a room of dozens, ask how many facilitators are present and how someone in distress is helped. 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 from a medicine family in Pucallpa, per its website; huachuma (San Pedro) is served on the eight-day retreat. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Cool, high Andean valley near Pisac town.
• Rooms: Guesthouse rooms at Melissa Wasi; drop-in guests arrange their own lodging.
• Style: Music-led group ceremonies with icaros.

Practical guidance: Fly to Cusco (CUZ), about an hour from Pisac, and bring cash, since payment is collected at check-in.

Should You Book?

Only with caution. Ask in writing how many people attend each ceremony and how many facilitators serve them, the full contraindication list, who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency plan, the refund terms, and the legal entity you are paying. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Sacred Valley Tribe presents itself as a family home and community that welcomes guests into everyday life. 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

Retreats and ceremonies are booked through 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.