Join us for a 7 or 11 day retreat to Peru where we will enjoy yoga and meditation in the sacred valley adjacent to the ancient site of Machu Picchu. Everyone will have a chance to visit Machu Picchu by train.
•Willka T’ika, is a premier luxury wellness retreat and boutique hotel, and the original yoga center of Peru’s Sacred Valley — serene, sustainable and enchanting.
•Conveniently located between the ancient cities and temples of Cusco and Machu Picchu.
•Staffed by 22 local Quechua, Incan descendants who still practice ancient traditions.
•Professional local guides who are experts in Andean culture, history and cosmology.
•Nearby hikes beneath magnificent Andean peaks in awe-inspiring Sacred Valley scenery.
•Unique opportunity to participate in ancient Incan ceremonies with authentic Q’ero healers
•Vibrant, organic, vegetarian “farm to table” cuisine lovingly prepared by Willka T’ika chefs.
•Two sun-filled garden studios for yoga, movement and large group gatherings.
•Renowned Seven Chakra Gardens—inspiration of the 3-time gold award-winning book Chakra Gardens, Opening the Senses of the Soul.
•Their new Wifiwasi is an expansive dining and coffee lounge. Above this building are 25 solar panels, enough energy to power Willka T’ika.
•The circular Takiwasi music shala with a fireplace and an array of Andean musical instruments — used for group meditations and ceremonies.
•The Yachaywasi library has a cozy fireplace and a great selection of English books.
•With the Willka T’ika Children’s Fund (WTCF), visit an isolated mountain community to experience first-hand the practice of ayni, Andean reciprocity, by supporting Quechua students.
Transfers to and from the Cusco airport to Willka T'Ika will be done as a group. If your schedule does not match the group schedule, you can arrange private transfers for a fee.
Single and Shared room accomodations are available at Willka T'Ika
Most meals will be taken at Willka T'ika as shown in the itinerary.
Most days will begin with a yoga practice, unless the group excursions conflict. Please note that this is a travel-focused retreat with daily yoga, rather than a yoga retreat with a few excursions.
Kate will lead daily meditation sessions each morning. excursions permitting.
Please see the itinerary for a complete description of all of the excursions and activities.
The meals included in the trip fee are shown on the itinerary. You will pay for 2 lunches on your own.
If you do not arrive at the same day as the rest of the group, we can arrange private transfer to the resort for an additional fee.
WED JUN 3
AM: Program begins with a group transfer at 11:30 a.m. from the Cusco airport to Willka T’ika, a beautiful 75-minute drive through the spectacular Andean mountain scenery to the Sacred Valley town of Urubamba.
PM: 1:00 pm Lunch at Willka Tika. Welcome group orientation with leader, tour guide and the Willka T’ika Quechua staff. Staff will assist guests to schedule appointments for any desired spa services. Afternoon yoga before dinner.
6:30 pm: Group Welcome Dinner. (L.D)
THURS JUN 4
AM: We will start with a yoga class, meditation and breakfast. This day is dedicated to Pachamama, Mother Earth. Relax in the splendors of nature and enjoy a tour of the Seven Chakra Gardens. Optional guided walk is offered through the nearby Rumichaka farming neighborhood where Quechua campesinos live. Visit our onsite WTCF Store and Q’eros artisans.
1:00 pm Lunch.
PM: After lunch, meet our pakko, a very special Q’ero healer, visiting from the high Andes. Participate in coca leaf blessings and at 5 p.m. sacred Despacho ceremony. Optional private coca leaf readings may be available for an additional fee. After dinner, our pakko invites guests to an authentic and transformative Andean fire ceremony to honor Pachamama, yourself and your loved ones. The ceremony will remind us to focus our intention for this journey and serves as a wonderful preparation of mind, body and spirit for the pilgrimage to Machu Picchu. (B.L.D)
FRI JUN 5
AM: A day of Ayni, or reciprocity. Drive through the Sacred Valley to a Quechua mountain school supported by the non-profit Willka T’ika Children’s Fund. Since 1995, Willka T’ika has supported isolated mountain communities where few tourists visit. In an ayni exchange, the group will offer an interactive activity for the Quechua children. The warmth and heart-warming joy of the children and their openness in bringing guests into their daily lives are moments not easily forgotten. Enjoy a picnic bag lunch.
PM: Continue with your guide to the spectacular ruins of P’isaq. Overlooking impressive Incan terraces, the group can enjoy a hike through the ruins. Meditate as a group or walk in silent reflection. Return to the main square of P’isaq by bus (or hike!) and visit the colorful market filled with woven goods, jewelry, wall hangings and hand-painted beadwork. Enjoy a café in the market square where you can observe colorfully dressed campesinos. P’isaq is a photographer’s dream. Return to Willka T’ika with time for a late afternoon yoga and meditation before dinner. (B.L.D)
SAT JUN 6
AM: Early breakfast. Tourist train to Aguas Calientes. Tea/coffee and snack served on train. A bus takes you to the sunlit terraces of Machu Picchu. Enjoy a fabulous guided tour of the ancient “City of Light.” Experience a journey through the masculine energy temples of political and spiritual power, followed by a deep reconnection of feminine earth energies.
PM: In the afternoon, lunch at a wonderful restaurant in town, and explore the colorful town of Aguas Calientes. Late afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo where you will transfer to Willka T’ika in time for a late, light dinner. (B.D)
SUN JUN 7
AM: Visit the ceremonial site of Ollantaytambo and explore its famous Sun Temple. Lunch on own in the quaint picturesque town with cobblestone streets and visit its colorful local market.
PM: A group transfer is offered to the nearby ancient Maras Salt Flats that are still actively mined to the present day. Enjoy a lovely downhill guided hike back to Willka T’ika with breathtaking valley views. Before dinner there will be a yoga and meditation practice.
6:30 Dinner (B.D)
MON JUN 8
AM: A special day of mindful integration at Willka T’ika, with an optional guided morning hike to the town of Urubamba through farming neighborhoods, and visit a typical, lively Peruvian market, a wonderful alpaca factory, and the famous Seminario ceramics shop. Return via motor taxi.
1:00 pm: Lunch at Willka Tika; Afternoon yoga and meditation.
6:30 pm: Farewell dinner. (B.L.D)
TUE JUN 9
AM: Early morning yoga and meditation. After Breakfast, check-out of Willka T’ika, and depart for Cusco via group van transport. Visit the spacious Incan archeological site of Saksaywaman overlooking the city of Cusco. By these majestic ruins, experience a traditional K’intu blessing to tap into the presence and energies of Pachamama, Mother Earth.
PM: Enjoy a group picnic lunch. After lunch, check into your Cusco Hotel near the Main Square, then meet in the hotel lobby for a late afternoon guided walk through the cobblestone streets of San Blas, where your guide will point out fascinating Incan stonework en route to the Korikancha Temple, the holiest site during Incan times.
6:30 pm: Willka T’ika invites you to a delicious farewell Peruvian dinner at a lovely local restaurant. (B.L.D)
