Peru Spiritual Tour

Explore Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Rainbow Mountain, Colca Canyon, and Visit Andean Condors

April 24th to May 9th, 2025

Contact me to confirm availability.

This spiritual tour uniquely blends exploration of Peru’s beautiful Sacred Valley with meditation, qigong, and heart-opening conversations about self-acceptance, compassion, and joy.

We’ll slow down our busy minds, open our hearts, and embrace joy and peace. We’ll explore and practice tools to take home and use long after the retreat is over.

On this heart-opening and awe-inspiring Peru spiritual tour you will:

• Explore cultural aspects of the Sacred Valley, from visiting ancient sites to a modern weaver’s cooperative, recognizing that through time and geography all humans experience common joys and sorrows.
• Practice meditation and qigong daily, often at ancient sites, deepening your awareness of your internal energy and how it harmonizes and flows with the energy of your surroundings.
• Be joined one day by an Andean Shaman who will help us connect deeply with the pulse of Mother earth as you open your awareness of acceptance, compassion, and joy.

• Steep yourself in heart-opening conversations on how to incorporate self-acceptance and compassion into your life.
• Visit the Andean Condors in Colca Canyon and stand in awe as birds with 10-foot wingspans soar in front of you.
• Be infused with stunningly beautiful and serene scenes that you can pull up in your mind’s eye long after you’ve departed Peru.
• Challenge your body and spirit on gorgeous, physically active hikes into remote areas.

Your Action-Packed Heart-Opening Peru Spiritual Tour Itinerary:

Travel Day ~ TH/FR April 24/25: Fly to Cuzco, Peru, on an overnight flight. Arrive no later than 11:00 a.m. on April 25th.

Day 1 ~ FR April 25 (L/D): You’ll be met upon arrival and taken to a place to relax until all of our group arrives. Today, we’ll head to Cuzco and explore some of its most famous sites, including SACSAYHUAMAN, an ancient citadel above the city of Cusco. We’ll find a quiet place to do a bit of qigong. We’ll also visit CORICANCHA, The Inca temple of the sun, with a Spanish church built on its foundations. We’ll then check into our hotel, Rumi Punku, or similar, and later have dinner at a nearby restaraunt.

Day 2 ~ SA April 26 (B/L/D): Rise early for pre-breakfast meditation, and after a hearty breakfast we’ll leave Cuzco and head to the village of CHINCHERO, and visit a WEAVER’S COOPERATIVE. Next, we’ll explore the remains of a country resort built for the son of Pachacutec. Many of the ancient terraces are still in use today. We’ll take a side hike down to a sacred boulder with many unusual carvings, and in the presence of this sacred space, we’ll take time to practice qigong and meditate. We’ll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Then we’ll drive on to Urubamba and check into the Hotel San Agustin Recoleta or similar. We’ll gather as a group for dinner. We’ll come back to this hotel after visiting Machu Picchu. Your main luggage will stay at the hotel, and pack a small duffel that will carry only what you need for the days in Machu Picchu.

Day 3 ~ SU April 27 (B/L/D): Rise early for a hearty breakfast and departure. We’ll drive to Ollantaytambo, where we will board a train. After about 90 minutes on the train, we’ll disembark at a trailhead and access a section of the Inca Trail. Today’s hike will be between 5-6.5 hours, depending on the pace. Along the way, we’ll visit the rarely visited ancient sites of CHACHABAMBA and WINAY WAYNA, taking time to meditate and practice qigong. Eventually, we will arrive at the SUN GATE above MACHU PICCHU. You’ll be provided with a box lunch to carry with you. We’ll walk down to the main citadel and either explore the ruins or head via bus directly into the town of Machu Picchu. After checking into our hotel we’ll have time to freshen up, relax, then regroup for dinner. (If tickets for this portion of the trail are not available, we’ll find an alternative).

Day 4 ~ MO April 28 (B/D): We’ll rise early, eat breakfast, then catch a bus to the ruins of MACHU PICCHU. If tickets are available, we’ll hike up HUAYNA PICCHU, the pointy peak above the ruins, and down to the MOON TEMPLE, which is inside a cave. We’ll take a moment here to practice some qigong, then hike back to the main citadel, where we’ll spend some time exploring on the way out. For lunch, you’ll eat snacks you bring with you, either from home, or purchased in town. The Macchu Picchu citadel offers an excellent example of Inca masonry, where stones were carved so carefully that no mortar was required when constructing the walls. We’ll take the bus back to town, where you’ll have some free time to explore, and in the evening, we’ll have dinner together.

Day 5 ~ TU April 29 (B/L/D): We’ll rise early, eat breakfast, then board the train back to Ollantaytambo. Then, we’ll visit the CIRCLES OF MORAY, an unusual site consisting of several terraced circular depressions, and the SALT PANS of MARAS, a salt mining method created by the Incas that continues to be used today. Lunch today will be a picnic in a beautiful natural setting. After exploring these sites, we’ll head to Urubamba, where we’ll spend the next few nights at the Hotel San Agustin Recoleta or similar, where we stayed before visiting Machu Picchu. You’ll have some free time to unpack and get settled in before reconvening for dinner.

Day 6 ~ WED April 30 (B/L/D): Rise early for breakfast; then, we’ll head out for a physically active all-day hike to HUCHUY QOSQO, a rarely visited Inca site that was once a royal estate. Today’s hike will be roughly 8.5 hours, depending on the pace.

Our trail takes us up a beautiful remote valley, past small lakes, and into the heart of the Andes. We’ll hike over a high pass, drop into a beautiful narrow canyon, and continue down into the ruins. You’ll be carrying a box lunch and can stop to snack throughout the hike. After exploring the ruins, we’ll drop down into the Sacred Valley and then head back to the hotel. We’ll enjoy dinner together at the hotel.

Day 7 ~ TH May 1 (B/L/D): Rise early for pre-breakfast meditation. After breakfast, we’ll spend a day sharing and learning with locals. We’ll travel by MOTO TAXI, stop at a local market, then have a local COOKING LESSON and lunch with a family. We’ll also visit an artisanal CHOCOLATE WORKSHOP and a LOCAL BREWER. We may stop by other local artisan factories later in the day.

In the afternoon, we’ll have time for qigong and conversation, then enjoy dinner together.

Day 8 ~ FR May 2 (B/L/D): Rise early for meditation and breakfast. Today, we’ll head to the ruins of TIPON, known for its water features that still flow from Incan times, and enjoy this beautiful site. We’ll take some time to meditate and practice qigong here. We’ll also have a box lunch with us to eat in these gorgeous surroundings.

We’ll then return to Cuzco and have some free time to explore the historic city center. We’ll then check into our hotel, Rumi Punku, or similar, and then we’ll have dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 9 ~ SA May 3 (B/L/D): Rise early for breakfast and an early departure. Today, we’ll drive through beautiful countryside to reach the trailhead. Then, we’ll hike beautiful VINICUNCA, commonly known as RAINBOW MOUNTAIN. The mountain’s seven varied colors are due to its mineralogical composition. Our total walking time will be around 2.5 – 3 hours, depending on the pace.

After our hike, we’ll stop for lunch at a restaurant, then head to a nearby riverside eco-lodge or similar to relax for the afternoon. In the evening, we’ll enjoy dinner together.

Day 10 ~ SU May 4 (B/L/D): Rise early for pre-breakfast meditation. After eating breakfast, we’ll spend the day traveling through the spectacular Andean countryside. We’ll stop and enjoy the views and have lunch in a small village. We’ll arrive at our lodge in the late afternoon and get settled; we’ll have dinner in that lodge that evening.

Day 11 ~ MO May 5 (B/L/D): Today is more relaxed after spending yesterday traveling. We’ll have time to do a half-day hike to stretch our legs, explore the local village, and visit some local hot springs. We’ll have dinner together at the lodge.

Day 12 ~ TU May 6 (B/L/D): We’ll rise early to explore the gorgeous COLCA CANYON that plunges to a depth equivalent to the height of the Rocky Mountains. The valley floor descends away from us, and we’ll arrive at a lookout point where we hope to view ANDEAN CONDORS, the world’s largest flying bird. With its distinguished silver collar and ten-foot wing span, one of the condor’s most memorable features is the ease with which it flies—once it achieves flight, it rarely flaps its wings, floating instead on air currents for hours at a time. We’ll take a walk along the canyon rim to visit a variety of viewpoints and perhaps see condors at various locations. We’ll stop for a late lunch on the way back to the lodge. In the afternoon, we’ll share our observations of the trip so far and take some time to meditate and practice qigong together. After meditation, you may opt to visit a local hot spring or go on another short hike. Dinner will be together at the lodge.

Day 13 ~ WE May 7 (B/L/D): We’ll rise early for meditation, followed by breakfast. Today, we transfer overland to Arequipa. We’ll ascend to an elevation of 16,000′ before dropping back down to 7,600′ in Arequipa. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the fifteenth-century SANTA CATALINA MONASTERY, then go on a brief walking tour of AREQUIPA’S HISTORIC CENTER, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

TRAVEL DAY 14/15 ~ TH/FR May 8/9 (B): Today, we say goodbye to Peru and our travel mates as we board flights back to the US. Most flights will land in the US the following day.

All Of This Is Included in your Peru Spiritual Tour:

• Daily instruction and facilitation of meditation, qigong, and conversations about self-acceptance, compassion, and joy; engaging with this content is an integral part of this spiritual tour and retreat; if you are not interested in meditation, heart-opening conversation, and qigong, different tours are available to you via other companies
• All ground transportation for the duration of the spiritual tour
• Lodging for 13 nights
• 35 meals (lunch is on your own for one day in Machu Picchu, all other meals are included)
• A local Peruvian guide, Manuel Velazco
• Entrance fees for all the archaeological and environmental sites, including Chinchero, Machu Picchu, Circles of Moray, Salt Pans of Maras, Huchuy Qosqo, Sacsayhuaman, Qoricancha, Tipon, Vinicunca, Colca Canyon, Santa Catalina Monastery
• Cooking class, a visit to an artisan chocolatier, and a weaving demonstration
• Gratuities to porters, bus drivers, local guides, dining staff

The Little Bits Not Included:

• International airfare: flying into Cuzco and home from Arequipa
• Beverages with meals and/or alcoholic beverages
• One lunch
• Entrance fees to the hot springs
• Tour guide gratuity (recommended $17-20 per person per day)

Things to Note:

• Some days will be long, and even though long, we will have meditation, qigong, and discussion daily.
• Some roads will be winding. If you are prone to motion sickness, be prepared and let Manuel, the driver, or me know.
• Shopping opportunities throughout the trip will be limited. If you are looking for something specific, please let Manuel or me know at the start of the trip.
• The order of events and perhaps even the days of events may change based on the weather, the group’s needs, and unexpected acts of God.
• We will be traveling and hiking at altitude. It is your responsibility to follow the guidelines provided upon registration about how to prepare for the altitude and physical aspects of the trip.

Peru Spiritual Tour Facilitator Amy Pattee Colvin:

In the fall of 2015, I attended a meditation retreat to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu led by my long-time teachers. A local shaman joined us one of our days in Machu Picchu. During the blessing ceremony, he handed me a seed to plant after the ceremony finished. He said to look for the plant when I brought my own group on a retreat to Peru.

For many months that seed of an idea quietly germinated and eventually sprouted into the development of spiritual tours and meditation & qigong retreats worldwide.

You’ll practice meditation and qigong daily, steep yourself in beautiful landscapes, step out of your daily routine, and immerse yourself in positive ways of thinking and living. I’m excited to share these concepts with you while we actively explore stunning landscapes and cultures.

These spiritual tours create an opportunity for you to deeply focus on inner work, connecting with your higher self, and harmonizing with the energy of the natural world.

I’ll share with you all I’ve learned in 30 years of meditation, as well as the wisdom garnered from becoming a certified facilitator of Stanford University’s Compassion Cultivation Training.

Local Peruvian Guide Manuel Velazco:

Manuel Velazco, born in Cusco, Peru, entered the tourism industry at the age of 15. He has served as a professional Tour Guide for 25 years, guiding around Peru and South America. He is one of Peru’s most experienced and respected leaders.

I met Manuel in the fall of 2015 when my mother and I traveled on an Overseas Adventure Travel trip to Southern Peru and Bolivia. When I originally put this Peru spiritual tour itinerary together I contacted him to see if he was interested in working with me. Through the years he has provided excellent knowledge, leadership, humor, and love of Peruvian people and culture.

I look forward to spending time with you! If you have any questions please contact me to set up a time to chat.

Investment & Registration:

Investment: $3995 USD per person based on double occupancy.

• Space is limited to 12 travelers. Ensure your spot by placing your deposit now.
• Due to the challenge of getting tickets in Machu Picchu, the booking window closes on August 30th.
• A deposit of $1995 is required to reserve your space, with the balance due by February 1, 2025. Payment plans are available; please contact me for details.
• If you register as an individual, you will be paired with another individual of the same gender.
• Single rooms may be available with a supplemental cost of $1000; contact me for further information.
• I recommended that you purchase travel insurance which covers emergency medical treatment, evacuation, and trip cancellation.

To register email me at amy@amypatteecolvin.com.