How to choose a safe ayahuasca retreat: a checklist
Ten things to check before you book an ayahuasca retreat: screening, facilitators, staff, integration, emergencies, pricing and reviews. Questions to ask any center.
You have done the reading and you are serious about ayahuasca. Now you have to choose a place.
It feels like a big decision because it is. You are trusting a center with your physical health, your psychological safety and some of your most vulnerable hours. You deserve a framework, not just a gut feeling.
The ten points
- Medical and psychological screening
- Who is in the room during ceremony
- Group size and number of helpers
- The facilitator’s experience
- Integration before, during and after
- Transparency about medications
- Access to medical care
- Clear pricing
- Real reviews
- Your gut
1. Medical and psychological screening
Non-negotiable. A safe retreat reviews your health before it confirms your place, not after you have paid.
It asks about your heart, neurological conditions, liver, diabetes, every medication and supplement, and your psychiatric history: depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis, trauma, substance use and past treatment.
At the Finca: nothing is confirmed until we have reviewed your health and medications with you on a call. Our medical information page lists what we ask about.
2. Who is in the room during ceremony
Ayahuasca opens you, and difficult material comes up. You need people who know how to recognize a crisis, physical or emotional, and how to respond.
Red flag: one facilitator alone with a large group, or nobody sober in the room.
Green flag: an experienced lead, trained helpers in every ceremony, and a clear plan for difficult moments.
3. Group size and number of helpers
When someone needs help, they need it now. One facilitator with 20 guests means 19 people waiting.
At the Finca: groups of up to 15 guests, with several servers in every ceremony who stay in the room all night.
4. The facilitator’s experience
There is a big difference between someone who has attended a few ceremonies and someone with years of dedicated practice.
Red flag: they can’t describe their training, or there are no references.
Green flag: years of documented practice and a clear training history.
At the Finca: Humberto trained in Perú, near Pucallpa, through long master plant dietas, and has led ceremonies on several continents. Read more about our team.
5. Integration
The ceremony is a doorway. Integration decides what happens next. Without it, people often slip back into old patterns within weeks.
Look for guidance before you arrive, group and individual integration during the week, and a way to stay in touch after.
At the Finca: preparation guidance before, group and one-on-one integration during the retreat, plus temazcal, fire circle and quiet time, and we stay in touch after. More in what to expect after ayahuasca.
6. Transparency about medications
A responsible center publishes which medications and conditions it can’t accept, and explains why.
Red flag: “everything is fine”. Green flag: a detailed, public list. Here is ours: medications that are unsafe with ayahuasca.
7. Access to medical care
Serious emergencies are rare, but you want to know there is a plan.
Red flag: extremely remote, with no way to reach medical care.
Green flag: a reachable location and a clear emergency protocol.
At the Finca: we are just outside Tepatitlán de Morelos and about an hour from Guadalajara by toll road.
8. Clear pricing
What is included? What costs extra? Why does one retreat cost $2,000 and another $10,000?
At the Finca: one price covers the whole seven days: ceremonies, meals, activities, integration and your bed. Per person: shared dorm $1,850, semi-private villa $2,300, private room $2,650 and deluxe room $2,775 USD. Airport pickup and optional extras such as Bufo or massages are listed separately. Details on the Finca page.
9. Real reviews
Red flag: only perfect reviews, or none you can check.
Green flag: detailed reviews on independent platforms.
At the Finca: rated 5.0 from 55 reviews on BookRetreats and 4.92 from 181 reviews on Retreat Guru, where we were known by our earlier name.
10. Your gut
After the analysis, listen to yourself. Do your questions get clear answers? Do the people feel trustworthy? Are you being rushed?
When to walk away
- They pressure you to decide quickly.
- They brush off your medical or psychological questions.
- They can’t explain how screening works.
- The facilitator’s experience can’t be checked.
- The price is vague.
- Something feels off.
Questions to ask any retreat
- How do you screen guests, and when: before or after payment?
- Who is in the room during ceremony, and how many helpers are there?
- How many years of experience does the lead facilitator have?
- Which medications and conditions do you not accept?
- What integration happens during and after the retreat?
- How far are you from medical care, and what is your emergency plan?
- What exactly does the price include?
- Where can I read independent reviews?
Clear answers to all of them: a solid option. Vague answers: keep looking.
Ready to ask us? Book a call.
