Sacred Andes Journey | Peru 2026
A 12-day Curated Pilgrimage Through Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Traditional Andean Ceremonies, and Machu Picchu.
Expedition 1 *August 1–12, 2026. Expedition 2 * August 20–31, 2026
Hosted by Kevin & Carol Johnson
With Q'ero Paqos Don Dionisio Apaza and Doña Lidia Apaza
Guided by Franklin Abarca Aguilar (20+ years in the Cusco region)
This journey is designed as a pilgrimage rather than a tour. From your arrival in Cusco through time in the Sacred Valley and onward through ceremony, sacred sites, and Machu Picchu, the experience unfolds slowly and intentionally, allowing real connection with the land and its traditions.
Included in the journey:
• All accommodations
• All meals
• Transportation throughout the journey
• Traditional Andean ceremonies
• Huachuma ceremony
• Sacred site entrance fees
• Machu Picchu excursion
• Q'ero paqos present throughout the journey
• Experienced local guides
WHY THIS JOURNEY IS DIFFERENT
A Journey Built on Real Relationships
Many retreats in Peru are organized by travel companies with little direct connection to the traditions they present.
This journey is different. It has been intentionally designed as a small (12-people), carefully curated experience rather than a large tour. Limiting the group size allows for a more personal and meaningful connection with the places we visit, the ceremonies we participate in, and the people who carry these traditions.
Your guides for the journey are Kevin and Carol Johnson, who have spent years studying, working and building relationships within the Andean spiritual traditions. Their role is to help bridge worlds—offering thoughtful preparation, cultural context, and support so participants can engage with the experience in a grounded and respectful way.
The journey is also guided in close collaboration with Q’ero Paqos Don Dionisio Apaza and Doña Lydia Apaza, who carry forward one of the living lineages of the high Andes. Their presence brings an authentic connection to the ceremonial traditions that continue to be practiced in these mountains today.
Logistically, the expedition is led by Franklin Abarca Aguilar, founder of Peru Global Expeditions, who has more than 20 years of experience guiding travelers throughout the Cusco and Ausangate regions. Franklin’s deep knowledge of the land, local communities, and sacred sites ensures that every step of the journey unfolds smoothly and with respect for the places we visit.
Together, this team combines experienced spiritual guidance, authentic cultural relationships, and professional expedition leadership—creating a rare opportunity to encounter the Andes not simply as a destination, but as a living tradition.
This allows participants to enter the Andes respectfully and meaningfully rather than simply passing through as tourists.
THE EXPERIENCE
Entering the Living Andes
The Andes are not simply scenery. For centuries they have been understood as a living landscape filled with sacred mountains, ceremonial sites, and traditions that continue today.
Over the course of the journey you will:
• Spend time in Cusco acclimating to altitude
• Move into the Sacred Valley for retreat and exploration
• Participate in traditional Andean ceremonies
• Visit powerful sacred sites
• Experience a Huachuma ceremony held with care and respect
• Travel to Machu Picchu
The pace of the journey allows time for reflection, connection, and relationship with the land.
MEET YOUR GUIDES
Kevin & Carol Johnson - Your Guides
Kevin and Carol Johnson guide retreats and pilgrimages that bring participants into meaningful relationship with the land, traditions, and living wisdom of the Andes. They have spent years studying and apprenticing within Andean ceremonial traditions, developing a deep respect for the cultural and spiritual context from which these practices come.
Working in close collaboration with traditional Andean teachers and local guides, they help create a bridge between cultures so participants can experience the Andes not simply as travelers, but as respectful guests in a living spiritual landscape..
Franklin Abarca Aguilar — Lead Guide
Franklin Abarca Aguilar has more than 20 years of experience guiding backcountry excursions in the Cusco and Ausangate regions. He is the founder of Peru Global Expeditions, one of Peru’s premier guide services.
His deep knowledge of the landscape, its people and the Andean traditions ensures the journey unfolds smoothly while giving participants access to extraordinary places most travelers never see.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive in Cusco
Private reception at Cusco Airport and transfer to a boutique hotel.
Evening Gathering - Meet the guides and paqos
Day 2 – Pisac Sacred Valley: Entering the Womb of the Earth A conscious journey through the Sacred Valley, understood by the Incas as a place of spiritual gestation / energetic zone.
Arrival & Energetic Grounding
Despacho opening
Opening circle and Andean energetic cleansing.
Introduction to:
• Inca-Andean cosmology
• The Apus and Pachamama
• Ethical and spiritual guidelines of the retreat
Rest and acclimatization.
Day 3 – Opening the Sacred Container
Meet the Andean master and ceremonial team.
Sacred plant medicine ceremony, guided with strict ancestral protocols and continuous support
Detailed explanation of the sacred plant medicine process.
Evening silence and rest.
Day 4 – Andean Healing & Integration. A day dedicated to physical and energetic restoration.
Great Pago a la Pachamama, asking permission from the Earth, the Apus, and the ancestors
Andean sauna (purification ritual)
Flower baths for energetic cleansing
Traditional Andean energy work (optional)
Guided integration spaces.
Overnight integration.
Day 5 – Inca Wisdom Sites understood as Inca temples of agricultural, cosmic, and energetic knowledge.
Visit to Ollantaytambo, Ñaupa Iglesia, Chinchero
Lunch in Chinchero
Moray (Sound and Vibration)
Maras Salt Mines
Day 6 – Entering Ausangate Territory
Breakfast in Cusipata - CCollca
Rainbow Mountain
Lunch in Cusipata - CCollca
Pacchanta community. Hot Springs
Dinner, rest and acclimatization in high-mountain territory.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Your journey includes:
• Airport pickup in Cusco
• All accommodations
• All meals
• Transportation throughout the journey
• Sacred site entrance fees
• Traditional Andean ceremonies
• Huachuma ceremony
• Machu Picchu excursion
• Q'ero paqos present during key parts of the journey
• Experienced local guides
Not Included
• International airfare to Peru
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses
Don Dionisio Apaza & Doña Lidia Apaza — Q'ero Paqos
Don Dionisio and Doña Lidia carry the ceremonial traditions of the Q'ero lineage, one of the last remaining indigenous Andean traditions that has maintained its ceremonial practices and traditional way of life across generations.
Their presence connects the journey to living traditions rather than symbolic interpretations of them.
People have been traveling to the Andes for centuries in search of something difficult to name.
For some, it is the presence of the mountains themselves.
For others, it is the depth of the traditions still alive in the region.
For many, it is simply a feeling that the Andes hold a kind of clarity that is harder to find elsewhere.
This journey is designed to create the space for that encounter — not rushed, not packaged, but experienced directly.
PRACTICAL DETAILS
Dates
August 1–12, 2026
August 20–31, 2026
Investment
$4,900 ($1000 Deposit to secure your spot)
Location
Cusco and the Sacred Valley, Peru
Group Size
12 People Maximum
Physical Requirements
Participants should be comfortable with moderate walking and high-altitude travel.
Day 7 – Pilgrimage to the Seven Sacred Lagoons of Ausangate
Horseback and walking pilgrimage around the sacred lagoons of Ausangate.
Prayers, and offerings to the Apus.
Day 8 – Arrival to the Q’ero World
Ceremonial welcome by the community with music and traditional dances.
Accommodation with Q’ero families in traditional Andean homes.
Day 9 – Living Andean Wisdom
Traditional breakfast.
Private dialogues with Q’ero Paqos (Andean spiritual leaders).
Visit the Apus, Huacas, and observation of native flora and fauna.
Exclusive ceremonial lunch prepared by the community.
Artisanal ceremonial market.
Grand farewell celebration with music, food, and gratitude rituals.
Day 10 – Return to Cusco
Boutique hotel
Plaza de Armas
San Pedro Market,
Integration, rest.
Day 11 - Cusco CityTours
Saqsaywaman
Qoricancha
Temple of the Sun,
Qenqo,
Tambomachay
Puka Pucara
Day 12 - Private journey to Machu Picchu
• Leave Cusco at 6:40 am to Poroy Station
• Arrive at Machu Picchu
• 1hr in Aquas Caliente
• 3hrs at Machu Picchu
• Lunch in Aquas Caliente
• 4:pm train
Day 13 – Departure
Private transfer to the airport.
WHO THIS JOURNEY IS FOR
This experience is designed for people who feel genuinely called to encounter the Andes in a deeper way.
It is ideal for those who:
• are interested in traditional Andean wisdom
• want more than a typical sightseeing trip
• are open to reflection and personal growth
• appreciate traveling in a small, intentional group
No prior experience with ceremony is required.
Some people feel a quiet pull toward the Andes long before they ever set foot there.
If you have felt that pull — toward the mountains, the traditions, or simply the desire to step out of the ordinary rhythm of life for a time — this journey may be for you.
We have designed this experience carefully so that participants can encounter the Andes with respect, guidance, and space for genuine reflection.
If that possibility resonates with you, we invite you to begin the conversation.