Menu Close

Quick Links: Travel Information | Payment Information | FAQ | Packing List | Staff|  Itinerary

Women’s Quest Peru Adventure Retreat

📅 November 7–14, 2026 (Optional Pre-Retreat: November 5–6)

✨ “The journey is not about arriving somewhere new — it is about remembering what has always lived within you.”

Welcome to Peru

Hello Beautiful Women,

Welcome to the Women’s Quest Peru Adventure Retreat — a journey into the heart of the Andes, where ancient wisdom, living ceremony, and breathtaking landscapes invite you to slow down, open your senses, and remember something deep within yourself.

This retreat unfolds as a gradual immersion — beginning with an optional early arrival in Cusco to acclimate and arrive fully, then moving into the Sacred Valley, and culminating in our pilgrimage to Machu Picchu. Every experience has been chosen with intention, reverence for the land, and respect for the living traditions of Peru.






🏔️ Optional Pre-Retreat Arrival

Thursday, November 5 — Arrival in Cusco

  • 🛬 Arrival & Transfer: Arrive in Cusco, once the capital of the Inca Empire and still one of the most energetically powerful cities in South America. At over 11,000 feet, the altitude itself invites you to slow down, breathe more deeply, and begin listening inward. You will be greeted at the airport by our team holding a Women’s Quest sign and transferred to our hotel in the artistic San Blas neighborhood.
  • 🌿 Open Afternoon: Time to rest, hydrate, enjoy coca tea, wander cobblestone streets, journal, or simply allow your body and nervous system to adjust.
  • 🏨 Accommodation: Encantada – Casa Boutique Spa. A warm, intimate boutique hotel with beautiful views over Cusco — peaceful, grounding, and welcoming. The Swiss owner even has the staff put warm water bottles in your bed at night!

Friday, November 6 — Cusco: Where Time Layers Itself

  • 🧭 Guiding Presence: Today we begin exploring Cusco with Gaby Meneses, who will guide us throughout the entire journey. Gaby has a rare gift for weaving archaeology, mythology, ceremony, humor, and living Andean wisdom into a deeply human and engaging story. (Note: This is a Pre-Retreat day, so there is an additional charge for her guiding, TBD depending on group size).
  • 🕙 10:00 AM — Sacred City Tour: We gather at Encantada Hotel and walk to Cusco’s main square, once known as Huacaypata (Warriors Square) — the ceremonial heart of the Inca world.
    • Cathedral: Visit the Cathedral, built with stones taken from Sacsayhuamán, and learn how Inca and colonial histories coexist in the same walls.
    • Koricancha & Convento de Santo Domingo: Continue to the Temple of the Sun, once covered entirely in gold leaf, and the convent built directly atop it. Witness the layers of time — Inca foundations beneath colonial structures.
  • 🧑‍🍳 3:30 PM — Optional Cooking Experience ($65 / 4 Hours): Peruvian Cusco Flavors — Visit a local farmers market to learn about native foods, medicinal plants, and Peruvian superfoods, then prepare a meal together.
  • 🌙 Evening: Free to enjoy Cusco at your own pace.



🧘 The Retreat Begins

Saturday, November 7 | Opening Ceremony & Sacred Sites

  • 🧘‍♀️ 7:00 AM — Awakening the Senses Yoga: Gently opening the body and breath while overlooking Cusco to prepare physically and energetically.
  • 🥣 8:00 AM — Breakfast: On your own (OYO) at Encantada.
  • ✨ 9:00 AM — Opening Ceremony: Gather with Gaby and the Ñaupa Taki Group to connect with the Apus (Sacred Mountains) and ask permission to walk this land with respect and intention.
  • 🏛️ 10:30 AM — Sacred Sites Exploration: Hike above the city to Sacsayhuamán. Explore:
    • Underground ceremonial caves of Qenqo
    • The Heart Temple honoring Pachamama
    • The Temple of the Moon (Amarumachay) associated with feminine wisdom and the Celestial Serpent
  • 🧺 Lunch: Gourmet picnic from Cicciolina Restaurant, enjoyed outdoors with sweeping views of Cusco in a beautiful forest.
  • 🍽️ 6:30 PM — Welcome Dinner: Gather at A Mi Manera (Voted BEST IN PERU!) for a warm, celebratory first meal together.

Sunday, November 8 | Chinchero, Misminay & Moray

  • 🥣 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM — Breakfast

  • 🧳 8:30 AM — Departure: Meet out front with bags for a short walk to our van.
  • 🧶 Traditional Andean Textiles Center (Chinchero): Visit a high-altitude village known for its women weavers. Learn how weaving is a living language using native plant dyes and ancient techniques.
  • 🏔️ Misminay Experience & Lunch: Visit the rural Andean community of Misminay (12,000 ft) for an authentic look into Andean life, traditional weaving demonstrations, and cultural stories.
  • 🥾 Afternoon Hike to Moray: Short hike down from Misminay to Moray — the mysterious circular agricultural terraces used by the Incas to experiment with microclimates and energy.
  • 🍽️ Dinner: Local restaurant in Urubamba.
  • 🏡 Overnight: Casa Colibrí Eco-Lodge.




Monday, November 9 | Pisac — Beauty, Geometry & Devotion

  • 🧘‍♀️ 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM — Yoga

  • 🥣 8:30 AM — Breakfast

  • 🚌 9:30 AM — Departure for Pisac

  • 🥾 Ruins Hike: Hike up to the ruins of Pisac, accompanied by one of our Shamans playing the flute. Explore sweeping terraces, sophisticated water systems, sun temples, ceremonial fountains, and hillside tombs.
  • 🛍️ Afternoon: Lunch on your own (OYO), followed by time to explore the famous Pisac artisan market (textiles, silver, handcrafted treasures).
  • 🍽️ 7:00 PM — Dinner: Huacatay Restaurant in Urubamba (OYO).

Tuesday, November 10 | Pumahuanca Gorge & Despacho Ceremony

  • 🧘‍♀️ 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM — Yoga

  • 🥣 8:30 AM — Breakfast

  • 🥾 9:30 AM — Pumahuanca Gorge Hike: Hike into a quiet mountain valley with shamans Riccardo and Benito, surrounded by waterfalls, ancient ruins, and traditional Quechua life.
  • 🧺 Picnic & Cleansing: Enjoy a picnic lunch near the waterfall, followed by a traditional herbal cleansing ceremony led by Shaman Riccardo to release what no longer serves.
  • 🌺 5:00 PM — Traditional Despacho Ceremony: A sacred Andean ritual offering to Pachamama (Mother Earth) using flowers, seeds, and sweets to honor gratitude, intention, and balance.
  • 🍽️ 7:00 PM — Dinner: At the hotel.
  • 🎒 Preparation: Pack a small overnight bag for Machu Picchu.








Wednesday, November 11 | Pilgrimage to Machu Picchu

  • 🥣 6:00 AM — Breakfast

  • 🚂 6:30 AM — Scenic Train: Travel to Ollantaytambo and board the Vistadome first-class train.
  • 🥾 Inca Trail Pilgrimage: Disembark at Mile Marker 104 and hike the Inca Trail, passing the ruins of Wiñay Wayna before entering Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate.
  • 🏛️ Late Afternoon Exploration: Explore ruins with Gaby until sunset when the crowds thin and the energy quiets.
  • 🍽️ Dinner: In Aguas Calientes (OYO).
  • 🏨 Overnight: Aguas Calientes.

Thursday, November 12 | Sunrise & Huayna Picchu

  • 🌅 5:30 AM — Sunrise Bus: Rise early to take the bus up to Machu Picchu for sunrise.
  • 🧗‍♀️ Huayna Picchu Hike & Citadel Tour: Climb Huayna Picchu for spectacular views of the citadel below, followed by a guided walk through the Citadel with Gaby.
  • 🥗 Lunch: At Machu Picchu (OYO) or down in town.
  • 💆‍♀️ Afternoon: Free time for massages, relaxation, or wandering Aguas Calientes.
  • 🚆 4:30 PM — Return Train: Train back to the Sacred Valley.
  • 🍽️ Dinner: El Albergue Restaurant.












Friday, November 13 | Sacred Valley Integration & Choice Day

  • 🧘‍♀️ 7:30 AM — Yoga

  • 🥣 8:30 AM — Breakfast

🌿 Choose Your Morning Adventure:

  • Option 1 — Maras Salt Mines & Soul of the Sacred Valley (Mellow • Cultural • Restorative)

    • Visit the shimmering terraced salt pools of Maras, active since pre-Inca times.
    • Explore Urubamba and local markets at a relaxed, leisurely pace with Gaby.
  • Option 2 — Perolniyoc Waterfall & Raqaypata Ruins (Steep • Sacred • Adventurous)

    • A 4-mile steep hike starting from Soqma up to the Perolniyoc Waterfall and the ancient priestess site of Raqaypata (11,700 ft).
    • Point-to-point hike: Van meets the group at the top for the return!

🎨 Afternoon — Reconnect at Cerámicas Seminario

  • Gather together in Urubamba to visit the garden-filled studio and gallery of artists Pablo Seminario and Marilú Behar. Watch local artisans work with pre-Columbian inspired ceramic styles.

🥂 Evening Celebration

  • 🍽️ Farewell Dinner: A special evening to reflect, share stories, laugh, and celebrate the journey together.

Saturday, November 14 | Departure

  • 🧘‍♀️ Morning: Extended yoga practice, labyrinth walk, and breakfast.
  • 🍽️ Lunch: Final group lunch next to Colibrí (OYO).
  • ✈️ Transfers: Late-afternoon transfer to Cusco airport.
     (Please book flights out of Cusco for 7:00 PM or later).




👩‍💼 Important Contacts & Details

Your Guide

  • 🏔️ Gaby Meneses — Cultural translator, storyteller, and guardian of place.
  • 📱 Mobile: +51 84 984 991 427

Women’s Quest Contact

  • 👩 Colleen Cannon
  • 📱 Phone: +1 720-951-0762
  • 📧 Email: colleen@womensquest.com

Accommodations

  • 🏨 Encantada – Casa Boutique Spa (Cusco): +51 84 242 206
  • 🏡 Casa Colibrí Eco-Lodge (Urubamba): +51 84 205 003
  • 🏨 Hotel Santuario (Machu Picchu Pueblo): +51 980 898 023

Emergency Numbers (Peru)

  • 🚓 Police: 105
  • 🚒 Fire: 116
  • 🚑 Ambulance: 106