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10 Best Ayahuasca Retreats UK in 2024 (Updated)

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An Ayahuasca Retreat offers a unique opportunity for individuals seeking transformative experiences and spiritual growth. For the full explanation of the plant Ayahuasca, further reading may be found here, otherwise read on.

Psychedelic drugs (or plant medicines as we prefer to call them) have gained recognition for their potential in addressing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression through the ceremonial use of psychedelics like Ayahuasca and other medicinal plants like Psilocybin. By combining the Ayahuasca ceremony with sacred kinds of spiritual practices, such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, and even healing massage, participants may reach profoundly altered states of consciousness, generating potentially life-changing insight. The profound Ayahuasca experience is guided by shamans, healers, and facilitators, who will also help with Integration following your meeting with Mother Ayahuasca.

The outcome of a person’s retreat depends upon 3 things: their readiness, their preparation, and their ability to select a high-quality, safe, and transformation retreat.

1) To assess your level of mental and spiritual readiness, take this short quiz.

2) To understand more about the Ayahuasca plant and the Ayahuasca Experience, and to prepare for a retreat, check out our guide.

If you're feeling the call and ready to choose a retreat, congratulations! This is a momentous occasion in your life.

Like most things in life, there are a broad variety of Ayahuasca retreat options, and a number of factors that effect the safety, quality, and Cost of an Ayahuasca Retreat:

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12 Tips for Choosing a Safe and Transformative Ayahuasca Retreat in UK

Kindly note, even if you do not participate in a Behold retreat, we strongly urge you to take the following tips very seriously. This experience will be disarming and can be quite a large undertaking. Please proceed with caution and do your own research along with our helpful tips. If you have further questions, just ask! We are here to serve.

Safety First: Unfortunately, many small retreat centers are not in a position to make meaningful investments into screening and safety. Our recommendation is to choose a retreat provider that does in-depth medical and psychological screening to protect your safety and well-being, and the experience of the whole group on retreat. ‍

Legality:  Experienced practitioners who have dedicated their lives to plant medicine typically live in locations where the work is legal, so that their work can be conducted “above ground”. Our recommendation is to travel to legal locations where you can benefit from legitimate healers who operate above the radar, so you can truly relax on retreat.

Group Size: It's common for retreats to have 20, 50, even 100 people in ceremony, which can be energetically way too chaotic. In a large group, you are less likely to receive the level of attention from healers that you deserve. Our strong recommendation is to choose a retreat with an intimate group of, 5-15 people. For those of you in a position to do so, you may also like to consider applying for a private retreat.
Length of the retreat: Shorter healing retreats feel rushed, and there are limits to what can be achieved in a few nights. We recommend you spend time (at least a week) for an Ayahuasca Retreat to give your mind, body, heart, and soul the attention it deserves.

‍‍Comfort: We recommend you choose a retreat where you are confident you will be physically comfortable and have your own private bedroom to decompress and integrate, especially if this is your first time. Go for the full jungle-immersion on your second retreat, your future self will thank you later.

‍‍Alignment: Select a retreat that feels aligned with your values and allows your own subjective experience to unfold naturally. The way in which the retreat and its ceremony leaders conduct themselves will have a material effect upon your experience.

‍‍Holistic approach: Work with an organization that takes a holistic approach to working with plant medicine, and has options to support and guide your mental and emotional evolution alongside the retreat. If a provider implies that "medicine will solve all your problems", proceed with caution.

‍‍Service: Select a transformation retreat that you believe can meet your individual needs. Consider whether or not they've taken the time to get to know you and understand you, or it's more of a take it or leave it retreat center.

Booking Process: Speak with the provider before finalizing your booking. If the provider does not have a screening process in place during the booking process, anyone could be sitting next to you in the ceremony. Some people are not in the right place to work with this powerful plant medicine, and it is the responsibility of the organizers to ensure that only people who can handle ayahuasca are accepted onto the retreat.

Expertise: Find an experienced organization that you believe has the necessary expertise to support your journey. Look for retreat organizers and facilitators who seem supportive and grounded, as they will be a key part of your journey throughout your retreat experience.

Reputation: Make sure that you research the provider you are considering. A reputable retreat center will have an online presence with all the relevant information about the retreat. It is crucial to see testimonials from previous retreat attendees, as they serve as evidence that the organization is trustworthy and capable of facilitating the experience you are looking for.

Volunteers: It is important to endorse ethical plant medicine practices by choosing an organization that compensates its team members. Regrettably, many retreat centers tend to rely on a revolving door of young, enthusiastic, and overworked volunteers, often failing to provide fair pay to healers. If the individuals supporting your retreat are not leading fulfilling lives themselves, they may not be adequately equipped to guide you on your own journey. When engaging with potential retreat centers, do not hesitate to inquire about their policies regarding fair compensation for their staff.

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Looking for guidance for one of the most important decisions of your life? Watch this video.

We encourage you to take the time and energy to do your research, follow your intuition, and to know why you are choosing a specific retreat.

If our recommendations above resonate with you, and you'd like to explore a transformational plant medicine journey with Behold Retreats and join us on one of our upcoming retreats we are happy to facilitate. We encourage anyone who is interested in partaking in a ceremony to do so in countries where it is legal.

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The 10 Best Ayahuasca Retreats UK (or close by)

Ayahuasca is a powerful plant medicine with a long history of use in indigenous Amazonian cultures. It has gained increasing popularity in recent years as a means of spiritual growth and self-discovery, and many people travel to participate in ayahuasca retreats in countries where the substance is legal. If you are considering attending an Ayahuasca Retreat in the UK this year, there are many options to choose from. 

To help you find the best retreat for your needs, we have compiled a list of the top 10 Ayahuasca Retreats UK or close to the UK based on factors such as reputation, safety, and the qualifications of the facilitators. Whether you are a seasoned Ayahuasca participant or entirely new to plant medicine, these retreats offer a safe and supportive environment for your journey of transformation.

Here are some Ayahuasca Retreats or ceremonies in the UK (or nearby) that we highly recommend to get a transformational 2024 experience.

1. Behold Retreats in Portugal:

Because of the legal grey areas, Behold Retreats doesn't facilitate Ayahuasca in the UK, but we do offer some close-by options. If you are wondering, "Where to do Ayahuasca Retreat in UK", there are very few places in the UK serving Ayahuasca legally, so if you're willing to take a short flight to Portugal, Behold Retreats offers a holistic and modern approach to plant medicine refined over serving 1,500+ clients. Our organization curates and facilitates life-changing plant medicine journeys with an emphasis on client goals, preparation, and integration.

Guests of Behold Retreats can choose their medicine (Read more about Which Plant Medicine is right for me?), guests may also choose their locations, and other options for example a small group retreat overlooking the jungle in Costa Rica or perhaps a culturally immersive encounter in the golden mountains of Mexico with 5-MeO-DMT (Bufo).

Behold also facilitates Psilocybin Retreats (Magic Mushroom Retreats) and Bufo Retreats in Portugal in the case that guests wish to remain in Europe for their Ayahuasca Retreat.

For those who do choose to attend upcoming retreats in the UK, Behold Retreats offers high quality coaching before and after your retreat, and we can point you in the direction of a trusted retreat within the country.  Apply for a free consultation and mention our Coaching Programs with a plant medicine expert to share your individual needs and preferences, and to understand whether (or not) there is a mutual fit.

Group retreat sizes are smaller than most retreat centers - typically no more than 10-12.

Client safety and confidentiality are given the highest importance, and healers, facilitators, therapists, and coaches have decades of experience under their belt.

Read and educated yourself as much as possible before answering your calling, once you're feel really ready apply for a free consultation.

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2. Shamanic Space Retreat Center

Disclaimer: This place does not offer Ayahuasca Ceremonies in the UK, only in the Amazonian jungle.

Shamanic Space offers intensive Ayahuasca healing spiritual retreats with Shipibo plant doctors. The center was founded nineteen years ago, by the Peruvian-born Shaman Rubén Orellana and the American psychotherapist and shamanic practitioner Michele Costa Lukis.

Their aim is to offer safe and legal Ayahuasca and San Pedro ceremonial retreats in Peru. As with most Ayahuasca centers, they solely work with the medicine with the intention of deep healing, be it spiritually, mentally, physically, and/or emotionally. Recreational usage is not permitted.

Over the years, the center has evolved to include workshops and upcoming retreats in the UK, Europe, and New Zealand. However, Ayahuasca ceremonies are only offered in the brew’s natural habit: the Amazonian jungle.

Nonetheless, they do offer some healing retreats in the UK, such as their Shamanic ‘Walking in Wales’ weekend, for example. While these retreats do not include mother Ayahuasca, they can serve as a way to get to know the center a little better before embarking on a Peruvian Ayahuasca journey with them.

‍Good to know! The consciousness-expanding San Pedro cactus is known to engender deep introspective journeys, and the visionary plant perfectly complements Ayahuasca’s healing.

3. Behold Retreats Costa Rica

This spiritual retreat combines ancestral wisdom from various cultures worldwide with outdoor activities to help you discover a fresh perspective on yourself and your life. It offers opportunities to make new connections, appreciate nature's beauty, and engage in light outdoor activities.

Our experienced retreat facilitators and medicine guides will ensure your well-being on all levels - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

Between each ayahuasca ceremony, you'll have ample time to unwind, introspect, write in your journal, and appreciate the breathtaking panoramic views, spacious rooms, and infinity pool available on the property. Additionally, you can participate in yoga classes, practice meditation, and explore your inner world at your own pace.

4. Origen Sagrada

Origen Sagrada describes itself as a community that helps others through Ayahuasca healing. This community is made up of like-minded people who want to provide health and deep healing through the power of sacred plant medicine ceremonies.

Their main Ayahuasca center is nestled in the Andes mountains just outside of Medellin, in Colombia where they host their aya healing ceremonies. As the center is surrounded by lush vegetation and beautiful flowers, the location is idyllic.

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5. Pachamama Shamanic Healing in Ireland

Pachamama Shamanic Healing offers 4-day Ayahuasca retreats in Ireland. The retreat serves as an opportunity to get to know yourself more intimately and find out who you truly are.

Throughout this entire process of self-discovery, you are accompanied by trained facilitators. Unlike in other Ayahuasca retreats UK or nearby, shamans do not guide the ceremonies. Instead, Pachamama Shamanic Healing’s staff consists of a group of experienced therapeutic counselors.

Apart from the Ayahuasca assisted therapy, these counselors also conduct a deep healing psychotherapeutic process of integration, emotional release, and sound therapy. The relaxing vibrations of numerous shamanic instruments guide you through the entire ceremony experience. Think of the beautiful sounds of the drums, didgeridoo, Tibetan bowls, and quartz bowls.

The retreat includes accommodation in the ceremony room, breakfast and lunch, shamanic remedies, psychotherapy work, varied cleansing rituals, and any follow-up support that you may need afterward. In addition to Ayahuasca experience, the powerful Kambo and Bufo Alvarius are also available.

6. Acsauhaya in the Netherlands

Getting to the Netherlands from the UK isn't too much of a hassle. And the Acsauhaya Shamanic Retreat Center can definitely be worth the trip.

The aya retreat is situated in the middle of grasslands at the foot of a large nature reserve, making it the ideal venue to reconnect with nature.

The team has over 30 years of experience and they work together with authentic shamans from the Peruvian Ucayali area.

Ceremonies are held in a gorgeously renovated Dutch farmhouse. And each retreat includes fresh vegetarian meals, two Ayahuasca ceremonies, an integration toolkit, as well as private and group sharing circles the day after each transformational experience.

7. Sinchi Runa in Portugal

Sinchi Runa is a revered and well-known Ayahuasca center in Portugal. Nestled in the rolling hills above the Algarve coast, this center provides those who visit a deeply authentic experience.

They offer several 8-day spiritual retreats, and their 23-day retreat is specifically catered to those who want to fully immerse themselves into their Ayahuasca journey and uncover all that the medicine has to share with them.

Each retreat includes a transfer to and from the retreat venue, daily homemade organic meals, and an English/Spanish translator. In addition to the healing ceremonies themselves, they also offer integration exercises and therapeutic activities.

8. Union in Arutam in Spain

Union In Arutam is located on the beautiful island of Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands.

After learning from the Shuar Amazonian Shamanism tradition, the retreats’ founder, Arutam Ruymán, began teaching medicine at the age of 22. And today, the retreat center has been conducting Ayahuasca ceremonies in the UK (or nearby) for more than twelve years.

Ceremonies are held in quiet locations, deep in nature. To make sure that each participant is truly ready for the intense journey that lies ahead, a preliminary interview with the community coordinator is required. And besides the Ayahuasca experience, they also offer other medicinal plants, such as San Pedro.

‍Interesting to know! The Shuar are an indigenous people of Ecuador and Peru, who are well-known for their Ayahuasca shamanism and their use of ‘natem’ (the Indigenous Shuar name for the Ayahuasca vine Banisteriopsis caapi).

These Top 10 Ayahuasca Retreats in the UK offer a unique opportunity for healing, self-discovery, and spiritual growth. By considering factors such as the reputation and experience of the retreat center, the qualifications of the facilitators, and the overall safety and comfort of the environment, you can make an informed decision and choose a retreat that aligns with your individual goals and needs. Whether you are seeking to overcome personal challenges, deepen your spiritual practice, or simply explore the transformative potential of ayahuasca, these retreats provide a supportive and nurturing environment for your journey of transformation.

If you’re curious about more options and locations for an Ayahuasca Retreat, you may check out our retreats list.

Also, Check out our article on the top 10 Ayahuasca retreats in Spain!

Still need some help choosing a retreat?

We would be honored to guide you in choosing the best retreat for your needs. Behold Retreats coordinates expertly guided retreats with Ayahuasca, Psilocybin, and 5-MeO-DMT (Bufo Alvarius) with highly experienced facilitators. Reach out to us to set up a complimentary discovery call and we can point you in the right direction.

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Psilocybin in Portugal

5-MeO-DMT in Mexico

Ayahuasca in Costa Rica

5-MeO-DMT in Portugal

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