Packing for an ayahuasca retreat is not like packing for a normal vacation.
You are not packing for entertainment. You are packing for simplicity, comfort, humility, and a few days where your nervous system can stop negotiating with unnecessary things.
The best packing list is not the longest one.
It is the one that helps you arrive prepared, clean, grounded, and undistracted.
At Camino al Sol, our retreats take place near Medellín, Colombia, in the Andean mountains of Antioquia. The climate can be warm during the day, cool at night, and wet without much warning. Ceremony happens at night. Rest happens in simple nature. Preparation matters.
This guide will help you pack well without overpacking.
The short ayahuasca retreat packing list
If you only want the essentials, bring:
- Loose, comfortable ceremony clothing
- Warm layers for night
- Light daytime clothing
- Rain jacket or poncho
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Sandals or slip-on shoes
- Toiletries without strong scents
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Towel if your retreat asks you to bring one
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Reusable water bottle
- Journal and pen
- Headlamp or small flashlight
- Passport or ID
- Cash in local currency
- Phone charger and power bank
- Any approved medications, clearly labeled
- Personal comfort item, kept simple
Before packing anything unusual, ask the retreat center.
Especially with medication, supplements, herbs, or psychoactive substances.
This page is educational and does not replace medical advice. Do not stop or change medication without speaking with a qualified medical professional.
If you are in crisis, experiencing suicidal thoughts, psychosis, chest pain, severe withdrawal, or another urgent medical issue, seek emergency care immediately.
Clothing for ceremony
Ceremony clothing should be comfortable, quiet, modest, and easy to move in.
Choose loose pants, soft shirts, long sleeves, shawls, sweaters, or simple layers. Natural fabrics like cotton or linen can feel better on the body, especially when emotions, temperature, and sensitivity shift during the night.
Avoid tight waistbands. Avoid clothing that makes noise when you move. Avoid anything you will worry about damaging or staining.
Dark or neutral colors are usually practical. Some traditions use white clothing, but unless your retreat specifically asks for it, comfort and respect matter more than appearance.
Bring at least one full change of ceremony clothing.
The body can sweat. You may feel cold. You may want something clean after ceremony. Small practical things matter when the night is long.
Warm layers for night
Even in Colombia, nights in the mountains can get cold.
Bring a sweater, hoodie, fleece, shawl, or light jacket. A beanie or warm socks can also help if you tend to get cold easily.
During ceremony, the body may move through heat, chills, sweating, stillness, and fatigue. You do not want to be distracted because you packed for the daytime but forgot the night.
Simple layers are best.
You can add. You can remove. You can stay with the work.
Daytime clothing
For the day, bring light and breathable clothing.
You may spend time resting, walking, eating, journaling, speaking with facilitators, or sitting quietly in nature. You do not need much.
A good daytime packing list includes:
- T-shirts or breathable tops
- Loose pants or shorts
- Socks
- Underwear
- Light sweater
- Hat or cap
- Rain layer
Do not bring your city wardrobe.
A retreat is not a place to perform an identity. It is a place to become simple enough to listen.
Shoes
Bring two types of footwear.
First, bring comfortable walking shoes. The ground may be uneven, wet, muddy, or steep depending on the retreat location and weather.
Second, bring sandals or slip-on shoes. These are useful when moving between lodging, bathrooms, and ceremony areas.
Avoid brand-new hiking boots unless they are already broken in. A blister is small, but during retreat it becomes a loud teacher.
Toiletries and hygiene
Bring simple personal hygiene items:
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Soap
- Shampoo if needed
- Deodorant
- Hairbrush or comb
- Menstrual products if needed
- Small towel if required
- Lip balm
- Personal medications already approved by the retreat team
Avoid strong fragrances.
Perfume, cologne, scented lotions, essential oils, and heavy hair products can disturb others. During ceremony, sensitivity can increase. What feels pleasant at home may feel overwhelming in the ceremonial space.
Choose unscented or lightly scented products whenever possible.
Insect repellent and sun protection
Bring insect repellent.
Long sleeves and pants can also help, especially around dusk and at night. If you are sensitive to bites, prepare seriously.
Bring sunscreen and a hat for daytime. The sun can be strong, especially if you are outside after a night of little sleep.
These things are not spiritual. They are practical.
Practical is part of spiritual.
Water bottle
Bring a reusable water bottle.
A bottle around 750 ml to 1 litre is usually enough for daily use without becoming bulky. Hydration matters, especially in a retreat setting where your body may be moving through strong physical and emotional processes.
Do not bring a fragile bottle. Do not bring something complicated.
Bring something you will actually use.
Journal and pen
A journal is one of the most useful things you can bring.
Not because every insight must be written down. Some things need silence. But after ceremony, writing can help you remember what mattered before the mind starts editing the experience.
Bring a pen that works. Bring a backup.
Write simply:
- What did I see clearly?
- What did I feel?
- What am I being asked to change?
- What do I need to do when I return home?
Insight without integration fades quickly.
For support after ceremony, read our guide to ayahuasca integration.
Documents, money, and travel basics
For an ayahuasca retreat in Colombia, bring:
- Passport
- Travel insurance details if you have them
- Emergency contact information
- Retreat address
- Local cash
- Bank card
- Phone with offline access to key details
- Copies or photos of important documents
Do not assume you will always have signal.
Save the retreat location, contact details, transport instructions, and emergency information offline.
If you are traveling internationally, keep your documents organized and easy to access. Retreat begins before ceremony. It begins in how you arrive.
Electronics
Bring fewer electronics than you think.
Useful electronics include:
- Phone
- Charger
- Power bank
- Universal adapter if traveling internationally
- Headlamp or small flashlight
A headlamp is especially useful at night. Choose one with a low-light setting so you are not shining bright light into the space.
Do not bring ceremony distractions.
You do not need a laptop unless you are traveling before or after the retreat and truly need it. You do not need speakers. You do not need recording equipment.
Also, ask before taking photos.
Some spaces, people, and moments are not yours to capture.
Medication and supplements
This is important.
Do not bring medication or supplements casually and assume they are fine.
Ayahuasca can interact with certain medications and substances, including some antidepressants, psychiatric medications, stimulants, opioids, and other drugs. Some medical and psychological histories require careful review before participation.
At Camino al Sol, every applicant goes through medical and psychological screening before acceptance. This is not a formality. It is part of the container.
Bring only medications that have been disclosed and approved through the screening process. Keep them in original packaging when possible.
Do not stop medication on your own.
Do not hide medication use from the retreat team.
Do not mix ayahuasca with alcohol, recreational drugs, or unapproved substances.
For more, read our page on ayahuasca safety.
Food and snacks
Ask your retreat before bringing snacks.
Many retreats have preparation guidelines around food, alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, sexual activity, and certain habits before ceremony. These guidelines vary by tradition and center.
If snacks are allowed, keep them simple:
- Plain nuts
- Fruit
- Simple crackers
- Herbal tea if approved
- Light, dieta-friendly food
Avoid processed snacks, heavy sugar, alcohol, cannabis products, and anything the retreat has asked you not to bring.
Food is not only fuel before ceremony. It is part of preparation.
You can read more in our ayahuasca diet and preparation guide.
Personal objects
You may want to bring one small personal object.
A necklace. A photo. A small prayer item. Something that reminds you why you came.
Keep it simple.
Do not bring an altar in your bag. Do not bring a suitcase full of symbolic objects. The medicine does not need decoration.
Taita Diego says, “To count to one hundred, you have to start with one.”
The basics are enough.
What not to bring
Leave these behind:
- Alcohol
- Recreational drugs
- Cannabis unless explicitly discussed and cleared, which is uncommon
- Unapproved supplements or herbs
- Perfume or cologne
- Loud plastic bags or noisy bedding
- Expensive jewelry
- Revealing or uncomfortable clothing
- Work equipment unless truly necessary
- Expectations of being “fixed”
- A performance of spirituality
That last one matters.
You do not need to look spiritual. You need to be honest.
Packing for a retreat near Medellín, Colombia
For a retreat near Medellín, pack for mountain weather.
The city may feel warm. The retreat land may feel cooler, wetter, quieter, and more exposed to the elements. Rain can come quickly. Nights can ask for layers.
Your Colombia-specific packing list should include:
- Light rain jacket
- Warm night layer
- Comfortable shoes with grip
- Insect repellent
- Sun protection
- Cash in Colombian pesos
- Offline maps and retreat contact details
- Simple clothing that can handle mud, rain, and nature
Camino al Sol holds retreats at Yaugara, a nature reserve and botanical garden in the Andean mountains of Antioquia. It is beautiful. It is also real land.
Pack like you respect the land.
If you are exploring ceremony in Colombia, you can learn more about our ayahuasca retreat in Colombia or our ayahuasca retreat near Medellín.
The deeper packing list
There is also what you bring inside.
Bring patience.
Bring humility.
Bring respect for the tradition, the people holding the space, the other participants, and the part of yourself that may be afraid.
Bring fewer expectations.
The medicine does not obey your itinerary. It does not perform on command. It does not exist to confirm the story you already believe about yourself.
Taita Diego says, “The important thing is where you are going to drink, and who you are going to drink with.”
That is the real preparation.
Not just what is in your backpack.
The container matters. The screening matters. The tradition matters. The way you return to life afterward matters.
If this resonates, you can explore the Camino al Sol application process here: apply for screening.
