Signature Experience I · Private
Pago a la Tierra: a Private Pachamama Offering and Coca Leaf Reading with a Native Paqo
A private four-hour ceremony in the hills above Cusco, led by a native Quechua paqo, an Andean ritual elder. He reads the coca leaves for each of you, then builds a despacho, a gift of thanks to Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the apus, the sacred mountains, on behalf of your family.
- Duration
- 4 Hours · Morning or afternoon, any day by request
- Group
- Private · 1 to 8 guests
- Where
- A quiet private site in the hills above Cusco
- Pace
- Gentle: seated ceremony, short walk on arrival
Request your dates. We confirm within 24 hours, then send a secure payment link.
Why only Auqui can offer this
This is a ceremony, not a show. Our paqo serves his own community, and we bring only one private group at a time, never a bus of visitors. Your Auqui guide translates every word from Quechua and Spanish, explains each offering as it is placed, and steps back when the paqo prays.
Best for: Couples, families and anyone marking a milestone, a new beginning or a journey through the Andes
How the experience unfolds
Pickup
Private transfer from your hotel
Your guide meets you at your hotel in Cusco and drives you up to the ceremony site. On the way you learn how Andean families still give thanks to the earth before sowing, building a house or starting a journey.
Arrival
Welcome with the k’intu
The paqo greets you in Quechua. Each guest chooses three perfect coca leaves, a k’intu, breathes an intention into them and offers them to the mountains. It is the oldest greeting in the Andes.
First hour
Coca leaf reading, privately for each guest
The paqo lets the leaves fall on his woven cloth, the unkhuña, and reads how they land: health, family, work and the road ahead. Your guide interprets quietly, one person at a time, so each reading stays yours.
Second hour
Building the despacho
On a sheet of paper the paqo arranges a mandala of gifts: k’intus of coca, grains of corn and quinoa, sweets, flowers, llama fat (untu), shells and a little wine and chicha. You add your own k’intus with each prayer for the people you love.
Closing
Giving the offering to Pachamama
The despacho is folded, tied and given to the earth by fire or burial, as the paqo decides. You close with a toast of chicha shared with Pachamama, then return to your hotel.
What’s included
- Private ceremony led by a native Quechua paqo, for your group only
- Personal coca leaf reading for every guest
- All ceremonial offerings for the despacho
- Bilingual Auqui guide interpreting from Quechua and Spanish into English
- Private transport with hotel pickup and return in Cusco
- Coca tea, chicha and an Andean snack
- Bottled water and oxygen in the vehicle
Not included
- Gratuities for the paqo and guide (optional)
- Hotels outside central Cusco (Sacred Valley pickup on request)
Good to know
- No plant medicine is used. The only plant in the ceremony is the coca leaf, which you may chew or simply hold.
- Photos are welcome at the welcome and of the finished despacho, only when the paqo agrees. Please keep phones away during the readings and prayers.
- August is the month of Pachamama, when families across the Andes make their offerings. The ceremony runs all year.
- Coca leaves are legal in Peru but not in most other countries. Please do not pack them in your luggage.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a real ceremony or a performance?
It is the same despacho the paqo makes for Andean families, with the same offerings and prayers. Nothing is shortened for visitors. That is why we run it for one private group at a time.
Do I need to be religious or spiritual?
No. Guests of every faith and of none take part. The paqo asks only that you come with respect and a sincere intention, for yourself or for someone you love.
Who is the paqo?
A paqo is a Quechua ritual elder, trained over many years by older paqos to read coca leaves and make offerings to Pachamama and the apus. Ours is a native Quechua speaker from a highland community who still serves his own people.
What language is the ceremony in?
The paqo prays in Quechua and speaks Spanish. Your Auqui guide translates everything into English, quietly and in real time.
Can children take part?
Yes. Children are welcome and often love building the despacho. The readings can be kept short and gentle for younger guests.
Can it be combined with another day?
Yes. Many guests book it on their second day in Cusco, as a calm start before a trek, or at the end of a journey as a way to give thanks. We can also hold it in the Sacred Valley.
Pago a la Tierra: Pachamama Offering & Coca Leaf Reading
From $195 per person, private for 2 guests. 4 Hours, private, on the date you choose.