Peaks & Pathways Tour
Peru
Exploring the Sacred Valley
on a Quest for Psilocybe collybioides
Get Your Ticket Now!
January 21st - 30th 2027
Join us on an extraordinary journey to discover biodiversity and culture in the heart of the Peruvian Andes. Enjoy comfortable accommodations at three unique eco-resorts and try a variety of local foods. Travel alongside an inspiring group of peers to explore Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and the cloud forests surrounding Machu Picchu. Dive into an engaging, hands-on adventure that will highlight Peru's breathtaking natural diversity and deep cultural roots. Participants will have opportunities to connect with scientists, local guides, and fellow explorers on this fun scientific foray through one of the planet’s most celebrated countries.
Need all the juicy details? Scroll down to click on the questionnaire - it has all the information you'll need for this trip!
Journey through the clouds in:
00
DAYS
00
HRS
00
MINS
00
SECS
ARE YOU READY TO SEE NEW SPECIES?
Alan Rockefeller and Mandie Quark are mycologists, photographers, and founders of Mycena LLC. Combining deep fungal expertise with extensive field experience, they share a passion for documenting mushroom diversity and inspiring others to explore the world.
Dennis Walker is a writer, comedian, and founder of Mycopreneur, a media platform exploring mushroom culture and entrepreneurship. Through his podcast and international events, he brings together fungi enthusiasts and innovators with curiosity and humor.
Location Details
Stay at Las Qolqas EcoResort in Ollantaytambo
Las Qolqas EcoLodge is a peaceful retreat near Ollantaytambo surrounded by dramatic Andean scenery. Enjoy Peruvian cuisine with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, including produce grown in the lodge’s own gardens. Enjoy comfortable safari-style tents with private patios, cozy wood stoves, and hot showers.
Explore Mandor Nature Reserve near Machu Picchu
Mandor Nature Sanctuary & EcoLodge is a family-run retreat tucked behind Machu Picchu, away from the tourist crowds. We’ll spend a full day foraying along their forest trails, searching for fungi, spotting hummingbirds and orchids, and exploring our way to a spectacular waterfall.
Stay at Lizzy Wasi in Urubamba
Lizzy Wasi is a welcoming retreat space in Urubamba, surrounded by dramatic views of the Sacred Valley’s mountains. Inviting accommodations feature an expansive green property and beautiful gardens. Enjoy meals featuring locally sourced ingredients and a convenient location, within walking distance of Urubamba’s main square, Plaza de Armas.
Snapshot of Local Species
First described by Singer in 1958 at high altitudes in Argentina, Psilocybe collybioides remained elusive for the next seven decades. In January 2022 our guide Iván rediscovered it in the Cusco region of Peru, capturing the first-ever photographs of this species. Now, after a recent fire scarred the forest where he found it, our journey takes on a special purpose. Together with Iván, we’ll search Andean forests on a quest to find and photograph another population, document its habitat, and add a new chapter to this remarkable mycological story.
Only our experienced guide will collect fungi, with permits and permissions.
Mycena's forays bring the most delightful people together from a variety of fields and interests; novice to expert, with absolutely no air of elitism. Questions are welcome and enthusiastically answered. Trip leaders are extremely knowledgeable, nimble, and just fun to be around. It's like grown-up summer camp and I absolutely love traveling with them. The two trips I've taken have been nothing short of transformational.
Incredibly expansive and fulfilling experience! The expert guides, the stunning locations, the abundant nature and the enthusiastic energy opened up my perspective and reinvigorated my passion for life - in all of its shapes and forms. Highly recommended these experiences for anyone who wants to live fully!
I was a newcomer to many aspects of this experience, and I was apprehensive at the beginning. I'm not a trained scientist, and I hadn't been on a group trip in a long time. But it didn't matter. The people who go on these forays are incredibly talented, dedicated, kind, supportive, and inclusive, and you will come away wanting to be more like them, and excited see them again on the next trip.
Thank you sooooo much for all the work you do in conversation and sharing your knowledge with all of us. Not only was the trip amazing, but I think the community you were able to build will result in lasting friendships. This was the trip of a lifetime - I am so grateful I found the advertisement and signed up!
This trip [to Colombia] exceeded every expectation I had. Cannot recommend Alan and Mandie enough! The guides and all the other attendees on the trip were equally amazing. I hope to attend many more Mycena forays in the future!
I cried when we got home. The entire group connectedness and flow of our trip was quite unique and special. I did not expect to have such a deep and enriching experience, especially since I'm not a scientist. But your group experience is what I aspire toward.
Join Us!
Visit the Peruvian Andes, where ancient Inca pathways wind through mountain valleys. Discover the region’s remarkable biodiversity, culture, and architecture. Join us to create memories that will last a lifetime!
