During the 4-day Inca Trailand this trek only, the group consists of trekkers and our staff, included in the price, which is composed of one or more guides, one or more cooks and porters. The Inca Trail trek is limited to 500 people per day, including staff. Being composed of 40% hikers and 60% staff, we prefer to say that the trek is limited to 200 people per day. Our staff represents more than half of the total number of authorized persons.
There are two types of porters: porters included in the price called group porters, and personal porters, who are optional and who you can hire at the price of US$ 199 for the entire duration of the trek.
It should be noted that all porters are authorized by the Government to operate and must have a license to access the Inca Trail.
Group porters, included in the price, are responsible for carrying the group gear for the whole group, such as food, water, tents, tables and chairs for meals, kitchen equipment, first aid equipment including an oxygen tank, an emergency short-wave radio. Since they are included in the limit of 500 people per day and they are proportional to the number of hikers, our Agency reserves these porters when booking your trek. For example, if you are 3 hikers who book the trek, our agency pays your final reservation to the Government for 3 people and about 4 porters. This reservation is final and nominative.
Personal porters are optional and can carry your belongings. Since they too are included in the limit of 500 people per day, it is strongly recommended to add them when booking. Their role is simple: carry your belongings, whatever they are, during the 4 days of the trek. In general, they carry your personal belongings, the sleeping bag (rented or not), the sleeping pad (included in the price). Like the content, the container is not important either in form or quantity. For example, you can give them 1 backpack, or 2 cloth bags, or a duffle bag. There is only one restriction for porters: they can only carry up to 15 kilos or33 pounds.
It should be noted that the porters do not walk with the rest of the group during the hike. They leave in the morning when the campsite is uninstalled and walk faster to arrive before lunch. The same applies to the afternoon. This is why you should not entrust the porters with your belongings for the trek itself, such as your water, cereal bars, cap, camera, etc.
The number of personal porters for hire is not limited. For example, if you are 3 trekkers, you can choose to take 1, 2, 3, 4 porters. Porters can also be shared. You can "share" the porter's load between several hikers; this is what is done, for example, for children or adolescents when only one porter carries their belongings.
As mentioned above, porters are part of the limit of 500 people per day for the trek. Since spaces sell out quickly, we strongly recommend that you choose to take a personal porter when booking online. If you choose to add a personal porter after booking, there must be places available. Nevertheless, and if you are lucky, you can sometimes "take" a group porter of another trekker who has cancelled the trek if our Agency decides to release them allowing them to be available again.
Finally, please note that as porters are booked, assigned and paid for immediately after your reservation, it is not possible to cancel them if you have chosen one when booking.