Our Inca Trail Super Porters
When you decided to book the 4 day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, you must have heard about the incredibly strong people that carry all your equipment and help the tourists / hikers all along the trail.
You will also learn that among them is a man who still has enough energy to cook amazing meals for our hikers without regular kitchen equipment, and in the middle of nowhere. Those people are our Inca Trail Super Porters and When you decide to book the 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, you must have heard about the incredibly strong people who carry all your equipment and help tourists and hikers along the trail.
These amazing individuals are our Inca Trail Super Porters and Cooks. They are the heart and soul of every expedition, working together to transport supplies from campsite to campsite across rugged Andean terrain. At Inti Sun Trek, we recognize that our porters are the true heroes of the Inca Trail, and we make sure they are treated with the dignity, care, and respect they deserve.
Our Team and Commitment
Every year, Inti Sun Trek proudly employs over 100 porters, 10 professional cooks, and 10 licensed tour guides as part of our Inca Trail operation. We provide our team with high-quality, company-issued gear to ensure safety and comfort while working on the trail. This includes:
- Durable duffel bags Trekking pants and jackets
- Warm hats and T-shirts
- Trekking shoes and rain gear
- Lumbar safety belts and supportive backpacks
Most importantly, every porter working with us is fully insured, with health insurance paid by Inti Sun Trek, because their well-being is our highest priority.
Our Commitment to Law No. 31624 on Porter Workers
At Inti Sun Trek, we are committed to strict compliance with Law No. 31624, which regulates the working conditions of porters along the Inca Trail network.
Here is how our company aligns with this legislation:
Formal Employment Relationship: All our porters are formally employed under the private labor regime, ensuring their full protection and recognition of their labor rights.
Compliance with Minimum Age and Load Limits: We strictly adhere to the regulation that sets the minimum age for porters at 18. Additionally, we rigorously follow the load limits: 20 kg for men and 15 kg for women, ensuring their safety and health at work.
Work Hours and Adequate Rest: We ensure that our porters’ workweek does not exceed 48 hours, in accordance with the mandatory rest period of 5 days between expeditions, safeguarding their physical and mental well-being.
Supervised Working Conditions: We provide our porters with all necessary resources for safe performance, including nutritious meals, proper clothing, lumbar belts, and full camping gear to ensure they rest in secure and comfortable conditions.
Fair and Transparent Compensation
At Inti Sun Trek, we ensure that all our porters receive fair pay in accordance with Law No. 31624:
- Male Porters: Each male porter earns a minimum of S/138 per day. Over a 4-day expedition, a male porter will earn a total of S/552 soles. Male porters carry a maximum of 20 kg of equipment.
- Female Porters: Female porters earn the same minimum wage of S/138 per day. Over a 4-day expedition, a female porter will earn a total of S/552 soles . Female porters carry a maximum of 15 kg of equipment, respecting the established load limits for their safety.
- Cooks: Porters who work as cooks receive a 30% increase over the base wage. This means a cook earns S/179.40 per day (S/138 + S/41.40). Over a 4-day expedition, the cook will earn a total of S/717.60 soles.
Our Promise and Social Impact
Beyond their work on the trail, we also care about their well-being at home. Inti Sun Trek supports several social projects in the local communities where many of our porters and cooks come from. These include annual medical check-ups, school supply donations for their children, and training programs that help them improve their skills and advance in their careers.
We are proud that many of our former porters have gone on to become assistant guides and licensed tour leaders after years of experience and support from our team. Seeing them grow and succeed is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.
What is Inti Sun Trek planning to do for their porters in 2026?
At Inti Sun Trek, we are planning to do following things:
1.) Train all porters in first aid because we understand that they are our only support along the trail.
2.) Provide them with First Aid Kits.
3.) Supply each of our porters with new sleeping bags and mats. During our first 10 years as Inca Trail operators, we realized that some porters do not have good professional sleeping bags and mats. With this, we will ensure that they will have a good rest to continue their amazing job the next day.
Can we have time to interact with the Inti Sun Trek porters?
Of course! In the afternoon on the first day of your Inca Trail hike, you will have the opportunity to get to know the porters you hike with. You can even amaze our porters with your knowledge of Quechua!
Here are some phrases in Quechua that you can use along the trail:
| English | Quechua |
| Hello | Rimaykullaykil |
| Hi | Napaykullayki |
| Friend,Brother | Waykicha |
| What is your name? | Iman Sutiyki? |
| My Name is Jesus… | Ñuqap sutiymi.Jesus. |
| Good day | Allin p’unchay |
| Goodbye | Tupananchis-kama |
| Bye | Ratukama |
| Yes | Arí |
| Not | Manan |
| How are you? | Allichu? |
| Thank you | Sulpayki |
| You’re welcome | Imamanta |
| Excuse me | Dispinsayuway |
| Sorry | Pampachayuway |
Use some of these words in Quechua to ask your porter their name and about their family. If you can not get the pronunciation, your guide will be able to help you and translate the Quechua words so that you can communicate with them.
At Inti Trek, we guarantee that we will always give our porters a good salary, health insurance, and free, well maintained gear. Jesus Villafuerte, the founder of Inti Sun Trek, became a porter on the Inca Trail while also studying at a local university. He soon realized the importance of proper treatment of porters.
