Inca Trek by Destination Peru’s Lares porters and cooks, and our guides, are paid in full at the end of every trek at or above the rate set by Peru’s porters’ union and government, and carry loads weighed at the checkpoint.
Answered by Jared Snow, founder, and our team in Cusco · Last updated: October 12, 2026
We provide boots, packs, rain gear, warm layers and their own tents. Tips go straight to the crew and are split among them. We follow Peru's Porter Law (Ley 31614): loads of up to 20 kg for men and 15 kg for women, weighed at the trail checkpoint, and pay at or above the legal minimum set by the government and the porters' union.
| Where the crew is from | Porters and cooks from the Lares valley |
|---|---|
| Pay | In full at the end of every trek, at or above the rate set by the porters' union and the Peruvian government |
| Law we follow | Ley N° 31614, Peru's Porter Worker Law, published 11 Nov 2022 |
| Load limit | Up to 20 kg for men, 15 kg for women, weighed at the trail checkpoint |
| Gear we provide | Boots, packs, rain gear, warm layers and their own tents |
| Meals and sleeping | Meals on every trek day and their own tents |
| Tips | Go straight to the crew, split among them |
| Minimum age | No porters under 18 (Ley 31614, Art. 9) |
The ones that can tell you, in plain words, what they pay against, how loads are checked and what gear they provide. Inca Trek by Destination Peru pays every porter, cook and guide in full at the end of every trek, at or above the daily rate set by the porters' union and the Peruvian government. We do not publish the figure because it is set by law and the union and changes; we publish the rule. Ask any operator you compare the same three questions: what rate do you pay against, who weighs the loads, and who buys the boots.
Ley N° 31614, the New Porter Worker Law (Nueva Ley del Trabajador Porteador), was published on 11 November 2022. It sets a load limit of up to 20 kg for men and 15 kg for women (Art. 6.b), a minimum daily pay of at least 3% of Peru's UIT tax unit (Art. 8.1), and requires the employer to provide food, suitable clothing, protective gear, a lumbar belt, sun protection and overnight gear (Art. 6.a), plus SCTR work-risk insurance and life insurance (Art. 6.a and 11). It caps the week at 48 hours (Art. 5) and bars porters under 18 (Art. 9). Loads are weighed at the trail checkpoint under these rules.
Every porter's load is weighed at the trail checkpoint before the trek starts. The limit under Ley 31614 is 20 kg for men and 15 kg for women. Your personal duffel is carried within the approved allowance, which is why we set an allowance rather than letting guests hand over whatever they packed.
Boots, packs, rain gear, warm layers and tents of their own.
Licensed, English-speaking guides, dedicated to your party for the whole trek. Most of our team has hiked with us for years. On the trail the guide sets the pace to your party, because on a private trek there is no group to keep up with.
Yes, all of them. Tips go straight to the team and are split among them. Tips are not part of pay: wages are paid in full at the end of every trek whether or not a guest tips. Gratuities are listed as a separate cost on the price page so nobody is surprised at the end of day four. See the full private 5-day Inca Trail, how 2027 permits work, and about us.
Ask any operator what rate it pays against, who weighs the loads and what gear it provides. Inca Trek by Destination Peru pays its porters in full at the end of every trek at or above the rate set by the porters' union and the Peruvian government, weighs loads at the trail checkpoint to the Ley 31614 limits of 20 kg for men and 15 kg for women, and provides boots, packs, rain gear, warm layers and tents.
Under Peru's Porter Law (Ley 31614) up to 20 kg for men and 15 kg for women, weighed at the trail checkpoint. Inca Trek by Destination Peru keeps to those limits, which is why guests' duffels have an approved allowance.
Yes, at or above it. Ley 31614 sets the minimum daily pay for porters at 3% of Peru's UIT tax unit, and the porters' union and the government set the going rate. Inca Trek by Destination Peru pays at or above that rate, in full, at the end of every trek. We do not publish a number because the rate is set outside our control and changes.
Our porters and cooks come from the Lares valley. Most of Inca Trek by Destination Peru's team has hiked with us for years, and each trek has its own guide, cook and porter team for your party only.
Tips are welcome and go straight to the crew, split among them, but they are on top of full pay, not instead of it. Inca Trek by Destination Peru lists gratuities as a separate cost so you can plan for it.
Tell us your dates and who’s coming. We’ll reply within one business day with your private 5-day proposal.
