1

What is the exorbitant price? A typical amount for a porter is $70, this buys their entrance to the Inca Trail, pays them the legal wage and also includes a small profit for the agency as they're not going to organise it for free.

I have heard of people hiring porters in the village of Wayllabamba - this is the first campsite on the trek so you'd have to carry your gear until there and then negotiate a rate when you're there. If you're not camping in Wayllabamba and a lot of companies don't camp there then you might have to do this very quickly as you passed through the village.

As far as I'm aware if you book a porter in Cusco it would have to be through the agency you booked with - the porter needs to have their permit added to the group you're going with and due to stupid regulations new permits for porters can only be bought when tourists are added to the group.

2

definitely has to be booked with the same agency. If you pay more than around $120 its too much. I think $100 is around the going rate which isn't too bad for 4 days I don't think. Would you carry someone else's bags for $25 per day?

3

$100 may have been the going rate, but it's more like $120-140 now, depending on the company. I don't think that's at all exorbitant for a person to carry 15kg of your stuff for four days. If you're going to economize, don't do it off the backs of the poorest.

On the other hand, charging $30 to hire a sleeping bag for three nights is a rip off. You can easily buy one for less than that.

4

righton rainbow!!! and matt!!! i am not sure what you mean by an additional porter?? they carry all your food and stuff si o no? if you can't carry 15 kilos, well!!!!! or cut it down to 8 or 9 kilos. how much STUFF do you need for a couple of days. i really don't mean to be disrespectful! have fun . lucky you!!! and the GUIDE doesn't get all of the $25. prob around 10!!!!!

5

$140 would only be for someone to carry the full 14kg, hardly anyone takes that amount on the trek. I travelled around all of Peru with less than that on my back.

For 7kg which is plenty you pay $70, that is based on the prices that I know from 4 agencies.

6

I think we're stuck on the terminology, not prices. It costs $120-140 to hire a porter. Most people don't have 14kg worth of stuff, so they share a porter with another person. You can hire a 'half-porter' for $70, maybe a bit cheaper depending on the company.

7

Thanks. I was being charged $130 for the full 14 kilos (to be split between me and my friend). So sounds like it is in the right range.