What drives the price
Qualification and terrain: an IFMGA guide on a glacier works at a legally tighter ratio than an international mountain leader on marked trails, so fewer people share the same day rate.
Group size and ratio: the guide charges for the day; splitting it between four walkers instead of two roughly halves the cost per person.
Trip length and logistics: multi-day hut-to-hut trips include the guide's own hut nights, meals and travel, which are normally added to the day rate.
Season and region: peak summer weeks and high-demand massifs sit above shoulder-season dates in quieter ranges.
Usually included vs usually extra
Usually included: the guide's time, route planning, safety management, and group technical equipment such as ropes and, where relevant, avalanche gear.
Usually extra: your own hut nights and meals, lift passes, permits, insurance, and travel to the meeting point. Every tour listing on MadeToHike states this explicitly rather than leaving it to be discovered later.
Related questions
Is the price per person or per group?
Guides charge per day for the group up to their maximum ratio. Marketplaces usually display it per person for comparison, which is why the per-person figure drops as the group fills.
Do I tip a mountain guide?
Tipping is not expected in the Alps and is never required. It happens, and it is always a personal choice rather than part of the price.