The five steps
1. Match the guide to the terrain. Glacier travel, via ferrata and roped climbing need an IFMGA mountain guide. Marked summer trails and hut-to-hut walking are the remit of an IML/UIMLA international mountain leader or a national hiking-guide award.
2. Check the qualification is current. Ask for the awarding body and membership number, then verify it with that body. Every guide on MadeToHike uploads their certification and it is checked before the profile goes live.
3. Agree the plan in writing. Route, meeting point, dates, group size, guide-to-client ratio, and the bad-weather alternative.
4. Confirm what the price includes — huts, meals, lifts, permits, technical equipment and the guide's own expenses are all handled differently by different guides.
5. Pay the deposit through a channel that leaves a record, and read the cancellation terms before you do.
What to have ready
Your dates and how flexible they are, the number of people and their walking experience, any medical or dietary needs, and your travel plan to the meeting point. Guides can plan a realistic day far faster with those four things in hand.
Related questions
How far in advance should I book a mountain guide?
For popular summer routes in the Alps and Dolomites, three to six months ahead is normal — huts book out before guides do. Off-peak day trips can often be arranged within a week or two.
Can I book a guide for just one day?
Yes. Single guided days are the most commonly booked format, and most guides also offer half days for acclimatisation, skills or a rest-day walk.