Certified hiking guides are professionals authorized by law to lead groups in the outdoors.
Their activities are regulated by Italian national law (n. 6 of 1989) and regional laws (in Lombardy, n. 26 of 2002), which specifically name mountain guides and hiking guides as the only professionals who can lead people on mountain hikes.
In the Lombardy region, certified hiking guides have passed an entrance exam, attended a 55-day course (spread over an entire year), passing eventually a final exam and a certification exam.
Hiking guides are members of the regional board of mountain guides, which guarantees the guides' continuing professional education, diligence, and physical fitness.
Certified hiking guides have been trained in all cultural aspects related to the mountains (botany, zoology, geology, environmental issues, history and folklore), as well as in hiking technical skills.