Careers

At Country Walkers we pride ourselves on our expert, local guides and recognize that an amazing guide makes an unforgettable trip! We welcome applications for new guides but ask that you first review the following section to see if you meet the required criteria:

What we look for in a potential Guide:

• Superb people and customer service skills: outgoing, confident, and fun personality; being at ease when speaking to groups and being a spirited conversationalist.

• Intimate knowledge about and expertise in your region whether it be natural history, art, architecture, food, wine, cultural and political history, geology, music, folklore, or local flora and fauna.

• Residence in or near the region in which you guide.

• English and local language fluency.

• Full guide licensing for your region (if applicable).

• Experience in handling multiple logistics; ability to problem solve.

• Ability to communicate well with local vendors including hotels, restaurants, and transportation companies.

• Passion for walking and the outdoors.

• Physical fitness: able to walk up to 10 miles per day in all weather and able to lift and carry luggage and a day pack of up to 50 lbs.

• Ability to work and connect with a co-guide; including sharing a room on tour with a guide of the same gender.

• Where relevant, the ability to safely drive a 12-15 passenger van; valid drivers’ license and clean driving record.

• Ability to handle and manage a tour budget.

• First aid skills and CPR (or equivalent) certification.

• Prior guiding is strongly recommended but not required.

When and how to apply:

We recruit and schedule guides on a year-round basis, however, most of the scheduling is confirmed during the late fall or early winter for the following year.

Guiding for Country Walkers:

• Guides are paid a daily rate. All tour-related expenses are covered by Country Walkers. Some guides may lead only 2-3 trips a year while others may guide 6-8 trips. Guides are NOT able to work full-time, year-round with us due to the limited number of departures we offer in each region.

A guide’s primary role is to ensure our guests experience an excellent vacation with Country Walkers and support our mission of ‘positively impacting people’s lives through active travel experiences.’

APPLY ONLINE

Thank you for your interest in guiding for Country Walkers!

Job Description:

-Access client-facing documents from VBT’s on-line web portal

-Bike handling: pre-trip: prep bikes at bike operator storage and post-trip: clean & return to storage

-Get bikes to/from VBT storage to starting hotel

-Conduct welcome meeting/bike fitting/Ride with GPS intro (~90 mins) w/ clients on day 1

-Provide “on-call phone support” to guests for required number of days (varies by destination)

-Handle emergencies by phone, and or in extreme circumstances in person (usually rare, compensation provided)

Qualifications:

-Enjoys meeting people

-Regional knowledge

-Energy, enthusiasm, attention to detail

-Valid driver’s license, clean driving record

-Able to lift and carry bicycles up to 50 lbs

-Basic bike maintenance skills or cyclist knowledge helpful but not required

Details:

-4-day to 7-day programs with up to 12 dates throughout the season

-One full-day in-person commitment you are compensated for being “on-call” by telephone, and in-person only for high-level emergency

-Paid training provided

-Own transportation required

-Weekly payment depends on the number of clients per departure. Range from approximately $350 to $720 (client numbers range from 2 to 12).

APPLY HERE!