Work where other people holiday
See capitals, coastlines and historic places not as a tourist but as part of your working week. London, Edinburgh and Dublin become your workplace.
Turn travelinto your profession.
Become a tour guide for Great Britain & Ireland — with real training, personal mentoring and direct access to work.
Online academy·Real assignments after you qualify
SAJC
1000+ active guides · since 2011
Why become a tour guide ?
Meet people from all over the world
Every trip brings new encounters. You look after guests from different countries, cultures and walks of life — and take something away from every tour yourself.
Create memories instead of routine
As a tour guide you do more than pass on facts. You create moments guests still talk about years later.
Work flexibly. Shape it your way.
Seasonal, part-time or full-time: you decide when, how often and on which tours you work. No standard office routine — real variety instead.
Show me the paths
Early-bird pricing · hotel optional · no prior experience needed
This could be your next step:
Inspiring people, showing them remarkable places and turning your passion into work as a tour guide — just like Christina.
This is exactly what awaits you.
What guides from our network say about the job, the training and life as a tour guide — many of them on video.
9 reviews from active guides
Being a tour guide is a great job: varied and rewarding. You get to travel, learn history and build your confidence.
Christina I.
England
Every day on tour is a great experience: meeting people, sharing history and taking on new challenges.
Shamal G.
England
The trainers are fantastic and share so much insider knowledge. I feel prepared for anything.
Alexandra S.
Germany
Being a tour guide is a wonderful job: travelling, sharing knowledge and creating unforgettable experiences with guests.
Johny C.
England
Working with you has been a real pleasure — thank you for the trust and the unforgettable tours we have shared.
Karl-Ludwig R.
England
After many years as a guide I am proud to be part of Tourguide Partner and this great team.
Lou L.
France
Sharing my passion for travel and history makes guiding a genuinely rewarding and inspiring profession.
Herman S.
Belgium
Learning on location from real experts made all the difference. I am ready for any challenge.
Philipp T.
Germany
Thank you for helping me build confidence and skills. Your programme was the perfect base — the rest is experience.
Pia G.
England
This could be your everyday life.
On the road together — from the Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coast.
Learn. Travel. Grow together.
London
St Paul's · Sunset Training
Cornwall
Atlantic Coast
Edinburgh
Calton Hill
Scotland
Whisky Distillery
Dublin
Temple Bar
From training to your first tour of your own.
Basic Training
2026 datesA weekend in Berlin
19 – 20 September · 09:00 — 18:00
SaturdaySunday
09:00
Briefing
11:00
Live tour
14:00
Workshop
17:00
Debrief
+8
Live
Step 01
Hands-on training on site
From the first briefing to a guided live tour: you learn where the real tours later take place.
Online academy
Self-pacedYour progress
2 of 6 modules completed
33%
Module 01
✓
Module 02
✓
Module 03
65%
Module 04
25%
Module 05
–
Module 06
–
Step 02
Access to the online academy
Flexible modules build on the London weekend — learn from anywhere, at your own pace, with support.
Step 03
Assessment and certificate
Written exam and live assessment. Your tour guide certificate opens the doors to the tour operators.
Tour requests
Live · 3 new
Your inbox
Straight from tour operators
London · Tower
Sat · 14:00·4h· 12
Edinburgh · Old Town
Sun · 10:00·6h· 8
Dublin · Trinity
Mon · 09:30·3h· 16
This week · 12 toursPayoutMo
Step 04
Your first assignments
Straight onto the booking platform — real tour requests, your own slots, paid from day one.
Our promise.
Everything you need to start out successfully as a tour guide.
01Hands-on from day one
No dry theory: you learn inside real tour situations and build practical experience with real guests.
02Personal mentoring
Experienced tour guides support you before, during and after the training — with honest feedback and real backing.
03A direct route into the job
Once you qualify you get access to the booking platform with real tour requests and your first assignments.
04No prior knowledge needed
You do not need any travel-industry experience. We take you through it step by step on your way to becoming a tour guide.
Who actually does what?
Three distinct roles in the industry — each with its own profile and its own training.
Tour Leader
Tour leaders accompany groups for several days or weeks and are the main point of contact for the whole trip. They handle logistics, transfers and looking after the guests.
Tour Guide
Tour guides lead guests through cities, landmarks and regions on the ground, sharing knowledge, stories and experiences as they go.
Cruise Guide
Cruise guides accompany cruise passengers on shore excursions and destination experiences, combining organisation, guest care and local expertise.
Which training fits you?
Three routes into the international tourism industry — hands-on, flexible and with real assignments at the end.
Next start: 17 October in Munich · small groups
★ Core programme · Recommended
Basic Training
Your entry as a tour leader.
For: Anyone starting out in the travel industry without prior experience.
- Hands-on workshop on site
- Online academy
- Certification
- Access to the booking platform
Early bird
£1,290£1,690
Local? No hotel needed — you save the overnight stay entirely.
🛏Travelling in? Optional hotel package: £180 (2 nights + breakfast, preferential rate)
Specialisation
Destination Training
Become a tour leader for whole regions.
Ideal if you already have the tour leader basics under your belt.
- Training in real destinations
- Routes and hotel practice
- Mentoring by senior guides
- Hotel and breakfast included
Specialisation · Cruise
Cruise Training
Specialise in shore excursions and cruise operations.
For: Experienced tour leaders.
- Cruise operations training
- Multi-stop tours
- Access to the cruise network
- Higher day rates possible
Specialise in the region of your choice.
Basic training and destination training in one package. Ready to work as a tour leader straight away and fully qualified as a tour leader in your chosen region.
£2,790£3,040Bundle saving −£250
Optional · Additional qualification
Chamber of Commerce certificate “TourGuide International Reiseleiter IHK”
Additionally examined by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce – including the open-ended International TourGuide ID card carrying the IKTS logo.
Your advantages
- Verifiable proof of competence for employers, tour operators and clients.
- A stronger professional profile for new duties, projects and assignments.
- More trust and clarity through an officially documented qualification.
- Practical preparation for the day-to-day demands of the job.
- A professional presence with guests, operators and business partners.
TourGuide Partner
International ID card
Tour Guide · Reiseleiter IHK
Nr. TG-0000-000Valid: open-endedLanguages: DE · ENIKTS · euro-tga
- Online or written exam, in German or English
- Open-ended certificate and open-ended ID card
- Additional exam language: €75
+ 495 €one-off · optional
The ID card is provided by euro-tga. The owner of euro-tga also chairs the RTGV (the German travel and tour guide association).
Included in every training
DIN EN 15565
The European standard for training and qualifying tour guides — the DNA of our 120-hour curriculum.
ITOL certification
International Tour Guide Licence (ITOL) — formal, internationally recognised confirmation of your qualification as a tour guide.
Secure payment
SSL-encrypted · Stripe Checkout
Does it pay off? Let us do the maths.
Pick your scenario — we show you how quickly the training pays for itself.
What you earn
~£3,270
per season
Fees + tips · before tax
What the training costs
£2,790
one-off
Bundle · Basic + Destination Training · early-bird price
After 3 tours your training has paid for itself — with £480 left over
How it adds up
3 tours × 7 days21 working days
21 days × £120/day (Tourleader)£2,520
+ tips £250 × 3 tours£750
Season total£3,270
View the programmes
Early-bird price valid until the cut-off · hotel optional · no prior experience needed
Conservative example · day rates (tour leader £120, tour guide £180) and tips (£250 per tour, range £250–£600) on 7-day tours · all figures GBP, before tax · no guarantee of specific assignments.
Meet the Experts.
Seven trainers, seven specialisations — all still working in the job, all with real passion.
01 / 07Ben Lehmann
Founder · Tour guide
Ben trains with passion and experience and regularly takes on the tour leader role himself — above all on his favourite trip through Cornwall, where he is especially fond of the cool climate. When he is not out leading a tour, Ben runs our courses or represents us at international trade fairs and events. His hands-on approach keeps him connected to every part of the business.
02 / 07Vivien Uhlig
Head Guide · Senior Trainer
Vivien is our head guide and a natural when it comes to preparing our tour leaders for their trips. She knows almost every one of our tours inside out and loves mastering the challenges each one brings. A passionate Londoner at heart, Vivien's love for the city knows no limits — from Harry Potter to the royals to the Thames and everything in between.
03 / 07Andrea George
Head of Training & Quality
Andrea is at the heart of our quality assurance and of training our tour leaders. A dedicated mentor, she has personally trained and inspired more than 70 new tour leaders, which is why 84% of our team brings multilingual expertise. Her deep understanding of what cruise guests expect shapes every training module and turns enthusiastic newcomers into professional ambassadors.
04 / 07Caroline Hüttl
Trainer · Presence & delivery
With over 20 years of experience as a presenter in live formats, on camera and on stage, I help people come across clearly, presently and authentically — especially in lively encounters with groups. My training is above all practical: things get tried out, applied immediately and developed with ease, so that presence feels natural rather than forced. Alongside my presenting and stage practice I also draw on coaching and positive psychology.
05 / 07Alexandra Schoettke-Nagel
Senior tour guide · UK & Ireland
Authentic, personal round trips through Great Britain and Ireland. With a lot of heart, humour and attention to detail. What matters most to me is showing guests not just the sights but the stories, the people and the particular atmosphere of these countries. Somewhere between solid knowledge, genuine insider moments and a large helping of British charm.
06 / 07Shamal Galetti
Senior tour guide · Scotland specialist
My core expertise is guiding and accompanying trips across the whole of Great Britain. In recent years I have specialised in Scotland in particular, along with Scottish history, culture and traditions. That specialisation lets me bring guests not only the scenic highlights but also the historical context and cultural detail, authentically and with substance.
07 / 07Pia Guttenson
Senior tour guide · Scotland specialist
Pia is our Scotland specialist and an author, best known for her humorous novels and Scotland-themed stories. Her work is strongly shaped by her passion for Celtic culture, the Scottish Highlands and the world of the Outlander books and series. She regularly hosts fan meet-ups, appears at book fairs and runs whisky tastings — and she takes you along on the destination trainings to Scotland.
Ready?
Start your new chapter as a tour guide.
- Training in London
- Online Academy
- First jobs as a guide
Basic Training Munich starts on 17 October in
11
Days
20
Hrs
06
Min
All training dates
- Basic Training MunichUp next17–18 Oct
- Basic Training Hamburg7–8 Nov
- Basic Training London13–14 Mar 2027
- Destination Trainings15–20 Mar 2027
Limited seats per intake — whoever books first secures their slot.
Secure your place
No prior experience needed
Your first questions, answered straight away.
Still something open? Three ways to get further — none of them binding:
We have been working successfully in this market for over 15 years, alongside the largest destination management companies (DMCs) and leading tour operators worldwide. Our trainers are certified, and we hold ITOL (International Tour Guide Licence) and German Chamber of Commerce certification ourselves. We are also a member of ETOA, the European Tourism Organisation Alliance. That long experience and network gives you more than first-class training: it gives you direct access to the job market.
Yes. After a single round trip led for us, you have already earned back what the training cost. Because we work with the largest tour operators worldwide, we can offer you a full schedule — you do not have to chase assignments yourself. Many of our guides recoup the cost within a handful of tours and build a reliable income at the same time.
We know that not everyone can pay the full amount up front. That is why we offer flexible payment options, including instalments via Klarna, PayPal and similar providers. We will find the arrangement that fits your situation. Our aim is to make the training accessible and not to put unnecessary hurdles in the way.
Fifteen years in this market speaks for itself. We are not a theory provider but an active partner in the industry with direct links to the most important clients. As an ITOL-certified, Chamber-of-Commerce-certified ETOA member company we meet the highest international standards. Our trainers are not only certified, they are working guides who know what actually matters in practice.
Yes. This is one of our biggest strengths. We work every day with the largest destination management companies and tour operators — precisely the businesses that are constantly looking for qualified guides. You are not thrown in at the deep end; you are brought into our established network. A full schedule is not an empty promise here, it is the reality for our well-trained guides.
ITOL stands for International Tour Guide Licence and is an internationally recognised mark of quality for tour operators and training providers in tourism. Together with our German Chamber of Commerce certification it stands for high quality standards and thorough training. For you that means a recognised qualification and the best possible starting position with international employers.
Straight away. Unlike other courses that leave you on your own once you graduate, we bring you directly into our established network. We work every day with the largest DMCs and leading tour operators worldwide. That means no months of job hunting and no uncertainty. You can start making contacts during the training and often lead your first paid tour within days of finishing.
Book yourself 20 minutes with us.
Live on Zoom · no commitment · every question answered on the spot.
- 20–30 minutes
- Slots open this week
- One to one with the team