How to Become a Tour Guide

Co-authored by Angela Rice

Last Updated: March 15, 2023 References Approved

Being a tour guide can be a great career option for people who love to travel, enjoy being in front of a crowd, and are masters of multitasking. If that’s you, then start looking for job opportunities online and in your area. You can improve your chances of getting hired by becoming professionally certified or getting a degree. Once you’ve found a job, be ready to meet the challenges of this fun and unique but sometimes hectic position.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Looking for Opportunities

1
Look online for a variety of job postings. Tour guides work at parks, historic homes, sightseeing companies, cruise ships, and many other locations. Consider where you’d most enjoy working. Narrow your search to those types of positions.^{[1]
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- To get started, enter something like “Be a tour guide on a cruise ship to the Caribbean” into your favorite search engine. You can then browse through tour guiding jobs with different companies, job requirements, and salaries.
2
Take tours to see which ones you like. In order to decide where you want to work, attend a variety of tours. Go to museums and historic homes in your area and book a tour on a sightseeing bus. Make note of the pros and cons of different kinds of tour guide jobs.^{[2]
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- You may need to space these tours out, as some could get expensive. Budget in one tour every two weeks or so. While you’re looking for jobs, go on tours instead of going out to eat or doing other fun activities.
- Invite friends and family to take tours with you. They’ll be able to share their likes and dislikes with you, which will help you be a better guide once you find a job.
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3
Take notes to record your thoughts about different tours. When you go on tours, be sure to bring a notebook with you to keep track of your thoughts about the experiences. You can refer back to these notes later if you’re weighing different job offers. The notes may also help you develop your own tour guiding style.
4
Check out tour guide associations’ websites. Many cities, countries, and regions have professional organizations of tour guides. These organizations help guides advance their careers and promote tour guiding as a positive aspect of international tourism. They can help you find educational opportunities, and they may point you in the direction of job openings.^{[3]
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- For more information and to find a list of associations located around the world, visit: http://www.beabetterguide.com/tour-guide-associations/.
5
Visit your local travel agency to pick up brochures. Travel agencies may partner up with local sightseeing companies for advertising. Take the brochures they keep in their office, and ask which companies they recommend to their clients most often. Contact the best companies using the information you find in the brochure and ask about openings.
- Be aware that travel agents may tell you they love a certain company if the two are in a partnership together, even if they know the company has some issues. Be sure to do your own research by going online or visiting the company’s offices.
6
Contact major sightseeing companies in your area. Especially if you live in a big city or even a larger town, there are probably sightseeing companies right down the road from you. Get in touch with these companies via email or phone and ask whether they’ve got openings. These local opportunities could be a great place for you to start your career as a guide.
- You can also look online to see if the companies have open jobs, as many will list these positions on their websites.
- If you’re hoping to become a tour guide to travel, this might not be your favorite option. Remember that doing work locally can help you build your resume and gain experience while staying in your comfort zone. You can always keep looking for travel-oriented jobs while you’re working!

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Getting Hired

1
Pass any necessary exams for your area. Many cities and countries require tour guides to pass exams before they can lead groups. Some sightseeing companies may require you to pass this exam before you even apply for positions. Search online to see if your area requires you to take a licensing examination, and then pay necessary fees to register for the test.^{[4]
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- You can also look online to find details about the test, study guides, and registration information. Enter something like “Professional licensing examination for sightseeing guides in New York City” to find everything you need to prepare for and take the test.
- Take the exam seriously. If you fail, you’ll need to pay the fee again!
2
Get training to gain experience and contacts. Professional tour guide associations and groups like the International Guide Academy in Denver, Colorado offer classes to professionalize guides. These classes teach public speaking, tourism and travel industry terminology, leadership and teamwork, and other skills valuable to tour guides. They’ll give you a certification when you complete their programs.^{[5]
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- Be sure to register for courses meant for tour guides rather than tour directors. Tour directors are responsible for logistics and management, while guides lead groups and provide narration about places the group visits.
- These programs are great for meeting people in the field. Your teachers, in particular, could connect you with people they know are looking for guides.
3
Take classes in relevant fields to expand your knowledge. If you live near a local university or community college, check out the course listings. If there are offerings in linguistics, leadership, hospitality, and/or tourism, register. These courses will improve your resume and up your chances of getting a job as a guide.^{[6]
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- Be sure you have the time and money to dedicate to the classes. If you’re currently working a full-time job, look into taking night classes.
4
Get a hospitality or tourism degree if you can afford it. While a degree like this won’t guarantee you a job as a guide, it’ll show your potential employers that you’ve got some basic skills in the field. If you’re currently a college or university student and you know you want to be a guide, this could be a great degree option for you.^{[7]
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5
Apply for positions online or in person. Once you’ve chosen a few different companies that you’d like to work for, fill out their applications by going online or picking up a paper application from the company. You’ll need to provide your contact information, employment history, a few good references, and a resume.
- Most reputable companies will run a background check before hiring you.
- If they like your application, most companies will contact you for one to two follow-up interviews before hiring you.
6
Be prepared to answer tailored application questions. Tour guiding companies will want your application to show that you’re ready to be a tour guide. Their questions may be designed to see how you’ll handle crises, to check if your personality is right for guiding, and to make sure you’re excited to be a tour guide.
- These questions could be things like, “What would you do if the bus broke down?” or “What makes you excited to be a tour guide with us?”
7
Accept the best offer you receive. If you’re lucky enough to receive multiple offers, make a pros and cons list. Consider the locations, work hours, and salaries. Decide which job provides the best balance of fun and financially practical, and go for it!

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Meeting the Challenges

1
Embrace being around people when you’re working. Being a tour guide means you need to be a people person. Be prepared to answer questions constantly, handle difficult personalities, and herd groups of people around interesting sites and locations. You’ll need to be cheerful and upbeat whenever you’re on the job.^{[8]
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- You may want to schedule alone time during your days off to balance out your work schedule.
2
Absorb and memorize lots of information to be a good guide. Your primary job is to give people interesting facts about the places you visit. Take time learning about those places. Get information from your company, the local library, and online to expand your knowledge.^{[9]
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- Attendees will ask you questions that may be slightly off-topic. Knowing these answers will impress your audience and make you a better guide.
- If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so. Tell your audience you’re not sure, but that you’d love to know the answer and will be looking for it as soon as you can.
3
Act fast when something goes wrong. When you’re coordinating people, travel plans, and site visits, there’s a lot of opportunity for crisis! Don’t panic if someone gets sick, your tour bus breaks, or a park randomly closes for the day. It’s your job to think on your feet and deal with situations as they arise.^{[10]
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- You can always contact your company for assistance in these situations, but you’ll need to keep a cool head. You’re the leader of the group when you’re out on a tour, and they’ll look to you for guidance.
4
Be prepared to be a freelance worker. One of the hardest aspects of being a tour guide is that you’re usually hired as a temporary worker. If you live in a country that provides health insurance through employers, you may need to coordinate getting private insurance on your own. You’ll also need to be responsible for keeping employment and tax records.^{[11]
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5
Put your needs last when guiding a group. Remember that your group is on vacation, and you’re at work. Do whatever you need to do to keep the group happy and safe. Stay focused on them whenever you’re on the clock.
- This might be hard if you’re leading groups in beautiful and relaxing locations, but stay strong! You’re getting paid for this work.
6
Understand the physical requirements. Being a tour guide requires you to be on your feet and walking around most days. You’ll need to be physically healthy and fit to keep up with the rhythm of this work life.^{[12]
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Be a storyteller to make facts interesting to your audience. To keep your tours moving and engaging, tell stories. Don’t just recite a list of names, dates, and events. Give your audience something to grab onto by narrating short stories at different spots along the tour with beginnings, middles, and climatic endings.^{[13]
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- You also need to make sure that you and your group respects the environment you’re visiting. You’ll be responsible for enforcing the rules.
- Always face your audience when giving tours.^{[14]
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Community Q&A

Question

What subjects should I learn about if I want to be a tour guide?

Community Answer

Aim for subjects like geography, history, sociology, and maybe a couple of languages in order to help foreign tourists.
Question

Why do I need to study history to become a tour guide?

Community Answer

Depending on the type of tour guide you become, you may need historical knowledge to conduct your tours.
Question

Where can I get a certification if I am a licensed tour guide?

Community Answer

You don't need to have any certification, just know the most you can about your area and be ready for any possible question related to the topic.

Warnings

Be aware that while you may be working in a vacation spot, you are not on vacation yourself. The majority of your time will be spent working.

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Helpful 40 Not Helpful 9
As a tour guide, you may be working long hours. Your job may be in an exciting location, but you must make sure you are capable of working a difficult schedule.

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Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0
Be aware that many tour guide jobs are seasonal. This may mean you will not have consistent work in one location. However, if you don't mind travel, you can always travel back and forth between hemispheres.

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