Training for tour guiding

Applications for this year’s Camden Tour Guide Course are now closed, however we will be recruiting for new tour guides in late Spring 2024

If you have any questions in the meantime email us at course@camdenguides.com. 

We encourage a wide range of participants on our course, and a limited number of bursaries are available for people who are unable to afford the full cost of the course. Information on this can be found at https://janestrust.org. Early application is advised.at the bottom of the page

The Camden Tour Guide Course

Overview

The course will enable you to develop the skills required to plan, prepare and deliver walking tours, in the London Borough of Camden. Tuition on guiding skills is complemented with learning about the history, architecture, tourist attractions and facilities of the Borough of Camden. The borough has a particularly rich history in terms of buildings, institutions and residents which can be used by guides to interpret the area for diverse audiences. The course will cost about £1,000 for the whole year, payable up-front, including the first year’s membership and your badge once you qualify. Our previous students rate it as excellent value.

Syllabus

During this course you will learn the general principles of tour guiding and how to guide walking tours in the Borough of Camden. You will be taught about the diverse geographical areas within the borough and their history, architecture, culture and other features. You will learn how to undertake your own research and how to design a guided walk, and you will be instructed in the necessary skills to present information in an informative and entertaining manner to different audiences.

Course details

There will be classes every Wednesday evening during term time. The classes take place at the WMC (Working Men’s College) on Crowndale Road, near Mornington Crescent underground station. There will also be approximately 15 Saturday half day sessions, scheduled on alternate weeks. We will be out and about in the Borough of Camden and will focus on practical guiding skills and the delivery of entertaining and informative walking tours. Locations will vary according to the syllabus, but will be scheduled in advance.

You will be required to submit a satisfactory written project, pass a written exam and pass two practical guiding exams. One practical exam takes place at an internal site (usually The Foundling Museum) and one on the streets of Camden. The two guiding examinations will take place in February and May.

The course tutors are qualified guides with experience of both guiding and teaching guiding skills. In addition we use external examiners to assess the practical guiding examinations, and a moderator reviews the marking of the written examination and the project. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a badge from the Camden Tour Guides Association. This will recognise your achievement as a qualified guide in the Borough of Camden. Graduates are normally presented with their badges by the Mayor of Camden in the Mayor’s parlour at the Town Hall.

Note: all students are expected to have access to a smart phone and to a laptop during the course.

To apply, please subscribe on our home page, and you will be notified when applications re-open in 2024.