Professional Tour Guide Training Programme
Our ten-month intensive programme prepares you for a career in heritage tourism across the UK. Starting September 2025, you'll work with experienced guides who've spent years leading groups through Britain's most significant historical sites.
This isn't about memorising scripts. We focus on developing your ability to connect visitors with places, stories, and the cultural context that makes each location meaningful. You'll learn practical skills through regular fieldwork in Portsmouth, Winchester, and surrounding areas.
Programme Structure
The curriculum builds progressively over ten months, combining classroom sessions with extensive fieldwork throughout Hampshire and surrounding regions.
Foundation and Regional History
September – November 2025 | 12 weeks
You'll spend these first months understanding how Portsmouth developed from a medieval settlement into Britain's premier naval base. We cover Tudor expansion, Georgian architecture, Victorian engineering, and twentieth-century military history. Weekly field trips take you to the Historic Dockyard, fortifications along the Solent, and key sites in Winchester.
Presentation and Group Management
December 2025 – February 2026 | 10 weeks
This phase focuses on the practical aspects of leading groups. You'll learn to project your voice in outdoor settings, manage varying group sizes, and handle common challenges like schedule changes or difficult weather. We practise with real groups during quieter winter months, giving you space to develop confidence before peak season.
Specialist Knowledge Development
March – May 2026 | 12 weeks
Now you choose areas of specialisation based on your interests and local demand. Options include maritime history, literary heritage, coastal ecology, or military history. You'll develop three distinct tours that showcase different aspects of the region, working closely with mentors who specialise in these areas.
Professional Practice and Assessment
June – July 2026 | 6 weeks
The final phase involves supervised tours with paying customers during early summer season. You'll lead groups independently while instructors observe and provide detailed feedback. We also cover business essentials like insurance requirements, booking systems, and building relationships with hotels and cruise operators.
Learn From Active Guides
Your instructors currently work as professional tour guides throughout the year. They understand what actually works when you're standing in front of thirty people on a windy harbour wall, or trying to keep a group engaged during the fifteenth church visit of their holiday.
Callum Fitzroy
Maritime Heritage Specialist
Callum spent twelve years with the National Museum of the Royal Navy before moving into tour guiding. He leads specialist groups through the Historic Dockyard and teaches the naval history component of our programme. His background in museum education means he's particularly good at helping trainees understand how to make complex historical events accessible.
Siobhan Cadogan
Cultural Tourism Director
Siobhan manages a portfolio of literary and cultural tours across Hampshire and West Sussex. She developed several of Jane Austen's Hampshire trails and works regularly with international tour operators. She teaches the business development modules and helps trainees understand the commercial side of tour guiding as an independent profession.
What You'll Actually Be Able to Do
By July 2026, you'll have developed specific capabilities that tour operators and heritage organisations look for when hiring guides. These skills come from repeated practice in real environments.
Lead Varied Group Types
You'll manage school groups, cruise passengers, specialist interest tours, and general tourists. Each requires different pacing, content depth, and engagement approaches. We train you across all formats.
Adapt to Circumstances
Tours rarely go exactly as planned. You'll learn to adjust routes for mobility issues, modify content when running behind schedule, and maintain engagement when weather forces indoor alternatives.
Work With Heritage Sites
Many locations have specific requirements for commercial guides. You'll understand access protocols, peak time restrictions, and how to coordinate with site staff for group bookings.