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City of London Guides

Become an expert guide. This Level Three course is aimed at all those who have an interest in guiding in the Square Mile. It offers an in-depth study of the historical, architectural, and contemporary City of London. Participants will learn how to assimilate this knowledge and how to select and present information in order to lead visitors on guided tours. Participants will also develop the practical skills needed to conduct guided tours.

No prior knowledge of the City or of guiding skills is required. The course is open to all and selection is by successful application and interview.

The course consists of 30 two-hour evening sessions, and 15 two-hour sessions on Saturday mornings/afternoons plus one full Saturday. The course is assessed by a project, two practical assessments and a written examination. Successful candidates will receive a certificate from the City of London Corporation, the City of London Guides Badge which entitles them to guide within the City of London, and an Institute of Tourist Guiding Green Badge.

Please note: This is a year-long course also requiring 180 self-study hours.

Course start/end dates: TBC

Day/Time of Course:

  • Wednesday 6.30 - 8.30pm (30 sessions)
  • Weekend am/pm (15 sessions) and one full day

Please note: normal academic holiday dates may not apply and one of the practical assessments may be on a Sunday.

Fee: £1,742.00 plus exam costs (TBC).

Course venue: Guildhall, London EC2V 7HH and various other locations.

  • 30 lectures/tutorials on Wednesday evenings
  • Two-hour walks/tutorials on alternate Saturday mornings/afternoons (with some exceptions – dates will be given at the start of the course)
  • One Saturday (full day/six hours) at the beginning of the 2nd term
  • 180 self-study hours​

Successful candidates will be awarded:

  • City of London Guide Badge and Certificate
  • Institute of Tourist Guiding Green Badge and Certificate

The course is taught through a mixture of lectures, practical walks, presentations and workshops. As the course progresses students will be expected to give presentations on particular themes.

You may wish to:

  • buy a map of the City (from £5)
  • attend additional optional walks and visits of relevant interest, available at low cost.

Candidates will get regular feedback from tutors on the development of their knowledge and skills.

During the first term you will be asked to submit a project outlining a walk you have planned yourself. Towards the end of the course there will be two practical examinations and one written examination. Candidates who fail will be offered one opportunity to re-sit.

There is a termly course evaluation for all students to complete, and students are invited to join the City of London's Student Focus Group.​

Enrolment to the City of London Gu​ides course is by application form and successful interview. To request an application form please email the Adult Education Team

Successful applicants will be asked to give a five-minute presentation to a small group of other candidates on a City of London topic. You will be notified of your topic in the invitation to interview.

Please note: Presentations must be oral – no notes are allowed, and no visual aids or PowerPoint will be needed or provided. Interviews for a place on the course will be via Zoom.

We regret that due to the very high number of applications to the course we are unable to give feedback to unsuccessful candidates at either the application or the interview stage.

The qualification is open to all, and no formal qualifications are needed to be a successful guide. Furthermore, no prior knowledge of the City of London or of guiding skills is required. Selection is by successful application and interview.

The selection process is designed to assess your suitability for the course and for guiding, and a successful candidate demonstrates that they:

  • Communicate clearly
  • Follows instructions
  • Are able to engage, interest and make information accessible to a wide variety of people (including people with no knowledge of the history of the Square Mile)
  • Have enthusiasm and commitment to guiding in the City of London
  • Are able to assimilate knowledge, e.g. is accurate in the content of the presentation
  • Have some knowledge of the City of London, e.g has focussed the presentation on the Square Mile
  • Are able to conduct some independent research, e.g. has researched the presentation topic
  • Can manage their time well, e.g. can keep to the five-minute deadline.

To find out more or if you have any questions email the Adult Education Team .

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London Heritage Training

Professional Tour Guide Training

We are proud to be the provider of excellent training for London tour guides.

city of london tour guide course

  • The Westminster Tour Guiding course gives students the knowledge and skills they need to design and deliver engaging walking tours around this borough that is the royal, political and cultural heart of London.
  • As well as exterior guiding (street-based walking tours), the course also covers interior guiding (tours inside heritage sites) and virtual guiding (online tours).
  • The course serves both as the ideal starting point for students intending to become professional tour guides and as an inspiring experience for students progressing their personal development.
  • The course is the the pathway to membership of the  City of Westminster Guide-Lecturers Association  and successful students are awarded the CWGLA badge   by the   Lord Mayor of Westminster.

The practicalities at a glance

  • We meet on Saturdays from late September to mid-May. Half of these Saturday sessions are full days, typically 10.00 to 16.30, and half are mornings only, typically 10.30 to 13.00.
  • Some sessions are in the classroom, some are out on the streets of Westminster, some are at interior sites and one or two are online. The classroom sessions take place at an educational institution close to Baker Street station.
  • Students are assessed by means of two pieces of written coursework and two practical exams. These assessments are evenly spread out across the programme to support the learning process most effectively. 
  • The course caters for students who are completely new to guiding, students who have some guiding experience but no qualification, and students who already hold a guiding qualification.
  • The selection process requires applicants to attend an interview at which they will deliver a three-minute talk on a pre-assigned Westminster topic.

Special features

  • The Westminster Tour Guiding course is supported by two handbooks, written specially for the purpose by the course director and available as pre-course reading, plus a large online collection of additional resources.
  • The Westminster Tour Guiding course is built on proven pedagogical principles, with an integrated assessment design that skilfully interweaves knowledge acquisition and skills development, and our students receive detailed written feedback on all four of their assignments.
  • As well as teaching the fundamental guiding skills covered by all tour guiding courses, The Westminster Tour Guiding course goes further and explores areas such as storytelling skills, the psychology of performance and how to market yourself as a guide.
  • The routes for both practical exams on the Westminster Tour Guiding course are specially designed to deliver maximum generic content so that students can enjoy building the framework for their overall knowledge of Westminster at the same time as being assessed on their guiding skills.
  • The Westminster Tour Guiding course employs the principle of “accreditation of prior learning” for students already holding a relevant guiding qualification so that their second practical exam stretches their skills development further than the exams on other guiding courses do.

Getting involved

If you feel that the Westminster Tour Guiding course is calling you and you would like to join us on this exciting journey, then go to the Prospective Students page without delay to learn about the nitty-gritty.

city of london tour guide course

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The Institute accredits Tourist Guide training programmes. It does not run training courses, these are generally organised by local tourist guide associations, specific sites or other local organisations in response to demand for new guides in their specific areas.

Institute courses are open to all applicants. You do not need previous guiding experience or qualifications, except in the case of Train the Trainers courses. Courses planned or pending approval are listed below, while courses that are currently running or that run regularly are linked to in the side bar. 

Courses recruiting, pending final approval or planned:

For more details about our qualification definitions see our qualifications explained  .

Please note that the Institute accredits courses but does  not  run any itself. These are usually provided by local tourist guide associations, specific sites or other local organisations in the visitor economy, in response to demand for new guides in their areas.

If you cannot see a course that aligns with your preferred city, area or region, you may want to contact the relevant organisation(s) listed with the  British Guild of Tourist Guides  to register your interest in any upcoming or planned courses.If you wish to run a course with Institute accreditation, please review the materials here .

  • London Blue Badge course
  • City of London Green Badge Course
  • South Central England Blue Badge
  • South East England Blue Badge
  • Devon and Cornwall Blue Badge Module 1: Certificate in Cruise Ship Guiding

city of london tour guide course

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How To Become A London Blue Badge Tourist Guide

To become a registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide  working in London, you will need to take a course and gain accreditation from the Institute of Tourist Guiding .

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The Course:  The course typically lasts about 18 months and involves lectures in London and practical site visits, along with periods of self study. Its main focus is London, but it also covers the major tourist destinations across the South East, so it helps to have a reasonable knowledge of London and destinations such as Windsor, Oxford, Bath, Stonehenge and Stratford. It can also be useful to have language skills as a large number of Guides provide tours in more than one language.

Applying For The Course: There is lots of interest in the course, so candidates are assessed by exam and interview before being awarded a place. You will find further information on the course fees and timelines on the Institute’s website.

Programme Content: As part of the course you’ll learn how to develop and present highlights tours of London’s major attractions, including Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, the British Museum and the National Gallery, together with a City of London walk and a panoramic coach tour. The practical side is matched by lectures covering a wide range of topics related to London, the various regional sites and the techniques of guiding.

Exams: During the course you’ll take a number of written and practical exams and if you’re successful you’ll be awarded a Blue Badge, which is the industry’s recognised symbol of professionalism in tourist guiding. It is also possible to take the exams without doing the course, but there are many benefits to doing so, not least the opportunity to meet and work with guiding colleagues.

Contact the Institute of Tourist Guiding directly for more information.

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Extraordinary Stories of Britain is a podcast packed with fun and informative tales from our island’s long and storied past. Visiting little-known corners of history, shedding new light on familiar faces, uncovering unusual - and sometimes bizarre - facts along the way, this is the podcast for anglophiles, history buffs, and anyone interested in finding out more about the UK. From killer queens to grime and punishment, from medieval medicine to celebrity cats, from secret sewers to pickled philosophers, we leave no historic stone unturned.

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London Blue Badge Guide, Mr Londoner, tells us about his favourite London event. “My favourite event is the Colour Walk. Spitalfields Market hosts this relatively un-discovered happening on the third Thursday of every month, to coincide with the Flea Market. I delight in ‘the hidden and the lost’ - and this is secret London at its very best. The Colour Walkers are creative types who revel in all things bright, flamboyant and outrageous. I love it because this special event brings all sorts of different people together - gay, straight, black, white, men, women or people in between. But all anyone really cares about is the colour and curation of the outfits - and the joy of the moment. The participants apply themselves rigorously to the task - yet the whole thing is so welcoming and inclusive. Adventurous guests love it. It offers a different perspective. And it’s an insight into a surprisingly witty, quirky and more diverse side of Old London Town.” Mr Londoner is writer, photographer and broadcaster Antony Robbins.

Six in the City

Who are we?

Walking Tours of London

We all met while training to be City of London Guides and realised that we each had really unique skills and perspectives.

From expertise in medieval history to a fascination with the River Thames and the City Bridges, we set up Six in the City to be able to offer an exciting range of walks to suit all tastes.

Select a guide to see the walks we offer or get in touch to ask us about designing a walk just for you.

Meet the guides

Caroline 600

Caroline Powell

I’m a qualified City of London Guide and love nothing better than walking (I call it ‘pounding the pavements’ !!) around the wonderfully varied and historic City of London, learning more myself every day and I love passing on my enthusiasm and knowledge to those who are keen to learn more about the Square Mile. There is nothing so enjoyable as walking down a small and narrow historic alleyways or pushing open the door of the 18th Century church to get some understanding of what the lives of those who came before was really like.

Walks I offer

A look at the City's relationship with the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

Courtney 600

Courtney Plank

I am a born and bred Londoner with a real enthusiasm for sharing the history and little known stories of my home town with as many visitors to the City as possible!

Love it or loath it, the Barbican is unique. Join this walk to discover walkways in the sky, a Roman Wall, and a Brutalist development without equal

Eamonn 600

Eamonn Mullally

I’m a qualified City of London guide and consummate story teller. As you may surmise from my name, I comes from an Irish family where the oral tradition was celebrated and flourished. In 1980 I settled in South London. Ever since I have been on a voyage of discovery getting to know and cherish the rich diversity of London’s villages and small towns that I now call home .

I have spent my career working in the Software Industry and HR which has meant I have spent my life devising innovative solutions to business problems. Presenting the mundane to the sublime and sometimes patently ridiculous in a positive and informative way. Join one of my walks to learn about the City from an insider with a unique perspective.

Freda 600

Freda Dahl Nielsen

I am an adopted Londoner having lived and worked in London for over 30 years as a Chartered Surveyor employed by the Civil Service. I love to travel and to find out about places including exploring my adopted city of London. I was lucky enough to discover courses for Guiding and qualified in 2019 as a City of London Green Badge Guide. I am also qualified guide for Camden.

I am a volunteer at Historic Royal Palaces including as a Guide for the Garden History Tours. I am also a volunteer guide at the Foundling Museum. I have guided for Open House weekend and for London Walks Guiding Day.

Ildiko 600 1

Ildiko Bita

I’m a City of London Green Badge Guide, part-time lawyer and full-time geek and enjoy nothing more than finding out about the City. I’m particularly interested in the legacy of slavery on the City, medieval London, the story of immigrants in London and the City’s architecture and churches and love to share stories of this extraordinary place.

I’m also happy to create bespoke tours on subjects of particular interest to you.

As well as guiding in the City, you’ll also find me leading tours in the Guildhall Art Gallery , Roman Amphitheatre  and Billingsgate Roman Bathhouse at the weekend, and at the Open House Festival .

So join me a on a walking tour to discover London’s rich and fascinating history.

Celebrate immigrant London and hear stories of entrepreneurs, the dispossesed and the faithful who have made London their home

A walk through the medieval alleyways of London

Explore the gardens. memeorials and surroundings of St Paul's Churchyard

A walk exploring St Magnus the Martyr, St Michael Paternoster Royal and St James Garlickhythe -  3 churches that would have been close to the banks of the River Thames at the time of Sir Christopher Wren. 

Jane 600 2

Jane Copland

I’m a City of London Green Badge guide with a passion for the City streets, it’s history, it’s characters, and ceremonies  that go back hundreds of years. I especially love the way past and present exist side by side: see the innovative modern skyscraper that looms over a tiny but defiant medieval church. The clues are there if you know where to look.

Guildhall to Smithfield: tales of crime and punishment, the notorious Newgate prison, Market days, medical matters, Bartholomew Fair, body snatchers, and the road to the gallows.

Kelly 600

Kelly Coburn

Born in London and having lived here for most of my life this captivating, cosmopolitan  city never ceases to surprise, delight and occasionally shock me. Join me for a  stroll along The Thames, the very reason for London’s existence and hear some tales of the river that shaped history.

Pat 600

Pat Langford

I’m a City of London Green Badge Guide and a professional photographer and photography teacher. My particular guiding interests include the City’s architectural heritage, City ‘characters’ and the history of women in the City.

Additionally I offer 2 to 3 hour photography tutorials to people who want to get more out of their camera. These involve walks to look at iconic views and guidance on how to photograph them in creative ways.

A walk which looks at the stories of trail-blazing women in the City

The architecture of the City over nearly 2,000 years

patrick 600

Patrick Molloy

Hi! I’m Patrick and I’m an Official City of London Guide. I am passionate about showing you the best London has to offer. My walks are fun, friendly and informative. As a former history teacher with an MA in the History of London, I am keen to share the fascinating places and stories of Londoners from the past, including those who have often been ignored marginalised – the poor, the LGBTQ+ community and migrants to our city who have contributed to our great city’s diverse story.

I’m also happy to create individual tours on subjects of particular interest to you.

Explore 2000 years of London’s LGBTQ+ story in our fascinating and entertaining stroll through the City of London.

Secret Spaces in the City, from Blackfriars to St Barts

Explore some of the City’s secret spaces, quiet alleyways, tranquil gardens and undiscovered corners you’ll want to return to again and again.

Secret Spaces in the City, from St Paul’s to the Tower

Explore more of the City’s secret spaces, quiet alleyways, tranquil gardens and undiscovered corners you’ll want to return to again and again.

A River Ramble – The Thames and the City

On this Thameside walk we explore London’s history and people from the shock of the Roman invasion to the Shining Shard of the 21st century.

Highlights of the City

Get the inside take on the major sights of the famous Square Mile with an official City of London Guide.

Teruyo 600

Teruyo Joshima

I am Japanese and a qualified City of London guide, working as an Executive Assistant in the day time and “researching” British ale (beer) in the evening.

I can help you to fill the gap between the meetings for your overseas visitors, by showing them around one of the worlds’ greatest financial centres, the City of London.

シティオブロンドン公認ガイド – 通常のガイドツアーに加え、出張者の時間が空いてしまった時など、必要に応じて30分~1.5時間、シティオブロンドンをご案内致します。ロンドンのの保険市場、ロイズオブロンドンのご案内も可能です。日本語でお問い合わせ下さい。

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Islington Guided Walks

Our Training Course

Tour guiding course  – clerkenwell & islington .

Course Overview

Successful completion of the award winning Clerkenwell & Islington Tour Guiding course leads to a professional qualification in tour guiding. The course is designed to enable students to develop the presentation skills required to be an excellent tour guide whilst discovering the rich and varied history and heritage of Clerkenwell & Islington. The skills gained on the course are transferrable to guiding elsewhere and can be a valuable asset in other walks of life. 

This accredited course will equip you to plan and give professional walking tours throughout the area. From its great Medieval monastic houses and handsome Georgian squares to its long-standing reputation as a centre for radical thought, lively entertainment and health-giving waters Clerkenwell and Islington is an endlessly fascinating place for guides and their clients.

Once you have qualified you will be invited to join the Clerkenwell & Islington Guides’ Association (which operates under the name Islington Guided Walks) and become one of the Mayor of Islington’s official tour guides. Our association was set up in 1988 and provides a supportive network of fellow guides and a platform for publicising your walks in the area. Membership also enables you to apply to become a guide at The Charterhouse in Smithfield, St John’s Gate in Clerkenwell and other Islington landmarks and enables you to take visitors to see The Clerks’ Well – after which Clerkenwell is named.

Our 2024 course is already underway but if you are interested in applying for the next course starting in January 2025 please complete the application form at the bottom of this page.

Interviews will take place in the autumn.

Course Content

This part-time course combines classroom based learning with practical guiding ‘walkshops’ on the streets of Clerkenwell and Islington and at an indoor landmark.

The classroom-based sessions will take place at Islington Central Library in Holloway Road on Wednesdays 6:30 – 8:30pm during term time. They consist of lectures on the the history of Clerkenwell & Islington and activities to support you in developing or improving your skills as a guide.

The practical sessions take place approximately every other Saturday (generally in the morning). For these sessions you take part in a guided walk with you and your fellow students as guides. You will each be allocated landmarks to research and then have a chance to practise your growing guiding skills with a short presentation to your fellow students and tutor at the relevant ‘stop’.

There will also be opportunities to take part in a number of optional visits. Some optional visits may incur a small additional charge.

Your progress and suitability for qualification as an accredited Clerkenwell & Islington tour guide is assessed at four points during the 28 week course. The assessment consists of 2 written assignments, one practical guiding exam at an indoor landmark and one practical guiding exam on the streets of Clerkenwell and Islington.

The fee for the course which will runs from January to July 2024 is £995.  

Who is the Course for?

The course is suitable both for people who are new to tour guiding and for experienced tour guides who want to develop their knowledge and skills further. It is aimed at anyone interested in leading guided walks whether it is for friends, family and workmates or for the general public and corporate clients.

Course Requirements:

a commitment and potential to become a professional guide

sufficient spoken English, writing and basic research skills to enable you to complete the course

If your initial application is successful, we will invite you for an informal interview, where you will give a short talk in English on a given Islington landmark or point of interest that you will be allocated to you in advance of the interview date.

The course tutors are all qualified guides with lots of experience of guiding and teaching guiding skills:

John Finn:  John has been a Local London Guide for over 15 years, as a City of London, Westminster and Clerkenwell & Islington Guide. He has taught on tour guiding courses for seven years, and also London history courses for the City of London and Birkbeck College. He has worked for the Museum of London and the London Metropolitan Archive and is one of the team of guides at St Pancras station.

Karen Lansdown:   Karen is a former teacher. She is an official City of London and Clerkenwell & Islington guide. She guides regularly at St John’s Gate, Clerkenwell, The Charterhouse, Smithfield, Caledonian Park and Clock Tower, Islington and the Guildhall Art Gallery  in the City of London. She also offers a variety of tours through Lansdown’s London.

Susan Hahn: Susan is a very experienced Clerkenwell & Islington Guide who has researched and developed many guided walks for the Islington Museum and other local institutions and landmarks on behalf of CIGA including the Charterhouse, the Union Chapel and the Cloudesley Charity.

If you have questions that are not answered above and are unable to attend our Meet the Guides session where your questions can be answered please contact [email protected]

Please complete and send the following form to submit your application:

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City of London Guides – Daily Guided Walks

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www.cityoflondonguides.com

City of London Information Centre, St. Paul's Churchyard, London EC4M 8BX

City of London Guides offer daily, weekly and monthly walking tours around the City of London. Choose from City Highlights, or for something different try one of the themed tours including: Romans, Wren, Shakespeare, The Great Fire of London, Riverside, and more.

Most of the daily walks start from the City Information Centre, just south of St Paul's Cathedral (but always double-check when you're booking). Advance booking via Eventbrite is required to secure your place. Note that the cut-off time for booking the daily walks is 9pm the night before. If there are no bookings by then, the walk will not take place.

In addition, City of London Guides offer seasonal walks and tours of several of the City's historic sites such as Billingsgate Roman Bath House, Smithfield Market, Leadenhall Market, Guildhall, Mansion House - plus City Gardens.

Visit the City of London Guides website for more details and to book your tour.

Current Walking Tours include:

  • The City Highlights tour - see famous landmarks and iconic buildings throughout the City - Mondays
  • Roman London - Thursdays and Sundays
  • The Dark Side of the City guided walk - join a tour that tells the tale of crime and punishment, executions and excess - Fridays
  • Illuminated River evening walks , limited season, ends on 22 March - Tuesday evening for the eastern bridges.

Listing location

London symphony orchestra, the lookout, carter lane, new street square, carter lane gardens, st botolph-without-bishopsgate, leadenhall building (the cheesegrater), smithfield market, lloyd’s of london, street food market at the leadenhall building, paternoster square, the old bailey – guided tour, st lawrence jewry, city of london distillery, dabbers social bingo – city, bishopsgate institute, city bouldering, the london centre, dutch church, inner temple, gresham college, holy sepulchre, the national musicians church, barbican centre, barbican cinemas, swingers city, the garden at 120, la scuola cooking school at eataly, st bartholomew’s hospital museum, beers london, barry’s, the spa at four seasons london at ten trinity square, st dunstan in the east church garden, jeff wayne’s the war of the worlds: the immersive experience, barbican architecture tours, city of london information centre, axeperience, sculpture in the city, puttshack bank, city of london guides – private tours, the gunpowder plot, st bartholomew the great church, tower of london, bridewell theatre, guildhall school of music & drama, barbican art gallery & the curve, bloomberg arcade, eastcheap records, barbican theatre, concerts at the barbican, london stone, mansion house, guildhall great hall, guildhall yard, city of london heritage gallery, london’s roman amphitheatre, guildhall art gallery, billingsgate roman house and baths, barbican conservatory, heavenly spa by westin, st mary-le-bow, st. stephen walbrook, the charterhouse, the monument, st paul’s cathedral, red eight gallery, dr johnson’s house, st bride foundation, the guild church of st dunstan-in-the-west, all hallows by the tower, bank of england museum, tower bridge, london mithraeum bloomberg space, leadenhall market, one new change.

A City of London Walk

A walking tour in the Square Mile with Barry Carter, a fully qualified CLGLA tour guide.

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Hello, and welcome to my City of London Walk.

There is no better way to explore the City than on foot and I hope you will decide to book my basic City Highlights tour in the near future.

An introduction to the City of London…

Today, it is still referred to by many as “The Square Mile”. The 6 metre high walls that surrounded the City, and the large gates that allowed access, disappeared many years ago but the City still retains those original boundaries and is self governing.  It became one of the most important trading and financial centres of the world. My City Highlights tour is a mixture of some historical and modern aspects of this great city and is a good starting point for those of you who are not familiar with the Square Mile.

For articles, photos and historical facts about the City of London please visit my other web site at: Barryoneoff.co.uk

Guidelines to Britain

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Meet the Guides at Guidelines to Britain

A Selection of Some Our Most Popular Tour Guides

Our Guides are carefully selected for their knowledge, personality and driving ability. Extensively trained, all guides are qualified by and registered with the Institute of Tourist Guiding. Many of our guides have special interests and hold extra qualifications in, for example, architecture, history, art galleries, the theatre and shopping.

Rachel - Blue Badge London and Countryside Guide

Rachel – Blue Badge London and Countryside Guide

I’ve lived in London since I was three years old, which means I’ve done all my schooling here and went on to spend eleven years working in the corporate world (frequenting many of the London watering holes after a hard day at the office!) Therefore, I know how to get from point A to B via the quickest route, where the good pubs/eating places are and how to get off the well-trodden tourist trail to the places where real Londoners hang out.

I provide an insider’s perspective on its numerous attractions and rich history, and can assist with ideas for nights out or onward exploration.

I am a qualified London Blue Badge Guide, which is a two year course and enables me to guide both London and places outside the capital including Bath, Stratford Upon Avon and Oxford.

Sophie - Blue Badge London Guide

Sophie – Blue Badge London Guide

I was born in London, grew up in London, and would love to share my enthusiasm with you, letting you discover London’s sights, sounds and secrets (with a few historical scandals along the way). London is truly a unique city, offering over 2000 years of glorious, and sometimes dark, history, also at the cutting edge of fashion, architecture, art and business. I would love to show you both sides of the capital, the historic castles, museums, palaces and shops, as well as the London of today, that we Londoners call home.

With a background in corporate hospitality and events, I like to add a sparkle to any tour, and find the particular twist that you are looking for.

Simon - Blue Badge London Guide

Simon - Blue Badge London Guide

Martin - Blue Badge London Guide

Martin - Blue Badge London Guide

Norma - Blue Badge London Guide

Norma - Blue Badge London Guide

Russell - Blue Badge London and Countryside Driver Guide

Russell - Blue Badge London and Countryside Driver Guide

Neil - Blue Badge London and Countryside Driver Guide

Neil - Blue Badge London and Countryside Driver Guide

Geoff - Blue Badge London Guide

Geoff - Blue Badge London Guide

Russell N - Blue Badge London and Countryside Guide

Russell N - Blue Badge London and Countryside Guide

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Copyright © 2000–2019 Guidelines to Britain Ltd. Image copyright and permissions: English Heritage, Ruth Rossington, Nicky Rochussen Errors & Omissions Excepted. Terms & Conditions. Licensed Private Hire Vehicle Operator No. 01725. Guidelines to Britain is a limited company registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 02362514. Website designed in London by Reaper Enterprises

Copyright © 2000–2021 Guidelines to Britain Ltd. Image copyright and permissions: English Heritage, Ruth Rossington, Nicky Rochussen Errors & Omissions Excepted. Terms & Conditions. Licensed Private Hire Vehicle Operator No. 01725. Guidelines to Britain is a limited company registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 02362514. Website designed in London by Reaper Enterprises

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Welcome to Historic London Tours!

Hello, and welcome to Historic London Tours! I’m Tom Currie, an accredited London Borough of Islington and London Borough of Camden tour guide, having successfully passed each association's training course. I'm an experienced guide, having led thousands of both tourists and locals on guided London walking tours.

After several years in an office job, I left in order to pursue my love of London's history. Many of my friends had suggested to me over time that I take up guiding as it was clearly my passion; whenever I visit a new area I love to soak up the local history - to the point where one friend of twenty years told me “Tom, will you stop making me learn!”

London has such a rich and vibrant history, but much of it has been hidden away from plain view. As your guide, I’ll uncover those forgotten stories for you: by the end of the tour, you’ll be guaranteed to say “I never knew that!”

My guided walking tours cost from just £18 per person, and last two hours. I also offer private London walking tours which can be arranged for a time and date to suit you. Click here to read past reviews of my tours, and see why so many customers have described Historic London Tours as the best walking tour they've ever been on!

Get to know your London tour guide

Please contact me if you cannot find an answer to your question.

Scheduled guided walking tours are £18 per person.

Scheduled guided walking tours are two hours.

Scheduled guided walking tours begin at 11am.

I limit the number of attendees on guided walking tours to fifteen people, to ensure maximum enjoyment for everybody on the tour.

Yes, a private walking tour can be booked for a time and date to suit you! Private walking tours are £18 per person, with a minimum charge of £180.

As an accredited Borough of Camden and Borough of Islington tour guide, walking tours are my vocation and my passion - this isn't something I'm doing temporarily to make ends meet in between acting gigs, as is the case with many of the large 'free' tour companies. 'Free' tours may be marketed as such, but you will be expected to make a contribution at the end of the tour, as this is the only way the guides are paid. Because of this system, the 'free' tours will allow huge numbers of people to join each tour, making it difficult for everyone to hear and see what is happening - I cap my walking tours at circa ten attendees to ensure maximum enjoyment for everybody on the tour.

Bus tours are ok if you want a brief overview of a large area, but they only provide a few sentences of pre-recorded information as you shoot past an historic landmark, meaning you are unable to fully appreciate the site or ask questions. Bus tours also tend to be extortionately priced. A walking tour allows for a fully interactive experience with the guide, with a chance to properly view each location and hear its full, fascinating history from a guide who can answer any of your questions.

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Historic London Tours

5 Whittlesey Street, London SE1 8SZ, United Kingdom

+44 (0) 7783 401 129

city of london tour guide course

I'm trying to reduce my reliance on social media, as Facebook et al massively limit how many people can view links to external websites unless the author pays an extortionate amount to promote them. Please consider subscribing on the link below to receive a weekly email about London's fascinating history! (Your details will never be shared with any other parties)

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Discover Official Walks & Talks

The 'old bailey': saturdays.

The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, known the world over as the 'Old Bailey', is opening its doors to the public for guided tours this summer.

It is the most famous court house in the world but from the 1100s it was a prison, the notorious Newgate, and a place of execution. The last public hanging there was in 1868 and the last one behind its firmly closed doors in 1902.

The iconic ‘Old Bailey’ is packed with secrets, history, famous trials, unexpected artworks and is also a busy, working building. Come and explore it after hours with a professional City of London Guide.

NOW BOOKING FOR 2024

Please note:

This is a working court and even though the tours are on a Saturday:

  • Everyone has to go through the security check on arrival.
  • You will need to bring photo ID with you.
  • There is no admission for children aged under 14 and proof of age may be requested by security.
  • No large bags or rucksacks are allowed in the building, though handbags are acceptable.
  • No photography is allowed in any Court room or the Cells.

BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE   Note: booking fee applies

We offer daily, weekly and monthly walks around the City of London 

Our daily walks run from the City Information Centre, just south of St Paul's. You need to book via Eventbrite to secure you place.  Note : the cut-off time for booking our daily walks is 21:00hrs the night before. If we don't have any bookings then the walk will not take place.

Our weekly walks have individual booking pages and earlier cut-off times, please see the individual listing.  

Our Annual Melluish Lecture: Revels, Royalists and Reader's Feasts, March 4th, 6.30pm. Join us for the lecture by Barnaby Bryan of Middle Temple and refreshments afterwards. Tickets now on sale

I lluminated river evening walks, limited season, ends on march 22nd..

Some of our walks offer concession rates: valid for over 65s and students. All Eventbrite bookings have a booking fee. We try to make our walks as inclusive and accessible as possible.

Private tours

If you'd like to organise your own walk , lecture or a virtual tour, then please use our  Find a Guide  section. If you're a member of an Arts Society or a U3A or other group we'd love to take you on a tour of the City. And if you're a company based in the City who'd like to organise a social event for your work colleagues, why not book a walk with us? 

If you've been on a walk recently we'd love to hear from you. Why not leave a review on our TripAdvisor  page? We've been awarded TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice for 2023!

Normal price, concessions, all walks & tours.

Dr. Samuel Johnson Guided Walks: Twice Monthly

Dr. Samuel Johnson Guided Walks: Twice Monthly

Find out dates & details

London's River Walk: Saturdays

London's River Walk: Saturdays

In Charles Dickens' Footsteps: Wednesdays

In Charles Dickens' Footsteps: Wednesdays

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COMMENTS

  1. City of London Guides

    City of London Guides. The City Guides application process for 2023-24 is now closed. Please email your 'expressions of interest' for City Guides 2024-25 and your name will be added to our waiting list. Become an expert guide. This Level Three course is aimed at all those who have an interest in guiding in the Square Mile.

  2. City of London Guide Lecturers Association

    City Guides are the Official Guides to the City of London. The full title of our association is the City of London Guide Lecturers Association, which reflects the fact that our members give walks in the City and lecture on City related topics. The Association was founded in 1983 to promote and maintain a high standard of guiding in, and ...

  3. City of London Green Badge Course

    Become a City Guide and give in-depth walking tours in the heart of London. The 2021-2022 City of London Green Badge Course details are currently being prepared. Please visit the City of London website here, which will soon hold details of the 2021-2022 course. Please do bookmark the page and check back soon.

  4. About the City of London Guides

    Our training course, presently run by the City of London Corporation, involves both theoretical and practical training and includes disability awareness. The examinations are set by the Institute of Tourist Guiding which is the standard-setting body for tour guide training and which accredits the training. On qualification, each guide is ...

  5. : Institute of Tourist Guiding

    Whether you are interested in themed tours, working for tour operators, cruise ships, study tours or group tours, the Blue Badge qualification offers the ultimate in flexibility. Courses. Training courses for the above badges are generally organised by local tourist guide associations, specific sites or other local organisations.

  6. London Blue Badge course

    London Blue Badge Course. For over 50 years, a training course has been run for people that wish to become professional tourist guides in London. For more information on how to apply for the latest course, please visit the British Guild of Tourist Guides website. The London Training programme prepares student guides for the Institute of Tourist ...

  7. Official Guides to the City of London

    Dr. Samuel Johnson Guided Walks: Twice Monthly. £12.00. City of London guides listing page.

  8. Courses

    The practicalities at a glance. We meet on Saturdays from late September to mid-May. Half of these Saturday sessions are full days, typically 10.00 to 16.30, and half are mornings only, typically 10.30 to 13.00. Some sessions are in the classroom, some are out on the streets of Westminster, some are at interior sites and one or two are online.

  9. The City of London Tour

    A City of London Tour is unmissable because…. "The City" is where London began nearly 2,000 years ago. Also known as 'The Square Mile" in this district you'll see C21st skyscrapers built on the original medieval street plan. Originally home to craftsmen and merchants, today it is one of the world's leading financial centres.

  10. Discover Official Walks & Talks

    We offer daily, weekly and monthly walks around the City of London. Our daily walks run from the City Information Centre, just south of St Paul's. You need to book via Eventbrite to secure you place. Note: the cut-off time for booking our daily walks is 21:00hrs the night before. If we don't have any bookings then the walk will not take place.

  11. How to become a Tourist Guide

    Registered No: 4391794. Registered Office: Institute of Tourist Guiding Ltd, Coppergate House, 10 Whites Row, London E1 7NF. Tel: 020 7680 7147 | Email: [email protected]

  12. : Institute of Tourist Guiding

    Green Badge. Cambridge. Please contact [email protected] for further information and to apply. Deadline for applications 8th March 2024. Open morning being held on 10th February 2024 between 10 and 12, in the Upper Hall, St Paul's Church, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1JP. Course Approved.

  13. How To Become A London Blue Badge Tourist Guide

    To become a registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide working in London, you will need to take a course and gain accreditation from the Institute of Tourist Guiding.. The Course: The course typically lasts about 18 months and involves lectures in London and practical site visits, along with periods of self study.Its main focus is London, but it also covers the major tourist destinations across the ...

  14. British Guild of Tourist Guides

    Over 1000 professionally qualified & internationally recognised Blue & Green Badge Tourist Guides offering world-class tours in London & across the UK. Read more. Book with confidence with fully insured & qualified tour guides. Culturally aware tours offered in 30+ languages. Award winning Tour Guides with 5 star Tripadvisor reviews.

  15. Guides

    I am an adopted Londoner having lived and worked in London for over 30 years as a Chartered Surveyor employed by the Civil Service. I love to travel and to find out about places including exploring my adopted city of London. I was lucky enough to discover courses for Guiding and qualified in 2019 as a City of London Green Badge Guide.

  16. Our Training Course

    The course tutors are all qualified guides with lots of experience of guiding and teaching guiding skills: John Finn: John has been a Local London Guide for over 15 years, as a City of London, Westminster and Clerkenwell & Islington Guide. He has taught on tour guiding courses for seven years, and also London history courses for the City of ...

  17. City of London Guides

    City of London Information Centre, St. Paul's Churchyard, London EC4M 8BX. Book Now. City of London Guides offer daily, weekly and monthly walking tours around the City of London. Most of the daily walks start from the City Information Centre, just south of St Paul's Cathedral (but always double-check when you're booking).

  18. A City of London Walk

    The area we refer to as "The City of London" is the site of the original Roman settlement of Londinium. It was founded on the North bank of the river Thames after the invasion led by the Roman emperor Claudius. This was in the year 43 AD, almost two thousand years ago. It covered an area of approximately one square mile.

  19. Meet our Tour Guides, part of the team at Guidelines to Britain

    A Selection of Some Our Most Popular Tour Guides. Our Guides are carefully selected for their knowledge, personality and driving ability. Extensively trained, all guides are qualified by and registered with the Institute of Tourist Guiding. Many of our guides have special interests and hold extra qualifications in, for example, architecture ...

  20. What's on

    Visit the Walks and Tours page to find out about our guided tours including some new ones. We aim to make our walks as inclusive and accessible as possible. All our walks have to be booked in advance using the booking link included in the details. If you would like to find out more about us - please have a look at our short film.

  21. Top 10 City Highlights Guided Walk: Sundays

    City Highlights Guided Walk: Mondays. The Top 10 sights. The City is home to some of some of the finest and most iconic buildings of London. Enjoy an insider's tour of the City, including Guildhall, Mansion House, the Bank of England and the Royal Exchange - grand buildings in the heart of a city where big money and history are still being made.

  22. About Us

    Welcome to Historic London Tours! Hello, and welcome to Historic London Tours! I'm Tom Currie, an accredited London Borough of Islington and London Borough of Camden tour guide, having successfully passed each association's training course. I'm an experienced guide, having led thousands of both tourists and locals on guided London walking tours.

  23. The 'Old Bailey': Saturdays

    The iconic 'Old Bailey' is packed with secrets, history, famous trials, unexpected artworks and is also a busy, working building. Come and explore it after hours with a professional City of London Guide. NOW BOOKING FOR 2024. Please note: This is a working court and even though the tours are on a Saturday: