International Tour Guide & Tour Director Certification Courses

TripSchool offers a tour guide and tour director certification program that will get you the knowledge, connections and jobs you need to start a new life as a travel professional. You’ve spent years in an office, or working at home in your sweatpants; now it’s time to go work out in the world, exploring new places and sharing your passion for travel, storytelling and people.

And 2023 and 2024 are on track to be some of the busiest years in the history of tourism. The world needs more tour guides and tour leaders right now!

TripSchool’s tour guide training courses are immersive, innovative and practical. Whether you take an online course or an in-person training, you’ll be joining thousands of TripSchoolers who form a global family that helps each other keep learning, get work, and make new friendships.

Welcome to the TripSchool family.

TripSchool teaches you how to engage people, pique their interest, keep them listening without boring them. Their techniques put us ahead of the pack, and their talented staff is always willing to share their knowledge so we can all succeed beyond expectations. Anyone looking into this business and wanting to shine should not hesitate to take the course. I wouldn’t be the TD I am today without TripSchool. Having applied their lessons, I’ve already received stellar feedback!
Once you are an official graduate, they don’t drop from their radar. They stay in contact, keep you updated with what’s new in the business, give you job leads and assist in preparing for your tours. They truly care about your success!

– Terrie Dal Pozzo, Boot Camp ’18

Start by earning a certificate with our online tour guide course, then complete your certification with an in-person Boot Camp.

Start with an online certificate.

Pick between our two online courses, each focusing on a different career goal. This offers the convenience of studying at your own pace.

International Tour Director Online Certificate

This is for people wanting to lead groups on multi-day trips both domestically and internationally. The online course focuses on everything from the logistics of running a tour, to creating wow moments for your guests and delivering a phenomenal overall experience.

Local Tour Guide Certificate

This track is for those of you wanting to stay home at night, and work during the day as a local experience host or tour guide. Whether it’s creating an Airbnb experience or working as a local guide for a major tour operator or DMC we’ll help you with the skills and job savvy to land work and excel as a local tour guide.

Attend an in-person Boot Camp

Next comes the final in-person certification Boot Camp. Your online certificate grants you entry to a week-long intensive Boot Camp, which is pure real-world practice. We spend long, powerful days applying what you learned directly in the field.

To take Boot Camp, you must have completed a TripSchool Online Certificate or have prior experience.

See the bottom of this page for next class dates.

What’s covered in our Tour Guide Boot Camp class?

Boot Camp is a transformative in-person learning and bonding experience. It teaches everything we stand for and believe in—storytelling, engaging with people, using technology, crafting unforgettable wow moments—in one very intense week, in a very small group of 10 people.

A 100% interactive week: It’s all about learning by doing: practicing the practical skills you need to succeed or up your game. We bring in a range of experts, and focus on innovative skills and techniques that will put you ahead of the rest, from Day 1.

Storytelling

Let’s be clear: storytelling is everything. It’s the art and skill of knowing how to deliver material in a way that makes a place come alive. Knowing how to begin, where to go, and when to end. Our methods are our pride and joy, and we share them with you on our trainings, to put you above the rest.

Logistics, Mapping, & Itinerary Planning

We’ll help you learn the best strategies for understanding the nuts-and-bolts of how to prepare your tour routes while finding ways to wow your groups with special stops along the way. Learning how to get it all organized and timed correctly is the foundation of the job.

How to Engage with Groups

From body language and tone to your demeanor and personality, being the most engaging version of yourself is an important fundamental to the job. Boot Camp will show you how to be a dynamic, creative presence in front of your groups!

Bus Tour Training

The bus is a basic tools of the trade, and often the main way you’ll communicate to your guests. We’ll help you learn to deliver great material and activities to make the time on the road a valuable part of the travel experience, plus cover fun stuff like bag pulls, seating rotations, parking and navigating.

Customer Service

Handling challenges that arise with grace is part of the core of your job. Dealing with people means knowing yourself, knowing how to interact with travelers in high-pressure situations, and not letting stress or emotions get in the way. Beyond that, your job as a tour leader is to provide an extraordinary experience to everyone on the trip, and we’ll show you how!

Technology on Tour

We are the leaders in using new technologies to enhance your tours. Technology has shaped what guests want out of a travel experience and you should master all aspects of it to best prepare for your trips. We’ll teach you best practices when using web and phone apps to collect and map your research, and implementing the use of tablets, wireless printers, custom movies, and A/V coach hookups to deliver an incredibly rich travel experience.

Crafting Wow Moments

Everything we do comes down to what we call “wow” moments. It’s the parts of a trip that guests talk about once back home. Your preparation, storytelling ability, and real understanding of the places where you are leading trips all combine together to give you the ability to create incredibly unforgettable, unique experiences for your clients. In today’s travel market, this is what groups crave.

Resume, Headshot, Online Profile & Interviewing

You’ll actually have interviews with tour companies during Boot Camp! And we’ll set you up for success by creating your resume, taking a professional headshot, and practicing interviews before the big day on Friday.

Walking Tour Training

Learning how to lead a group through the streets, and project and lead confidently, are some of the most essential skills you’ll need in this business. We’ll work with you to make sure you can handle these situations confidently, and share our methods for making your walks engaging for everyone, no matter the age.

Engaging with Students & Youth

Working with young people is a staple in this industry, and not something to pass your time with, but a passionate pursuit that many tour directors never give up. It’s the possibility of changing young lives by inspiring them with experiences that will shape the choices they make for their future. Leading student tours requires special skills, and we bring in expert school teachers to tell you what they love and don’t love in a tour director.

Boot Camp Day-By-Day Itinerary

Every training is slightly different, and depends on the location and time of year. More specific details for each Boot Camp can be found on the individual enrollment pages at the bottom of the page.

Sunday, Day 1: Travel Day

Arrive in town any time; meet us for a casual gathering at the end of the day.

Monday, Day 2: Transformative Storytelling & Guiding

We go over the homework you were given ahead of time, and get you used to the group. We introduce you to our foundational values, which we call Transformative Tour Guiding. This includes crafting memorable wow moments, connecting with guests emotionally through storytelling, and being an engaging presence that makes a travel experience come alive. We’ll spend the day workshopping these principles with a variety of interactive activities.

Tuesday, Day 3: All-Day Guiding Practice

We’re out in the field all day! Using a variety of assignments that include talking about buildings, people, historical events, food, culture and more, we’ll let you learn by doing.

Wednesday, Day 4: Technology Workshop & Practice

Today’s tour guide or tour director needs to take advantage of all the tools in their arsenal to be better than a robot or AI voice. That means employing technology before, during and after a tour. We’ll go through our entire bag of trips, from fantastic apps to how to organize and map your research and tours. You’ll actually use these tools to prepare for tomorrow’s tour day.

Thursday, Day 5: Motor Coach Full Tour Day

Using the skills and work we’ve done all week, the group leads a full day of touring with a motor coach. You all work together to deliver a phenomenal day of great storytelling, wow moments, while paying attention to logistics and timing that make a great tour feel effortless. Along the way your instructors will offer feedback and pointers.

Friday, Day 6: Travel Career Day

Now it’s time to focus on career next steps, whether you’re already working or brand new. In a day of “stations”, we’ll help you create your resume, video introduction, TripSchool online profile, and practice interviews and your “elevator pitch” before connecting you with tour operators who will interview you that very day! And we’ll finish with a farewell dinner.

And we’ll talk through all the various options you have for working in the travel industry.

Most importantly, on this day we host virtual and in-person interviews with tour operators!

The course will finish at 5pm EST. You can choose to forego the farewell dinner in order to depart in the evening.

Day 7: Travel Day

Depart any time today.

Our graduates work for the biggest tour companies in the world.

We work with thousands of tour businesses all around the world looking for tour directors and guides. Boot Camp finishes with you actually interviewing with companies, right away, including many of the world’s leading organizations. We take into account your professional goals and get you the work you want.

TripSchool gets you work. Seriously.

After class: get your career toolkit.

Once you’ve completed your certification program, you’ll be incredibly well-equipped for leading your first tours.

But we get you ready professionally as well. We will help you craft your resume, take your professional head shot, and create your online profile to get you out in front of operators.

But the journey doesn’t stop there. You’ll be part of our close-knit alumni network that meets in a very active Facebook group, and supports each other by answering questions, and giving job referrals.

Finally, you’ll be paired with a TripSchool Mentor, who will give you advice and support as you navigate this new world.

We’ll create your resume and other hiring tools with you.

We’ve created a new way to present yourself to tour operators, and they love it. It stands for everything we’re about: it’s bold, honest, fresh and innovative. The TripSchool resume is unlike any of the other, older models, and makes a clear statement about who you are as a tour director.

You’ll become part of our TripSchool online community.

This is where you’ll most readily feel the family love! We have an incredibly supportive and nurturing community that encourages you, and where you can ask all sorts of questions about the career. No tour operator is allowed on the forum, so your privacy is guaranteed.

You get an online profile.

We’re the only certification program that also offers you an online profile, hosted by us, that you can use to show tour operators who you are, in a way that expresses your personality. Tour companies love it!

TripSchool Tour Operator List to get hired

Search our Exclusive Online Tour Operator Directory

Through our networking, experience and alumni, we’ve assembled the only online directory in the industry of hundreds of tour operators that you can use to research and contact for potential jobs.

TripSchool Tour Director Resource Portal

Use our Extensive Private Online Resources

Our resource portal is constantly growing and contains valuable information for quick reference. From logistics to contacts, you will have access to the information you need online!

Get Hired with Job Offers from TripSchool

Receive TripSchooler-only Job Offers

We work with tour operators to place you directly on tours and in companies that know and love our grads, and who are always looking for new tour directors. We vouch for you, and help give you personal connections to excel quickly in the job.

“You can’t get a better education — any location on the planet — than from TripSchool, hands down. There’s simply no comparison with TripSchool. None!”

– Jack

Your Instructors

You’re taught by recognized, respected, master practitioners in the field. And they’re known for creativity and innovation.

Mitch Bach

Mitch is an internationally recognized travel speaker, trainer, tour director, and author of four guidebooks. He’s been the keynote speaker at leading international travel conferences, consults privately for leading tour companies around the world, runs his own tour company and has been a tour director for 18 years.

Alan Armijo

Alan has worked in every imaginable sector of the travel industry, and knows the ropes better than anyone. He’s been a travel agent, flights coordinator, tour operator, and a tour director across the United States and Canada for over 20 years. He is at home equally in the wilderness of the Canadian Rockies and the busyness of New York City. He understands the tour industry better than anyone.

Special Guest Instructors for Tour Guide Training Class

TripSchool Training Team

Every Boot Camp also includes visits from our team of trainers and industry experts, ranging from newer tour directors sharing their experience, to school teachers offering their feedback on what makes a great student tour director. The end result is giving you a first-hand understanding of what’s expected in this career.

The TripSchool Difference

You have choices. Let us tell you why we’re so different.

More Innovative.

Using new technology on tour. Creative storytelling and interactive methods. One tour operator calls TripSchoolers “ninjas”, because you leave our programs with tools and tricks that nobody else has. And it delights your travelers, and sets you apart at your job interviews. The travel industry, and guest expectations, have changed drastically. Tour operators love hiring our grads because we train for today.

Smaller Class Size

Small groups = more individual practice than any other program. Our classes run at a maximum of 12 people, half the size of others. And from minute #1 you’re doing the work, getting feedback and coaching. You won’t (and can’t!) get lost in the crowd.

100% Practical & Interactive

Our time together is spent in a workshopping, masterclass environment. Over the course of Boot Camp, you’ll actually practice every aspect of the job, many times.

More Affordable

We run a lean business and we place much of what you can learn online. This means we can offer you the most affordable option in the industry for tour director and guide training. Recoup your training costs after running just one multi-day tour!

Start your dream travel career right now.

If you’re new, start with the online course. Then book a Boot Camp to put your skills to the test, and complete your certification.

Enroll now and change your life!

Stage 1: Online Course

Only $499 for your online certificate. Takes about 2-4 weeks to complete. All online, self-paced. Enroll any time.

Local Tour Guide Online Course

International Tour Leader Online Course

Stage 2: In-person Boot Camp

$1999 for the 5-day class + resume, job interviews, headshot, intro video, workbook and company database.

Apply below, and see the dates currently available for courses. We’ll follow up immediately with an introductory conversation to get you enrolled.

Apply now and transform your life, guaranteed.

If you want to test the waters, begin with enrolling in the online course of your choice, above. If you know you’re ready to change your life, then secure your spot at our next Boot Camp.

Upcoming Classes:

Albuquerque, New Mexico (Jan 13-17)

New York City (Mar 3-7)

Washington, DC (April 5-9)

Boot Camp Application

TripSchool is internationally known, and backed by the authority of global partnerships with the world’s leading organizations.

We are affiliated with guide associations, accrediting agencies, non-profits and other organizations around the world, ensuring your training is recognized as quality and industry-leading.

More questions?

TripSchool was founded by veteran tour directors Mitch Bach and Alan Armijo, after nearly 40 combined years in the travel industry. Together they’ve worked in every sector of the travel industry, and after so many years in the profession they’ve learned the techniques to become an exceptional tour director that engages with today’s tour guests, and today’s travel landscape. We’re known for wowing groups with our knowledge of not only what’s expected, but also the special spots and ways of telling stories that make you look like a superstar, from your first tour.

Because TripSchool’s instructors all learned their craft on the road, we’ve structured our certification program to be entirely a small group, practical workshop. To save you money and time, we’ve placed the classroom learning on an online course, to make every minute we spend together about working with you to become a master tour director.

The path you take depends on the lifestyle you’d like. You can even choose to do both local tour guiding and tour directing to various places around the world. Briefly put, a tour guide stays at home at night, and guides during the day. It’s good if you have a family that needs you in the evenings, or if you can’t leave your home for very long. A tour director (sometimes called a tour leader or tour manager), however, spends many days away from home, as they travel with the group for days or weeks on end. It’s a life “on the road” filled with long days and lots of adventure. We have written an article with more information on the differences between a tour leader and a tour guide.

Absolutely not. Companies want to see people who are motivated and committed to becoming a tour director, and not someone who is just dipping their toes in the waters to see if it’s for them. We created our online course to allow you to see if this is right for you, before taking our class. You absolutely do not need to take our, or anyone’s certification class to become a tour director. All companies hire people every year without a training certificate; however, attending a training program shows that you’re willing to put “skin in the game” by investing time and money in the industry. Instead of authorizing you to be a tour director, a training program sets you up for success, and gives you contacts and a network to help you through your entire career. We believe we do it in a better, more innovative way than everyone else.

Storytelling, “wow” moments, and technology are staples of the TripSchool training experience. Our industry has changed a lot with the ease and access of the internet through technology. Almost all of our guests have cell phones or tablets which means they have a lot of the same resources at their fingertips that you do as a tour director. A guest has more information going into a tour now than they ever have in the past, and they have high expectations. Chances are that many of them have even done some research about the tour and top destinations before ever leaving home. So, how do you stand out and shine?

Our tour directing philosophy is grounded in our belief that storytelling, “wow” moments, and technology can transform an already great tour into an unforgettable experience. Guests expect more than just the basic facts that tour directing used to be centered around, they want stories that bring a place to life, and they want a story to take home to their family and friends. We teach you how to do this through practicing storytelling in our trainings, by teaching you how to discover and create your own “wow” moments, and teaching you how you can use technology to completely transform your tour directing game.

Short answer: YES! The final day of our in-person Boot Camp is “interview day” in which you’ll immediately have real job interviews with a variety of companies. Our team is extremely well-connected to tour companies around the world, and work with them to get you placed with the right company for your goals and location. Tour operators are constantly asking us for recommendations, and as a TripSchool grad you’re the front of our list. We also have a job board and an exclusive group for only our grads in which we share regular opportunities.

Access to the exclusive TripSchool Resource Portal
Once you successfully complete a TripSchool Intensive Destination Training course, you’ll have access to the alumni-exclusive TripSchool Resource Portal. When you log into your account on the TripSchool webpage, you’ll find your Portal access under the Account tab. Every TripSchool alumni will have access to the General Topics & Tips section, that includes your access to create a Graduate Profile for Tour Operators. In addition to the General Topics & Tips section, you will have access to exclusive information covered throughout your Intensive Destination Training course for the city that you have trained in with TripSchool. For example, if you completed the Boston module on Megatraining or the Boston extension course, you will see access to the Boston information section on the Resource Portal. As you complete more Intensive Destination Trainings, you will gain access to each section that corresponds with the training that you have completed. Please note that each new Resource Portal destination section is released after training so that the most up-to-date information is at your fingertips.

Option to create a TripSchool Graduate Profile for Tour Operators
Through the TripSchool Resource Portal, all graduates will have the option to create a Graduate Profile exclusively for Tour Operators to view. Graduates can currently add their personal information, links to a personal website or online video, upload a resume, upload a photo, select the TripSchool Intensive Destination Trainings that have been completed, provide gateway city information, and can also select cities where you can stay for free. All of this information helps Tour Operators decide if a particular graduate will be a good fit for their needs based on Destination Training experience, gateway city location, experience, and more! This feature is only available to TripSchool graduates and is only accessible by the Tour Operators that the TripSchool Team has worked hard to cultivate close working relationships with throughout many years in the industry.

Access to the private TripSchool Grads Facebook Group
Facebook Groups are exceptional resources for people in the tourism industry. There are many different Facebook Groups available to tour directors and tour guides; however, none are quite like the private TripSchool Grads Facebook Group. The TripSchool Grads Facebook Group is only accessible to those who have successfully completed a TripSchool Intensive Destination Training course. After training has ended, each graduate will be invited to join the TripSchool Grads Facebook Group. This forum fosters an open, safe, and welcoming environment for graduates of all skill levels to ask questions related to the industry. Whether you need to know about an updated security procedure at a specific sight you are taking a group to, or you need suggestions of places to take your 3-bus move to lunch between New York City and Washington D.C., you can always get an answer from fellow TripSchoolers in this group. The TripSchool Facebook Group is a positive force of encouragement throughout the year. Graduates often feel compelled to share good news (perhaps being hired by a dream Tour Operator) and graduates also love posting “Quack Alert” photo updates when they run into fellow TripSchoolers while on tour!

Assistance from the TripSchool Team
TripSchool co-founders, Alan Armijo & Mitch Bach, are the foundation of TripSchool and they work hard to help out graduates when they need it. If you have a question that cannot be answered through any of the numerous resources provided by the TripSchool Team, you are always welcome to reach out to Alan, Mitch, Ashley, or Alyssa directly via e-mail.

Absolutely! The entire TripSchool Team has unique relationships with a wide variety of Tour Operators in this industry.[These are the companies that I know we have grads working for – I’m sure there are more] ACIS, Adventures by Disney, AmeriCan Adventure Travel, BELO USA, Bob Rogers Travel, Brightspark Travel, Collette, Contiki, Destination America, Director’s Choice Tour & Travel, Eaglerider Tours, Educational Discovery Tours, Educational Travel Adventures, EF Explore America, EXP Trips, Explorica, Flamingo Educational Tours, Gate 1 Travel, Global Travel Alliance, Globus Family of Brands, Go Ahead Tours, Grand Classroom, Green Light Group Tours, Hemisphere Educational Travel, Joshua Expeditions, Jumpstreet Educational Tours, Kaleidoscope Adventures, Mid Atlantic Receptive Services (MARS), Newmarket Holidays, Onward, Road Scholar, SCENIC Luxury Cruising & Tours, Tauck, Travelsphere / Just You, WorldStrides, YMT Vacations.

Our students come from different generations, backgrounds, and walks of life. One of the unique things about this industry is that there is not age requirement to be an exceptional tour director – you’ve just got to be able to rise to the occasion and meet the mental and physical demands of the job. What is unique about our students is that they are inherently a notch above the rest. They take our training courses to better themselves and to help better the industry as a whole. They rise to the occasion and exceed expectations. Whether you are a new or seasoned tour director, our students are serious about the job, want to improve their skills, and want to “wow” their guests of all ages on tour. Our students are successful on their tours because they have made an investment in themselves by starting and/or continuing their tour director education with TripSchool.

Absolutely! In order to protect the privacy of our graduates, we do not post their personal information here. However, if you shoot an e-mail to [email protected] letting us know that you’d like to speak with a graduate we will be happy to connect you to one!

Absolutely! We are more than happy to answer any additional questions that you may have! Feel free to contact us with any questions.