Blue Badge

For those who would like full or part-time work guiding visitors around a region or metropolitan area on walking tours, at sites of interest, and using different methods of transport.

The opportunities are extensive. 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.

Covering a wide geographical area or metropolitan area, including flexible tours of sites, towns and tours throughout the area from a vehicle, e.g. car, coach or train.

An increasing number of Blue Badge Tourist Guides are qualifying as licensed driver-guides offering chauffeur-driven guiding, varying from antiques tours in the Cotswolds to looking after foreign journalists and film stars.

A Blue Badge course needs to have a minimum of 600 hours of study which will comprise a minimum of 360 contact hours plus private research and learning. It will often run part-time over 12 months. It is assessed by two written papers, a tour planning project and at least four practical guiding exams.

Training courses are usually organised by local guiding organisations. A list of current courses can be found here.