The next available course
- Dates: The 2026-27 course will run from Sat 26 Sep 2026 to Sat 22 May 2027 with a four-week break at Christmas and a one-week break at Easter.
- Format: We meet on Saturdays for a mixture of in-class, on-street and in-gallery sessions, with the occasional online session. Half the Saturdays are morning only (10.30 to 13.00) and half the Saturdays are full days (10.00 to 16.30).
- Venue: The venue for classroom sessions is the St Marylebone CE School, 64 Marylebone High Street W1U 5BA.
- Fee: The fee for 2026-27 will be £1,250 (this includes course materials and examination fees but does not include fees for optional tours and visits).
- Materials: Two course handbooks, written by the course director and available before the course begins, and a digital resource library.
- Applications: The application process for the 2026-27 course will open in May 2026.
- Course prospectus: If you would like to know more after reading the information below, please request our course prospectus.
Introducing the course
For nearly 15 years, the renowned London Heritage Training course in Tour Guiding (previously known widely as Westminster Tour Guiding) has helped students craft and lead unforgettable walking tours around Westminster. Building on that success, from 2025-26 we are expanding to cover the wider historic centre of the capital – from world-famous landmarks to hidden corners waiting to be discovered – equipping students with the skills required to lead tours across London.
What sets us apart is our focus on enabling our students to develop the skills and confidence they need to become the best guide they can be. Our approach equips you with the research skills required to design your own tours and develops your public-speaking and storytelling skills so that you can tell the story of London in your own authentic voice. Along the way, you acquire an extensive knowledge of the capital’s history and cultural heritage.
Our course is led by Dr Caroline Dunmore, a professional educator with over 20 years’ experience in adult education, and supported by a team of expert tutors and peer mentors. The teaching approach encourages collaboration, not competition. We prepare you to guide in central London, offering a rigorous and supportive learning experience that many students find genuinely transformative.
“This is the best course I have ever done, by far. I went into it knowing very little about London and nothing about guiding. I came out, having worked hard because it’s a joy to learn on this course, a confident qualified guide with a love of London and a huge love of guiding.”
Luisa Dillner (Class of 2023-24)
Who is the course for?
Whether you are preparing for a new career or simply want to share your love of London, our course, The Art of Tour Guiding, offers a well-designed and enjoyable pathway into tour guiding.
We welcome:
- complete beginners.
- informal or volunteer guides.
- experienced guides seeking to refresh or broaden their practice.
Each year’s student cohort comprises a lively mix of people from a wide range of backgrounds. What unites everyone on the course is a passion for London and a desire to guide with confidence and individuality.
The course has a strong community feel, and students often say they learn as much from each other as from the formal teaching.
What are the entry requirements?
We aim to make the course stimulating and rewarding. To get the most out of the experience, you need:
- To be resident in the UK and able to attend classes in central London on Saturdays between late September and mid-May.
- To be fluent in English and able to demonstrate the level of speaking, writing and research skills needed to complete the course.
- To have internet access and the ability to attend a Zoom meeting and to read and generate documents in electronic format.
- To be able to invest around 200 hours of your time outside the Saturday sessions (although the time required for self-directed study varies from student to student).
- To have a strong interest in the history of London and a strong desire to develop your communication skills, as well as a willingness to collaborate supportively with your fellow students.
What will you learn?
The design of our course skilfully interweaves skills development and knowledge acquisition.
You develop all the skills essential for effective tour guiding:
- research and memory skills;
- heritage interpretation skills;
- public speaking and storytelling skills;
- logistical guiding skills (for exterior, interior and virtual guiding);
- and marketing skills.
Over the year, you build a rich, multi-layered understanding of London: not just through academic study, but through exploration, discussion, and practice.
Here’s what you cover:
- Geography. You explore the heart of Westminster (Whitehall, St James’s and the West End) along with selected parts of other central boroughs (the City, Southwark, Kensington & Chelsea and Camden). You learn about these areas and sites through our training walks and immersive classroom sessions, supported by the course handbooks and an extensive library of digital resources.
- History. In the first half of the course, you discover London’s heritage through the biographies of significant historical figures; we use the National Portrait Gallery collection as our focus for this, ranging from Henry VIII to the Suffragettes. In the second half of the course, you delve into the social history of London; we use Marylebone as our focus for this, concentrating mostly on the 18th and 19th centuries.
- Themes. You engage with multiple aspects of London’s heritage: royalty and politics; colonialism and social reform; art and architecture; science and medicine; literary arts and humanities; music and theatre; and more. All assignments offer a choice of topics so you can pursue your interests and begin to develop your distinctive voice as a guide.
What is our teaching approach?
We have run our course since 2011 and refine it each year based on student feedback. It is shaped by:
- a student-centred design
- evidence-based teaching methods
- a strong focus on professional development
Our approach is grounded in the principles of Applied Positive Psychology (the scientific study of human wellbeing) and a commitment to personal growth.
Above all, our aim is to create a supportive and stimulating environment where you can grow in confidence and develop a guiding style that reflects your interests and personality. We don’t expect everyone to sound the same, so we help you find your own voice and engage with the stories you most want to tell.
From as early as Week 4, you are out on the pavement delivering your first five-minute talk to your fellow students. You will find this a friendly and positive environment where everyone is learning together.
You are encouraged to keep a learning journal throughout the course to support your progress, and you receive tailored feedback to help you grow in confidence and ability.
How will you be assessed?
You complete:
- two written assignments
- two practical exams, one in the National Portrait Gallery and one on the streets of Marylebone
The four assessments are spaced out across the year and carefully designed to support your learning. You receive detailed written feedback on all four assessments.
What qualification will you earn?
On successful completion of the course, you become a qualified London Heritage Guide, receiving a certificate and an LHG guiding badge.
What are your next steps?
If our Tour Guiding course speaks to you and you would like to join us on this exciting journey, head to the Prospective Students page to learn more.
If you would like to receive our prospectus, which includes the full course calendar and session times, please write to the course director, Dr Caroline Dunmore, using the form below.