Westminster Tour Guiding Training

The Westminster tour guiding course is the pathway to membership of the CWGLA – the City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association. The course gives students the knowledge and skills they need to design and deliver engaging walking tours around the royal, political and cultural heart of London.

The course is provided by the CWGLA’s accredited Course Provider. It runs from September to May every year. Applications for the Westminster Tour Guiding Course starting in September 2025 are now closed. 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. Please note that CWGLA membership is only open to people who have successfully completed the course with our accredited provider. CWGLA does not recognise any other course.

While applications for the 2025-26 year are now closed, if you are interested in applying for next years course, please subscribe to our mailing list and we will email you when applications for the next course open. 

If you have any questions in the meantime, which are not answered below, please email course@westminsterguides.org.uk

Overview

The course will enable you to develop the skills required to plan, prepare and deliver walking tours in the City of Westminster. It provides tuition on guiding skills as well as learning about the history, architecture, attractions and characters of Westminster. The borough has a long and rich history, and is home to many world-class attractions as well as being a seat of politics and royalty. 

The 2025-26 course will cost about £1,200 for the whole year, payable up-front, and non-refundable. 

Syllabus

During this course you will learn the general principles of tour guiding and how to guide walking tours in the City of Westminster. You will be taught about the different areas which make up the borough, their history, architecture, culture and other features. You will learn how to undertake your own research and how to design a guided walk, and you will be instructed in the necessary skills to present information in an informative and entertaining manner to a variety of audiences.

Course details

There will be classes every Thursday evening during term time. The classes take place at a central Westminster location. There will also be approximately 15 Saturday half day sessions, scheduled on alternate weeks, when the focus will be on practical guiding skills and the delivery of walking tours. 

To qualify you will be required to submit a satisfactory written project, pass a written exam and pass two practical guiding exams. One practical exam takes place at an internal site and one on the streets of Westminster. The two guiding examinations will take place in February and May.

The course instructors are qualified guides with experience of both guiding and teaching guiding skills. In addition, external examiners will assess the practical guiding examinations, and a moderator will review the marking of the written examination and the project. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be invited to join the CWGLA – the City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association. This will entitle you, on payment to CWGLA of your annual subscription (currently £25) and initial upfront costs, to wear the CWGLA badge as a recognition of your status as a qualified guide in the City of Westminster. It will enable you to enjoy the benefits of membership of the association. Graduates are normally presented with their badges by the Lord Mayor of Westminster.

Note: all students are expected to have access to a smart phone, to a laptop and the internet during the course.