tour leader uk

Team Wanderlust | 31 July 2018

Get paid to travel: become a tour leader.

Do you have what it takes to become a travel guide? It can take you all over the world, but you'll need buckets of passion, endless knowledge and a big dose of patience...

Let’s get this straight: it is a ‘proper job’. Sure, you’ll lose your fear of Monday mornings. And yes, your ‘office’ may be a Kenyan national park, a Himalayan valley or a large area of Amazon jungle. Your friends will think you get paid to go on holiday again and again – a kind of Groundhog Holiday, if you will.

But don’t be deceived: tour leading for an adventure travel company is very much a proper job. The hours are long (when have you worked nine months without a day off?), you’re on call 24/7 and, while it may look easy, behind the scenes it’s a huge amount of work. Your job could be described as being like a swan on water - graceful and calm on the surface, with your legs frantically paddling underneath.

What jobs are there?

Tour leading is not a single job – there are many different kinds of tours, like driving overland trucks from London to Cape Town, or leading rambling groups around the vineyards of Tuscany. There are jobs touring the general sights of countries, sailing the Nile in a dhow, guiding safaris, mountain biking, doing European cultural tours, riding horses, carrying out conservation work, or leading family trips.

Some are more extreme than others – the skills needed for leading a centre-based holiday in the Pyrenees are very different from those required to climb a Himalayan peak or lead a jungle expedition.

What's in it for you?

A lot of travel, of course. You’ll find that leading gives your travel a new depth – when you're working alongside locals, they'll see you as an equal, not as a customer. What other job would let you build a deep friendship with a Vietnamese waitress or a Berber muleteer? Ask most leaders what they most like about the job and the answer won’t have anything to do with travel. You'll learn a lot about yourself, developing your interpersonal and leadership skills in ordinary and extraordinary situations. It's also a job with real autonomy – your boss may be 12,000 miles away!

What are the downsides?

All of these plus points have their down sides. You might repeat the same two-week itinerary ten times, yet you have to be as fresh on the tenth as you were on the first. Whatever goes wrong, you have to deal with it, whenever it happens. Your clients might be rude, your transport connections could be late, or not turn up at all. Yours and your clients' personal belongings can be stolen, or worse, your clients could get ill - and that's all your responsibility to deal with. As well as all of those negatives, it can also be lonely work - having to spend long periods away from your close friends and family.

How to get a job as a travel guide

• Don’t apply unless you are well travelled. Ideally you’ll have explored some unusual parts of the globe and been on some extended trips, such as a career break. But remember, the most important thing isn’t travel – it’s people.
• Stress your people and leadership skills. Anything you can do to prove that you have experience of a service industry, and of leading or teaching people, will be a great benefit.
• Get an understanding of what is required. Research the job thoroughly by checking out all the web-links listed, and getting to know the style of the company you are applying to.
• Visit travel shows and exhibitions. Prove that you’ve done your research and that you aren’t just acting on a whim. Companies will need to see that people are serious about the job.
• Go on a trip with the company you are applying to.  It'll give you a great insight into what it's like to be part of a group on holiday and see a real-life tour leader in action. While you're there, ask the tour leader exactly what they're doing on a day-to-day basis.
• Make sure you have specialised skills, such as a foreign language or a PCV driving licence. While they aren’t essential for all jobs, they are for some, and give you a great advantage. Knowledge of first aid, or specific country knowledge, is also good.
• Be ready to answer the question: “What would make you a good tour leader?” It’s an obvious question, and if you can’t answer it fluently, you shouldn’t be applying.

A word from a pro: Nick Nikolsky

Nick worked as a full-time tour leader over many years, covering everywhere from the faroe islands to cambodia. so how did he do it.

“In my gap year I worked abroad teaching English, then after uni as a diving instructor. I saw an advert for a tour leader in Wanderlust (honest) and applied for the job, expecting to do it for a short while. I ended up doing it full time for five years.

“My first trip was a walking tour in Slovakia. I had been trained in the UK and abroad on an actual walking trip and knew roughly how leading worked, but I was nervous at having to look after 16 people for two weeks all on my own. Needless to say I didn’t let the group know it was my first trip! By the end of the fortnight, I knew this was what I wanted to do as a job.

“You start getting a lot more than just travel experience when you’ve done the job for a year. You build up your people-handling skills, you encounter and solve strange new problems – all of which are great skills for whatever you do in life.”

Top tip: “Be yourself at the interview and if you are enthusiastic about travel and a people person, you should sell yourself without having to try.”

With thanks to Nick Nikolsky, Andrew Aitcheson, Matt Leggett and Debbie Crawford for their help with this guide.

Check out Wanderlust's job site for job opportunities in the travel industry.

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Our tour leaders    .

Our leaders are the best folk to show you the heart of a destination, they are not only travel experts, but teachers, travel gurus and enthusiastic purveyor of grassroots experiences.  As a local leader with Intrepid you’ll guide our travellers through authentic, experience-rich travel - all with a smile.   

What we look for in our Tour Leaders  

An important part of our customer experience is that they fully immerse themselves in the destination with authentic experiences, so our leaders are true locals. They know the urban legends behind every town square, the shortcuts down timeworn alleys and the traditional dishes you wouldn’t find on the tourist menu.  Our leaders come from strong customer service backgrounds and are incredible at building relationships with a broad range of people.  

But most importantly, our leaders are passionate and love sharing the joy of travel.  

Our Leaders  

Our leaders are the best folk to show you the heart of a destination, they are not only travel experts, but teachers, travel gurus and enthusiastic purveyor of grassroots experiences.  As a local leader with Intrepid you’ll guide our travellers through authentic, experience rich travel - all with a smile.   

What we look for in our Tour Leaders

We work with Local leaders in our destinations, it is an important part of our customer experience that they fully immerse in the destination with authentic experiences, so our leaders are true locals, they know the urban legends behind every town square, the hand shortcuts down timeworn alleys and the traditional dishes you wouldn’t find on the tourist menu.  Our leaders come from strong customer service backgrounds and are incredible at building relationships with a broad range of people. 

But most importantly, our leaders are passionate and love what they do. 

Hend | Cairo, Egypt

How long have you been an Intrepid Tour Leader?

What is one thing travellers must do in Eqypt?

Spend a night under the stars on a felucca on the Nile.

What is the best thing about being a Tour Leader?  

Getting people back travelling and sharing my country’s history and beauty with all my travellers.

Darlene | Nairobi, Kenya

What is one thing travellers must do in Kenya?

Sleep under the stars in the Maasai Mara.

What is the best thing about being a Tour Leader? 

Learning from travellers around the world. I learn so much from them.

Ibrahim | Amman, Jordan

What is one thing travellers must do in Jordan?

Walk through the Siq and visit Petra.

Bringing people together. We’re all one big family at the end of the trip.

Hend | Cairo, Egypt

The world needs intrepid people, global, united, fun .

Our Tour Leaders are Intrepid, they are the heart of our customer experience, and it is because of them, that our travellers have truly authentic experiences, whether that be finding the tastiest mole in Mexico, seeking the best merchants through the bazaars of Morocco, or getting you from A to B like a local.  Tour Leaders are united with their passion for travel and love of their country and region - and our travellers. If you'd like to learn more about our legendary leaders, you can meet some more of them here! 

Benefits of Tour Leading with Intrepid 

At Intrepid, we understand our Leaders are the core of our customer experience, and in return, we offer a range of benefits that vary from destination to destination. You can expect:  

• Variety of work/tours   
• Flexible scheduling  
• Discounts off your own travel with Intrepid  
• E-learning platforms to further develop your skillset  
• Full training is provided before you even begin 
• A wealth of career opportunities throughout our global business  
• High levels of on-ground support   
• Reward & recognition programs with company events 

Become a Tour Leader

If you’d like to become a Leader with us, we’d love to hear from you!  We encourage you to check out our  current opportunities  to look over and apply for any opportunities in your region!  Our recruitment is seasonal and each region has different specific requirements for you to lead with us 

If there are no availabilities in the regions you'd like to lead, you can express your interest below and register to receive updates for when we do start recruiting. 

If you’d like to become a Leader with us, we’d love to hear from you! We encourage you to check out our  current opportunities  to look over and apply for any opportunities in your region!  Our recruitment is seasonal and each region has different specific requirements for you to lead with us 

If you’d like to become a Leader with us, we’d love to hear from you!   We encourage you to check out our  current opportunities  to look over and apply for any opportunities in your region!  Our recruitment is seasonal and each region has different specific requirements for you to lead with us 

we are intrepid

We are intrepid.

Our leaders don't simply read from a guidebook, they share who they are, their passion, their love of their culture and region every single day, and they are as unique as the destinations we visit.  Every single day they create positive change through the joy of travel and every day our local leaders change the way travellers see the world.

We recruit for leaders seasonally, if there is nothing advertised for your region and you'd like to hear from us when we start recruiting, we encourage you to express your interest below.

_________________________________________________________

As an Australian-owned business, we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to their Elders past, present and future.

Learn more about Intrepid:  Trips  |  Company  |  Purpose

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Apply to become an Expat Explore Tour Leader

If you're a passionate traveller, a quick thinker, and enjoy meeting diverse people from all over the world, a career as a Tour Leader could be your perfect fit!

Tour Leader applications for 2024 have closed. Submit your CV in the meantime using the form below, and we'll contact you if 2024 vacancies arise and when 2025 recruitment starts.

Send Us Your CV

Comments from our co-founders.

Dear Explorer,

Thank you for your interest in Expat Explore, and welcome to our recruitment page.

As the founders of Expat Explore, we are confident that you will find working as a tour leader and becoming a part of the Expat Explore family to be a rewarding experience. As a tour leader, you will be the face of the company, giving our passengers the time of their lives.

What you will experience when tour leading for Expat Explore is a direct result of the work that ourselves and our hardworking team have put into designing and operating every tour. Every day, we aim to improve the tours and surprise the clients with the standard of service that they receive on tour.

We hope to see you on board with us very soon!

Carl Cronje & Jakes Maritz

Bid the 9-to-5 adieu and make the world your office!

• Ensure the tour is well organised and runs according to the itinerary
• Book or confirm all meals and accommodation required by the company
• Providing passengers with a detailed programme for the day every morning and/or evening
• Proactive planning for days ahead and upcoming tours
• Responsible for your own mobile phone budget and keeping spend within this budget
• Reconfirming hotels and suppliers before arrival
• Provide expert, informative commentaries on countries, cities and sights visited
• Stimulate the social aspect of the tour by organising activities and competitions
• Encourage groups to mingle wherever possible
• Deal with a wide variety of people and situations diplomatically and professionally as the tour leader and a representative of Expat Explore
• Facilitate a harmonious relationship between passengers, staff and service providers
• Always be polite and friendly towards passengers     
• Sharing your knowledge in a professional and informative manner
• Develop your knowledge of cities, sights and countries
• Keeping your knowledge up to date and recent
• As the tour leader, it's your responsibility to know the answer to every possible question Learning basic language skills of the countries you are visiting
• Complete a neat, balanced, receipted set of accounts at the end of each tour
• Pay all tour bills, accommodation, parking, city/road taxes, etc.
• Plan expenditure in advance so that you always have money available for expenses
• Collect money for optional excursions and make a payment for the services
• To be aware of passenger safety at all times
• To educate passengers to ensure their personal and property safety
• To deal with emergency situations that arise such as ill health, accidents and loss of property
• Liaise with the London office
• To facilitate quick and efficient professional help such as doctors, lawyers and ambulances when needed
• Exceeding customer expectations on a daily basis
• Make it easy for passengers to talk to you
• Understand what passengers want
• Maintain a one-on-one relationship with passengers
• Make the tour a true representation of the tours offered online
• Be upfront, direct and honest
• Clearly communicate what you can and cannot do as well as what the company does and does not offer
• Explain how you go about your work and what can be expected of you

Who should become a tour leader?

Tour leader applications are open to anyone with:

• Excellent customer service skills
• Good organisational skills
• Previous tour leader experience (beneficial, not required)
• Good leadership skills
• Good accounting foundations
• The ability to research each destination in depth
• High English proficiency (other languages will be greatly advantageous)
• The ability to work well in a team and on your own

If you have a passion for working with people, See tour leading as a career, Have a diplomatic mindset, And are proven to deal with groups confidently,

YOU should become a tour leader!

Will it be a worthwhile career?

Being a Tour Leader is not only worthwhile but rewarding! Take a look at just some of the benefits:

• Living expenses are covered during a tour (accommodation, breakfast and most dinners)
• It is an incredible opportunity to explore and learn about Europe
• Competitive commission structure & daily wages
• Meet new people from around the world
• Be part of the best road crew in Europe (uniform supplied)
• Enjoy all breakfasts and some dinners/lunches with the travellers on tour
• Accommodation in single rooms on tour and the night before a tour begins
• Supplied daily allowance for calls, texts and data
• One complimentary excursion/entrance per tour
• Access to computers and tour library between tours
• Discounts on personal travel

Will you receive any training?

Trainees will attend our Training Programmes for up to 4 weeks. The exact programme and training manual will be provided to successful applicants before the training commences.

Only the most skilled trainees will make it through the Training Programme and become established Expat Explore Tour Leaders. If you are lucky enough to get invited to our Training Programme, you will need to start practising and researching immediately.

Before the training begins, trainees must prepare themselves extensively – practising country and city spiels and walking tours. Depending on knowledge and previous experience, this phase might take up to 4-5 months.

The Expat Explore Training Programme consists of:

1. Online assignments prior to the start of training. 2. Classroom training for 3 days, mainly in our London office, where your progress will be monitored. No accommodation, meals or compensation will be provided at this stage. 3. Training tour, which will last up to 4 weeks. 4. Shadow tour of up to 2 weeks. 5. Final preparation in the office before you start your tour.

What does the application entail?

If your profile matches our requirements, we will invite you to the first interview – either via Skype, in our London office or we will ask you to complete a short video interview. During this interview, we evaluate your experience, personality and knowledge of our tours.

The second interview will be a performance interview where we will ask you to present different spiels. We’ll assess your reaction to different scenarios and your commitment to the role. We expect you to know everything about the company by now.

If your interviews are successful, we will invite you to attend our Training Programme. Please note that we might ask you to attend a third interview.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes we do! Scroll back up to see what's included in our training programme.

Expat Explore will cover expenses during the training tour such as accommodation, breakfasts and some dinners (as per tour itinerary). Expenses during the classroom training will not be covered.

Expat Explore have tours throughout the year with our busiest periods being April to September and during the festive period.

Most Tour Leaders will know their exact schedule up to a week before the following month. During the busy season, Tour Leaders are on the road for around 25 days of each month.

This is completely up to you. One of the great things about being a tour leader is that the time between tours is completely yours.

All our Tour Leaders will need training on how to lead tours for Expat Explore, but the training for experienced tour leaders will be tailor-made and might not follow our Training Programme strictly.

Expat Explore groups can be up to 52 passengers plus the tour leader and the driver.

Most tour leaders will be training on the Europe Escape tour, as this is our most popular itinerary (in Europe). Within a few months, Tour Leaders are trained to lead different itineraries, and there are plenty of possibilities to develop further when leading tours for several seasons.

Yes! We are very flexible with time off, and we do our utmost to make sure the tour leaders get gaps to re-energise.

What's it like on our tours?

As an Expat Explore Tour Leader, you'll conduct coach tours that include transport on comfortable coaches or minibuses, depending on which tour you're going on.

On our European tours, passengers travel in our full-size coaches. In North America, South America, the Middle East and Asia, passengers will travel either on a full-size coach or a slightly smaller vehicle.

Coach selection depends on how big the group is, and which roads we'll take on tour. Whichever option, we ensure comfort and convenience.

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UK and Great Britain Tour Companies

Looking for an unforgettable UK and Great Britain tour? Book a fully-organized trip with the best tour companies in UK and Great Britain and let the tour operator take care of everything for you. Check out the tour details and read 195332 reviews from our customers to help you choose the perfect tour for you.

List of UK And Great Britain travel companies & tour operators with 195332 reviews

Luxury Gold

• Excellent - 26 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

The British Royale tour far exceeded our expectations! VIP Experiences were memorable and enjoyable. Our Tour Concierge, Ebony, was very well organized and shared an unlimited wealth of knowledge on just about everything. Our tour group had only 11 people which was absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who has an interest in learning and experiencing more about the UK!

I couldn't fault my LUXURY Gold tour, I'd always wanted to see more of the UK after enjoying London many times. Visiting Windsor Castle, the Lakes District, the Cotswolds and Edinburgh were my favourites and a top of the list experience the Edinburgh Military Tattoo!! I took a Chairmans' collection departure and personally met the Duchess of Northumberland (an inspirational woman) as we walked thru her amazing gardens of Alnwick Castle. Dining was 1st rate and our group was only 21 people.

• Excellent - 74,890 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

More time in Belfast

Introduction to Ireland was a well rounded beautiful adventure. I enjoyed every single moment. Accomodations were good. Bus was comfortable and the driver was amazing. Our tour guide Tom was great. I respect the fact he runs a tight ship so people were on time,organized and directed us each day as to what to expect. I enjoyed his abundance of Irish history and story telling.

Europamundo

• Good - 3,043 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

Our guides were amazing and great at keeping us updated and informed. The itinerary was good for fitting in the amount of things in the amount of time that we had, it would have been nice to have a little bit more time in some places, but overall was great.

TRAVELERS IF YOU SPEAK ENGLISH ONLY THIS MAY NOT BE THE TRIP/COMPANY FOR YOU! If you are ready to spend most of the time on a bus, and very little time in the places they advertise. The guides we had were not organized, or gave very little history on the places we did visit. Guides often referring to Google for history of the places we went. Gave more information in Spanish. If you don't speak Spanish this can be very confusing and frustrating. Explanations for the times returning to meet to return to the bus NOT ALWAYS CLEAR, God forbid if you were late arriving at the bus, often RUDE TO THE TRAVELERS. Some of the bus drivers were giving the guides explanations, and history of the places we were passing though, but the guides not passing the information on to us. Also what they needed to do when crossing borders, having strangers on the bus helping them sort out our passports and other personal information! Excursions that I paid, BEING CHARGED 25$ EUR MORE THAN THE EXCUSION WAS LISTED FOR, the company DID NOT HAVE THEM ON THIER LIST!! I HAD IT ON MY "MY TRIP" When asked about this, I was told the Company "Boss" didn't know anything about these situations, trips, or times, "that they just drive their fancy cars!" Being told that we would be reimbursed for excursions but NEVER HAPPENED! Trying to contact the company about this situation, but NEVER getting an answer.

• Excellent - 1,895 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

Itinerary was ok - some locations, like Plymouth, really aren’t worth visiting, while others with lots to see had minimal time (an hour or so) allocated.

Fine tour with a lot of nice people from almost all over the world. To us it was a disappointment that the optional tour in Edinburgh with Johnnie Walker experts, advertised in the program, wasn’t available.

Expat Explore Travel

• Excellent - 4,288 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

Far exceeded expectations. If you are looking for a leisurely trip - this is not it...but what it gives you is an amazing experience. I think I averaged about 14,000 steps, lots of early morning wake ups, but pure joy, fun and laughter. It was an amazing trip,

Wow!! What a trip it was!! Luke and Enda made the trip the success it was. Safety first was always adhered to. After that the knowledge, humor and personality of our remarkable tour Guide Luke Watson added to the continuing joy of travel with this company and our group.

• Excellent - 878 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

Already sent some comments to costsaver.

Great tour Probably Experiences of my life. The tour was very well organized by our tour, Director Deborah she was very knowledgeable and fun !!! I got to see everything I wanted to for my first initial experience to Europe. The hotels were nice and breakfast was decent. Met a great group of people on my tour as a solo traveler!!! Highly recommend best money ever spent !!! Book this tour !!!!

Insight Vacations

• Excellent - 634 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

My first Insight Tour and it was amazing. Scenic tour of the beautiful countryside, towns, and historic sites of England, Scotland, Wales, and Republic of Ireland. Our Travel Director, Greg, was very professional, knowledgeable of the history, culture, food, music, and local 'celebrities'. Greg and our driver (Arthur - the best) worked together as a team, making our trip enjoyable, memorable, and fun. Always courteous, respectful, and conscientious of our time, safety, and well-being. Good job!

What a wonderful way to experience my first tour. This 13 day highlight of the best that Britain an Ireland have to offer was full of amazing opportunities to taste the culture and meet locals that lovel and adore their country and the history that holds. Greg our tour guide was exceptionally in his organisation, knowledge and commitment to ensuring that we enjoyed our trip. His attention to details and the extras to make the group feel welcomed and special. My personal experience on my special day was made even more heart warming by Greg's kindness and effort in make sure that I felt loved and acknowledge with an celebration at the evening meal. Arthur our driver was amazing and his experience in driving showed in the professionalism he demonstrated in through the entire 13 days. Overall i would throughly recommend this trip to anyone especially if they are blessed with Greg and Arthur.

• Excellent - 19,654 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

The guide and the Driver where excellent 3 Hotels wery nice. The rest CRAPPY

My tour was a great experience, visiting many of my bucket list sites with a great guide and driver. I would recommend this tour to everyone.

MacBackpackers

• Excellent - 2,554 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

Overall a nice trip. Branka did a great job. Her narratives kept the tour more exciting. Felt like three days is not adequate to explore the big landscape. Still the tour was well organized. Just one remark, the places we visited (Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns) on day one were not that exciting. It would have been better if they include Eilean Donan caste or some similar interesting places.

it was amazing all tour, all the experience

Haggis Adventures

• Excellent - 1,966 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

Very good tour and a good way to visit areas of Scotland I otherwise wound't have. Good mix of solo travelers and couples. Our guide, Martin, was great and went out of his way to find places for us to see Highland Cows.

War gut ist zu empfehlen

Overland Ireland - Small Gr…

• Excellent - 475 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

Thank you David for your expertise and excellent driving skills to get the most out of our trip to Ireland! Loved the experience and loved what your company gave us! Thank you again.

The itinerary was reversed and we didn’t really know where we were going until the day of. Administration seems disorganized.

• Excellent - 29 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

Jose the tourist guide was excellent, the hotels except for the last one were very good, the landscape and scenery was amazing, very recommended

• Excellent - 5,486 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

Couldn’t fault it if I tried

Could not fault them enough

Irish Experience Tours

• Excellent - 270 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

Our guide Lee was excellent. We were lucky to have sunny weather and plenty of photos stops. He went out of his way to explain the Irish culture, history and shared his personal life, so all blended as a group. His dialogue was not a standard speak, but flowed and organic to what was happening on the day. I was the only for the 10day tour, but the group comprised of me, a 7day and 8day group. He knew what each group had in the their tour package and was just excellent and memorising it all. He is a gem to the company and I would come back and do it again. Ireland is a beautiful country.

We had a fantastic tour with Anthony as our guide/driver. Anthony is super knowledgeable about all the towns and sites, flora and fauna, as well as Irish history and folklore. Best of all, he is a super nice guy with a great wit. We also lucked out with great weather. The bus was very comfortable and we had plenty of stops to stretch, walk, and take photos. The nightly accommodations were all comfortable enough with plenty of opportunities to experience the local pubs, music and culture. We couldn't have asked for a better overall experience and are so glad that we booked with Irish Experience Tours.

Back-Roads Touring

• Excellent - 139 reviews for UK and Great Britain tours

This tour was excellent. Derek was a very entertaining tour guide & our driver had a great sense of humour. I highly recommend travelling with Tour Rad.

All worked pretty well. Tour Leader and Driver really good.

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Tour Leaders

Our tour leaders are hand picked for their professional and personal experience, their personalities, and passion for the subject.

Tour leaders are an integral part of each tour, providing knowledge, insight and enthusiasm. The most important job of a tour leader is to provide pastoral care - to ensure that our tour groups are well looked after.  They are interesting and accomplished people in their own right, and the sort of person you will enjoy sharing a drink with at the end of a busy day.

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PGA Championship

Valhalla Golf Club

Louisville, Kentucky • USA

May 16 - 19, 2024

Accessibility tools

Tour leader.

Course outcomes

This course builds and develops your skills, training you to:

• Prepare for tours and rides
• Understand equipment requirements, checking for suitability
• Pre-ride routes and follow previously prepared route information
• Ensure participants’ riding abilities and help them develop
• Manage groups
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• Deal with riders’ needs for food, drink and rest
• Deal with emergencies
• Reduce our environmental impact

Key content

Leading and guiding cycling holidays and tours requires specific skills, competencies and qualities to ensure that events are properly prepared for, run according to plan and time schedule and minimise the opportunities for incidents, as well as being able to deal with them if they do occur.

Prerequisites

Click on the arrows icon below to open the full-size guide and to download your own copy.

Progression

The Tour Leader course equips you well to lead cycle touring.

The Mountain Bike Expedition Module will extend your Tour Leader qualification to include overnight camping trips under your technical remit.

Further qualifications allow you to explore other specialisms, such as Cycling UK’s Mountain Bike Trail Leader course.

For first aid course details please see Cycle courses and training .

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Naturetrek Tour Leaders

What to expect from a naturetrek tour leader:.

• Many of our leaders have exceptional backgrounds in the country they are taking you to. Often they have lived in the area they are leading a tour to for several years, and they will often have knowledge which goes beyond the region’s natural history.
• Some of our leaders are specialists in one aspect of natural history, while others are excellent all-round naturalists.
• We carefully match the tour leader to the type of tour they are going to lead.
• Between us we speak over 15 different languages. This is of great benefit to you, especially when trying to cope with the inevitable hiccoughs that can occur with travel arrangements in developing countries.
• They will enthuse you with a passion for their subject and destination, and make the holiday a lot of fun, too.
• Their job is also to problem-solve where required, and to ensure the enjoyment and safety of our groups.

Tour Leaders A-Z

Russell Hedley

Toby Abrehart

Guillermo Bernal

Jan Kelchtermans

Fernando Romão

Steve Gater

Neil Anderson

Andrew Durso

Eric Barnes

Richard Bashford

Suchit Basnet

Sophie Leguil

Chas Anderson

Tom Brereton

Oliver Smart

Ben Chapple

Gustavo Canas

Chris Barnes

Sujan Chatterjee

Yiannis Christofides

John Haskew

Josh Phangurha

Kevin Elsby

Tim Appleton

Daniel Kane

Daniel Green

Mark Hanger

David Jackson

David Spivack

Giorgio Graziani

Paul Harmes

Jason Middleton

Brian Small

Mike Langman

Jaime Culebras

Mark Kaptein

Martin Batt

Nigel Smallbones

Tim Melling

Alan Miller

Trevor Bourgaize

Jason Mitchell

Duncan Dine

David Morris

Mario Mosqueira

Chris Murphy

Ian Nicholson

Wouter Beukema

Byron Palacios

Matthew Capper

David Pierce

Paulo Ribeiro

Keith Betton

Matthew Armes

Mathew Meehan

David Gibbs

Georgios Spiridakis

Paul Stanbury

Matthew Scragg

Dayne Braine

Samuel Levy

Chris Charlesworth

David Tattersfield

Stuart Taylor

Enerit Sacdanaku

Philip Thompson

Martyn Williams

Andy Tucker

Jessica Turner

John Williamson

Robin Smith

Tony Williams

Jenny Willsher

John Willsher

Tom Lansley

Simon Woolley

Taea Romagnuolo

Gary Powell

Andrew Cleave

Emilie Mitchell

Dawn Nelson

Lester Nanan

Marcus John

Rob Williams

Bethan Clyne

Simon Tonkin

Andrew Tongue

Neil Singleton

Annabel Morales-Smith

Indika Jayatissa

Allison Singleton

Tyrone Ping

Duncan Woodhead

Jacob Everitt

Rafael Teixeira

Benedito Freitas

Jose Padilla

Leon Marais

Dilan Mandana

Richard Pearce

Christos Kotselis

Lailson Marques

Robin James Backhouse

Dickson Kalu Katana

Mirthe Aarts

David Walsh

Marcos Felix

Tom Mabbett

Alexis FitzGerald

Martin Beaton

Olbin Bejarano

Laura Benito

Tom Cadwallender

Jonathan Willet

Paulo Barreiros

Chris Gibson

Keith Buchanan

Steven Wong

Wally Prince

Greg Mabbett

Alexander Alvarado

Toby Collett

David Thornton

Neil McMahon

Steve Braine

Stewart Woolley

Simon Breeze

James Anderson-Barr

Domen Stanic

Tom Proença

Richard Allen

Andy Bunten

Javi Elorriaga

Yasemin Konuralp

Niki Williamson

Pablo Perez-Martinez

Sergio Martin

Duncan McNiven

Francisco Munoz

Steve Wilson

Richard Foster

Bruce Middleton

Philippa O'Brien

Nicola Scatassi

Keith Clarkson

David Phillips

Zulfu Farajli

Tommy Saunders

Jonathan Lewis

Neil MacLeod

Luca Boscain

Jakes De Jager

Nuno Barros

Charl Schoombee

Peter Stevens

Jonathan Mycock

Samuel Sucre

Matt Collis

Jillian Groeneveld

Dominic Couzens

James Andrews

Alejandro Solano

Chris Wilkinson

Hazwan Suban

Osman Majingah

Attila Steiner

Mirjan Topi

Roberto Cedeno

Enrique Castillo

Andy Foster

Chris Griffin

Mark Edgeller

Adrian Langdon

Marcus Kohler

Elizabeth Cooke

Alexis Sanchez

Marcus Eldh

Simon Green

Phillip Cribb

Detlef Tibax

Marcus Ward

Robert Manzano

Mick Durham

René Matthys

Raul Guarnizo

Manuel Sanchez

Leyla Muslim

Emily Richens

Peter Herrera

Chris Sharpe

Quentin Bloxam

Nika Kerdikoshvili

Chris Balchin

Stephen Buckle

Christian Cederroth

Anush Khachatryan

Alexander Batalov

Jesse Erens

Paul McDougall

Chris Rollie

John Horton

Barrie Cooper

Duncan Stevenson

Miguel Ajahuana

Siti Saidin

Edson Sarmento

Anselmo Santos

Alison Steel

Henry Sapinggi

Martin Pitt

Fernando Jubete

Pratheep Boonsriram

Chris Hodge

Stuart Elsom

Oliwier Myka

Gabriel Lugo

Andrea Molina

What is the function of a tour leader.

Your Naturetrek holiday will always be led or accompanied by one or more expert naturalist guides.

On many of our tours a leader will accompany the group from the UK & return with them, while on other holidays, such as our bargain selection and a few of our other tours, a local naturalist will provide the wildlife expertise & guidance once you arrive at your destination.

While on tour, your Naturetrek leader will be responsible for logistics, coordinating group activities & making sure you get expert naturalist guidance. They are there to make sure your holiday goes smoothly & to sort out any queries or problems you may encounter.

Will the leader on my tour be the one advertised in the brochure?

We assign leaders to tours well in advance and details can be found on the tour pages on the website and within our brochure. However, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary.

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2024 PGA Championship Round 3 tee times: When and how to watch third-round action Saturday

The 2024 PGA Championship leaderboard is crowded with Americans.

Xander Schauffele is the sole leader at 12-under on the tournament at Valhalla Golf Course in Louisville, Kentucky, after following up his first-round 62 with a second-round 68 on Friday. Schauffele is vying for his first major title . He has a one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa (-11) and a two-stroke lead over Sahith Theegala (-10).

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler  is tied for fourth place at 9-under after he was arrested and charged with assaulting a Louisville police officer before his tee time.

One American notably missing is Tiger Woods after he failed to make the projected cut line at 1-under.

Before the third round can get underway, 18 golfers still have to complete the second round after play was suspended at 8:41 p.m. ET on Friday due to darkness.

Play to resume at PGA Championship at 9:40 a.m. ET

After being delayed by fog Saturday morning, the second round of the PGA Championship is set to resume at 9:40 a.m. ET, with 18 golfers needing to complete the second round after play was suspended at 8:41 p.m. ET on Friday due to darkness.

The second round had been schedule to resume at 7:15 a.m. on Saturday before being delayed by fog.

PGA Championship play on Saturday delayed by fog

Resumption of the second round of the PGA Championship has been delayed "until further notice" because of heavy fog. Play will resume 30 minutes after conditions are playable.

Starting Times for the third round will be a split tee start in groups of 3 off No. 1 and No. 10 tees from approximately 11:17 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. ET.

Which golfers still have to finish second round of PGA Championship?

• Dean Burmester -6 through 16 holes
• Taylor Moore -5 through 15 holes
• Erik van Rooyen -2 through 15 holes
• Jeremy Wells -2 through 16 holes
• Ben Pollard -1 through 16 holes
• Zac Blair -1 through 16 holes
• Adrian Otaegui Even through 14 holes
• Kyle Mendoza Even through 15 holes
• Tim Widing +1 through 14 holes
• Sam Valimaki +1 through 15 holes
• Andy Svoboda +2 through 16 holes
• Patrick Rodgers +3 through 15 holes
• Ryan van Velzen +4 through 17 holes
• Ben Griffin +5 through 16 holes
• K.H. Lee +5 through 16 holes
• Andy Ogetree +7 through 15 holes
• Jared Jones +7 through 15 holes
• Preston Cole +14 through 14 holes

How to watch PGA Championship third round

All times Eastern

Saturday, May 18 – third round

• ESPN+  8:55 a.m.-10 a.m.  ESPN  10 a.m.-1 p.m.  CBS  1 p.m.-7 p.m.

Sunday, May 19 – final round

• ESPN+  8 a.m.-10 a.m.  ESPN  10 a.m.-1 p.m.  CBS  1 p.m.-7 p.m.

Alternate telecasts can be seen on ESPN+ from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on May 18-19.

How to stream PGA Championship

Viewers can stream the PGA Championship on  ESPN app  and  CBS Sports Live .

2024 PGA Championship tee times for Round 3

Jordan Spieth, Max Homa and Cameron Smith tee off at 11:28 a.m. ET. Here is the complete list of tee times for Round 3 of the  PGA Championship .

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping set to meet Serbian officials on the second leg of his Europe tour

Chinese leader xi jinping is set to meet wednesday with serbian officials and said he hopes his visit will open a new chapter in already friendly relations with the balkan country, which is seeking entry to the european union, article bookmarked.

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to meet Wednesday with Serbian officials and said he hopes his visit will further boost already friendly relations with the Balkan country, which is seeking entry to the European Union.

Xi arrived in Serbia to a warm welcome on Tuesday evening from France , where he had a high-stakes state visit dominated by trade disputes and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Xi will proceed to Hungary later on Wednesday, which, like Serbia, is seen as one of China's more friendly partners in Europe.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and other top officials welcomed Xi at the airport on Tuesday after his plane was escorted by military jets. Vucic said Xi's visit was a “great honor" and that China is an “inspiration” for Serbia.

Signs of pro-China sentiments were clearly visible — a huge Chinese flag was placed on a skyscraper along a roadway leading into the city from the airport. Smaller Chinese and Serbian flags could be seen downtown and along a highway.

China has poured billions of dollars into Serbia in investment and loans, particularly in mining and infrastructure. The two countries signed an agreement on a strategic partnership in 2016 and a free trade agreement last year.

Serbia, a landlocked nation in the heart of the Balkans, has been a key country in China's Belt and Road initiative designed to increase Beijing's influence in Europe through economic investment. Critics say it could serve as a Chinese Trojan horse and gateway to Europe.

Xi also arrived in Serbia on a symbolic date: the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade by U.S. jets during NATO’s air war over Kosovo, when three Chinese citizens were killed.

The incident has helped forge close political ties between China and Serbia.

“Our bilateral relationship has stood the test of changing international environment and become a fine example of state-to-state relations,” Xi said in an arrival statement published by China's Foreign Ministry. He described the Serbia-China friendship as “ironclad.”

“Standing at a new historical starting point, China will work with Serbia to jointly stay committed to the original aspiration and forge ahead together to open up a new vista in China-Serbia cooperation with stronger momentum, greater scope, and higher quality,” added Xi. “I am confident that this visit will be a fruitful one and will open up a new chapter in China-Serbia relations.”

Chinese companies are running Serbia's biggest copper mine and a steel mill, and are also building scores of roads and highways across the country, along with a railway toward northern neighbor Hungary.

In 2014, Hungary and Serbia concluded an agreement with Beijing to modernize the railway between their capitals of Budapest and Belgrade, part of a Belt and Road plan to link up with the Chinese-controlled port of Piraeus in Greece to the south, an entry point for Chinese goods to Central and Eastern Europe .

The more than $2 billion project is expected to be completed in 2026, after numerous delays.

In 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Serbia took semi-secret delivery of a sophisticated Chinese anti-aircraft system flown in on Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport planes.

The arms delivery over the territory of at least two NATO member states, Turkey and Bulgaria, was seen by experts as a demonstration of China’s growing global reach.

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