Work Abroad Leading Adventure Travel Tours

When I tell people what I do for living their reaction is almost always the same. “You’re so lucky” they say, or “you’ve got my dream job”. In the last four years working as an adventure tour leader I have lead tours in over fifteen different countries. I have taken groups hiking and rafting in Patagonia, elephant riding in Vietnam, and camping in Peru. I have lead camel riding trips in Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco, and just a couple of months ago I lead a jeep safari across the Tibetan plateau to Lhasa. I have lead forays closer to home too, some gentle rambles in Spain, Greece, and Turkey, as well as an overland train journey from London to Damascus. In the process, I have made hundreds of new friends, learnt a language, and saved a tidy sum. So I can see their point. In many ways I do have a “dream’ job.” However, luck really has very little to do with it. When I tell people what I do for living their reaction is almost always the same. “You’re so lucky” they say, or “you’ve got my dream job”. In the last four years working as an adventure tour leader I have lead tours in over fifteen different countries. I have taken groups hiking and rafting in Patagonia, elephant riding in Vietnam, and camping in Peru. I have lead camel riding trips in Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco, and just a couple of months ago I lead a jeep safari across the Tibetan plateau to Lhasa. I have lead forays closer to home too, some gentle rambles in Spain, Greece, and Turkey, as well as an overland train journey from London to Damascus. In the process, I have made hundreds of new friends, learnt a language, and saved a tidy sum. So I can see their point. In many ways I do have a “dream’ job.” However, luck really has very little to do with it. The possibilities are endless as an adventure tour leader, especially working for the larger companies that offer the widest range of tours. Some tour leaders are endless seekers of new experiences jumping from country to country trying to see as much as possible during their career, while others find something, or indeed somewhere they love and decide to stick to it, becoming experts in their chosen field. But whether it be hiking and kayaking, or leading luxury cultural tours, being a Middle East specialist or an expert in all things Latin American, the basic tenets of tour leading are almost exactly the same. A tour leader is a guide, babysitter, teacher, and entertainer all rolled into one. As the only non-paying customer on the tour, the entire responsibility of the group is yours. From their arrival at the airport on day one, to checking them in weeks later for their return flight, you will guide them through the tour itinerary, see that the group gels, and ensure that they all return home in one piece, with a bunch of new experiences and an address book full of new friends. From briefing them on local culture, religion, history, or any other aspect of the region that takes their interest, to entertaining them over dinner, the role of the tour leader is a varied one. Moreover, with no boss in the same country, let alone the same city to look over your shoulder, there is more autonomy than you could shake a hiking stick at. Most tour leaders usually work two to three years before they are expected to move on, settle down, or burn out with exhaustion. As such, adventure tour operators are always recruiting to accommodate this high turnover. The application procedure is much like any other. Most tour operators have pages on their website pertaining to this process, and/or a downloadable application form. The form leads to an interview, which if successful leads to a training period within the home country. This can take many forms, but the idea is that your potential employers can see how you interact with others, and how you perform under various, often-stressful scenarios. The final stage of your training takes places abroad, shadowing an existing tour leader, and learning the realities of life on the road. To say that anyone can apply is not strictly true as some tour operators do stipulate certain qualifications. For example, some of the overland truck companies like Dragoman which drive across the length and breadth of Africa, a driving license is mandatory and/or a mechanical qualification. Other operators with claims as specialists in a certain region (Journeys Latin America) or activity (KE hiking and climbing) will of course demand that their leaders speak the required language or are proficient in the relevant field. However, many of the larger companies like Exodus and Explore that run tours across the board are more often than not seeking able, intelligent and resourceful individuals of all ages, backgrounds and professions to lead their tours.