Tour guiding in Tower Hamlets is growing: increasingly people are discovering that this borough – the original East End – has so much to offer the visitor.
True, the bars, coffee shops and generally fashionable nature of the area are attracting visitors. But it’s the area’s urban landscape and the real stories of its communities growing and developing over centuries which are finding new voices.
Tour Guiding in Tower Hamlets – the Courses
The following courses are offered via Idea Store Learning, Tower Hamlets Council’s Adult and Community Learning service. They constitute a venture designed to appeal both to aspiring AND experienced guides.
They give aspiring guides a low-level introduction to tour guiding, with particular reference to guiding in Tower Hamlets. To the experienced guide they give a thorough and immersive introduction to the original East End, as well as a chance to refresh guiding techniques.
PLEASE NOTE that the courses are subject to recruitment. If insufficient learners enrol, the courses will not go ahead. In that case, fees paid will be refunded.
The courses comprise two-hour sessions held on consecutive weeks (there is a half-term break). Each course features classroom sessions and outdoor sessions.
Classroom sessions take place at the Idea Store, Watney Market, 260 Commercial Road, E1 2FB – details HERE.
Exploring Tower Hamlets
This ten-week course takes you on an exploration of the various areas which make up the Tower Hamlets. It entails seven guided tours, with three classroom sessions, and takes place on Saturday mornings.
In Session Five each learner gives a presentation in class which evaluates the borough’s value for the visitor.
In Session Ten learners present a pitch for tourism in Tower Hamlets, based on the tours undertaken.
The course comprises two-hour sessions held on consecutive Saturday mornings at 10:00.
Further details are HERE
Exploring Tower Hamlets begins next on 27 September 2025.
The Essentials
This ten-week course explores the basics of tour guiding and the story of the Tower Hamlets. It entails eight classroom sessions, an outdoor tour and an indoor tour.
In Session Five each learner gives a four-minute presentation in class on a preassigned local topic.
In Session Ten groups of learners present in class a rudimentary, locally-based tour they have devised.
The courses comprise two-hour sessions held on consecutive Wednesday evenings at 6:30.
Further details are HERE
The Essentials begins next on 14 January 2026.
Going Further
This ten-week course builds on The Essentials to develop the learner’s engagement with the practicalities of guiding within a specific area of Tower Hamlets. It entails classroom sessions and two outdoor sessions.
In Session Five each learner gives a report on the methodology of a hypothetical tour they have devised.
In Session Nine each gives stops on an outdoor tour, demonstrating risk assessment, positioning, and the use of visual material.
The courses comprise two-hour sessions held on consecutive Wednesday evenings at 6:30.
Further details are HERE
Going Further begins next on 22 April 2026
Workshop Techniques
This ten-week course applies previously-acquired guiding techniques to the development of an outdoor guided tour in a workshop context. It entails seven classroom sessions and three outdoor sessions, and will focus on a specific area – the last time this was Mile End and Stepney. Please note that this is NOT a beginners’ course!
In Session Eight Group One give their outdoor tour, with Group Two providing peer assessment.
In Session Nine Group Two give their outdoor tour, with Group One providing peer assessment.
The courses comprise two-hour sessions held on consecutive Wednesday evenings at 6:30.
Further details are HERE
Workshop Techniques is not running in 2025-2026.
ADDITIONAL TOURS
During the courses I offer learners discounted places on my scheduled tours. These are NOT part of the course, but will deepen learners’ experience of guiding. Discounts apply to learners and their companions. Please contact me for further details.
If you’d like clarification or any further information, please CONTACT ME!
Photographs of One Canada Square, Rich Mix Cinema, Toynbee Hall, Limehouse Reach, Christ Church Spitalfields, the Stairway to Heaven memorial and the Ragged School Museum © David Charnick 2020
