In March of 1984, a small group of visionary guides formed the San Francisco Tour Guide Guild. Their goal was to launch a professional tour guide organization for professionals for networking, for a Tour Guide Certification program, for ongoing education, and to standardize and improve working conditions. The organization has evolved to include a Hire A Guide program, as well as a business partner program for tour operators and other organizations within the industry. Now in its fourth decade, the Guild is proud to have the organization’s standards respected by industry stakeholders, and replicated by other guide groups.

We have over 200 members, including Professional Tour Guides, Travel Directors, Transportation Specialists, and both business and individual Friends of the Guild. Our guides are former teachers, business professionals, lawyers, film directors, and others of varied educational backgrounds. Friends include destination management companies, cruise and sail charter, and representatives from restaurants, attractions, and tourist publications.

Our goals and objective are to foster a standard of quality, ethics and professionalism among tour guides working in the San Francisco Bay Area. We do this through a certification program. We serve as a source for both the operator and the guide, providing the service of finding guides for tour operators, as well as offering programs of lectures and special events for the continuing education of the membership.