Be Paid To Travel the World
Turn your passion for travel into a professional career
Be Paid To Travel — Enroll Now
Tour Director Certification · Classes in Denver, Colorado
Enroll Now Or call 303.434.7557Have Questions? Call Now and Get Answers to All of Your Questions.
Call and every question you have will be answered. No sales pitch — just straight answers. Prefer to explore on your own first? Request a free catalog and discover both certification paths at your own pace.
Tour Director Certification
Tour Directors, also known as Tour Managers or Group Leaders, are hired by Tour Operators and are responsible for overseeing the logistical flow of the tour for their passengers. In person in Denver. Nine days. $1,895 tuition. Free lifetime placement assistance.
Tour Guide
Local expertise through walking tours, motor coach narration, airport meet and greets, and convention support. Self-paced and online. $895 tuition.
After Graduation
Tour Director graduates receive free lifetime placement assistance — cover letter and resume prep, contacts at hiring companies, and more.
Endorsements
Since 1973, students from almost 100 countries and six continents have launched careers traveling the world. IGA graduates have led tours on all seven continents.
Here Are Just a Few of the Tour Companies that Hire IGA Graduates.
Why Choose IGA?
Pioneering Legacy
The International Guide Academy (IGA) was founded in 1973 and was the first school to offer certification courses for Tour Directors and Tour Guides.
Strong Code of Ethics
IGA teaches a Code of Ethics and holds every graduate to it, which protects travelers, Tour Operators, and the graduate.
Superior Programs
IGA certification programs are constantly updated to reflect current conditions and skills required in the travel and tourism industry.
Seasoned Instructors
IGA Instructors are actively leading tours in 2026 and 2027, and all have years of experience leading groups around the world. They bring to the courses their personal experiences that go beyond just textbook learning.
A Meaningful Certification
At IGA, graduates earn their Certification. Not everyone passes — a credential that cannot be failed is not a credential. IGA course work prepares students with the skills required by the hiring companies, and in 33 years exactly one graduate has called from the road about a situation the training had not prepared them for. Each course is roughly the equivalent of one year gaining skills working as a Tour Director and/or Tour Guide.
Flexible Certification Formats
Tour Director certification is held in person in Denver, Colorado. Tour Guide certification is self-paced and online — start the day you enroll and finish on your own schedule.
Note: IGA certification does not replace any local guide licensing requirements.
About The International Guide Academy
Founded in 1973, the International Guide Academy has spent more than five decades preparing people from every walk of life for professional careers as certified Tour Directors and Tour Guides. Students have come from almost 100 countries, and IGA’s reputation for rigorous training, small classes, and Instructors who actively lead tours has made it one of the most trusted names in travel certification. If you are ready to Be Paid To Travel the world, IGA is where careers begin.
Ready to Be Paid To Travel the World?
This is not a fantasy — it is a profession. The International Guide Academy has been training and certifying Tour Directors and Tour Guides since 1973. Call IGA at 303.434.7557 and every question you have will be answered.
No sales pitch.
Just answers.
