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Certificate IV in Guiding

A Certificate IV in Guiding prepares you to run tours largely on your own, from half-day city walks to multi-day programs that involve bookings, transport and several sites.

Illustration of a person working as tour guide
  • Course code: SIT40222

Where you can study this course

Where

  • TAFE NSW

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    Campuses
    40 campuses
    Duration
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    Study mode
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    Full fee
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    What students say

    Many students speak well of the facilities and campus, and some rate the trainers and teaching highly, though opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching and student support, and some found the organisation and admin frustrating.

  • Holmesglen Institute

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    Campuses
    14 campuses
    Duration
    Not yet checked
    Study mode
    Not yet checked
    Full fee
    Not yet checked

    What students say

    Students have mixed views on the trainers and teaching, and many also mention problems with communication and with organisation and admin.

  • Chisholm Institute

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    Campuses
    7 campuses
    Duration
    Not yet checked
    Study mode
    Not yet checked
    Full fee
    Not yet checked

    What students say

    Students rate the trainers and teaching highly, along with student support and course content. Some students found organisation and admin frustrating, and opinions are mixed on student support.

  • Cairns College of English & Business

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    Campuses
    Not yet checked
    Duration
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    Full fee
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Last reviewed 17 September 2026.

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Is this course right for you?

Entry requirements

There are no entry requirements for this qualification.

  • Providers can set their own conditions, such as a minimum age or a current job in the industry, and practical training may need a workplace placement. Check each provider above.

Entry recommendations

To be prepared for this course, it helps to have:

  • an interest in sharing stories about places and people
  • confidence speaking in front of groups
  • the ability to stay calm when plans change
  • good organisational skills for managing tour logistics

What will you learn?

You learn how to research and deliver commentary that holds a group's attention, read the mood of a crowd, and adjust the plan when weather, traffic or a late arrival throws it off. Much of the study is practical: leading groups, coordinating logistics, managing conflict and keeping customers safe. It suits people already working in tourism who want to take on larger tours, and newcomers who want a recognised credential before approaching tour operators. First aid, hazard identification and risk control run alongside the customer-facing skills, since a guide is often the only staff member on hand when something goes wrong.

  • Leading tour groups
  • Preparing tour commentary
  • Tour logistics and coordination
  • First aid and safety
  • Hazard and risk assessment
  • Customer service and conflict handling

Units of competency (11 core, 6 elective)

The qualification is made up of 17 units. Everyone completes the 11 core units below, and the remaining 6 are electives chosen from the list on training.gov.au, so they vary by provider. Select a unit to see what it covers.

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Career pathways

Roles this qualification is a recognised route into, and what else you need.

Where this fits

Certificate IV in Guiding in travel and tourism: the study that leads into it, the study that follows, and other routes at the same level.

Before

Certificate IIICertificate III in GuidingIf you want to start guiding sooner, the Certificate III trains you to lead tours at a single site or across a region, with the same safety and commentary skills.

You are looking at

Certificate IV

Certificate IV in Guiding

After

No later step listed.

All travel and tourism courses →

Data from training.gov.au and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (CC BY 4.0).