Tour Leader, UK and Ireland in Edinburgh

At Intrepid Travel we exist to inspire, create, share and lead the best travel experiences ever – for both people and the planet. More than 34 years later, we’re proud to be a certified B Corp with hundreds of trips in over 100 countries. Do you dream of inspiring travellers and helping them fall in love with their destination by immersing them in your local culture and exposing them to real life experiences?

Being a Tour Leader with Intrepid, you will do just that. Every day will be different, but every day you will:

• Provide exceptional customer service, storytelling and travel advice – whether it’s guiding a morning market exploration, organising a hands-on craft workshop, or arranging a home-cooked meal with a local family, you’ll create unforgettable moments that our travellers will never forget.
• Ensure the safety and well-being of your travellers – at times, you may need to assist in challenging situations while remaining calm and professional. A traveller might lose their passport, require medical attention, or there may be a clash of personalities, and you will be their first point of contact.
• Host, lead, and execute tours within budget, follow the itinerary, and complete your administrative duties with precision.
• Share your passion for travel – inspire our customers with your love for travel, embodying our core values of being Ambitious, Impactful, Real, and Together at every step of the journey.

To be considered you must have:

• Excellent communication skills in English
• Strong customer service experience and the ability to build rapport with a broad range of travellers.
• Travel experience in the UK and Ireland, with a passion for sharing these regions with our travellers.
• Basic computer skills – including experience with email, Word, and Excel.
• Full rights to work as a freelancer in these regions (we are unable to assist with obtaining freelancer registration).

What you need to know:

• This is a freelance contract position, offering flexibility in when and how you work; however, strong commitment throughout our main season (May to September) is essential.
• We’re currently recruiting for leaders to join us from early 2026, with training to take place from 20th-24th April 2026 in our Brixton, London office.
• You will have to provide us with your freelance registration details before you start.
• With extended hours, lots of walking and activities, and close engagement with travellers, it’s important to be mentally and physically prepared for the challenge.
• You’ll need the ability to travel and spend extended periods away from home, as some tours can last up to four weeks.

You will be running tours through the UK and Ireland. Our people reflect the diversity of our customers and the communities we visit: Intrepid is made up of 71 nationalities in over 30 countries, and we recognise that diversity makes us a stronger business. We support a culture where people can be themselves and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, including First Nations People, LGBTQI+ people, those living with a disability, or from disadvantaged backgrounds, and all people from different ethnicities, races, and religions.

For our Tour Leaders, the work perks may vary from country to country, but some of the work perks we offer include:

• A free Intrepid Trip – Enjoy the chance to experience Intrepid as a customer once you’ve led enough trips to qualify.
• Diverse departures through the year – Including hiking or biking adventures, festival, family, premium and foodie trips.
• Travel to where the trip starts (and home again) is included and covered by us.
• Some meals and all accommodation included - Often where the guests are staying, such as hotels, camping, homestays etc.
• Access to learning and development programs, e-learning and comprehensive tour leader training before you even start.
• Internal career opportunities to further your career in travel and beyond.
• Amazing travel discounts for you to experience Intrepid as a passenger.
• Recognition and celebration with awards nights and the chance for our top performers to travel to our yearly Global Summit.
• Opportunity to support not-for-profit Intrepid Foundations projects.

We are Real. Together. Ambitious. Impactful. These are our values and to us they’re more than just words, they are the pillars of our success and every day it’s our people and the work they do that bring them to life.