Tour Guiding

Who it is for. Beginners with no formal certificate who want to guide visitors anywhere in Ghana: school leavers, graduates, site attendants, drivers who want to add guiding, community youth near attractions, and persons with disabilities. National Proficiency I is the first level of Ghana's TVET framework. This is the first of three levels. Level 2 teaches research, storytelling, every tour type, risk and working with operators. Level 3 teaches tour management, product design, training guides and running a licensed business.

How it links to other Hub courses. Tour Guiding and Community Homestay teaches guiding on the Western Region coast around Akwidaa, with sea, canoe and homestay skills. This course is national and covers every kind of tour. Where that course already teaches a method, this book names it and points you there. For first aid itself, take the First Aid Community Helper course. For parks and animals, see Conservation and Wildlife.

Why tour guiding

• Ghana received 1,306,962 international arrivals in 2025, up from 1,288,804 in 2024, with receipts of about US$4.34 billion. Domestic visits to sites grew from about 1.68 million to 1.79 million.
• The number of licensed trade and travel enterprises (the group that includes tour guides) rose from 678 in 2024 to 804 in 2025.
• In April 2026 the tourism industry body GHATOF and the Ghana Tourism Authority launched a national training and certification programme for frontline tourism workers, including guides, and a programme to train and certify 200 graduates as professional tour guides.
• Guides are called "unsung heroes" of tourism: they are the face of the country for many visitors.

How the module works

Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical: role-plays, drills and short guided walks.

Words used in this book.

• Course method means a routine written for this course from good practice. It is not a law.
• (example) means a number made up for practice. It is not a real price or fee.
• Not verified means we could not confirm it. Phone and check before you use it.

Competency standard

Range. Classroom; one role-play introduction; a practice registration checklist. Evidence. Observed self-introduction; completed practice checklist; first-day kit check; oral questions.

What a guide is

Ghana's Tourism Act says a tour guide is a person who goes with a tourist and gives information or comments on matters of historical, archaeological, plant, people and culture, social or other interest (paraphrase).

The world federation of guide associations, WFTGA, uses these words:

In Ghana, GTA's 2018 national training was for tour guides, site guides and coach guides. In this book:

• A site guide works at one place: a castle, a park, a museum, a waterfall.
• A tour guide travels with guests to several places, often for a tour company.
• A coach guide guides from a bus as it moves.

At Level 1 you are learning to be a site guide or an assistant guide: you guide one short tour or one site safely and warmly. Leading long tours comes in Levels 2 and 3.

What a guide does all day

GTA's 2018 training covered: tourism trends, the guide's role, functions and ethics, the tourism product, guiding tools, communication, presentation and interpretation, and safety and security. Trainees visited the National Museum and the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum. Put simply, a guide:

The law: guides need a licence

This is the most important legal fact in this book.

• Ghana's Tourism Act 2011 (Act 817) set up the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA). GTA licenses and supervises tourism businesses, sets standards and codes of practice, protects the safety of tourists, and stops illegal or dishonest practice.
• The Act's Schedule lists tour guide and site guide as tourism enterprises. It also lists "tour guiding, including tour guides employed by a tour operator" as an activity.
• Section 25: nobody may run a listed tourism enterprise without a valid GTA licence. Breaking this rule is an offence: on conviction, a fine of up to 100 penalty units, or up to six months in prison, or both. The cedi value of a penalty unit today is not verified.
• The 2019 regulations for travel trade businesses (L.I. 2389) again name tour guide and site guide and say they must register with GTA and hold a GTA licence.
• A licence lasts 12 months. Apply to renew at least one month before it ends. If it is not renewed, you must stop working.
• GTA says its process is: register, then inspection and assessment, then a licence.

What the GTA guide registration form asks for

The regulations include Form One D, "Application for Registration of Tour/Site Guide". It asks for:

1. Type of service: tour guide or site guide.
2. Citizenship and ID: Ghana Card (national ID), voter's ID, passport or driver's licence.
3. Education: tertiary, vocational or technical, or secondary.
4. A summary of your tourism experience.
5. Languages you speak and write (English, French, Spanish, others), each rated excellent, good or average.
6. Your trade association, for example TOUGHA or TORGAG.
7. Two references.
8. A signed promise to obey GTA rules under Act 817.

You must attach: a CV; certificates or testimonials; a Police (CID) report on criminal record; and a copy of your passport or other ID. The form has an office box for an "Interview Mark", so expect an interview.

GTA must acknowledge an application within 3 working days and decide within 30 working days after that.

Guide associations

In 2022 TORGAG's Greater Accra chairman asked GTA to remove "charlatans" and make sure every guide renews a licence. Unlicensed guides spoil trust for everyone.

The course code of conduct

GTA can set codes of practice, but a written GTA code for guides was not found. So this course gives you a code, built from GTA's duties under Act 817 (safety of tourists, honest practice, responsible tourism) and from the ten articles of the UN Tourism Global Code of Ethics for Tourism: mutual understanding and respect; personal and group fulfilment; sustainable development; cultural heritage; benefit to host communities; duties of all players; the right to tourism; freedom to travel; rights of tourism workers and business owners; and putting the code into practice.

The Ten Promises of a Guide (course method)

1. Safety first. I never put a guest at risk for a photo, a tip or a schedule.
2. Truth. I tell the difference between a fact, an estimate and a story. If I do not know, I say so and find out.
3. Respect. I respect chiefs, elders, sacred places, taboos and every guest, whatever their race, religion, age, body or money.
4. Dignity in painful history. I tell the story of the slave trade with care, never as entertainment.
5. Honesty with money. I give receipts, never overcharge, and never take hidden commissions.
6. Licensed and legal. I work only with a GTA licence and only with licensed operators, drivers and boat operators. I do not do work that needs a licence I do not have.
7. Protect children. I never take guests to orphanages as an attraction and never leave a child alone with a stranger.
8. Protect nature. I keep guests on paths, never feed or chase wild animals, and leave no litter.
9. Fair to the community. I buy local, pay local people fairly and introduce guests to local makers.
10. Always improving. I keep my licence current, keep learning and write up every tour.

The homestay course gives more conduct rules for photos, gifts to children and sacred places: see Tour Guiding and Community Homestay Level 1, Unit 1.

Model script: introducing yourself

Say this at the start of every tour. Change the words in brackets.

"Good morning, everyone, and Akwaaba, you are welcome! My name is [Ama Mensah]. I am a [licensed] guide, and I will be with you today from now until about [4 o'clock]. Our driver is [Mr Kofi], and he will keep us safe on the road. Today we will visit [Elmina Castle and the town], and you will have time for lunch, photos and the craft market. If you need anything at any time, please come to me. My phone number is on the card I am giving you now. Shall we begin?"

Why it works. In under one minute the guests learn your name, your role, the time, the plan, who else is helping and how to reach you.

Model script: declining an illegal or unsafe request

Guest: "Can you take us to swim under that waterfall? Nobody is watching." Guide: "I understand, it looks lovely. But swimming there is not safe today and it is not allowed, so I cannot take you. What I can do is take you to the best viewpoint for photos, and later I will show you where you can cool off safely. Is that all right?"

Guest: "I want to buy that old carved stool and take it home. Can you arrange it without papers?" Guide: "I can't help with that, I'm sorry. Old objects need a permit to leave Ghana, and I would be breaking the law. I can take you to a carver who makes beautiful new stools that you can carry home legally."

Antiques can only be exported under the National Museum law, and animal trophies only under the wildlife law.

The pattern: Thank, No, Reason, Offer (course method). Thank the guest. Say no clearly. Give one short reason. Offer something better.

Your first-day kit

Check yourself

1. Under which law and section must a guide hold a GTA licence?
2. Name four things the GTA guide registration form asks for.
3. A guest asks you to take them into a closed area of a park. What are the four steps of your reply?

Competency standard

Range. A coach group of about 20 (role-play) and a walking group of about 8. Evidence. Observed welcome and briefing; headcount record; lost-guest drill.

Before the guests arrive: the 30-minute check (course method)

1. Arrive at least 30 minutes early.
2. Read the group list: number of guests, names, children, anyone with health or walking needs, languages, special food.
3. Meet the driver. Agree the route, the stops, the times, where the coach will wait and both phone numbers.
4. Check the vehicle: clean, seats enough for everyone, seat belts work, water on board.
5. Phone the first site to confirm it is open and the group is expected.
6. Check the weather. Note what guests should carry.
7. Put your flag or umbrella, whistle, counter and group list where you can reach them.

Meet and greet

• Stand where the guests come out, holding a sign with the company or group name.
• Smile, greet, shake hands with the right hand if the guest offers, and say your name.
• Tick each name on your list as guests arrive. Do not leave until every name is ticked or you have phoned the person who booked.
• Help with bags, but never take a bag out of sight.
• Ask quietly: "Is there anything I should know to make today easy for you?" This lets guests tell you about health, walking or fears without speaking in front of others.

Model script: full welcome talk for a coach group

Say this when everyone is seated and the coach has not yet moved. Stand at the front, facing the guests, holding a seat rail. If the coach has a microphone, test it first.

"Good morning, everyone! Akwaaba, you are welcome to Ghana, and welcome to our tour today.

My name is [Kwesi Owusu], and I am your guide. At the wheel is [Mr Mensah], our driver, who has been driving visitors for many years. Please give him a hand! [wait for the clap]

Here is our day. We will drive about [two and a half hours] to [Cape Coast]. We will stop once on the way for toilets and drinks, at about [10 o'clock]. At [11] we visit [Cape Coast Castle], for about [an hour and a half]. Then lunch, then [Kakum National Park]. We will be back at the hotel at about [6 o'clock].

A few safety points, please. Keep your seat belt on whenever the bus is moving. Stay seated while we drive. Keep your passport and money in a closed bag, close to you. Drink plenty of water: there is water at the front.

The most important thing today is that nobody gets left behind. So every time we stop, I will tell you a meeting time and a meeting place. Please be there five minutes early. And please look at the person sitting next to you now. Say hello! That person is your buddy for today. When we get back on the bus, check that your buddy is here.

My phone number is on the card in your seat pocket: [024 000 0000 (example)]. If you are lost, stay where you are, and call me. In an emergency in Ghana, the number is 112.

Any questions so far? [pause, answer] Wonderful. Let's go!"

Timing. About two minutes. Practise until you can give it without reading.

The headcount routine (course method)

Losing a guest is the worst thing that can happen to a beginner guide. Use the same routine every single time, so it becomes a habit.

1. Know your number. Write the total on your hand or the top of your list: for example "20 + driver + me".
2. Count at the door. When guests get off, stand at the coach door and count each one out with your tally counter. When they get on, stand at the door and count each one in.
3. Count again in the seats. Walk down the aisle and count heads. The two counts must match.
4. Buddy check. Ask: "Is your buddy with you?" Wait for every pair to answer.
5. Never trust a single count. If the number is wrong, count again slowly. If it is still wrong, call the names on the list.
6. Tell the driver "all present" only after the count is right. The driver does not move until then.
7. Count at every stop: at the entrance, after the toilets, before leaving the site, and on the bus.
8. Write it down. Tick the count on your list with the time.

For a big group, a front guide and a back guide ("sweep") also helps: see Tour Guiding and Community Homestay Level 2 for the front-and-sweep system.

Meeting place and time

A meeting announcement must have four parts (course method): the place, something guests can see there, the time (said twice) and what happens next.

Model script: meeting-point announcement. "We now have free time for photos and the shop. Please meet me here, under this big tree beside the blue gate. Look at it now: big tree, blue gate. The time is now 12:10. We meet at 12:40, twelve-forty. At 12:40 we walk together to the bus for lunch. If you are not sure, ask your buddy. What time do we meet? [guests answer: 12:40] And where? [the tree by the blue gate] Perfect."

Getting the guests to say it back is the trick. People forget what they hear, but they remember what they say.

Model script: two-minute warning. "Excuse me, everyone, this is your two-minute warning! In two minutes we walk to the bus. Please finish your photos and come to me under the tree. Two minutes!"

Giving directions

• Use landmarks, not left and right alone: "Go past the cannons, then the white stairs on your right."
• Point with an open hand, not one finger.
• Give one direction at a time.
• In a crowd, hold your flag or umbrella high and say: "Follow the [teal] umbrella."

The "lost guest" plan (course method)

Tell guests at the start: "If you are lost, stay where you are, and phone me." Then, if a guest is missing:

1. Stay calm. Keep the rest of the group together in one safe place with a helper or the driver.
2. Check the buddy. Ask the buddy when and where they last saw the person.
3. Phone the guest.
4. Search the last place the guest was seen, then the toilets, the shop and the exit. Ask site staff and security to help.
5. Tell your company or operator after 15 minutes (course rule), and the site manager.
6. If you still cannot find the guest, especially a child or a person at risk, call 112 and give the description.
7. Never leave the site with the group while a guest is missing, unless the operator and police agree on a plan.
8. Write an incident note: times, places, who helped, how it ended.

Exercise: timing a toilet stop

Check yourself

1. Name the four parts of a meeting announcement.
2. When do you count heads on a coach tour?
3. A guest is missing at the meeting time. What are your first three steps?

Competency standard

Range. Any local landmark; a short walk of three stops. Evidence. Peer-scored voice checklist; observed 90-second stop; observed walking commentary.

Where to stand: the STOP rule (course method)

Before you say a word at a stop, check S-T-O-P:

• S — Stop and gather. Wait until the last guest arrives. Do not start talking while people are still walking up.
• T — Turn and face. Face the guests, not the building. Turn to the object only to point, then turn back.
• O — Out of danger and discomfort. Guests in shade, off the road, out of the way of other groups and doors. You face the sun, so the guests do not have to look into it.
• P — Place the object. Stand to one side so guests can see you and the thing you talk about at the same time. Form a half circle (a "horseshoe") with you at the open end.

Your voice

• In wind, traffic or at a waterfall, move the group closer to you and somewhere quieter. Do not shout for long.
• Drink water. Rest your voice between stops.
• On a coach, hold the microphone a hand's width from your mouth, below your lips.

Your body

• Stand tall with your weight on both feet. Do not lean on walls or cannons.
• Look at every guest, left, centre and right, not only the friendly ones.
• Point with an open hand, palm up and fingers together. In many cultures, pointing with one finger is rude.
• Keep your hands out of your pockets and away from your phone.
• Your face must match your words: serious in a dungeon, bright at a festival.
• Dress neatly in your company shirt or plain clothes, with your badge showing. Cover shoulders and knees where a site or palace asks.

Commentary: at a stop and on the move

At a stop, use fact, story, question: one clear fact, one human story, one question to the guests. This pattern is taught in Tour Guiding and Community Homestay Level 1, Unit 1, and you use it here too. Keep a Level 1 stop to about 90 seconds to 3 minutes.

A good stop also starts with "Look at…" so everyone's eyes are on the same thing, and ends with where we go next.

On the move (walking or on a coach):

• Talk in short bursts of a few sentences, then rest. Guests want to look and think too.
• Talk before you reach a thing, not after: "In a moment, on your left, you will see…"
• On foot, do not talk while crossing roads or walking on rough ground. Safety first; story later.
• On a coach, never stand while the coach is moving fast or turning, unless the vehicle has a guide seat and rail. Sit and use the microphone.

The American interpreter Freeman Tilden wrote that information alone is not interpretation, and that the aim is to provoke visitors to think, by relating the place to their own lives. That is why every stop has a question. Level 2 teaches his ideas fully.

Model script: a 90-second opener at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Accra

[Group in the shade, facing the park, guide standing to the side.]

"Look at the gardens and the buildings behind me. This is the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. [pause] In 2025, this was the most visited attraction in all of Ghana, more than any castle or national park. [pause]

The park was redeveloped and reopened in July 2023, with a Presidential Library, an amphitheatre and a Freedom Hall. [pause]

[Story: tell one short, true story about the man and the place, from the park's own displays. Check it first and write the source in your site file.]

Here is my question for you: if a park were built to remember one leader from your country, who would it be, and why? [let two guests answer]

Thank you. Now, follow my umbrella. We will walk slowly to the main monument, about two minutes away. Stay on the path, please."

Note. Facts you have not checked from a reliable source do not go into a script. Leave a gap and fill it after you have checked.

Model script: a market-walk opener at Kejetia, Kumasi

[Group gathered at a quiet corner before entering. Guide faces the group, back to the busy lane.]

"Welcome to Kejetia! This market is described as the largest single market in West Africa, with more than 8,000 stores and stalls. [pause] So in the next hour you will see, hear and smell a lot!

Three rules before we go in. One: stay close and follow the umbrella. The lanes are narrow and busy. Two: keep your bag in front of you and your phone in a closed pocket. Crowds are where pickpockets work. Three: before you take a photo of a trader, ask: smile, point at your camera and wait for a yes.

If we get separated, we meet right here, at this [yellow pillar]. What is our meeting point? [guests: the yellow pillar] Good.

My question as we walk: try to count how many different things you can buy in one lane. Let's go!"

Exercise: how long is a 90-second stop?

Check yourself

1. What do the letters S-T-O-P stand for?
2. Why should the guide, not the guests, face the sun?
3. What are the three parts of a stop at Level 1?

Competency standard

Range. At least ten attractions across at least four regions; one field visit. Evidence. Three site cards; route plan; fee exercise; observed Elmina introduction.

Ghana's most visited attractions

The ten most visited attractions in 2025, which together had 1,377,588 visitors, were: Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Kakum National Park, Bonsu Arboretum and Eco Park, Cape Coast Castle, Manhyia Palace, Kumasi Zoo, Accra Zoo, Elmina Castle, Shai Hills Resource Reserve and Aburi Botanical Gardens.

Forts and castles

The Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) looks after Ghana's forts and castles. Its head office is at 2 Barnes Road, Adabraka, Accra, phone +233-303944028 or +233-303944030, email official@gmmb.gov.gh. The Central and Western Regions office is at Cape Coast Castle, +233-3321 32529.

Cape Coast Castle

• A Portuguese trading lodge stood here in 1555 ("Cabo Corso").
• The Swedes built a fort in 1653 and named it Carlousburg, after King Charles X.
• Danes and a Fetu chief captured it; the Dutch held it from 1660; the British took it under Captain Holmes in 1665. By 1700 it was a castle.
• A French squadron bombarded it in 1757; it was rebuilt after 1760.
• The slave trade was its main activity until the British banned the trade in 1807. It was the seat of the British governor.
• Today it is a historical museum and GMMB's regional headquarters. Open 9:00 to 16:30 every day.
• GMMB gives an estimate of about 70,000 people a year exported by the Royal African Company around 1700. Always say "an estimate".
• Visit Ghana describes it as a UNESCO World Heritage site, with Dalzel Tower, the dungeons, cannons and the West African Historical Museum inside.

Elmina Castle (St George's Castle)

• Founded by the Portuguese in 1482 as São Jorge da Mina. GMMB calls it the first major European building in tropical Africa.
• The Dutch took it in 1637. It was rebuilt between 1770 and 1775. It was handed to the British on 6 April 1872.
• Later it was a police training centre and a school. Now it is a museum and on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Fort Coenraadsburg (Fort St Jago), the Dutch cemetery and the Posuban shrines (company shrines) are within walking distance.
• Open 9:00 to 16:30 every day.
• Fort St Jago's own fees and opening hours were not found: phone GMMB.

Parks and nature

Kakum National Park, Central Region

• In the Assin Attandanso area, about 4 hours' drive from Accra. Open 6:00 to 16:00.
• The canopy walkway has 7 suspension bridges, up to 27 m above the forest floor. Visit Ghana gives its length as 333 m; other sources give 330 to 350 m, so say "about 330 to 350 metres; the park sign is the authority".
• Over 300 bird species and over 600 butterfly species have been recorded. Forest elephants and primates live there but are hard to see.
• Advice for guests: rain gear, sturdy shoes, hands free for the ropes. There is a shortcut exit after the first bridge for anyone who feels afraid, and a mini canopy walkway for children.
• Fees are shown only in a picture on the official page: phone to confirm.

Mole National Park, Savannah Region

• Described as Ghana's largest and most visited national park.
• Walking safaris must be led by an armed ranger, usually at about 6:00 and 16:00. Vehicle safaris also go with an armed ranger.
• Walking outside the motel grounds without a ranger is forbidden.
• Entry reported in November 2024: GH¢30 for Ghanaians, GH¢60 for foreigners, students half price. This is traveller-reported: confirm.

Shai Hills Resource Reserve, Greater Accra

• Baboons are a partially protected species. Feeding them is not permitted (Wildlife Division, January 2026).
• The Wildlife Resources Management Act 2023 (Act 1115), section 11(1)(b), bars disturbing, molesting or interfering with any wild animal in a protected area without permission.

Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, Volta Region

• Mona monkey sanctuary off the Ho–Hohoe road, set up with a Peace Corps volunteer as a community ecotourism project. The monkeys are traditionally regarded as sacred.
• The entrance fee includes bananas for feeding the monkeys.
• Teach the rule: every site has its own rule on feeding. Feeding is part of the visit at Tafi Atome but banned at Shai Hills. Follow each site's own rule.

Wli (Agumatsa) Falls, Volta Region

• Described as the highest falls in Ghana, about 20 km from Hohoe.
• About a 45-minute hike on a rocky, uneven trail with steel bridges to the lower falls. The upper falls trek is harder.
• The height in metres is not verified.

Boti Falls, Eastern Region

• In Yilo Krobo Municipality, about 17 km (30 minutes) from Koforidua and about 90 minutes from Accra.
• Twin falls called "male" and "female"; they join in the rainy season. Umbrella Rock is nearby.
• Visitors go down more than 70 steps. The local chief executive urged care to avoid accidents.

Nzulezo stilt village, Western Region

• A village on stilts on Lake Tadane in the Amansuri wetland, a Ramsar site.
• Drive about 90 km west of Takoradi to the visitor centre at Beyin, then about an hour by dugout canoe (about 5 km).
• Said to be about 400 years old. The name comes from Nzema for "surface of the water".
• Thursday is sacred on the lake. Open 8:00 to 16:00.
• The canoe trip is run by the site. Do not paddle guests yourself unless you are trained and licensed for boats.

Kumasi

Manhyia Palace Museum

• Open Monday to Sunday, including holidays, 9:00 to 17:00. No appointment needed. Phone +233 256071700.
• Photos are allowed on the grounds but not inside the galleries. In some areas phones and cameras are not allowed and the museum's own photographers take photos for a fee.
• Dress casually but decently.
• Fees are not on the official page: phone.

Kejetia Market is described as the largest single market in West Africa, with over 8,000 stores and stalls. Phase 1 was completed in late 2018. It is managed by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly with the Asantehene.

Accra

The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park reopened in July 2023 after redevelopment, with a Presidential Library, an amphitheatre, a Freedom Hall and digital payment. In 2023 the fees were: non-Ghanaian adult GH¢100, Ghanaian adult GH¢25, non-Ghanaian tertiary student GH¢60, Ghanaian tertiary student GH¢5, school children GH¢5. Fees may have changed: confirm. It was the most visited attraction in 2025.

Heritage return tours

The Year of Return in 2019 marked 400 years since the first recorded enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia. Ministry figures quoted about 1.1 million arrivals in 2019, against 956,372 in 2018. Beyond the Return was announced as the follow-on in 2020. Many diaspora visitors come to Ghana to visit the castles and the slave route. Level 2 teaches these tours in full.

Telling the slave-trade story with dignity

Many guests at the castles are descendants of enslaved Africans, and many Ghanaian guests carry this history too. Some will cry, pray, sing or need silence. The homestay course teaches respectful words: see Tour Guiding and Community Homestay Level 1, Unit 3. UNESCO's Slave Route project works to break the silence on the slave trade and help people understand its causes and results.

Rules for every guide (course method):

Model script: two-minute introduction to Elmina Castle

[At the entrance, group in the shade, guide standing to the side of the gate.]

"Look up at these white walls. You are standing in front of São Jorge da Mina, St George's Castle, which we call Elmina Castle. [pause]

The Portuguese founded it in 1482, fourteen eighty-two. Ghana's Museums and Monuments Board calls it the first major European building in tropical Africa. [pause]

It did not stay Portuguese. The Dutch took it in 1637. They rebuilt it between 1770 and 1775. In 1872 it was handed to the British. Later it became a police training centre, then a school. Today it is a museum and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [pause]

Inside, you will see beautiful views of the sea and the fishing harbour. You will also see places where enslaved Africans were held before they were forced onto ships. Some parts of this visit are painful. Please take your time, and please keep a quiet voice in those rooms.

A question to think about as we walk in: what does it feel like to stand in a place that is beautiful and terrible at the same time?

Now, please follow me through the gate. Stay together; the stairs are steep."

Model script: a respectful opener before a dungeon

[Outside the dungeon entrance. Guide speaks softly. Waits until all guests are present and quiet.]

"Before we go in, I ask for a moment of your attention. [pause]

The room we are about to enter held men, women and children who were taken from their homes. They were held here in darkness, with little air and little food, before being forced onto ships. Many never came back. [pause]

Some of you may have ancestors who passed through rooms like this. Some of you may have ancestors who suffered on this side of the ocean. Everyone is welcome to feel whatever they feel. [pause]

Inside, I will say only a little. Then we will stand together in silence for one minute. If you need to step out at any time, please do; I or my colleague will be right at the door.

Please, no flash and no photos of each other posing. Let us walk in slowly."

Festivals by month

Festival dates move with the traditional calendar, the moon and local decisions. Always confirm with the traditional council each year.

PANAFEST is held every two years and Emancipation Day every year. The 2025 programme followed the slave route: Salaga atonement ceremonies and a durbar at Pikworo, a river crossing at Assin Praso, a crossing at Assin Manso, then a symbolic return through the "Door of No Return" at Cape Coast and an Akwaaba ceremony on 25 July.

Fees: always confirm

GMMB's fee page shows these tables, labelled as the fees "prior to the recent revision". The castle pages show the same castle table labelled "reviewed 1 July 2023". A newer revision has not been published, so always phone before you quote a fee.

National Museum and Castles (GH¢)

Forts and Regional Museums (GH¢): Ghanaian 2 (primary), 3 (JHS), 3 (SHS), 4 (tertiary), 10 (adult); non-Ghanaian 6 (primary), 8 (JHS and SHS), 30 (tertiary), 40 (adult).

Your site file

A site file is your own folder (paper or phone) with one site card per place. Every card has the same headings (course method):

Check yourself

1. At which park must walking safaris be led by an armed ranger?
2. Where is feeding animals part of the visit, and where is it banned?
3. Why must you say "estimate" when you give the number of people exported from Cape Coast?

Competency standard

Range. A town walk with a road crossing; role-plays for the canopy walkway, a waterfall trail, heat illness and a 112 call. Evidence. Daily safety checklist; observed road-crossing drill; observed 112 call; oral questions.

Emergency numbers in Ghana

• 112 — general emergency. Call this first.
• 191 or 18555 — police
• 193 — ambulance
• 192 — fire

The Government of Canada's travel page lists these numbers and warns that emergency services exist but may be limited. So you must also know the nearest clinic or hospital to each site and the site's own staff who can help. Write them on your emergency card.

Your daily safety check (course method)

Walking in towns and crossing roads

Crossing a busy road with a group (course method)

1. Choose the safest place: a crossing, traffic lights or a straight road where drivers can see you. Never cross on a bend or between parked buses.
2. Stop the group on the pavement, away from the kerb.
3. Split into small groups of about 5 with a helper or the strongest walker leading each.
4. You step out first when the road is clear, standing where drivers can see you, with your flag or umbrella raised.
5. Say "Cross now, walk, don't run."
6. Count heads on the other side before you walk on.
7. Never let guests cross alone to take a photo or buy something.

Coach safety

• Guests get on and off on the pavement side, never the traffic side.
• Seat belts on whenever the vehicle moves.
• Do not pressure the driver to speed to make up time. Change the plan instead.
• Driving and vehicle work need their own licence. As a guide, you do not drive guests unless you are licensed for it and your company allows it.

Heights, steps and trails

Kakum canopy walkway. Seven bridges, up to 27 m above the ground; guests need sturdy shoes, rain gear and hands free for the ropes. There is a shortcut exit after the first bridge. The park's own staff run the walkway: follow their rules and spacing.

Model script: canopy walkway briefing.

"In a few minutes we will walk on the canopy walkway: seven bridges, high in the trees. It is safe when we follow the park's rules, and the views are wonderful.

Please put your bags on your back and your phone in a pocket or on a strap. You will need both hands for the ropes. Walk gently, one step at a time; do not run, jump or swing the bridge. Keep a space between you and the person in front, as the park staff tell us.

If you feel afraid, that is normal. Tell me now or at the first platform. After the first bridge there is a shortcut exit, and I or a colleague will walk you down. Nobody has to finish.

Photos: stop on the platforms, not in the middle of a bridge.

Who has a fear of heights, or a health problem I should know about? You can tell me quietly. Thank you. Let's go!"

Boti Falls steps. Guests go down more than 70 steps, and local leaders have urged care to avoid accidents. Go slowly, hold rails where there are rails, and let guests rest on the way back up. Watch older guests and anyone with a heart or breathing problem.

Wli Falls trail. About 45 minutes on a rocky, uneven trail with steel bridges to the lower falls; the upper falls trek is harder. Check shoes and water before you start. Turn back early if a guest struggles; never push a guest on to the upper falls.

International good practice. An ISO standard, ISO 21101, sets safety management systems for adventure tourism providers of any size. It is not a Ghana law, but it shows that even small operators are expected to plan for safety. Level 2 teaches risk assessment.

Water: when not to swim

Waterfalls, rivers, lakes and the sea can drown strong swimmers. Water may be deep, fast, cold or full of hidden rocks. Rip currents at beaches are taught in Tour Guiding and Community Homestay Level 1, Unit 4. Boat and canoe trips are run by licensed operators: you check that life jackets are worn, but you do not run the boat unless you are licensed for it.

Model script: "we do not swim here today".

"I know it is hot and the water looks beautiful. But today we will not swim here. [reason: The water is high after the rains, and the current is strong / This site does not allow swimming.] People have been hurt in water that looked calm. You can put your feet in at the edge, here, where I can see you, and we will have cold drinks at the next stop. Thank you for understanding."

Heat

Heatstroke can kill. Signs include hot, red, dry skin, confusion and a fast, weak pulse. Move the person to shade, cool them with wet cloths and give sips of cool water. Call 112 if they vomit, refuse water or lose consciousness. Drink water often, not only when thirsty, and avoid alcohol in the sun.

• Plan hot walks for the morning or late afternoon.
• Rest in shade every 20 to 30 minutes (course rule).
• Watch children, older guests and people new to the tropics.

A lost child (course method)

1. Act at once. Ask the parent for the child's name, age, clothes and where they were last seen.
2. Close the exits: ask site staff and security to watch the gates.
3. One adult stays at the last place the child was seen, in case the child comes back.
4. Search nearby: toilets, shops, water, steps.
5. If the child is not found in a few minutes, call 112 and give the description.
6. Stay with the parent. Keep the rest of the group together and safe.

Prevent it: at the start, ask parents to keep children in sight and tell children "If you are lost, stand still and wait for us, or go to a person in a uniform."

Calling 112: the clear message (course method)

Speak slowly. Say:

1. Who you are: "I am a tour guide with a group of 15."
2. Where you are: the site name, the town, a landmark, the road.
3. What happened: "An older man has fallen down the steps. He is awake but bleeding from the head."
4. How many people are hurt.
5. What you are doing: "We have kept him still in the shade."
6. Your phone number. Do not hang up until they tell you to.

Then send someone to the road or gate to show the ambulance the way, and phone your company.

Check yourself

1. What is the first emergency number to call in Ghana?
2. Give three points from the canopy walkway briefing.
3. Name three signs of heatstroke.

Competency standard

Range. Role-plays; a receipt book; a tip-sharing sum. Evidence. Completed receipts and cash record; observed role-plays; oral questions.

Care before, during and after

Before the tour

• Confirm the time and meeting place by phone or message the day before.
• Tell guests what to wear and bring: shoes, hat, water, rain jacket, ID for student fees, cash for crafts.
• Ask about health, food, walking and children (privately).

During the tour

• Learn and use guests' names.
• Check comfort every hour: "Is everyone OK? Does anyone need a toilet, water or shade?"
• Include quiet guests: ask them a question directly and kindly.
• Keep to time, and if the plan changes, explain why.

After the tour

• Thank each guest by name.
• Ask: "What did you like most? What could I do better?"
• Send a thank-you message the same day.
• Write your notes: what worked, what to change, any incident.

Guests' rights: complaints to GTA

A guest who is not happy with a tourism service may complain in writing to GTA within 30 days of noticing the problem. A three-member committee decides. GTA can suspend a travel trade licence when there are consistent complaints from patrons. Good care protects your licence.

When a guest complains to you, listen fully and fix what you can. The L-A-S-T method (listen, apologise, solve, thank) is taught in Tour Guiding and Community Homestay Level 2.

Lost items (course method)

1. Calm the guest. Ask: what, what colour, where and when last seen.
2. Ask the group and the buddy.
3. Phone the driver to check the vehicle, and the last site and restaurant.
4. Write the report: guest's name, phone, item, time, places checked, people told.
5. If a passport or phone is stolen, help the guest report to the police and their embassy; tell your company.
6. Follow up the next day and tell the guest what you found.

Money: cash and mobile money

Tips

No official Ghana rule on tipping guides was found. One travel-advice source suggests that guests ask locally whether cedis or US dollars are preferred, and use tip envelopes for guides and drivers at the end of a trip. For you, the guide, the rules are (course method):

1. Never ask for a tip, or hint, or complain about the size.
2. Accept graciously, with thanks, using your right hand.
3. Share by your company's or team's agreement (guide, driver, assistant).
4. Record tips if your company asks.
5. A great tour is about the guest, not the tip.

Model script: when a guest asks about tips. Guest: "How much should we tip you?" Guide: "Thank you for asking. A tip is not expected; it's completely your choice. I'm just happy you enjoyed the day. If you do want to say thank you, some guests leave something for the driver and me together, in an envelope at the end."

Model script: receiving a tip. "Thank you so much, that is very kind. I will share it with Mr Mensah, our driver. Safe travels, and I hope to welcome you to Ghana again."

Commissions and shopping stops

A commission is money a shop or restaurant pays you for bringing guests. A hidden commission makes guests pay more without knowing why. The course rule is: no hidden commissions. If your company has an agreement with a shop, the guest should not pay more because of it, and you should be ready to say so.

Model script: refusing a shop's hidden commission. Shop owner (quietly): "Bring them in. I'll add 20% on their prices, and give you half." Guide: "Thank you, but no. I can't do that. My guests must pay your normal price. If they like your work, they will buy and tell their friends, and I'll bring my next group. That's better business for both of us."

Antiques and animal products. A tourist may not take out a trophy (animal parts) except under the wild animals law, or antiques except under the National Museum law. At craft markets, warn guests:

"Please don't buy anything made from wild animal skins, ivory or turtle shell, or old objects that look like antiques. They need permits and can be taken from you at the airport. New carvings, kente, beads and paintings are perfect to take home."

Exercise: tip sharing and cash

Check yourself

1. Within how many days can a guest complain in writing to GTA?
2. Give three rules for tips.
3. Why must you never accept a mobile money screenshot alone as proof of payment?

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own plan; one accessible-route check at a site. Evidence. One-page "me as a guide" plan; business card; access check sheet; costing exercise.

What guides earn

Online pay surveys suggest a "travel guide" in Ghana earns roughly GH¢2,119 to GH¢5,896 a month gross (Paylab, fewer than 20 verified answers), or GH¢1,484 to GH¢6,578 a month net when starting (WageIndicator, for a 40-hour week). These are online estimates, not official data. Daily rates for freelance guides in Ghana were not found.

Choose your base

Guides do best near the places visitors already go. Look at the top-ten list in Unit 4.

Business ideas

Get registered (steps)

1. Register with GTA as a guide. Prepare the Form One D items from Unit 1 and ask the GTA regional office about the fee and process. GTA's process: register, inspection and assessment, licence.
2. Register a business name at the Office of the Registrar of Companies if you will trade under a name: GH¢130, renewed for GH¢70 a year.
3. Join an association such as TORGAG, which helps members renew licences and offers training.
4. Renew your GTA licence at least one month before it ends.
5. Keep records of your tours: GTA's annual return for licensed tour guides asks for numbers of international tourists, groups, average group size, the three most-visited sites and tourists' impressions. Your logbook should collect these from day one.

Market yourself honestly

• The law on adverts: under Act 817, a tourism advertisement or promotion must be certified by GTA and must not mislead consumers. How certification works in practice was not verified: ask GTA before you run paid adverts.
• Never claim a licence, an award or an association membership you do not have. Never use other people's photos.
• WhatsApp Business (course method): your photo in your guide shirt, a short description, the tours you offer, your languages, your GTA licence number when you have it, and a clear way to book.
• Google Business Profile: free to add or claim.
• Hotels and operators: visit with a one-page card. Be on time for every job they give you; that is your best advert.
• Ask happy guests for an honest review.

Model script: WhatsApp business description. "Akwaaba! I'm Ama, a [GTA-licensed] tour guide in Cape Coast. I guide visits to Cape Coast Castle, Elmina and Kakum, in English and French. Small groups, safe and friendly, with true history told with respect. Message me to book."

Costing a city walk

Accessibility: guiding guests with disabilities

Ghana's Persons with Disability Act 2006 (Act 715) protects the rights of persons with disabilities, and reports say access to public places is still poor many years later. UN Tourism advice says staff should be trained to serve persons with disabilities courteously and quickly, give complete information on accessible services, and help with access to places that are not accessible. European training guides cover types of disability, barriers, design for all, customer service and etiquette, and service animals and personal supports.

Access rules for Ghana's castles and parks (for example, wheelchair access) were not found. Check each site yourself and write it on your site card.

Pre-tour access questions (course method). Ask before the tour, privately and simply:

"To make the day easy for you, may I ask a few questions? Do you use a wheelchair, a walking stick or any other support? How far can you walk comfortably, and can you manage steps? Do you have any hearing or vision needs? Would a sign-language interpreter, large print or a quiet place help? Is there anything else I should know?"

Adapting the tour

Speak to the guest, not to their companion. Ask before you help.

Model script: describing a site for a blind guest. "We are standing in the courtyard of Elmina Castle. The ground under us is flat stone, warm from the sun. To your left, about ten steps away, is a white wall about three storeys high. Ahead of us, the sea is about fifty metres away; you can hear the waves. Above us, gulls are calling. On the right there is a staircase of about twenty stone steps, quite steep, with a rail on the left. Would you like to take my arm when we go up?"

Guides with disabilities. Guiding has many jobs. A guide with a disability can work as a booking and information desk officer, a storyteller at a seated stop, a sign-language guide for deaf visitors, a site guide on accessible routes, or a researcher who writes commentary and site cards. Adjustments include accessible routes, seated stops, a microphone, a partner for long walks, written scripts and a phone with large text.

Check yourself

1. How much does a sole proprietor business name cost at the Office of the Registrar of Companies?
2. What does Act 817 say about tourism adverts?
3. Name three things that help a blind guest on a tour.

Keep a record of every practice and real tour. These headings follow what GTA's annual return for guides asks for, so your logbook is ready when you are licensed.

1. Which law makes a GTA licence compulsory for tour and site guides?
2. How long does a GTA licence last, and when should you apply to renew it?
3. Name the four steps for declining an unsafe request.
4. Give five steps of the headcount routine.
5. What are the four parts of a meeting announcement?
6. What does S-T-O-P stand for?
7. Who founded Elmina Castle, and in which year?
8. Name two site rules at Manhyia Palace Museum.
9. Why do you never quote a castle fee without phoning first?
10. Give the six parts of a clear 112 call.
11. A guest asks, "How much should I tip?" What do you say?
12. Name five questions to ask a guest with a disability before a tour.

Best next reads: the Tourism Act 2011 (Act 817) and L.I. 2389 (GTA copies); GMMB's pages on Cape Coast and Elmina castles; the Hub's Tour Guiding and Community Homestay, First Aid Community Helper and Conservation and Wildlife manuals.

What this module does not cover: writing a full researched commentary, storytelling and interpretation methods, every tour type, risk assessment, working with drivers, hotels and operators, and foreign-language phrases (Level 2); multi-day tour management, product design and costing, training other guides, contracts, insurance and running a licensed business (Level 3). First aid itself is taught in the First Aid Community Helper course.

Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.