17	Give a tour to out-of-towners

At some point, you’ll probably have out-of-town guests visit you at school. Sure, you could take them to local restaurants, show them your dorm, and have a totally nice time. But what if you did something completely different and gave them a real tour of the town you’re living in? Not just a tour of your favorite pizza place, but a bona fide walking tour filled with facts about the local history, nature, and legends? Conducting a walking tour is your chance both to play guide and to learn more about your town.

Go pro?

If you love showing people around and want to spend more of your time doing it, consider giving guided tours as a part-time job. Whether you’re a nature buff or you love your city’s architecture, look into local sightseeing licensing laws and work your way toward becoming a full-fledged guide. It’s a flexible, often lucrative gig, and you’ll get plenty of exercise pounding the pavement (or the trail).

HOW TO DO IT

Here’s how to give the perfect guided tour.

1 / KNOW YOUR GUESTS. Before they come to town, take into account what they might be into. Are they into nature? War history? Oddities? Music? And how much would they be willing to walk?

2 / DO YOUR RESEARCH. Your goal is to find the best places and facts that will interest your guests. You can probably find a lot of information online, but to level up as a tour guide, you should go on at least one professional tour yourself, be it a city walking tour, an informative nature hike, or a guided museum visit. If you live in a small town without professional guided tours, you could track down a local historian who knows the ins and outs of the place and ask for tips.

3 / FOCUS ON THE FUN STUFF. You don’t need to include every detail about every brick in every building. When planning your tour, outline a very general description about each stop or location and include two or three fun facts.

4 / BE FLEXIBLE. Your guests might want to rest a lot, or they might be interested in stuff way outside your planned tour. Let it happen. The idea is for everyone to have a good time, and maybe everyone will learn something in the process.