My Tour Guide Journey – Part 4 – “Back to School”
Receiving my acceptance letter from the University of Geneva for the Culture and Tourism program in September felt like a huge win for me. After some time away from academic life, I was genuinely thrilled to get back into the classroom—ready for fresh ideas, new perspectives, and plenty of intellectual stimulation. Honestly, I felt like a kid again on the first day of school.
The program structure was perfect: two weekends per month, blending classroom learning with hands-on fieldwork over the course of a year. For anyone aiming to become a Geneva professional tour guide, this kind of immersive training is what is needed.
Saturday morning September 14th kicked off at Uni Mail, bright and early at 9am. I arrived a little ahead of time (tour guide habit!) and was delighted to find coffee and biscuits waiting—always a good sign. After grabbing a coffee, I introduced myself to our professor, Anna Hamilton, and shared how excited I was to be part of the program.
Soon after, I began meeting my fellow students. One of the first people I spoke with was Philippe Ruegg, a Geneva-based architect and urbanist. We instantly connected over our shared professional backgrounds and enthusiasm for the course. Before long, the room filled up, and right on time, Anna officially welcomed us to what would become an unforgettable journey.
Our first lecture was led by Professor Irène Herrmann, a historian from the University of Geneva’s Faculty of Humanities. She introduced a powerful guiding question—the “red thread” of the program:
“Why did a small town, once a Roman outpost, become one of the world’s most important international cities?”
From there, we were taken on a fascinating journey through six key periods in Geneva’s history, from the 11th to the 20th century. It was exactly the kind of storytelling depth that makes Geneva walking tours so captivating.
The day continued with a series of engaging lectures from historians, architects, and local experts. By the end of Saturday, I was already seeing Geneva through a new lens—one that I knew would enrich my future Geneva guided tours.
But Sunday was where things really came to life.
We stepped out of the classroom and into the city itself, joining guided tours led by experienced professionals. Our first was a classic two-hour Geneva city tour with Cyrille Wohlschlag, a seasoned guide with over 20 years of experience.
Starting at the Brunswick Monument and ending at the Reformation Wall, we explored some of Geneva’s most iconic landmarks. This was my first time observing a Geneva professional tour guide in action—and it did not disappoint.
Cyrille’s storytelling was clear, engaging, and full of fascinating historical details. His sense of humor and well-placed anecdotes kept everyone hooked from start to finish. The two hours flew by, which is always the sign of a great tour.
By the end of the day, one thing was crystal clear: I didn’t just want to learn about Geneva—I wanted to bring it to life for others through my own Geneva walking tours.
And just like that, the journey continued.
Cyrille Wohlschlag, tour guide/instructor, University of Geneva
After my meeting with Marilynn Geiger, I decided to explore the University of Geneva’s course catalogue. Before long, I found a webpage dedicated to the Culture and Tourism certificate program that was scheduled to begin in September 2024. As someone hoping to eventually lead Geneva walking tours and Geneva guided tours, the program was perfectly in line with my aspirations.
The description of the one-year course sounded fascinating, and it quickly became clear to me that enrolling in the program would be an important step toward my goal of becoming a Geneva professional tour guide.
Marilynn had explained something interesting about the tour guide profession in Switzerland. Technically, there are no laws or regulations that prevent someone from becoming a tour guide. In other words, anyone can show up and start offering walking tours of Geneva. However, there is an important difference between simply giving tours and working as a certified tour guide or Swiss professional tour guide.
To become a member of the Geneva Guides Association and to work with the Geneva Tourism & Congress Foundation, obtaining the certificate from the University of Geneva is essential. While some people offer tours without training or certification, they generally do not work at the same professional level — or receive the same remuneration — as trained and certified guides.
Another reason the program appealed to me was the depth of the curriculum. The University of Geneva course includes in-depth studies of Geneva’s history, architecture, art, heritage, and culture. For anyone hoping to lead high-quality Geneva guided tours, this kind of knowledge is invaluable.
Even better, the program also includes practical training. Students learn how to conduct Geneva walking tours as well as practice guiding techniques, and learn how to guide excursions by bus to important cultural and historical sites throughout the Geneva region. In other words, it’s not just about reading books — it’s about learning how to actually guide visitors and bring Geneva’s story to life.
Convinced that this program was the right way to begin my journey toward becoming a Geneva professional tour guide, I decided to contact the program coordinator, Anna Hamilton. We arranged a telephone conversation, and she kindly explained the structure of the course, the subjects covered, and the examination process.
Anna also told me about the many past participants who successfully completed the program and are currently working as professional guides in Geneva. That was certainly encouraging news for someone hoping to become a certified tour guide in the city.
Additionally, Anna told me that the entire course would be taught in French, and advised that a minimum B2 level in spoken and written French would be necessary to keep up with the coursework. Fortunately, after many years living in Switzerland and studying French, I knew this would be no problem for me. Anna also mentioned that most people who take the course and go on to become tour guides speak a minimum of three languages. Since I also speak fluent Spanish, I knew that this would not be an issue.
Finally, Anna added one last piece of advice: if I wanted to join the program, I needed to move quickly. The application deadline was in June.
So that’s exactly what I did.
Immediately after our call, I began filling out the application, which required both a CV and a motivational letter. The journey toward becoming a Swiss professional tour guide was progressing.
University of Geneva, UNI Bastions – built 1868
Nearly two years have passed since I first met Marilynn Geiger, a 40-year veteran tour guide in Geneva, who planted the idea in my mind that I might one day become a tour guide myself.
During this time, there have been several developments in my career as a multinational marketing executive, and I began to feel that it was the right moment to start thinking seriously about the “second act” of my professional life. After leaving Philip Morris, I began working as an independent marketing consultant on a range of projects for different companies. I enjoyed the independence and the experience of being my own boss. However, because most consulting work is done virtually, one important dimension was missing — face-to-face interactions with people, something I have always greatly enjoyed.
At the same time, I realized how much I value being outdoors, walking through the city, and sharing my knowledge of Geneva’s history, architecture, and culture. The idea of becoming a Geneva professional tour guide kept returning to my mind. Offering Geneva walking tours and Geneva guided tours seemed like an ideal way to combine my passions with a meaningful new professional chapter.
Perhaps most inspiring of all was seeing Marilynn continuing to work as a tour guide at the age of 86. Her energy and enthusiasm made me realize that guiding visitors through Geneva could be a fulfilling path well into the future. I began to imagine offering my own Geneva private guided tours, sharing the stories of the city with visitors from around the world.
With this in mind, I decided to arrange a coffee meeting with Marilynn to learn more about her long career and to understand the first steps I might take if I wanted to become a Geneva tour guide.
We met at Le Fix Café in the Sécheron neighborhood of Geneva. I arrived early and took a table on the outdoor terrace, enjoying the warm spring weather. Right on time, Marilynn arrived — on her bicycle — which was impressive to see considering her age and perfectly reinforced my impression of her as a strong and determined woman with places to go.
After some friendly small talk, we settled in with coffee and croissants and quickly moved into a fascinating conversation about Geneva’s history, architecture, culture, and the arts. We compared notes on books we had both read about the city, and she shared a number of titles that I had not yet discovered.
Throughout our discussion, Marilynn told many engaging stories from her decades of experience leading Geneva walking tours and Geneva guided tours for visitors from all over the world. She spoke about the joy of meeting people from different cultures and sharing the rich history of the city, but she also candidly described some of the challenges and realities of working in the tourism industry.
She explained the structure of the tourism ecosystem in Geneva — how tour guides operate, how walking tours and excursions are organized, and even some of the internal politics that exist within the profession. Her animated storytelling and sense of humor made the conversation both informative and entertaining.
Marilynn also introduced me to several important organizations involved in tourism in Geneva, including the Geneva Guides Association and the Geneva Tourism & Congress Foundation. Most importantly, she told me about a course offered at the University of Geneva on Culture, Tourism, and Heritage, which provides valuable training for those interested in becoming professional guides. She strongly encouraged me to explore the program and explained that earning this certificate would be an excellent first step toward becoming a Geneva professional tour guide.
I took copious notes throughout our discussion, and the one-hour meeting passed in the blink of an eye. Suddenly I had homework to do — books to read, programs to research, and a clearer understanding of the path that lay ahead.
As we finished our coffees, I thanked Marilynn warmly for her time and generosity in sharing her experience. We agreed to meet again in about a month to continue the conversation.
Looking back, that first coffee meeting with Marilynn was incredibly insightful and inspiring. One of my immediate takeaways was a simple thought: “I want to be like Marilynn when I grow up.” Her passion for sharing Geneva’s stories confirmed my own desire to pursue this path.
At that moment, I knew that the idea of becoming a Geneva tour guide was no longer just a passing thought — it was the beginning of a new journey that could eventually lead me to offering my own Geneva walking tours, Geneva guided tours, and personalized Geneva private guided tours for visitors eager to discover the city.
And so, my path toward becoming a Geneva professional tour guide had officially begun.
Tour guide discussions with my mentor, Marilynn Geiger
While attending the wedding of my friends Bart and Evelyn at the Mairie des Eaux-Vives in Geneva, I had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people who were friends and family of the bride and groom. In particular, I met an elderly American woman named Marilynn Geiger, a friend of the groom’s family, who was extremely interesting as she told me about her second career as a tour guide in Geneva.
I listened very attentively as Marilynn described her nearly 40-year journey guiding visitors around the Geneva region and sharing her knowledge of architecture, history, art, culture, and modern-day life in Switzerland. I was especially struck by how passionate and enthusiastic she was about her career. She spoke about leading visitors on walking tours of Geneva’s Old Town and accompanying groups on bus excursions to important sites throughout the region. Her dedication to providing high-quality Geneva guided tours was truly inspiring.
I have always had a deep interest in history, architecture, art, and culture, and I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Architecture in 1984. Having lived in Geneva for over 15 years, I have spent a great deal of time exploring and researching historical sites in the city and surrounding region. Over the years, many family members and business associates have visited Geneva, and I have personally provided walking tours of the city center, historic neighborhoods, and key landmarks, as well as guided tours of Geneva’s museums and archaeological sites. In many ways, I have already been offering informal Geneva walking tours without realizing it.
Overall, Marilynn and I immediately connected and enjoyed a wide range of conversations that evening about Geneva and Swiss history, architecture, art, culture, and tourism. Meeting her created a spark in my mind about how I might become a Geneva professional tour guide myself one day.
My career as a multinational marketing executive is beginning to approach its final chapter. However, I know that I want to continue working for many years to come. Most importantly, I want to devote my time to something I am truly passionate about — history, architecture, art, and culture — while spending more time outdoors, meeting new people, and sharing knowledge in a meaningful way.
I also genuinely enjoy showcasing the wonderful sites that Geneva and the surrounding region have to offer. For these reasons, becoming a Geneva professional tour guide and offering customized Geneva walking tours and Geneva guided tours feels like a natural next step. I think that I would be very good at providing visitors with engaging, insightful experiences led by a dedicated professional tour guide in Switzerland who is passionate about bringing the city’s stories to life.
Thank you Marilynn for planting this idea in my head!
