Join our team of local guides and show Chicago to the world.
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Do you light up when someone asks you about this city? Do you know the hidden stories behind the skyline, the neighborhoods, the deep dish drama? We’re always looking for passionate, energetic people to join our team of guides — and if that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.
Becoming a Free Chicago Walking Tours guide is a flexible, rewarding way to earn extra income doing something you actually love. Our guides are teachers, retirees, comedians, actors, college students, and lifelong Chicagoans. What they all have in common is a genuine love for this city and the people passing through it.
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Form for applying to become a tour guide
GOOD TO KNOW
No, tour guide experience is not required to apply to become a Free Chicago Walking Tours guide. However, experience significantly speeds up the onboarding process. Candidates who have previously led walking tours, served as museum docents, or guided any type of group tour tend to ramp up much faster. First-time guides should expect meaningful preparation work before leading their first tour — most people underestimate what goes into it. We welcome applicants at all experience levels who bring genuine passion for Chicago and strong people skills.
Free Chicago Walking Tours guides are paid entirely through tips, which they keep 100% of and receive immediately at the end of each tour. There is no hourly wage or base salary. Earnings depend on group size, tour quality, and season. Summer tours with larger groups consistently produce the highest earnings. Guides who deliver engaging, high-energy tours regularly earn strong hourly rates for a few hours of outdoor work. There is no earnings cap.
The strongest Free Chicago Walking Tours guides are high-energy, naturally funny, and gifted storytellers who are comfortable leading large groups in an outdoor urban setting. They are reliable, well-prepared, and treat each tour as a performance. Successful guides typically have a background in teaching, comedy, acting, or public speaking — though this is not a requirement. The most important qualities are genuine enthusiasm for Chicago, the ability to hold a crowd’s attention for two hours, and a commitment to delivering a memorable experience for every visitor.
Extensive knowledge of Chicago history is not required to become a Free Chicago Walking Tours guide. We provide a full library of professionally written tour scripts that guides are welcome to learn and use. What cannot be taught is a genuine love for the city. The best candidates have a deep personal connection to Chicago — whether through growing up here, living here for years, or having an enthusiastic interest in the city’s neighborhoods, architecture, food scene, or culture. Passion for Chicago is the essential requirement. Historical knowledge can be developed through our training and scripts.
