Freelance Tour Guiding
Battleground Berlin Tours
June 2018 - Current
Since 2018, I have been the developer and operator of historical walking tours in Berlin on a freelance basis. The vast majority specialise in the Second World War and Nazi period, especially the Battle of Berlin in April 1945. Currently, most bookings are made via AirBnb Experiences or directly via BattleofBerlinTours.com
Originally, the tour was developed as a fun hobby, but very soon it became my primary profession and the bulk of my work. The success is such that by 2021, it is arguably the highest rated historical tour on AirBnb Experiences Berlin in terms of overall rating (4.98) and number of ratings (400+).
I believe the key to this success is my ability to adjust the tour on the fly to make it a bespoke experience for the guests. Often my groups feature quests of varying different levels of experience and understanding of the period in question - from those with a general understanding to those who can tell the difference between a T-34 tank and a Pzkw IV from 500 yards. I believe my ability to provide an experience to both these groups, at the same time, is one of my biggest strengths. I think this, combined with the content of the tour, as well as the odd injection of humour, is behind the tours overall success. But don’t take my word for it, you can read some of my reviews here.
Outside of this standard tour, I have also provided more bespoke experiences for individuals interested in specific sites, for example Templehof Airport or Humboldthain Flak Tower. I am also interested in expanding the tour into more areas of the Cold War in Berlin.
Explorica Educational Tours
June 2018 - Current
In addition to my own tours, I have periodically worked with Explorica Educational Tours as a Tour Director for larger groups of guests. Most are usually American High School or College groups of various ages. As a Tour Director I am responsible for ensuring the tour itinerary is met, as well organizing travel, entry to locations and restaurant bookings. Generally, my job is to make sure everything is running smoothly, and if it doesn’t, to fix the problem.
Tours vary in size and requirements, from as low as 10 to around 30 or 40. Making sure everyone is happy and safe obviously comes with a lot of responsibility, but I also find I am in my element interacting with the groups, especially the students. I have conducted these tours largely in Germany and Austria, including trips to Munich, Rottenburg ob der Tauber, Frankfurt, Salzburg, Heidelberg and of course, Berlin. In some cases, I had to provide walking tours in cities - such as Salzburg - which I hadn’t actually visited prior!
Through these experiences I much more confident dealing with bigger tour groups, as well as increasingly familiar with more areas of Germany.
