Planning a walk
Guidance on how to plan, organise and run a guided walk.
1 : walk leaders’ check list
Names of leaders
A minimum of two leaders in case there
is an accident or other incident
Walk title and theme
Target audience
Date of event
Booking arrangements
Start and finish times
Meeting point and finish
Length of walk
Stopping points for providing information
Maximum of ten
Grade of walk
Easy, moderate, difficult or challenging
Terrain
Level, surfaced paths, muddy, grass,
steepness of slopes, rough surfaces, etc.
Gates, stiles or other obstacles
Accessibility
Suitability for parents with buggies, wheelchair
users, mobility scooters, walking aids etc.
Advice on clothing and footwear
Stops for refreshments: café, pub or picnic
First aid kit available
Mobile phone number for emergencies
Publicity
Poster, leaflet, social media, press
Risk assessment prepared and signed
Cancellation plan in case of weather or lack of leader
Other notes
2: advice for walk leader - Creating a good guided walk
What makes a good guided walk
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Your role as guide
You are entertainer, information provider, storyteller,
friend, responsive to your audience, the perfect host.
The audience are your guests. You establish a friendly
atmosphere that makes people glad to be on the walk.
You promote a two way dialogue. You are not a robot,
know it all or police officer. Make it fun!
The staging period
Greet people as they arrive, allow people to ask
questions, build rapport between you and the audience.
Evaluate your audience; are there children, elderly
people who may have mobility needs? Spread your
attention to as many people as possible.
The introduction
Strike a spark with the first sentence. ‘What would you
do if you found you were standing here in the middle of a
lake?’ Introduce the theme and keep the main ideas to five
or less.
They are interpretive
They are interesting and entertaining
They present meaningful and well-presented information
They are well organised around a theme
They are dynamic
There is audience feedback
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Create interest in the theme of the walk
Tell how the walk is organised
Tell people a little of what they will see
Be open to questions
Repeat information on the length of the walk, physical
requirements e.g. terrain, slopes, obstacles etc.
• Remember to tell the group your name and a little
about yourself
‘Tell them what you are going to say,
say it and then tell them what you said’
2: advice for walk leader - Creating a good guided walk
Engaging the audience
People remember stories, they do not remember facts.
• Anecdotes
• Stories
• Images
• Objects
• Sound
• Smell
Engage their senses!
Tips for engaging your audience
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The scope of the tour and stops
Show the audience the pertinent features at each stop.
Keep your stops short and to the point. Tell relevant stories
and develop your theme. Limit the walk to no more than 10
stops. Each stop has a focusing sentence, a description or
explanation, theme connection and a transition sentence.
You may wish to foreshadow the next stop. It is useful to
have some visual aids or objects with you. Finally, invite
questions or additional information from the audience.
Some members may have expertise that is useful.
The conclusion
Reinforce the theme and remind visitors about what they
have seen and the significance of features and objects.
Evaluate using three questions; what did you enjoy, learn
and what would you change?
Stand in front of your audience
Look at your audience
Practice smiling
Use active verbs
Foreshadow – give a hint of what they might see next
Incorporate mystery
Use props, including images from the past
A punch line
A final note
A summary of the main points
Thank you / goodbye
Notes
The Woodland Trust, Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6LL.
The Woodland Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales no.
294344 and in Scotland no. SC038885. A non-profit making company
limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 1982873. The Woodland
Trust logo is a registered trademark. 6341 10/14