Inspirational story: being a tour guide and living creatively
- Lev Narozhny
- 4 hours ago
- 8 min read
Marios Trichas comes from sunny Greece. It’s hard not to envy his life a little he lives between two worlds: a cozy little town on the island of Crete and, from time to time, the bustling capital of Athens. And between those two places lie dozens of countries, hundreds of people, and thousands of impressions. He is an artist and a professional tour leader who has traveled halfway around the world. His story inspires us to live boldly and pursue our dream career.
TRAVEL PART
Life made adjustments and gave even more
When we hear the word “tour guide,” we often imagine someone with a microphone on a bus, pointing out landmarks or leading a group from one tourist attraction to another. It may seem like guides only specialize in one city. But Marios’s story is something entirely different.
“I always knew I wanted to be an artist. For me, art is more than a profession it’s a way of expressing myself. In 2002, I received a diploma in fine arts. But life gifted me with another profession — traveling.”
According to Marios, he never seriously considered a career directly related to travel. Art was his only ambition, and painting was his lifelong dream. Travel was simply a hobby. That’s why he chose the path of an artist. But one day, everything changed.
“One day, a friend of mine who was already working in tourism suggested I try something new. At the time, the agency Versus Travel was expanding its destinations, and I applied without hesitation.”
After the interview, the job offer was already in his pocket. Since 2007, Marios has been working with one of the top travel agencies in Greece. He managed to combine his two greatest passions creativity and travel. Over the years, he has led dozens of tours across Europe, Asia, and Africa. And the list of countries he’s visited is truly impressive.
“Depending on the year and season, I lead at least one tour per month. There are always a few during Christmas and Greek Easter. The main season runs from June to September, when most people go on vacation.”
He shared a list of countries where he has worked. It’s surprising that in some countries tours take place frequently, while in other countries he has been there several times or even just once. Important to say not just in one city, but in various places across each:
Sri Lanka, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Austria, Italy, Ireland, UAE, Jordan, Morocco, India, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe.
And the list keeps growing!
Marios still remembers his first professional tour in Sri Lanka like it was yesterday. He prepared day and night, determined to make it not just good, but perfect.
“I was really nervous, but also incredibly excited. I needed to prove to the people who trusted me and most importantly to myself that I could do it.”
A typical day as a tour leader
As we’ve learned, Marios travels a lot, and that kind of work requires thorough preparation.
A typical work plan for a tour leader involves several key steps. Once the itinerary is confirmed, the tour leader is expected to consult with colleagues who have previously led the same tour. This is followed by independent preparation: researching the route, key locations, the country’s history, and understanding local customs and cultural elements or aspects. Also, before traveling to any destination, a tour leader must also complete a set of administrative tasks. This includes reviewing visa requirements, confirming bookings, securing permits if necessary, and coordinating with the local agency or partners on site.
“My work is mainly focused on sightseeing rather than entertainment. This means that participants have some free time. Usually the day program starts early in the morning. Sometimes it ends in the afternoon, but there are also days when we finish late especially if the route is intense, includes many sites or requires long journeys.”
Once the prep work is done and the office work is behind him, it’s time to pack the bags. Of course, we couldn’t resist asking: what’s inside a professional tour leader’s suitcase? The contents of his suitcase are not much different from those of any regular traveler.
With his experience, packing the right clothes and shoes for a tour happens almost automatically, he knows exactly what to bring. Still, there are a few professional items he never forgets. The most important one is his guide flag, which makes it easy for the group to spot him in crowded places. He also always brings a snack for the road, especially on travel days with flights, to avoid overpaying for airport or in-flight food.
Every day on tour is full of energy, surprises, and joyful moments. Marios shared a couple of memorable stories:
“Every tour guide could write a book of short stories. Once, in Vilnius, a woman went missing at night. Her husband panicked, the police searched the nearby park. Only to find she had fallen asleep next to the elevator on the top floor of the hotel. Or the time in Sri Lanka when a wild elephant came up to our jeep and ate all our takeaway breakfast boxes.”
What about new destinations?
When we asked him about future plans, he said:
“I believe the agency is considering offering me new destinations, like Vietnam or Nepal.”
But, how is the destination for a tour chosen, and why does Marios visit some countries more often than others? According to Marios, many factors influence this decision. The main one is public interest in a particular country. However, tour leaders can also request to be assigned to certain destinations.
“If there are many tours planned in one place but not enough experienced tour leaders available or if someone suddenly falls ill and needs to be replaced, you can volunteer to take over a new route. We can also request to go to a new country if we’re personally interested. The agency prefers sending experienced guides who already know the destination: the route, the hotels, the local guides, and even small details like tipping etiquette. Familiarity makes everything smoother and more successful.”
Despite the long list of countries he’s already visited, we asked if there’s still a place he dreams of exploring.
“We often say it’s a small world. But actually, it’s huge! If I had to name just one country, it would be Cambodia, because I dream of seeing Angkor Wat.”
Work and life balance
Marios is constantly on the move. There’s no regular schedule and long stretches away from home. We asked him how he manages to balance his profession with his personal life.
In the beginning, it wasn’t easy, but he found his rhythm quickly. Being an artist requires solitude and focus, while guiding tours demands constant communication and interaction. These two professions are like yin and yang: one energizes him, the other helps him reflect. Travel inspires his art, which he pours onto canvas when he returns home.
“As for personal life, I suppose it’s easier for me, I’m single and don’t have kids. But during long summer seasons, I do miss home, family, and friends.”
As he shared with us, he has no other recipe for maintaining a balance between work and personal life. Every person who has chosen a profession in which he is often away from home finds for himself a solution to find this very balance.
What makes a good guide?
We couldn’t resist asking Marios what qualities a truly professional tour leader needs. It’s obvious that working with people requires strong interpersonal skills perhaps the most crucial part of the job. No matter how great a guide is with history or paperwork, if they can’t connect with people, it just won’t work.
Here’s what Marios shared:
“A good guide should love to travel, be curious about history, patient, polite, calm, and able to solve problems quickly. They should represent their country in the best possible way and treat everyone with respect, without discrimination of any kind.”
Who are the clients?
While discussing his daily routine, we became curious, who does Marios usually work with?
He leads Greek speaking tour groups, mostly people who book through the agency. He is fluent in Greek and English and has recently started learning Italian.
“Groups are always different young people, seniors, families, and lots of solo travelers. What matters most is making sure everyone feels equal and receives the same high quality service. In Europe, most organized tour clients are middle aged or retired. Young people usually book everything online. But when it comes to faraway destinations, even younger travelers prefer the comfort and safety of a guided experience.”
How to join one of your tours?
With 18 years of experience, dozens of countries, and hundreds of tours to sum up the topic of the guide leader’s work, we asked how people can book a trip with him?
He shared a link to the agency he works with. Their office is based in Athens.
ART PART
The artistic side of life and career
Marios has been taking drawing lessons since the age of 10, but his dream of becoming an artist began even earlier.
“I always knew I’d go down this path. And I was lucky, my parents supported me from the start.”
He now prefers working with acrylics, though he’s used other materials in the past.
Studying fine arts through extra classes and later in university, he developed his own recognizable style, distinct color palettes and a personal way of capturing objects on canvas. It’s much easier to see than explain.
Where to find inspiration?
Artists often struggle with finding inspiration, so we asked Marios how he deals with that.
Considering his career as a tour leader, it’s no surprise that much of his inspiration comes from his travels. But it’s not just the places that influence his art. Sometimes inspiration comes out of nowhere.
“Everyday life, small things, stories I hear or read, my emotions and fears, those too become part of my work.”
Surprisingly, despite working with people every day, Marios rarely asks anyone to pose for him. Only a few of his works are based on old photos or live models. Since painting takes a lot of time, he usually prefers a reference photo to a live sitter.
Marios may live in a small town far from Athens, but that didn’t stop him from getting his artwork out there. His paintings have been exhibited at FoKiAnou Art Space, one of the notable galleries in the capital.
The personal art studio
As it turns out, Marios has a lovely little studio in his hometown on the island of Crete, where much of his art comes to life. But he also paints at home whenever the mood and inspiration hit. And true to Greek hospitality, Marios is happy to welcome anyone curious about his work to stop by even just for a cup of coffee and some good conversation.
Contacts
Most of Marios’s artworks are published on his Facebook and Instagram profiles, and they are available for purchase. Each art project includes the title, dimensions, and a description. You can always contact him directly for more details.
Meeting Marios was a real privilege. He’s an inspiring person with a warm heart and an open soul. We sincerely wish every reader the chance to take a tour with him and to Marios, we wish many more dream destinations and artistic success!
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