RNLI College Discovery Tours

About

Find out how our crews and lifeguards are trained with a behind the scenes 90 minute tour of the RNLI College. Each tour is conducted by one of our dedicated volunteer tour guides, providing a passionate and insightful look at the work we do here at the College.

£7.50 per adult 
£2.50 per child (min 10 years+) 
Free to College residents 

During your 90 minute guided tour, you will be given the chance to explore the RNLI College and its training facilities, including our world-class Sea Survival centre, which hosts the wave tank and Lifeboat simulator (subject to availability).

Tours take place daily Monday to Thursday at either 11am and/or 2.30pm, Friday at 3.00pm and Saturday at 11.00am (subject to volunteer availability). Booking in advance is necessary. Please contact reception to book your place on the College Discovery Tour on 0300 300 7654 or reception@rnli.org.uk.

On the day
Please arrive at least 10 minutes prior to your start time and inform reception of your arrival. Tours commence from the main College reception at the designated time. Save enough time to call into our shop and pick up the perfect gift or souvenir. We’ve got homewares, clothing, tasty treats, toys, greeting cards, and much, much more. Our shops are run by volunteers, and all profits help save lives at sea.

Training is fundamental to saving lives. Through the training of our own lifesavers and that of our college visitors, we’re making a difference to the number of lives saved at sea. In 2016, our volunteer lifeboat crews rescued 8,851 and save 431 lives. Our lifeguards additionally saved 127 lives and aided 20,538 people last year. And with every £1 spent at RNLI College, you too are helping us provide the training to save lives at sea.

Accessibility
The building is designed to be fully accessible to all guests and we have two lifts located at the reception for easy access to each floor. Tours are 90 minutes long and there is a considerable amount of walking involved. If any guests will be using a mobility aid on the day, please make us aware in advance so that we can allow sufficient volunteer tour guide support.