About Us
Northern Secrets offers you a Blue Badge guiding experience that will enhance your stay by bringing the region's treasures to life and explaining what you see in an informative, friendly and entertaining way.
Northern Secrets specialises in tailor-made holidays and personal guided tours in English and German. We are committed to providing you with a unique journey of the highest quality through this glorious region. Your guide is a registered Blue Badge tourist guide for North East England, bilingual in both German and English and passionate about the area you are visiting. Northern Secrets will make your stay memorable and all the more enjoyable.
Let Northern Secrets create that perfect bespoke tour specifically designed to your requirements.
This section is designed to give you a short overview of what we do at Northern Secrets. We have included a short company background told from the view of Alex, owner at Northern Secrets. You will also find images of just some of the tours we have conducted in the past as well as information regarding media involvement. Finally please feel free to check out our partners and also understand the Blue Badge in more detail.
Company background
“The idea for Northern Secrets came way back in 1999 after I left school. I always knew running my own company was my aim in life and successfully bringing visitors to Northern England in particular. After working in marketing, a successful visit to university studying business and tourism management and engaging in several business courses I felt ready for the potentially biggest challenge so far.
Northern Secrets was born in 2006 from the idea of bringing visitors to this glorious region (if you ask me, Britain’s hidden gem) and give them experiences they would not forget. Therefore our escorted tours only include qualified and personally certified Blue Badge tourist guides (in most cases myself as I enjoy being amongst visitors and sharing my passion for this region).
It is the passion for the region that makes a good guide. Your guide is both highly passionate and knowledgeable about North East England (as well as the surrounding regions and Britain in general). I believe you can have all the knowledge in the world but if you can’t tell a good story and read your group there is no point in being in this business nor being a good guide. I love my life and the work I do - there is nothing more rewarding than travelling through the most wonderful region and sharing my experiences, passion and knowledge in an informative, friendly and entertaining way.
At Northern Secrets we make sure you receive exactly what you want. All tours are designed with just you in mind and all tours are tailor-made to suit your full requirements. You can be as involved as you like all leave everything to the experts at Northern secrets giving you that peace of mind.
I am proud of the fact that we can offer such a flexible and personalised service. This is the foundation Northern Secrets is based on and shall remain...”
Alexander Jacobs
Owner, Northern Secrets
Northern Secrets in the media
Northern Secrets has enjoyed several appearances in national as well as international media. |
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Images of just some tours with Northern Secrets
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| Guided tour along Hadrian's Wall | DFDS fam. visit in Ford and Etal | Schalksmuhle mayor and guests | Delegates on a town-twinning visit |
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Group after a great day out | Touring group on Hadrian's Wall | Filming for German television HR | Tour of NewcastleGateshead |
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The Angel of the North | Touring group in Scotland | Exhibiting at a trade fair | Private group visiting Durham |
Proud sponsors of Newcastle College Student of the Year award
Northern Secrets are proud sponsors of Newcastle College's Honours Degree course in Travel and Tourism Management. We annually support the tourism department at Newcastle College with the 'Northern Secrets Student of the Year' award. This year's proud winner was Hannah Duggleby. Hannah passed her degree with a well-earned First so many congratulations from us at Northern Secrets! |  |
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The Blue Badge is a professional qualification that allows guides to work in a specific region or area of Britain. Blue Badge guides conduct both walking and coach tours and offer their guests a high quality and entertaining experience during their stay in, here, North East England. The guides we use are both members of the Institue of Tourist Guiding as well as the Guild of Registered Tourist Guides. |
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Our partners
 | Discover Britain’s best kept secret At Northern Escapes we are passionate about this region and have the great privilege in offering you a unique journey to places you would not find on your own. Every trip is carefully developed by knowledgeable and local guides and tour planners to create a memorable experience for you and your fellow travellers. Our small group trips are limited to 16 travellers to create a far more personal and authentic experience. |
| Professional - yet local |
 | Experience that genuine maritme feeling When you travel with DFDS Seaways, you will experience a genuine maritime atmosphere, in style, and with a truly international level of service. Many professional travellers also consider us unrivalled in service and facilities for passenger and vehicle traffic. |
 | New courses, new skills, new you |
