What Go Ape does

Go Ape (legally Adventure Forest Ltd) is a UK-based outdoor adventure operator founded in 2002, headquartered in Fornham St Martin, Suffolk, with 35+ sites across England, Scotland, and Wales and a headcount of 251-500. The company designs, builds, and operates forest-based adventure experiences anchored on high ropes courses installed between trees, using proprietary self-belay (Treetop Challenge) and continuous belay (Treetop Adventure / Treetop Adventure Plus) safety architectures. The activity portfolio extends into the trees (Nets Adventure, Zip Trekking, Zip Line Experience) and onto the forest floor (Forest Segway, Forest Biking, Axe Throwing, Archery Tag, Escape Room branded Codebreakers, Mini Land Rovers), addressing guests from age 3 to adult, with Challenge Plus as the newest and most demanding flagship course.

The business runs as a direct-to-consumer operation with primary bookings through goape.co.uk, supported by a call centre (Open Contact partner), a dedicated Events Team for school and corporate group bookings, and the Student Beans channel for verified-student discounts. Monetisation is layered: per-activity unit pricing from £18.95 (Axe Throwing) to £59.95 (Zip Trekking) and from £21.95 to £41.95 for the Treetop tier; an Annual Pass subscription programme from £69.95 to £129.95 per year delivering unlimited visits across all sites; gift vouchers and annual-pass vouchers for gifting; and ancillary on-site merchandise (drinks, snacks, branded goods). The company is structured as employee-owned, with site staff branded as "co-owners." Major land partners include the Forestry Commission at forests such as Kielder, Dalby, Whinlatter, and Haldon, and country-park authorities at venues including Battersea Park, Leeds Castle, and Woburn Safari Park.

Customer segments span families and individuals (primary), schools and education institutions (Ofsted-aligned school trips), corporate and group bookings (team building, birthday parties), and students (Student Beans 10% discount). Notable accreditations include ROSPA Gold 2025, UK Best Attraction, Great British School Trips, Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, British Activity Providers Association membership, and Best Companies Top 50. Accessibility is formalised through the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme and Access Card (Nimbus Disability) partnerships, with free essential companion tickets where applicable. The founder, Rebecca Mayhew, is identified as co-founder. No external institutional investors, parent company, or capital raises were disclosed in the available sources, and revenue is not publicly reported.

Name

Go Ape

Legal name

Adventure Forest Ltd

Website

https://goape.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Go Ape (Adventure Forest Ltd) is a UK employee-owned outdoor adventure operator running high ropes, zip lines, segways, and ground-based activities at 35+ forest and country-park sites across England, Scotland, and Wales, serving families, schools, corporate groups, and students via direct online bookings, annual passes, and gift vouchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Activities

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerial Adventure Parks (Multi-Element Courses) (THAAACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Adventure Parks & Aerial Courses (Zipline, Ropes, Canopy) (THAAAAAC)

Keywords

• Outdoor adventure activities
• High ropes courses
• Forest adventure parks
• Zip line experiences
• Team building events

Headquarters

HQ city

Bury Saint Edmunds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices37 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Activity Bookings: Primary revenue stream from customers booking individual adventure activities (Treetop Challenge, Forest Segway, Axe Throwing, etc.) through the website or call centre. Pricing varies by activity type, age group, and location.
2. Annual Passes: Recurring subscription model offering unlimited visits for one year at all Go Ape locations. Passes available for different activity tiers (Treetop Challenge from £129.95, Treetop Adventure Plus from £99.95, Treetop Adventure from £79.95, Nets Adventure from £69.95).
3. Gift Vouchers: Sale of gift vouchers and experience vouchers for specific activities. Customers purchase vouchers as gifts for friends and family to use for future bookings.
4. Group and Corporate Events: Revenue from dedicated group bookings for schools, corporate team events, and birthday parties handled by Go Ape's Events Team.
5. Merchandise: Sale of merchandise at onsite cabins including drinks, snacks, and potentially branded items. Annual pass holders receive 10% discount on merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Go Ape operates outdoor adventure experiences at 35+ forest and country park locations across the UK, offering tree-mounted high ropes courses, zip lines, Forest Segway tours, axe throwing, archery tag, escape rooms, and Nets Adventure suspended net playgrounds. Activities are delivered as paid adventure sessions, with revenue also generated through annual subscription passes and gift vouchers. Participants book individually, in family groups, or via a dedicated Events Team for schools and corporate team building.

Product overview

Go Ape is an outdoor adventure company operating across 33+ locations in the UK, offering a portfolio of high ropes and ground-based adventure activities. The core product lineup includes Treetop Challenge (the original high ropes course), Treetop Adventure Plus (mid-level), and Treetop Adventure (entry-level for children), along with the more demanding Challenge Plus. Ground activities include Forest Segway, Forest Biking, Axe Throwing, Archery Tag, Escape Room (Codebreakers), Zip Trekking Adventure, Nets Adventure for young children, and Mini Land Rovers. The company also offers Forest Shelter hire for groups. Revenue streams include pay-per-adventure bookings, annual pass subscriptions (ranging from £69.95 to £129.95), and gift vouchers/annual pass vouchers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Treetop Challenge

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000+ five-star reviews across Google and post-adventure customer feedback

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Student BeanssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerGo Ape partners with Student Beans to offer verified students a 10% discount on bookings for Treetop Challenge, Challenge Plus, and Forest Segway activities. Students verify their status through the Student Beans platform and receive exclusive discount codes for online bookings.
• TrustpilotsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerGo Ape uses Trustpilot to collect and display customer reviews. After bookings, customers receive email invitations to review their experience on the Trustpilot platform.
• Open ContactsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOpen Contact operates Go Ape's call centre including live web chat service and telephone call recording. They manage customer service operations and call recordings for training purposes.
• Hidden Disabilities Sunflower SchemesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGo Ape supports the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme, allowing guests with hidden disabilities to wear sunflower lanyards or wristbands to signal they may need additional support, patience or understanding from staff.
• Access Card / Nimbus DisabilitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGo Ape participates in the Access Card scheme operated by Nimbus Disability. Customers with Access Cards containing +1 or +2 symbols are entitled to free Essential Companion tickets.
• Forestry CommissioncoreOthersGo Ape operates on land managed by the Forestry Commission at multiple locations including Kielder, Dalby, Whinlatter, and Haldon forests. These partnerships provide access to forest settings for adventure courses.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Zip World: UK-based zip line and adventure park operator with multiple sites across Wales, northern England, and Scotland. Directly competes with Go Ape on zip trekking, high ropes, and multi-activity adventure offerings to family and thrill-seeking segments, with materially overlapping product/price architecture.
• WildPlay: Canadian operator of aerial adventure and zip line parks across multiple provinces. Runs multi-element high ropes courses and zip lines under essentially the same operating model and target demographic as Go Ape, serving as the clearest international equivalent for category comparison.
• The Bear Grylls Adventure: UK-based adventure experience operator at the NEC Birmingham offering high ropes, diving, archery, and survival-themed experiences. Directly competes for UK family and corporate adventure bookings with a celebrity-led brand positioning analogous to Go Ape's category-leader brand approach.
• Hangloose Adventure: UK outdoor adventure park offering high ropes, zip lines, and aerial challenges at multiple UK locations. A direct aerial adventure competitor targeting the same family and corporate-event customer segments with similar pricing and booking mechanics.
• Adventure Parc Snowdonia: Wales-based outdoor adventure park offering aerial courses, zip lines, and indoor surf/subterranean trampolines. Directly comparable to Go Ape's mix of aerial adventure and ground activities, serving overlapping UK leisure customers in the same competitive set.

Broad incumbents

• Sundown Adventureland: UK family theme park in Nottinghamshire targeting young children and families with rides, shows, and animal encounters. Broadly comparable as a UK family day-out destination that pulls from the same discretionary outing budget, though with a younger-child-skewing ride-and-show model.
• Thorpe Park: Large UK theme park offering rides, attractions, and themed experiences operated by Merlin Entertainments. Competes with Go Ape for the same UK family day-out discretionary wallet, but on a broader theme-park model rather than aerial adventure specialization.

Emerging players

• Total Warrior: UK outdoor adventure and obstacle course operator primarily serving adult thrill-seekers and corporate team-building clients. Overlaps with Go Ape on the corporate-event use case and outdoor active leisure demand, but specializes in shorter obstacle-format experiences rather than aerial courses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/goapetribe
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GoApeTribe
• Facebookfacebook.com/GoApeTribe
• Instagraminstagram.com/GoApeTribe
• TikToktiktok.com/@goapetribe

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Go Ape