India City Walks

What India City Walks does

India City Walks (legal entity: City Explorers Private Limited, incorporated in Delhi in 2015; founded 2011) is an experiential tourism operator that curates and delivers guided walking tours across 15+ Indian cities including Delhi, Varanasi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Agra, Amritsar, and Bhopal. The portfolio spans heritage walks, food walks, photography walks, spiritual walks, rickshaw tours, tuk-tuk tours, and cycle tours, supported by an asset-light operating model that depends on a network of trained Walk Leaders, City Explorers, and Culture Insiders rather than owned physical infrastructure. The core technology is a website-based booking platform with tour management functionality; no mobile app, public API, or AI-driven personalization layer is disclosed.

The company is double National Tourism Award winner (2013-2014 and 2016, Best Heritage Walk) and is recognized as an approved Inbound Tour Operator by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, with secondary recognition from DPIIT. Revenue is generated on a per-person transaction basis, with tour pricing ranging roughly from INR 850 to INR 8,500+ per person, plus private-tour premiums and group bookings of up to 200 people; international pricing is denominated in Pound Sterling via regional offices in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. GTM is direct-to-consumer via website, phone, and email, supplemented by partner-driven channels (e.g., Canon India PhotoWalking collaboration) and significant earned media (Indian Express, National Geographic Traveller, Forbes Life India, Times Now, Hindustan Times). Sub-brands extend into adjacent verticals — India Rural Walks™, Ayodhya Walks, ART WALKS®, India City Walks Festival™, Storytellers of India®, and the educational India City Heritage Institute — indicating an ecosystem-buildout strategy around the core walking-tour product. The company is privately held, founder-led (Sachin Bansal, Chief Explorer; Nidhi Bansal, Co-founder & CEO), with 11–50 employees and no disclosed external funding.

Name

India City Walks

Legal name

City Explorers Private Limited

Website

https://indiacitywalks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

India City Walks is a National Tourism Award–winning experiential tourism operator that curates and delivers heritage, food, photography, and cultural walking tours across 15+ Indian cities, serving individual tourists, families, corporate groups, and international travelers through a direct-to-consumer booking model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Walking Tour Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (487110), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other (4879)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAAAA

Walking City Tours (Highlights & Orientation)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Guided Tours (City, Cultural & Historical)

SECONDARYTHAJAAAB

Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Guided Tours (City, Cultural & Historical)

SECONDARYTHAJAAAG

Food, Market & Culinary Culture Tours

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Guided Tours (City, Cultural & Historical)

SECONDARYTHAJAGAA

Culinary Walking & Market Tours

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Food & Drink Experiences (Culinary Tours, Tastings, Cooking Classes)

SECONDARYTHAJAGAC

Street Food Tours

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Food & Drink Experiences (Culinary Tours, Tastings, Cooking Classes)

SECONDARYTHAJAAAD

Architecture & Urban Design Tours

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Guided Tours (City, Cultural & Historical)

Keywords

• Heritage walking tours
• Cultural tourism experiences
• Food walking tours
• Guided city tours
• Photography walking tours

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Walking Tours and Experiences: The company generates revenue through per-person pricing for curated walking tours and experiences across multiple Indian cities. Tours include heritage walks, food walks, photography walks, rickshaw tours, cycle tours, and themed cultural experiences. Pricing varies by tour type, duration, and group size, with private tours commanding premium pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

India City Walks curates and operates guided walking tours and cultural experiences across 15+ Indian cities, including heritage walks, food walks, photography walks, rickshaw tours, tuk-tuk tours, cycle tours, and spiritual walks. Tour experiences are sold per-person via the company website and direct booking channels, with both scheduled group walks and private tours accommodating individuals through groups of up to 200.

Product overview

India City Walks is a national award-winning walking tour operator that offers curated heritage and cultural walking experiences across Indian cities. The core product is India Heritage Walks® (IHW®), complemented by multiple specialized sub-brands including ART WALKS®, VARANASI HERITAGE WALKS®, India Rural Walks™, and the annual India City Walks Festival™ (ICWF™). The portfolio spans food walks, photo walks, rickshaw tours, heritage walks, spiritual walks, cycling tours, and tuk-tuk city tours. Individual tour products include city-specific experiences (Delhi, Varanasi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Agra, Amritsar, Bhopal) with themed variations (food, heritage, shopping, spiritual, 1857 history). The company also operates an educational arm (India City Heritage Institute) offering entrepreneurship incubation and skill development programs. The product line includes both individual tour bookings and group/corporate walk programs, with offerings structured as individual experiences, group walks, and family-friendly tours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Walk With Us: Core walking tour experiences including heritage walks, food walks, and themed cultural trails across Indian cities.
• Conscious Travel
• Rickshaw Tours
• Tuk Tuk Tours
• Cycle Tours
• PhotoWalking
• India Heritage Walks
• India Rural Walks
• India City Walks Festival
• Walk Icons
• Walk Leaders
• City Explorers
• chhattisgarhwalks.in

Products and services

• Food Walk Old Delhi A 3.5-hour curated walking food tour through Old Delhi featuring culinary delights, food tasting, and food stories for individual travelers and groups.
• PhotoWalking Old Delhi A 2-hour photography-focused heritage walking experience that combines cultural exploration with professional photography guidance for photography enthusiasts.
• Rickshaw Tour Old Delhi A 2-hour private rickshaw tour through Old Delhi/Shahjahanabad exploring Mughal heritage and vibrant markets.
• Soul of Delhi – Full Day A 6-hour comprehensive tour covering culture, life, food, shopping, and monuments of Delhi for visitors wanting a full-day city immersion.
• Rickshaw Tour Old Delhi Food Experience A 3-hour rickshaw food tour exploring heritage food joints, authentic Mughlai cuisine, and street food of Old Delhi.
• Rickshaw Tour Old Delhi Group Tour A 3-hour group rickshaw tour covering Chandni Chowk, bazaars, Jama Masjid, and architectural attractions on a fixed schedule from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
• Rickshaw Tour Old Delhi at Night A 3-hour evening rickshaw tour featuring history, stories, and glittering bazaars of Old Delhi.
• Tuk Tuk for Foodie A 4-hour culinary adventure through Connaught Place and Janpath featuring diverse regional cuisines and local food delights in a tuk-tuk.
• Tuk Tuk for Enthusiast A 4-hour half-day city tour in a Tuk Tuk exploring New Delhi's architectural landmarks, heritage structures, and British Raj legacy.
• Varanasi Heritage Walks A 2-hour heritage tour featuring enchanting heritage sites, vibrant markets, and spiritual Varanasi.
• Varanasi Spiritual Walk A 2-hour spiritual tour covering history, rituals, ghats, lanes, shrines, and evening Ganga Aarti in Varanasi.
• Varanasi Food Walk A 2-hour culinary and cultural immersion experience through Varanasi featuring culinary delights and visual experiences.
• Bangalore Heritage Walk A 2-hour walk exploring local life and architectural marvels of Bangalore.
• Mumbai Heritage Walk A 2-hour walk exploring Mumbai's history, breathtaking architecture, and local engagement.
• Mumbai Food Walk A 1.5-hour local food experience through colorful markets of Mumbai.
• Hyderabad Heritage Walk A 2.5-hour walk featuring history, anecdotes, architectural marvels, heritage, and culture of Hyderabad.
• Heritage, Culture & Food: Lucknow Walks A 2-hour walk exploring culture, local life, and beautiful markets of Lucknow.
• Pink City's Rich Heritage: Jaipur Walks A full-day walk exploring enchanting heritage and authentic culture of Jaipur.
• Taj Mahal Marvels A 2.5-hour tour steeped in history, love, and stories around the awe-inspiring Taj Mahal marble structure in Agra.
• Agra Beyond Taj A 2-hour walk uncovering rich flavors, aromas, colorful markets, and the city's heartbeat in Agra beyond the Taj.
• Amritsar Walks A 1-hour walk featuring captivating history, the Golden Temple, and gastronomic delights of Amritsar.
• Chandigarh Walks A full-day walk featuring culinary delights and city life exploration in Chandigarh.
• Bhopal Heritage Walk A 2-hour walk featuring arts, handicrafts, and shopping experiences in Bhopal.
• Exploring Bonds of Sufism – Nizamuddin A 1.5-hour spiritual walk exploring history, stories, and the serene Nizamuddin Dargah area.
• Inception of Delhi – Mehrauli A 2-hour walk exploring history, dynasties, monuments, tombs, cuisine, and crafts of Mehrauli.
• Heritage Suburbs – Hauz Khas A 2-hour walk exploring archaeology and urban village life in Hauz Khas.
• Verdant City – Lodhi Gardens A 2.5-hour nature walk featuring beautiful landscapes, archaeology, history, and stories in Lodhi Gardens.
• 1857 Tour A 1.5-hour historical tour re-imagining the first war of Indian Independence through North Delhi locations connected to the Mutiny Trail, priced at INR 2,500 per person.
• Bazaar PhotoWalk A 2.5-hour specially curated photography walk through Old Delhi bazaars in collaboration with Canon, offering professional photography lessons and heritage experience, priced at INR 2,000 per person.
• Cycle Tours Outdoor cycling tours providing adventurous ways to explore cities and cultures across India.
• Varanasi Heritage Walks Sub-brand Specialized heritage walks through the ancient city of Varanasi covering spiritual, cultural, and historical sites as a dedicated sub-brand.
• India Heritage Walks (IHW) Flagship heritage walking tours across multiple Indian cities documenting cultural heritage, ecology, and community histories as a dedicated sub-brand.
• India Rural Walks (IRW) Rural exploration experiences connecting travelers with village communities and countryside landscapes across India as a dedicated sub-brand.
• ART WALKS Curated art-focused walking experiences exploring cultural and artistic heritage of Indian cities as a dedicated sub-brand.
• India City Heritage Institute Educational division offering courses in tourism entrepreneurship, skill development, and heritage certification for aspiring tourism professionals.
• Entrepreneur Incubation Workshop Workshop program supporting aspiring tourism entrepreneurs with business incubation, mentorship, and operational guidance.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, minor and core.

• Delhi TourismmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2016India City Walks partnered with Delhi Tourism to organize heritage walks including Shahjahanabad Heritage Walk and Rickshaw Tour on World Heritage Day 2016 to promote heritage awareness and sensitize residents and visitors about monuments.
• Sports Authority of IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 October 2014India City Walks collaborated with Sports Authority of India for the Swachh Bharat Mission walkathon flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2 October 2014.
• Canon IndiacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCanon India collaborated with India City Walks for the PhotoWalking experience, combining heritage walks with professional photography lessons. Canon provides photography guidance, critique sessions, and promotional support for the Bazaar PhotoWalk tours in Old Delhi.
• Ministry of Tourism, Government of IndiacoreOthersIndia City Walks is an approved Inbound Tour Operator recognized by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. The company also holds recognition from DPIIT, Government of India.
• Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndia City Walks conducted a Rediscovering Old Delhi's Charm walk for DMRC employees to celebrate World Heritage Day, promoting heritage awareness among metro staff.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Free Tours by Foot: Free Tours by Foot operates pay-what-you-wish walking tours in major cities, including India, with a content-rich heritage and food walking format similar to ICW's core offerings.
• GuruWalk: GuruWalk is a free walking tour marketplace active in many Indian cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur) that competes directly with ICW on price-conscious heritage and food walking tour customers.
• Withlocals: Withlocals is a marketplace for tours hosted by locals across global cities, including food walks and heritage experiences, competing for the same independent traveler segment that ICW serves in India.
• Walks of New York: Walks of New York operates expert-led small-group walking tours focused on heritage, food, and culture in NYC, mirroring ICW's model of curated, storytelling-driven walking experiences delivered by trained local guides.
• Context Travel: Context Travel runs small-group, expert-led walking tours across global cities, with a strong emphasis on cultural immersion, history, and architecture — directly comparable to ICW's heritage and cultural tour positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Airbnb Experiences: Airbnb Experiences offers locally hosted tours and activities in major Indian cities, including heritage and food walks, and serves as both a global distribution platform and a direct competitor to ICW's curated walking experiences.
• GetYourGuide: GetYourGuide is a global experiences marketplace with growing India inventory (heritage, food, cultural walks) and significant paid acquisition budget, posing a competitive threat and an alternate distribution channel for ICW.
• Thrillophilia: Thrillophilia is an India-based experiences and tours marketplace that aggregates activities (including walking tours) across India, functioning as a broad distribution and competitor channel to ICW's direct booking model.
• Viator (Tripadvisor): Viator is a global online marketplace for tours, activities, and attractions including walking experiences in India; it represents a broad incumbent channel that can both disintermediate and amplify ICW's bookings.

Others

• TourHQ: TourHQ is a global marketplace connecting travelers with tour operators and freelance guides, including India-based heritage walk operators; it represents an adjacent channel where ICW's tour products could be listed or disintermediated.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/indiacitywalks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpg_-ibIt0BGKcSXAc9lCsg
• Facebookfacebook.com/indiacitywalks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indiacitywalks
• Instagraminstagram.com/indiacitywalks

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 India City Walks