Invisible Cities

Name

Invisible Cities

Legal name

Invisible Cities Ltd.

Website

https://invisible-cities.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Walking Tour Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (487110), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other (487990), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs & Accessible Travel Services (Local DMC) (THAKAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

Keywords

• Guided walking tours
• Social enterprise tourism
• Alternative city tours
• Community walking tours
• Responsible tourism services

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tour ticket sales: Revenue from selling walking tour tickets to individual tourists, locals, and groups. Individual tour prices range from £10-£17 per person. Group corporate tours are priced at £300 for up to 20 attendees or £500 for 21-40 attendees.
2. Gift cards and vouchers: Sale of gift vouchers at £20, £50, £100, £200, and £500 denominations that can be redeemed against any tours.
3. Donations: Accepts donations to support launching new cities and training more guides. Donations directly fund training for people who have experienced homelessness and community events.
4. Merchandise sales: Sale of merchandise including beanies, calendars, postcards, journals, and care boxes. All items are designed and sourced locally.
5. Social franchising: Franchise model where local partners pay to replicate the Invisible Cities model in their cities, receiving branding, training manuals, operational support, and access to global network.
6. Corporate events and speaking: Revenue from corporate team-building events, CSR activities, guest speaking at conferences and events about social impact and sustainable tourism.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Invisible Cities is a social enterprise that trains people who have experienced homelessness to become professional walking tour guides in UK cities. It sells alternative city walking tours to tourists, locals, and corporate groups, with each guide designing their own tour themes based on personal interests and local hidden stories. The company reinvests 100% of profits into guide training, support, and community events.

Product overview

Invisible Cities is a social enterprise offering a portfolio of guided walking tours across UK cities, with a social franchise model enabling global expansion. The core product consists of alternative walking tours led by guides who have experienced homelessness, showcasing hidden stories and local heritage through guide-curated themes. The company currently operates in seven UK cities (Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, York, Aberdeen, Cardiff, Liverpool) with planned expansion to Scottish Borders, Newport, and Northern Ireland. Supporting products include group and corporate tour packages, gift vouchers, merchandise, community/free tours for marginalized groups, educational resources, and a social franchise program. The portfolio is distributed through FareHarbor for bookings and Shopify for merchandise sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Edinburgh Walking Tours Guided walking tours of Edinburgh covering themes such as crime and punishment, the Royal Mile, untold women's stories, innovators and inventors, and hidden gems. Priced from £17 per person.
• Manchester Walking Tours Guided walking tours of Manchester covering music history, pub culture, social transformation, and the city's Wonderwalk route. Priced from £15 per person.
• Glasgow Walking Tours Guided walking tours of Glasgow exploring the city's dark past, maritime heritage, community stories, and Govan Street Art Murals. Priced from £17 per person.
• York Walking Tours Guided walking tours of York featuring themes including health and wealth history and family-friendly exploration. Priced from £10 per person.
• Cardiff Walking Tours Guided walking tours of Cardiff in partnership with The Wallich charity, with themes including poetry, protest, underground history, and imaginative storytelling.
• Aberdeen Walking Tours Guided walking tours of Aberdeen showcasing Nuart Aberdeen street art, Old Aberdeen history, and hidden stories of the granite city. Led by guides Angus and Michelle.
• Group and Corporate Tours Tailored walking tours for corporate groups, team-building events, and CSR initiatives. Includes customizable duration, location, and topics, with optional guest speakers. Pricing: £300 for 1–20 attendees (one guide), £500 for 21–40 attendees (two guides).
• Tour Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers available in £20, £50, £100, £200, and £500 denominations that can be redeemed against any Invisible Cities tour in any city.
• Community Tours Free walking tours offered to community groups, charities, refugees, and marginalized individuals including those learning English. Supported by sponsors including Axiom Hospitality through the 'Meet with Purpose' programme.
• Social Franchise Model Replicable franchise model allowing partners in cities worldwide to launch Invisible Cities tours. Franchisees receive branding, training manuals, operational systems, partner network access, and ongoing support to train and employ people affected by homelessness as guides.
• Shop Merchandise Online store selling branded merchandise including beanies, calendars, postcards, journals, and care boxes. All products are designed and sourced locally and responsibly.
• Educational Resources and Tours Educational materials and specialized tours for schools, universities, and community groups, including city-specific learning materials on social entrepreneurship and homelessness awareness.
• Pay it Forward Donation Programme Donation programme available in £20, £50, £100, £200, and £500 amounts that funds free community tours for individuals who could not otherwise afford to participate.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ guides trained with experience of homelessness
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TrainSplit (part of Raileasy Group)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2024Travel partner since March 2024 providing all UK train travel for guides and staff. Helps reduce travel costs through split ticketing service and supports climate-friendly travel between cities. Head of Partnerships Kip Parker met Prince William at the Aberdeen launch.
• Axiom Hospitality / voco Edinburgh Royal TerracecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Hotel partnership through the 'Meet with Purpose' programme. Each Day Delegate Package booking that includes the 'Meet with Purpose' option funds one free community tour guest. Since September 2022, over 1000 free community tours have been delivered. Guides and trainees also distribute 'Welcome to Edinburgh' goodie bags to children including games, activities, and sweet treats.
• Mercure Manchester PiccadillycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHotel provides a hotel night each month for visitors from the team visiting Manchester. Partnership rooted in shared sustainability and community commitments. Guides Andy, Nic, and Ste have benefited from this accommodation support.
• The WallichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWales' leading homelessness charity providing accommodation and support to around 9,000 people annually. Tour guides in Cardiff have been supported out of homelessness by The Wallich and trained as Invisible Cities guides. Partnership expanding to Newport in 2026.
• Big Life GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch Invisible Cities tours in Liverpool. Danielle is the first guide, launching with a 'Recovery and Liverpool' tour theme.
• Liverpool Famous Walking ToursminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting Invisible Cities Liverpool with training and providing insights into world-class guiding standards.
• Govan Community ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Glasgow to deliver well-being walks to local people, helping them discover their area and socialise. Since Spring 2022, tours offered to 433 participants in the Govan area.
• Glasgow BaronsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in summer 2023 to create walking tours of the Govan Street Art Murals in Glasgow.
• University of GlasgowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Living Lab on Foot' free community health walks in Govan, launched in 2026.
• Forever EdinburghminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism partnership to create the 'Stay Like a Local' Edinburgh Hidden Gems Tour, encouraging visitors to experience the city through local eyes.
• Homewards (Royal Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrince William's homelessness prevention programme launched in 2023. Invisible Cities spoke at the June 2026 three-year anniversary event at Lambeth Palace and Tate Modern. Prince William was the first guest on the Aberdeen tour launch.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Broad incumbents

• Context Travel: Small-group, expert-led walking tours for cultural travelers; competes for premium city-tour demand and the corporate/education channel that Invisible Cities also targets.
• GetYourGuide: Major OTA for tours, activities, and attractions with global distribution; competes for the same tourist bookings and offers scale advantages in marketing and reach.
• Airbnb Experiences: Global marketplace for host-led local experiences including walking tours; represents both a distribution opportunity and a competitive substitute for Invisible Cities' individual bookings.
• Urban Adventures (Intrepid Travel): Intrepid Travel's small-group day-tours brand offering locally-led urban tours; overlaps on product and customer, with the backing of a much larger parent for distribution.

Emerging players

• Withlocals: Marketplace connecting travelers to local private guides; comparable product (guided local experiences) and customer base, but uses a platform/aggregator model rather than directly employing guides.

Others

• Tourism Cares: Non-profit advancing responsible and impact-driven tourism; adjacent ecosystem participant that supports and amplifies social-enterprise operators like Invisible Cities through grants and recognition.

Direct peers

• SANDEMANs NEW Europe: One of the largest walking-tour operators in Europe, competing for the same tourist and corporate group demand in UK and European cities, though without the social-impact positioning.
• Strawberry Tours: Walking-tour brand operating across UK and European cities including Edinburgh and Manchester, competing for the same tourist and corporate group segment.
• Free Tours by Foot: Tip-based walking tour operator with city coverage that overlaps Invisible Cities' UK footprint; competes on price with a free entry-point model.
• Unseen Tours: London-based social enterprise training people affected by homelessness as walking tour guides — virtually identical business model and target guide population to Invisible Cities, making it the closest direct peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=C_H23FKwSHg
• Facebookfacebook.com/invisiblecitiestours
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/invisible-cities
• Instagraminstagram.com/invisiblecitiestours
• TikToktiktok.com/@invisible.cities

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 Invisible Cities