Toonie Tours
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersCalgary, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Toonie Tours firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Toonie Tours
- Legal name
- Toonie Tours
- Website
- https://toonietours.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Toonie Tours industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tour Operator Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (56152)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Adventure & Outdoor Local Operators (Trekking/Safari/Diving) (THAKAEAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Multi-Activity Adventure Tour Operators (Mixed itineraries) (THAAADAJ)
Keywords
Where Toonie Tours is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Calgary
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Toonie Tours business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Tips/Gratuity from Free Walking Tours: Free walking tours operate on a tips-based model where guides are compensated by customer gratuities. This creates a risk-free entry point for customers and aligns guide incentives with tour quality.
- Paid Walking and Bike Tours: Revenue from paid tours including bike tours (US$27-$99), scooter tours (US$59-$79), and specialized tours like street art and craft beer tours.
- Private Tours: Private city tours and private bus tours ranging from US$139-$399, with group sizes from 1-56 participants.
- Equipment Rentals: Bike and e-scooter rentals with pricing from CA$10-$80 for pedal bikes and various e-bike/e-scooter options.
- Membership Subscriptions: Annual memberships (Solo US$30, Student US$24, Couple US$60, Family US$99, Rentals US$120, Realtor US$120) providing benefits and discounts to repeat customers.
- Attraction Tickets: Reselling tickets to attractions including Grouse Mountain, Calgary Tower, Vancouver Lookout, and Capilano Suspension Bridge with markup pricing.
- Virtual Tours: Tips-based virtual experiences including Rockies Virtual Tour, providing additional revenue stream during off-seasons or for remote customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Walking Tours - Gratuity-based city introduction tours |
| Subscription | Annual | Solo Membership - Individual traveler benefits |
| Subscription | Annual | Student Membership - Discounted rate for students |
| Subscription | Annual | Couple Membership - Benefits for two travelers |
| Subscription | Annual | Family Membership - Up to four family members |
| Subscription | Annual | Rentals Membership - For frequent equipment renters |
| Subscription | Annual | Realtor Membership - Local real estate professionals |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Bike Tours - Guided cycling experiences |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Scooter Tours - Electric scooter guided tours |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Private City Tours - Personalized guided experiences |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Bike Rentals - Self-service equipment rental |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Attraction Tickets - Third-party attraction admissions |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Toonie Tours product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Toonie Tours is a Canadian tour operator that sells guided city experiences including tips-based free walking tours, paid walking and bike/scooter tours, private city and bus tours, street art and craft beer tours, bike and e-scooter rentals, attraction tickets, and annual membership subscriptions across 11 Canadian cities. The company also operates a tips-based live virtual tour experience (The Rockies Virtual Tour) and resells tickets to attractions such as Grouse Mountain, Calgary Tower, Capilano Suspension Bridge, and Vancouver Lookout.
Product overview
Toonie Tours is a Canadian tour operator offering a diverse portfolio of guided tour experiences across multiple cities. The core offering includes Free Walking Tours (tips-based introductory city tours in 11 cities), Private Tours (customized city tours and bus tours), Bike & Scooter Tours (guided cycling and e-scooter experiences), and Art Craft & Beer Tours (street art and craft beer experiences). Additional services include Bike Rentals (pedal bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters), City Attraction Tickets (Calgary Tower, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain), Partner Tours (third-party food, wine, and city tours), Gift Cards, and Membership subscriptions. The company also offers virtual tour experiences including The Rockies Virtual Tour. Tours are available in Banff, Calgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Red Deer, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, and partner cities including Kelowna, Scarborough, St. Catharines, Stayner, and Whistler.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Free Walking Tours
- Private Tours
- Bike & Scooter Tours
- Art Craft & Beer Tours
- City Attractions Tickets
- Bike Rentals
- Toonie Tours Memberships
- The Rockies Virtual Tour Tips-based live virtual tour experience featuring drone footage of the Canadian Rockies with live guide interaction, group participation features, and maximum capacity of 15 guests. Provides remote access to Canadian tourism during off-seasons or for international customers.
- Gift Cards
- Partner Tours
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 10,000 tourists guided since early 2018
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Toonie Tours
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Toonie Tours technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Toonie Tours partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Toonie Tours competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Viator: Tripadvisor-owned global marketplace for tours, activities, and attractions. Toonie already distributes via third-party platforms of this type, and Viator represents the largest aggregation channel for the walking/bike tour category.
- GetYourGuide: Global booking platform for tours, attractions, and experiences with extensive inventory of city walking tours and bike tours. A key competitive and distribution channel for Toonie's product set.
Direct peers
- Withlocals: Marketplace connecting travelers to independent local guides for private and small-group city tours. Overlaps with Toonie's private tour offering and freelance guide GTM.
- Urban Adventures: Small-group city tours operated under the Intrepid Travel brand, focused on unique local experiences. Comparable in tour format, target customer, and emphasis on 'off-the-beaten-path' content.
- Strawberry Tours: Free walking tour operator active across major European cities using the tips-based model with freelance local guides. Mirrors Toonie's free-tour-led acquisition funnel and freelance guide structure.
- Context Travel: Expert-led small-group walking tours in major cities worldwide. Comparable in walking tour format, premium positioning, and content-led storytelling approach.
- Walks: Pay-what-you-wish and small-group walking tour operator with deep guides in major cities. Comparable in customer segment (leisure travelers), tour format, and emphasis on high-quality local storytelling.
- GuruWalk: Online marketplace that aggregates tips-based free walking tours from independent operators worldwide. Directly comparable GTM model and overlaps with Toonie's core free walking tour product.
- Free Tours by Foot: US-based pioneer of tips-based 'pay-what-you-want' walking tours across dozens of American and European cities. Closest direct analog to Toonie's free walking tour GTM, freelance guide network, and tips-driven revenue model.
- Tours by Locals: Private tour platform with thousands of independent guides in cities worldwide. Comparable in private city-tour format, freelance guide structure, and direct-to-consumer booking.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Toonie Tours social profiles
Digital presenceToonie Tours financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Toonie Tours leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Toonie Tours funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Toonie Tours M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Toonie Tours
What does Toonie Tours do?
Toonie Tours is a Canadian tour operator that sells guided city experiences including tips-based free walking tours, paid walking and bike/scooter tours, private city and bus tours, street art and craft beer tours, bike and e-scooter rentals, attraction tickets, and annual membership subscriptions across 11 Canadian cities. The company also operates a tips-based live virtual tour experience (The Rockies Virtual Tour) and resells tickets to attractions such as Grouse Mountain, Calgary Tower, Capilano Suspension Bridge, and Vancouver Lookout.
Is Toonie Tours a public or private company?
Toonie Tours is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Toonie Tours founded?
Toonie Tours was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Toonie Tours based?
Toonie Tours is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Toonie Tours make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Tips/Gratuity from Free Walking Tours are the primary driver. The others are paid Walking and Bike Tours, private Tours, equipment Rentals, membership Subscriptions, attraction Tickets and virtual Tours.
Who are Toonie Tours's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Viator and GetYourGuide. Direct peers are Withlocals, Urban Adventures, Strawberry Tours, Context Travel, Walks, GuruWalk, Free Tours by Foot and Tours by Locals.
Does Toonie Tours have an API?
No public API is recorded for Toonie Tours.
What industry is Toonie Tours in?
Toonie Tours's product category is Tour Operator Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAEAF, Adventure & Outdoor Local Operators (Trekking/Safari/Diving), with a secondary code of THAAADAJ, Multi-Activity Adventure Tour Operators (Mixed itineraries). Its NAICS code is 56152 and its SIC code is 7900.