Guided tours by formerly homeless people in areas not typically visited by toursists

Amsterdam Underground

Amsterdam Underground reaches out to recovering addicts

Amsterdam Underground is an initiative created by NGO De Regenboog Groep. The initiative offers guided tours of the parts of Amsterdam not typically visited by tourists. The guides are mostly recovering addicts and formerly homeless people looking to make a living by sharing their stories.

The guides provide an understanding of the struggle that homeless, and other vulnerable individuals, experience on a day-to-day basis. Although all tours follow the same route, each walk is different as the guides share their own personal stories. The tours begin in what used to be the most dangerous neighbourhood of the city and culminates at social enterprise and brewery De Prael. In 2019, full ownership of the initiative was given to the guides that now fully control the narrative of the tours as well as the profit generated.

Invisible Cities, UK, is another example of this type of guided tours. The enterprise offers tours hosted by former criminals, homeless and other people who have experienced social disadvantage. The tours currently operate in Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, York and Cardiff.