Among Airbnb’s more than 4 million listings, this is, perhaps, the most meta listing of them all: a tour of Airbnb’s headquarters in San Francisco, with a company employee as your guide.
The offer, which first appeared on the site in late 2017, is one of Airbnb’s 30,000 “Experiences” listings, where travelers can book guided tours or other activities hosted by a local resident.
Visitors to Airbnb can choose from either a day-time tour or a night-time option with dinner on campus. (Not optional is the non-disclosure agreement they’ll be asked to sign.) Along the way, they will stop by the sculpture of Airbnb’s logo, walk past the greenery-covered “living” walls, and hear the origin story of how two college students struggling to make rent in San Francisco opened their living room to strangers in need of a place to stay who paid them to sleep on air mattresses. Visitors also will get to learn about the company’s culture and philosophy, all in about 1.5 hours.
Depending on which listing you choose, the tour costs $24 or $25—roughly the price of a museum ticket—with all proceeds going to a nonprofit. The philanthropy tie-in is part of the company’s recently implemented “Social Impact” experiences, where Airbnb hosts donate to a charity of their choice.
Silicon Valley tech companies rarely offer tours to the general public. But every year, hordes of “tech tourists” in California flock to the Facebook thumbs-up sign at the company’s entrance in Menlo Park, or Google’s Android sculpture garden in Mountain View.
These companies, frequently found on best-places-to-work-for lists, often provide extensive campus perks, from gourmet cafeterias to on-site doctors. They’re also known for designing their offices with flair.
For outsiders, there’s a fascination with the companies that run these ubiquitous products and services, and the work culture they’ve inspired.