Women-only travel is booming—with Forbes Magazine calling it a “hot trend in active travel”. For Lisa Marshall, Adventure Guide and Operations Manager at GirlsTrek, there was a time when adventure travel, especially for women, was virtually unheard of. In this Fieldstory, I speak with Lisa about GirlsTrek’s thirteen-year journey organizing small group travel for women across the globe.
What stood out most during our conversation was the extraordinary effort that goes into every GirlsTrek itinerary. Lisa and the GirlsTrek team carefully design every trip with the guest experience front and center: conducting immersive reconnaissance trips to uncover the gems in a destination, then meticulously reviewing the “flow” of each day, and constantly refining itineraries through detailed post-tour reviews. Their commitment to curating unique adventures has led to a loyal and vibrant community of women who return year after year, ready to join GirlsTrek on new global adventures.
Can you tell me a bit about GirlsTrek and how it all began?
GirlsTrek began over 14 years ago when our founder, Frith Graham, wanted to bring more adventure and outdoors into her life. She realised many other women also felt the same but didn’t feel comfortable venturing outdoors on their own. GirlsTrek is very much about being like that trusted best friend: the one you want by your side on the journey, someone you can always rely on and trust. Our guides handle all the logistics, allowing our guests to fully enjoy the experience. Many of the women who join our trips are the ones running households, so stepping back from that role is a big part of what they love about our trips.
GirlsTrek exists to help women connect: with place, with people, with purpose, and with themselves. These principles shape every itinerary we create. We look to balance opportunities for reflection and quiet, with bursts of pure joy and spontaneity. Whether it’s jumping into a waterfall, running along a beach, or diving into the ocean after a long hike, we try to create moments of awe in nature and experiences that women might not do alone but feel inspired to embrace in a group setting. We love hearing our guests say, “You know what? I’m just going to do it!”
What kinds of experiences do you offer at GirlsTrek?
We offer small group travel for women to beautiful places. We take women all over the world, but because Australia is our backyard, that’s what we specialise in. Our trips range from luxury escapes to more adventurous journeys. We grade our trips from Level 1 to Level 5 which outlines the trip’s difficulty, how much training might be required, and what to expect. Grade 1 trips are perfect for beginners or those seeking a relaxed pace, while Grade 5 trips challenge seasoned hikers, leaving them with a strong sense of accomplishment when finished.
Frith spends a lot of time researching and visiting our destinations to uncover hidden gems: charming coffee shops, unique female-owned businesses, and experiences with a difference. Supporting female-led and small businesses is a core part of our mission at GirlsTrek. We’re passionate about ensuring the money from our trips goes directly to the local operators and small businesses. It’s our way of giving back and supporting the local communities we visit.
Supporting female-led and small businesses is a core part of our mission at GirlsTrek. We’re passionate about ensuring the money from our trips goes directly to the local operators and small businesses. It’s our way of giving back and supporting the local communities we visit.
Did you always grade your trips, or did that come later?
It evolved with the business. Initially, we ran trips with friends and people we knew, so we naturally tailored them to suit their preferences. But as our audience grew, we started listening more closely to feedback, we realised how important it is to have graded levels. When you’re bringing together a group of people who may not know each other, having similar paces, abilities, and experience levels makes a huge difference - it ensures the trip runs smoothly and everyone has a great experience. The grading system also gives us valuable insights into our audience. For instance, if we see most women gravitate toward Level 1 and 2 trips, that influences how we shape our annual calendar of trips to better meet their needs.
How do you approach planning and organising a new trip? What does that process look like?
When we plan new trips, the process starts with a reconnaissance, or “recce,” where we immerse ourselves in the destination. This allows us to explore options, and troubleshoot any potential challenges we see. For example, if a hotel isn’t available, we need to know alternative accommodations, or if a trail is closed due to a natural disaster or park restrictions, we need backup routes ready to go.
After running a trip for the first time, we spend a lot of time reflecting and learning from the experience. In fact, every trip is followed by a detailed post-trip review, where we gather feedback from both guides and clients. This feedback is carefully assessed and used to refine the itinerary. With each iteration, we make small tweaks to improve the experience until it reaches a point of consistency where changes are rarely needed.
Are there any core philosophies or principles that guide the way you run your tours?
We put a lot of thought into making sure the “flow” of a day feels right. Did the day feel rushed? Were we jumping in and out of a bus? Did it feel like we tried to cram too much in? Or were there moments to truly “be” in a place, to arrive, pause, and immerse ourselves? The goal is to avoid a day that feels chaotic or rushed.
Flow isn’t just about the big headline activities, like a bike ride or a visit to the beach. The smaller in-between details matter just as much—things like transfer times, quick stops at a supermarket, or even ensuring there’s a suitable place for a bathroom break. These details play a huge role in shaping the overall rhythm of the day and the trip as a whole.
We have guidelines for creating the right flow, and what I love about using Fieldbook is how easy it is to see the flow and refine it. The platform makes it simple to adjust itineraries—dragging and dropping items as needed—without losing sight of the bigger picture. It’s a massive time saver compared to how we used to work, and that flexibility is invaluable when fine-tuning our trips.
What best practices have you found to keep your tours running seamlessly?
As I mentioned before, one practice we always follow is conducting a thorough post-trip review, where we gather feedback from both guides and guests. One of the challenges is evaluating all the feedback we receive: is there a recurring theme we need to address, or is it a one-off opinion that’s unlikely to come up again? There’s a balance that needs to be struck, especially when considering whether to redesign an itinerary that we’ve run many times before. To help with this, we’ve established clear guidelines on when it’s appropriate to make changes and when it’s better to leave things as they are. These rules make decision-making easier and keeps the team aligned.
Looking back, what’s one thing you wish you knew when you started?
When I first started guiding, I focused heavily on qualifications, like courses and certifications. While those are important, I’ve learned that great guiding is just as much about people skills and personal growth. Being a good guide means understanding yourself—your strengths, your abilities—and working with others who bring complementary skills to the table. Experience in the outdoors is equally vital. The more trips you lead, the more environments you navigate, and the more people you work with, the better you become at adapting to different situations, managing risks, and handling the unexpected. Resilience is key—being able to let go of a set plan and pivot when needed is crucial. As a guide, it’s your job to make adjustments while ensuring your clients feel safe and trust your leadership, no matter what challenges arise.
Resilience is key—being able to let go of a set plan and pivot when needed is crucial. As a guide, it’s your job to make adjustments while ensuring your clients feel safe and trust your leadership, no matter what challenges arise.
Do you have any advice for other tour operators who want to streamline their operations?
Take the time to step back and evaluate how things are running. Look at how everything connects—where the hiccups are, where your team’s strengths lie, and where things could be streamlined. Don’t hesitate to explore new tools, like Fieldbook, that can make a real difference in your operations. It’s easy to keep doing things the way you’ve always done them, but the world is moving quickly, especially when it comes to technology. Being open to investing in tools that improve your back-end processes can make life easier for your team and elevate the overall experience for your guests.
What’s the best feedback you’ve ever received from a guest?
Here’s what one of our recent guests had to say about their trip: “It was a brilliant experience. The perfect mix of physical, mental, and social challenge wrapped up in a glorious natural setting. I could feel my eyes and mind relaxing as we took in the scenery, far away from the desk and the day-to-day grind that wears us all down. As someone who’s usually the chief organiser, one of the best parts of this trip was having all the logistics taken care of. We knew what to bring, when and where to be—but beyond that, it was simply about enjoying the experience. I came with a good friend, but the group was fabulous too. I loved hearing everyone’s stories and getting to know them along the way. We’ll definitely be back, hopefully with some new recruits. My cup is truly filled—ready for Christmas and the new year!”
Lastly, how can people connect with you and the GirlsTrek team?
The best way to reach us is through the GirlsTrek website, where we have plenty of ways to get in touch, or via our social media channels like Facebook or Instagram.
