FAQs

For most of history, women past child-bearing years were basically put out to pasture. This was happening even in our mothers’ time. We call bullshit on that. We believe we are at a peak in so many ways and are devoted to helping women our age live the richest, most kick-ass lives possible. We do that by informing, promoting, and connecting women–through our magazine, through our member community and through the transformative experiences of travel.

NextTribe was launched in 2017 by Jeannie Ralston and Lori Seekatz, first as a magazine. But the founders soon realized that women at this age wanted to connect with each other in real life–and after the pandemic–virtually. In 2017, we offered our first trip; in 2020, we began hosting a wide range of digital events,in 2023, we launched our own social network called TribeSocial.

We are a community that embraces women who know that life can still hold thrilling opportunities and challenges–no matter what society wants us to believe. We are for women who reject the stereotypes of aging, are engaged in the world, like to laugh, and are always ready with a word of encouragement for other women on the same path.

We curate trips specifically for curious, engaged women over 45. You’re pretty well assured that your fellow travelers will be a lot like you–since you’ve all responded to the  idea of “aging boldly.”. That means built-in compatibility in your small group, including the woman who is leading the adventure.. In addition to specializing in group travel for people who don’t normally like group travel, we also pride ourselves on creating experiences that allow you to interact with local women or get deeper into the culture than you would if you planned the trip yourself.

We have a wide range of weekend jaunts here in the U.S. for those who want a quick getaway. We also love taking women to Mexico, where founder Jeannie Ralston used to live. We’re always talking about pushing boundaries, and we’re doing that in the geographic sense too. For those with more time, we offer trips to many European destinations, to India, Vietnam, Peru (for a hike on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu). Soon, our travelers will be getting passport stamps in even more countries on six continents. Be saving those frequent flier miles!

NextTribe is affiliated with the Transformational Travel Council, an international group of travel professionals dedicated to making the world a better place, one trip and one traveler at a time. We recognize that travelers, especially post-pandemic, are looking for more than just a date and a destination. They can shop for that anywhere online. Our community honors the intention behind a traveler’s investment in a trip. Our travelers want to have fun (we do too!) and to travel with a sense of purpose and belonging.

If you really prefer to book your travel yourself and go it alone, we applaud you. That’s brave and bold and we would never try to talk you out of it. But our trips are designed so that even a woman who’s used to traveling alone, or someone shy about meeting new people, will feel comfortable in our group. Our trip leaders are there to “read the room” and make sure everyone feels included and respected.

We don’t either! Not the way most groups do it. If you feel like doing what the group is doing, great! Join us for dinner or just some of the activities. All the benefits of solo travel and the comfort of being with a group. Our groups are small (normally around 12 to 14 women) and in most situations, you are free to opt out of an activity. We figure you’re grown-ass women who know what’s best for you.

We are committed to providing what we call “affordable-luxury” travel. Don’t expect the Four Seasons, but who wants to stay in a gilded bubble anyhow? We always look for good value and offer wonderful hotels and memorable experiences that won’t break the bank and will get you closer to how locals live.

Our prices depend on the length of the trip and the destination. We offer domestic trips for under $2,000 for a shared room, which we encourage. If you don’t have a roommate we will match you with someone. Sometimes this has resulted in lasting friendships with new travel buddies.

Some of our longer trips–two weeks in India or Vietnam, for example–will cost between $4,800 and $6,000. Every so often, we will offer special trips, such as a two-week safari in Africa to see gorillas, chimps and other wildlife, that range up to $10,000.

Everything you need to dive into a destination. Hotels and most meals, plus most every trip includes special experiences such as hands-on classes and sessions with local artists, writers or entrepreneurs. Of course, each trip is different so please be sure to read The Experience and The Itinerary. We occasionally have an add-on for an extra price, but those are clearly designated. What’s not covered as a rule are airfare, alcohol and tips.

We sure do. It’s easy to pay for our trips. With a click of a button, we’ll charge your credit card charges at regular intervals, interest free. Think of it as the layaway plan to feed your soul.

NextTribe members get a discount on every trip. Plus, members are the first to hear about new trips and receive upgrades on rooms if they’re available. Check out our three different membership levels here. https://nexttribe.com/registernow/

We welcome all women over 45, and most of our travelers are in the 50 to 65 age range. More important than age is the spirit of the traveler–her curiosity about the world, and her eagerness to embrace new opportunities. We’ve found women of any age with those qualities fit in well with our groups.

Most of our trips are limited to 12 to 14 cool women. Sometime we take fewer, if we don’t hit our maximum sign up number for a trip. Occasionally, we will have more, based on the location and the accommodations. 

Most of our trips are geared for active travelers who like to walk. On our scale of 1-5, a 1 would be our beach trips, where it’s up to you if you’d like to stroll down the beach, or play in the waves or walk around the small town. Our Inca trail trip is a 5, as are our more adventurous outdoor trips. San Miguel de Allende is a 3, because you’ll be walking up hills in the city sometimes, and occasionally on cobblestone sidewalks. Any trip rated a 2 or a 4 are “in between” these activity levels described above.

First, if you’re a traveler, this is pretty much a no-brainer. Your annual membership fee is more than covered by a $100 member discount on all our trips. Plus, there are other important benefits, such as hearing about new trips before they’re released to the public and getting room upgrades if they’re available. You also get the chance to connect to a community of women on our own social network called TribeSocial. A world of potential new friends awaits in person, and through our online community, where you can connect with other women in your area and beyond.

$39 a year (non-refundable), $9 a month (cancel at any time) or $399 for your whole beautiful lifetime.

Just send an email to admin@nexttribe.com and it will go straight to Wanda Volk, our Chief of Staff. She’ll handle it. She’s also Customer Service, keeper of the passwords, and is probably the most organized woman we’ve ever hired!

On our TribeSocial network, you can look for a group in your location or start one yourself. NextTribe started with two best friends looking for more friends and see what happened? Two people tell two people and before you know it, you have yourself a local NextTribe group!

Because every woman we’ve ever met is multi-layered, NextTribe is as well. That means we touch on topics from travel, (natch), to hot flashes (ugh), to ageism (boo), to beauty and fashion (ooo la la!), to your main squeeze (wink, wink), to the triumphs of extraordinary women our age–and even those whose achievements were ignored in the past (yay!). Our editorial mission is to inform and inspire with a healthy dose of irreverence.

All of our stories are written by professional writers; most of them have years of journalistic experience. These are women who take time to develop an idea and do solid research. Blogs are most commonly gentle reflections on a theme. NextTribe, as a magazine, gives space to women writers to articulate a wide range of insights and experiences that many readers might not have seen published before because there are so few outlets where our ideas and issues are taken seriously. 

We look for articles that offer new insights into being this age in these times. Click here to let us know about why your idea is unique and why it will resonate with our readers. We do not accept articles that promote a business or are merely for creating backlinks for another website.