On the Hippie Trail

Stow away with Rick Steves for a glimpse into the unforgettable moments, misadventures, and memories of his 1978 journey on the legendary Hippie Trail.

In the 1970s, the ultimate trip for any backpacker was the storied "Hippie Trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu. A 23-year-old Rick Steves made the trek, and like a travel writer in training, he documented everything along the way. From taking wild bus rides through Turkey to enduring monsoons in India, the experience ignited his love of travel and forever broadened his perspective on the world.

On the Hippie Trail contains Rick's journals from 1978-the last year the trip was possible-and full-color travel photos from this trek of a lifetime through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nepal, plus a brand-new preface and afterword reflecting on the historic context of the moment and how the journey changed his life.

You know Rick Steves. Now discover the adventure that made him the travel writer he is today.

"Still, after all these years of sharing his sage travel advice, [this] new book may just be his greatest inspirational message yet for young travelers."--Travel & Leisure
"Amusing, poignant and sometimes inspirational, it reflects a spirit of youthful wanderlust that's a bit edgier than the polished presentation Mr. Steves provides as a latter-day travel guru."--Wall Street Journal
"Before marriage, before children, before divorce, before cancer... Steves was just a 23-year-old heading off on an adventure with a buddy. But like generations of pilgrims, dropouts, and merry pranksters before him, what he discovered on that journey was his mission... The hippie trail did for Steves what he wants travel to do for everybody -- it gave him purpose."--Salon
"Steves' journals have now been published in a gorgeous book, On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer, featuring full-color photographs, a foldout map and reproductions of journal pages. The trip itself served as the origin story of the larger-than-life figure that Steves has become: A man who greets both the joys and frustrations of travel with enthusiasm, and who's not afraid to advocate for travel as a political act."--Seattle Times
"The dreamy travel descriptions are fun, but what's loveliest in this book is to watch Steves slowly open his mind to a world that was bigger and more complicated than he ever expected."--Vox
"If On the Hippie Trail has a lesson, it's as simple as this: Rick Steves had the time of his life... The guy can really write... Perhaps On the Hippie Trail will prove to more readers that Steves has always possessed that talent for observation and description, even when he was writing only for himself."--Slate

"Known for decades for amiable PBS travelogues, Steves shows that the young longhair is the father of the man: All of his evenhandedness, generosity, and curiosity are in evidence from the minute he jumps his first train from Frankfurt to Yugoslavia... A pleasure for travel buffs, especially those who once plied the Hippie Trail--or wish they had."

--Kirkus Reviews
"[On the Hippie Trail] is an inspiring read, full of the joy of adventure and discovery."--Lulu Garcia-Navarro, The New York Times
"The travel guru with an empire that includes loads of bestselling guide books and a small-group tour company was once a scruffy young man with a thirst for adventure, no money and no clue what he was doing when he set off in 1978 with a friend to complete the legendary Hippie Trail, a trek through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal. This is his journal from that heady, rough trip -- full of mishaps and excitement."--AARP

Since 1973, Rick Steves has spent about four months a year exploring Europe. His mission: to empower Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. Rick produces a best-selling guidebook series, a public television series, and a public radio show, and organizes small-group tours that take over 30,000 travelers to Europe annually. He does all of this with the help of more than 100 well-traveled staff members at Rick Steves' Europe in Edmonds, WA (near Seattle). When not on the road, Rick is active in his church and with advocacy groups focused on economic and social justice, drug policy reform, and ending hunger. To recharge, Rick plays piano, relaxes at his family cabin in the Cascade Mountains, and spends time with his son Andy, daughter Jackie, and his grandson...baby Atlas. Find out more about Rick at and on Facebook.

Connect with Rick:

facebook.com/RickSteves

twitter: @RickSteves

instagram: ricksteveseurope

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