On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer

Description

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Now with a new preface and postscript!

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: jumping off a moving train, making friends in Tehran, getting lost in Lahore, getting high for the first time in Herat, battling leeches in Pokhara, and much more. The experience ignited his love of travel and forever broadened his perspective on the world.

This book contains edited selections from Rick’s journal and travel photos with a 45-years-later preface and postscript reflecting on how the journey through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nepal changed his life.

You know Rick Steves. Now discover the adventure of a lifetime that made him the travel writer he is today.
Binding Type: Paperback
Author: Rick Steves
Published: 04/21/2026
Publisher: Rick Steves
ISBN: 9781641717458
Pages: 264
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 0.70″ H x 8.50″ L x 5.50″ W

About the Author
Since 1973, Rick Steves has spent about 100 days a year exploring Europe. His mission: to empower Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. A New York Times-bestselling author, Rick produces a guidebook series, a public television series, and a public radio show, and he 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. What’s the ideal vacation for a professional traveler? For Rick, it’s to play his piano, relax at his family cabin in the Cascade Mountains, and spend time with family and friends at home in Edmonds. Find out more about Rick at RickSteves.com and on Facebook.

Connect with Rick:
facebook.com/RickSteves
X: @RickSteves
Instagram: ricksteveseurope