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On the Hippie Trail by Rick Steves

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On the Hippie Trail

Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer

Rick Steves

Avalon Publishing · Print & ebook · April 21, 2026

Reading lane: India & South Asia Travel

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

At a Glance

Why This Clicks

Travel in Formation

A compact memoir of travel, writing, and the slow making of a voice.

Come here for

  • travel writing origin story
  • classroom-friendly, route-by-route curiosity

Expect

  • journal-like snapshots
  • easy to use for study or a brief dip-in

Book Details

Authors
Rick Steves
Publisher
Avalon Publishing
Published
April 21, 2026
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
India & South Asia Travel · Literary Travel
Reading lane
India & South Asia Travel

Affinity

Publisher Categories

  • Personal Memoirs

  • India & South Asia Travel

  • Travel Writing

  • Middle East Travel

About This Book

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, mak...

Read full 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.

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