Before Rick Steves became a household name in travel, before his PBS shows, bestselling guidebooks, and travel podcasts, there was a young dreamer with a backpack, a notebook, and an unshakable curiosity about the world. On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer takes us back to 1978, when a 23-year-old Steves embarked on the overland journey that would ignite his passion for travel and shape his future as one of America’s most beloved travel writers.
The book is built around Rick’s original travel journals from that legendary trip along the Hippie Trail an adventurous route stretching from Turkey through Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and finally Nepal. It was the final year before this historic trail closed to Western travelers due to political turmoil, and Steves’ writings capture a fleeting moment in history. His vivid diary entries describe dusty bus rides, border crossings, chaotic bazaars, and sleepless nights in cheap lodgings. He recounts these moments with the wide-eyed enthusiasm of youth and the raw honesty of someone discovering his place in the wider world.
For readers who know Rick Steves as the calm, polished TV personality, this book offers a rare and personal glimpse behind the curtain. We meet the young traveler as he learns through discomfort: navigating culture shock, language barriers, questionable street food, and unpredictable weather. His reflections written decades later during the pandemic when he rediscovered his journals add perspective and maturity, connecting the dots between that early trip and his lifelong philosophy that travel is the best form of education.
Sharon Orlopp, a fellow travel writer, beautifully captures the book’s spirit: “Travelers are dreamers who make their desires for adventure a reality.” Rick was exactly that kind of dreamer, and his journey through Asia is a testament to how travel can transform not just one’s view of the world but also one’s purpose in life. Listening to the audiobook version, narrated by Rick himself, feels like traveling alongside an old friend reminiscing about the trip that started it all.
Not every reader found the book flawless. Some, like Kerry, noted that the journal-heavy format can feel repetitive and wished for more insight into how Steves evolved into the travel expert we know today. The focus here remains firmly on the 1978 adventure rather than his later career, so those looking for a full memoir may feel something missing. Still, even these critics acknowledge the charm of hearing Rick’s authentic, unfiltered voice as a young traveler finding his footing in a vast, unfamiliar world.
Others, like SusanTalksBooks, were entirely captivated. For her, Steves’ youthful energy, openness, and compassion for people from all walks of life made the book a joyful, nostalgic, and inspiring read. She reminds us how extraordinary it is that a 23-year-old once journeyed through Iran and Afghanistan with nothing more than a few dollars and an adventurous spirit. It is precisely this blend of courage, curiosity, and humility that became the foundation of his later career.
On the Hippie Trail is not a polished travel guide or a neatly structured memoir it is a time capsule. It transports readers to a world where travel was slower, riskier, and more immersive, where every wrong bus and every friendly stranger became part of a greater story. The photographs included in the book (and mentioned in the audiobook’s companion PDF) deepen this sense of authenticity, showing a young Rick and his friend Gene trekking through landscapes that have since been transformed by conflict and time.
Ultimately, this is a story about beginnings: the birth of a traveler, the making of a writer, and the moment when a young man’s wanderlust turned into a lifelong mission to help others explore thoughtfully and fearlessly.
If you’ve ever felt the call of adventure or wondered what shaped Rick Steves into the guide who has inspired millions, On the Hippie Trail is a rewarding and heartfelt read.
👉 Get your copy here: Buy on Amazon
