Rick Steves

Rick Steves has spent fifty years making European travel accessible to ordinary Americans. His PBS television series, his thirty-plus guidebooks, his radio program, and his tour company have collectively changed how Americans think about international travel. What started as a passion for helping budget travelers navigate the continent has grown into one of the most recognizable brands in American public media.

Travel as Transformation

Steves’s keynotes are not travel tips. They are an argument for what independent travel does to a person, and by extension, to a society. He makes the case that immersive cultural experience, becoming a temporary local rather than a tourist, builds empathy, breaks down stereotypes, and produces the cross-cultural understanding that enriches individual lives and strengthens civic health. His presentations draw on half a century of observation across dozens of countries.

An Unlikely Activist with a Built-In Audience

Steves is also one of the most prominent cannabis legalization advocates in the United States and has been vocal on immigration, foreign policy, and the role of travel in building a more tolerant society. That combination of cultural credibility, media reach, and genuine conviction on civic issues makes him a compelling keynote presence for audiences interested in travel, cultural understanding, global perspective, and the transformative potential of exploration.

Rick Steves keynotes are booked for events focused on cultural understanding, international travel, global perspective, community and civic values, and the transformative potential of immersive cross-cultural experience.

“Europe Through the Back Door” with Rick Steves

Join the travel expert–acclaimed for his bestselling guidebook series, public television series, and public radio shows–as he shares all the latest in smart European travel. Freshly back from lots of travels, Rick Steves explains the practical, money-saving ins and outs of independent travel. His 90-minute seminar is packed with tips on getting the most out of every mile, minute, and dollar on your next trip.

Travel as a Political Act

Rick Steves–author of over 50 European travel guidebooks and host of the public television series, Rick Steves’ Europe–believes that thoughtful travel expands our world view and shapes how we address the challenges confronting our nation politically. Having spent four months a year overseas for the last 30 years, Rick feels that travel helps us “challenge truths we were raised to think were self-evident and God-given.” His classes have helped millions of Americans not only enjoy maximum travel thrills per mile, minute and euro…but become better citizens of our planet. Rick shares how the other 96 percent of humanity sees our nation and explores how his social activism has grown naturally out of his travel experiences. He’s fresh back from lots of travels and will be on hand after his talk for questions and autographs.

Rick Steves’ Iran

Rick Steves calls Iran “the most poorly understood yet fascinating land” he’s ever visited. In his upcoming 90-minute slideshow, he takes us on a journey of discovery. His hope? To learn more about this perplexing nation whose government so exasperates America. And to better understand the 70 million people who call Iran home. Steves’ presentation shows the splendid monuments of Iran’s rich past, as well as Iranian life today–in its giant metropolis, historic capital, and in a countryside village. Steves captures Persian culture vividly: from Friday prayer in a mosque to non-conformist teen fashions at the mall; from anti-American murals to the hospitality of a family dinner; and from the tranquility of rural life to the crazy traffic of modern Tehran. Rather than a political talk dealing with the complex issues that confront our governments, Steves’ presentation is a travelogue, designed to increase our understanding of a mighty, ancient nation that has been a leader in its corner of the world for 2,500 years.