RICK STEVES' EUROPE: Iran: Tehran And Side Trips

America's favorite travel guide transports viewers to Europe's cities, villages and countryside. In the fifth season of RICK STEVES' EUROPE, Rick bikes the back lanes of Copenhagen, waltzes through Vienna, slurps escargot in Burgundy, ventures to the desolate side of a Greek isle for the perfect sunset, and strives to appreciate famously stinky cheese of Olomouc in the Czech Republic. He also wanders through Salvador Dali's home, communes with Viking ghosts on Denmark’s "ship-in-a-bottle" isle, scampers through Delphi’s dramatic ruins, witnesses Barcelonan children learning to speak Catalan and ventures through a World War II-era fortress buried deep in the Swiss Alps.

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Rick Steves had no problem chatting with students in Iran.

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Rick Steves sits for a photo with a group of women in Iran. Imagine a society where all the women are nuns...and all the problems like Maria.

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Our trip through Iran gave us a glimpse into a paradoxical world where the murals are mean, yet the people are friendly.

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Rick Steves sits with three young men in Iran. Hooking fingers seems to be human nature — we can be friends and can get along.

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Three young girls enjoy ice cream cones, Iran. As a traveler, Rick Steves often finds that the more a culture differs from his own, the more he is struck by its essential humanity.

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Rick Steves had no problem chatting with members of today's Revolutionary Guard, Iran.

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Esfahan's great Imam Mosque is both a tourist attraction and a vibrant place of worship, Iran.

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Persepolis is pharaoh-like in its scale, Iran.

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Tehran is a mile-high home to 14 million people.

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Cameraman Karel Bauer at a prayer service.

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"Iran: Tehran And Side Trips" - As he's done with previous programs on Israel, Egypt, and Eastern Turkey, Rick Steves takes us beyond Europe to a place that's rich with history...and mystery. In this episode, Rick explores Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran's bustling capital city. University students give us a look at modern values in a theocratic society where religious and anti-American billboards are commonplace. After a visit to Khomeini's tomb, we take a trip into the countryside to get a taste of village life. Rick enjoys a warm welcome from everyday Iranians.

Rick's Travel Philosophy:

Travel is freedom...one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is intensified living, with maximum thrills per minute. It's recess, and we need it. Experiencing the real Europe requires catching it by surprise, going casual...Through the Back Door.

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