Trip Itinerary

Key: IF = In Flight Meals, B= Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner 

Day 1: Depart from the USA
We will depart on our overnight flight to Frankfurt.  Early arrivals will have a pre-tour night nearby in Mainz. (IF)

Day 2: Frankfurt, Eisenach
Those who have arrived early will be able to visit the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz. This morning our tour director will welcome us to Germany and we will board our 16-seater luxury vehicle and travel up to Eisenach.  This evening we’ll check in and enjoy our welcome dinner at our hotel. (IF/D)

Day 3: Eisenach, Möhra
After a leisurely breakfast we will start our Luther tour at Wartburg Castle, one of the most important castles in German history. In 1521, while fleeing from the wrath of the Pope, Luther took refuge here and we will see the room where he finished translating the New Testament into German in just eleven weeks. On our tour we will also learn about the life and work of St Elisabeth and  see the original black-red-golden German flag used at a student’s meeting at the Wartburg in 1817. Martin Luther’s ancestors had a family farm in the small village of Möhra.  We will visit the Luther family home and  see the village church, now named Luther Church. A little walk into the woods will lead us to the place where Martin Luther was captured by Saxonian troops on May 4, 1521 on his return from the Diet of Worms. This fake kidnapping was staged by his friend and protector, Frederick the Wise. We will return to our hotel and the evening will be at leisure. (B)

Day 4: Erfurt
This morning we will depart to Erfurt where we will enjoy a walking tour in the steps of Martin Luther.  We will see the market square with the magnificent cathedral, stroll through the little streets with the rich timber framed buildings, cross the merchant’s bridge, and visit the Augustinian Monastery, which Luther always called his spiritual home. Martin Luther joined the order of the Augustinians in 1505 when he was a student in Erfurt. He was ordained in the Dom Cathedral and it was here that he celebrated his first Holy Mass. Today the monastery is a church retreat center. We will visit a little museum in the monastery with Luther’s cell. The church dates back to the year 1277 and many of the glass windows date back to Luther’s time. They inspired Luther when he later designed his seal. Tonight we will have dinner in our hotel in Erfurt. (B/D)

Day 5: Stotternheim, Eisleben
As we are leaving Erfurt, we will stop just outside the village of Stotternheim. It was here that Martin Luther was struck by lightning and made the vow to become a monk. The site is marked by a memorial stone and we will pause here for a devotional.  We will then have a special adventure, as we visit a real copper mine. Copper mining in this area dates back to the year 1200 and continued until 1990. Martin Luther’s father made his money operating mines. The mining museum offers information about the formation of ore deposits, geology, and mineralogy. We will also visit the underground show mine, using the hoist to descend to a depth of 930 ft. When we get down there, we will travel on an original pit railway for about half a mile to a 19th century mining field. Duster coats and hard hats will be provided as we explore the historic mine. Tonight we will have dinner at our hotel in Eisleben. (B/D)

Day 6: Eisleben, Leipzig, Wittenberg
Eisleben is the town where Luther was born and died. We will visit the little museum in the birth house, see the pulpit in St. Andrews where Luther preached, and visit St. Peter and Paul Church, where Luther was baptized, now a “Center for Baptism.” Next we will travel to Leipzig, an old trade center since the medieval ages. It is the town where Johann Sebastian Bach spent most of his life. He served as the cantor for the Thomas Boys Choir and composed a new cantata for every Sunday. On our walking tour we will visit St. Thomas Church with Bach’s grave, pass the Renaissance town hall, see the University with its reconstructed facade, and Gewandhaus concert hall. Leipzig is also important for the German revolution of 1989 when thousands joined prayers for peace in Nikolai church and started marching with candles in their hands along the ring road. Those marches got the attention of international media and have been one of the main events which led to the fall of the Berlin Wall just a few weeks later. The Bach museum is dedicated to the time Johann Sebastian Bach spent as St. Thomas Church’s cantor in Leipzig. The house is one of the oldest buildings at the St. Thomas Church courtyard. At the time of Johann Sebastian Bach, the merchant family Bose, who was a friend of the Bach family, lived here. Johann Sebastian Bach himself lived in the old St. Thomas school directly opposite. Today the complex houses the Bach Archive with the Bach-Museum, showing Bach’s life and work. We will continue on to Wittenberg and have dinner in our hotel. (B/D)

Day 7: Wittenberg
This morning we will have a walking tour of Wittenberg. We’ll tour the town where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Schlosskirche on October 31, 1517. In Luther’s time this was the University Chapel and the doors were used as a bulletin board. We will also visit the City Church of St. Mary where Luther preached for over 34 years. In 1508, when Martin Luther came to Wittenberg, he lived in the Black Abbey – now known as the “Lutherhaus.” It was here that he had his “Tower Experience” and first grasped the gift of faith by grace alone. Later, Luther lived here with his wife, Katharina von Bora, and their six children. Wittenberg as it looked in 1517 is the theme of a giant 360° photograph. Created by Berlin artist Yadegar Asisis in 2016, this panorama takes visitors into the daily life of Luther’s time. We will see Luther, Bugenhagen, Melanchthon, and Cranach as they stood for the Reformation. And we will be amazed how many of the historic buildings are still in town! In the afternoon we will be able to use “WittenbergCoupons™”  for free admission to the Lutherhaus, Melanchthonhaus, Cranach-Museum, the exhibition of modern Christian Art and other places.  Or we can just enjoy strolling the streets and get some “Reformation atmosphere” in the town where Martin Luther and his fellows lived, taught, and preached. We will have dinner in our hotel. There is an optional English-language service with the Wittenberg English Ministry this evening. (B/D)

Day 8: Berlin, Wittenberg
Today we will have an optional day trip to Berlin. We’ll see the famous sites, including the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag parliament, Holocaust Memorial, Dom Cathedral, and Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The history of divided Berlin comes alive when we discover remnants of the Berlin Wall and visit the official Wall Memorial Site at Bernauer Strasse. We will return to Wittenberg for dinner in our hotel. (B/D)

Day 9: Magdeburg, Einbeck
After breakfast, we will travel to Magdeburg and see the oldest gothic cathedral in Germany, which dates back to 1209. In the cathedral we will be able to see the grave of first German Kaiser Otto I who died in 973. Martin Luther was a student in Magdeburg from 1497-98. Next we will continue on to Einbeck, for a walking tour of the picturesque town with a long brewing tradition. Einbeck’s beer was Martin Luther’s favorite. This town was the birthplace of Henry Muhlenberg, the “patriarch” of the Lutheran Church in the USA. We will have dinner in our hotel in Einbeck. (B/D)

Day 10: Rhine Cruise, Rudesheim
We will travel down to the Rhine region this morning, then board a boat in Rudesheim and sail past magnificent castles and the famous Loreley rock to St. Goar. Every bend in the river brings more stunning scenery, ships pass left and right, and numerous trains roar up and down the Rhine River valley. Our motor coach will pick us up at the end of the cruise and take us to our hotel in Rudesheim. We will celebrate the end of our journey with a nice farewell dinner. (B/D)

Day 11: Return
We will transfer to the airport in Frankfurt for morning flights back to the USA. (B/IF)

Please note this itinerary is copyrighted.

What are accommodations like?

Our hotels are chosen for their quality, amenities and proximity to areas of interest. Whenever possible, we choose hotels in town centers, so that you are able to go off and explore in your free time. It may be necessary for us to substitute hotels for others of equal quality. You will be fully informed of any changes that affect you. Enjoy your stay!

Flight Information

When this tour is a guaranteed departure, we will contact tour participants to start making air reservations. There will be three options available at that time.

Option 1: Request a flight quote from us, by filling out this form. Payment is due at the time of booking.

Option 2: For 10+ traveling together, we can provide a group air booking. Payment is due with final payment in January 2020.

Option 3: Book your own flights, making sure you land on the morning of March 17, 2020 no later than 10:00 AM.  If you would prefer to arrive earlier, we can arrange a pre-tour hotel night in Mainz. You are welcome to depart at any time on March 26.

Please note that if you would like to use air miles you will need to book directly with the airline.

We can arrange pre-tour nights in Mainz and post-tour nights in Frankfurt, but due to the volume of tours in 2020, we are not able to arrange additional travel within Europe.

What’s included in the tour price?

Price based on a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 13 participants

Your Tour Includes

•   Transportation: via deluxe air-conditioned coach
•   Accommodations (double-occupancy) in superior 3-star and moderate 4-star hotels
•   Meals as indicated in the itinerary
•   Professional Tour Director throughout the tour
•   Local step-on guides for city tours and major attractions
•   Entrance fees included as per itinerary
•   All transfers, as a group
•   Insurance during the tour (pre-tour coverage upgrade available)
•   Baggage handling (1 piece of baggage per guest)
•   All taxes and tips except as indicated below

Your Tour Does Not Include

•   Round-trip air transportation (Reformation Tours can provide a quote)
•   Single supplement ($350)
•   Meals and beverages not identified in itinerary
•   Items of a personal nature, such as passports and visas. Passports must be valid for months beyond return date.
•   Pre-tour cancellation insurance (details sent with reservation form)
•   Gratuities for tour manager, and driver

Insurance

We offer the Professional Plan offered by Roam Right Insurance, a division of Arch Insurance Company.  We offer all of our travelers post-departure insurance coverage (up to $500 of coverage.) If you would like to have pre-tour cancellation and trip interruption coverage, the upgrade cost depends on the tour price. It’s approximately the tour cost (minus the $500 that we cover) x 6.14%.  To insure your land costs, the price is $3,499 – $500 x 6.14% = $185. A quote will automatically be added to your invoice and updated once the air cost is available.

Cancellations

Regardless of reason, cancellations are costly. To offset these costs the following fees will apply, plus any non-recoverable expenses to our suppliers:

From time of deposit to 100 days before departure: $100 cancellation penalty
From 99-15 days prior to departure: $350 cancellation penalty plus any non refundable deposits
14 days or less prior to departure: No refund– Cancellation charges also apply to additional accommodation reserved prior to and after the tour.
– Cancellations must be received in writing by 5:00 p.m. central time on the last business day of the applicable time period.
– For flight changes or cancellations, revision fees and/or airline cancellation charges will apply.
– Roommates canceling can result in a single supplement charge for the roommate. The Participant who cancels will be responsible for that charge if a substitute roommate cannot be found.
– Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is strongly recommended.
Reformation Tours cannot assume responsibility for any additional costs or fees relating to the issuance and/or cancellation of air tickets or other arrangements not made through Reformation Tours.

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