Trip Itinerary

Please note this itinerary is copyrighted.

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

Day 1: Thursday, June 8, 2017: Overnight Flight to Rome, Italy
Our journey to explore the sites and heroes of the Reformation begins with an overnight flight to Rome. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight! (IF)

Day 2: Friday, June 9, 2017: Rome
On arrival in Rome, our tour director will welcome us to Italy and escort us to our waiting motor coach. We will begin our time in Rome with a bus orientation tour on the way to our centrally-located hotel. The afternoon is at leisure and our welcome meal is at our hotel this evening. (B/D)

Free time options in Rome

Day 3: Saturday, June 10, 2017: Rome
This morning we visit the Vatican City and St. Peter’s Cathedral, home of the Roman Catholic Church and the largest building in Christianity. Also included is a visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. This afternoon we visit the Basilica of St John in the Lateran where Martin Luther is said to have climbed the steps of the Scala Sancta on his knees. Dinner tonight is in a Roman restaurant. (B/D)

Day 4: Sunday, June 11, 2017: Rome
After breakfast, we begin our sightseeing in the Eternal City of Rome and see the glories of the Caesars. We become acquainted with the city that was the birthplace much of our civilization as we visit the Capitoline Hill area, from which we view the Roman Forum. We also will see the Colosseum, Constantine’s Arch, and more. We have free time this afternoon in the city center. (B/D)

Day 5: Monday, June 12, 2017 • Berlin, Wittenberg
After breakfast, we will transfer to the airport to fly to Germany. On arrival in Berlin, we will have a guided tour of Berlin including stops at the famous Brandenburg Gate for photos. We will also see the Cathedral, the Reichstag building and the lively boulevards, and Cold War Check Point Charlie Museum. We will then continue to Wittenberg and check-in to our hotel (D)

Day 6: Tuesday, June 13, 2017 • Wittenberg
This morning is free. Our lunch today will be in the delightful Brauhaus near the market square. In the afternoon our local guide will take us to where Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door of the Schlosskirche (Castle Church) in 1517. Although the original door was destroyed in a fire, the replica has all 95 Theses in bronze, which is magnificent. Next we tour the Lutherhalle (Luther House) Museum, where Luther lived for 35 years. It was here that he had his pivotal “Tower Experience” while reading Romans 1:17. We will also visit St. Mary’s Church and see the Luther Oak. The rest of the day is at leisure. (B/L)

Day 7: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 • Erfurt
After breakfast, we will travel to Erfurt, where we will have free time for lunch and a stroll around this delightful medieval town. Our local guide will take us on a tour including St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Severin’s Church and the famous Merchant’s Bridge. We will end at the Augustinian Monastery where Luther became a monk on July 17, 1505. We will be able to see his monastic quarters, including one cell furnished to look as it would have done when he lived there. At the end of the tour we will have a group worship service in the chapel. This evening we will dine in the “Luther Cellar” restaurant with a traditional meal from his time. (B, D)

Day 8: Thursday, June 15, 2017 • Eisenach, Erfurt
In 1521, while fleeing from the wrath of the Pope, Luther took refuge in the Wartburg Castle after a fake kidnapping staged by his friend and protector, Frederick the Wise. We will tour the Wartburg and see where Luther finished translating the New Testament into German in just eleven weeks. Luther spent time in the nearby town of Eisenach at as school boy and sang in the choir of St. George’s Church, where the Bach family also worshiped. The afternoon is free to explore the town or tour the Bach Museum and Luther House Museum. The bus will then take us back to Erfurt, followed by an optional tour to Buchenwald concentration camp. The evening is at leisure. (B)

Day 9: Friday, June 16, 2017 • Worms, Heidelberg
On our way south, we’ll stop in Worms to see the site of the plaque commemorating the Worms Debates (Diet of Worms), now a park, and the Reformation Monument. Our guide will also share about another Reformer, William Tyndale, who finished his printing of the English Bible in Worms, escaping persecution in England. We will then continue on to Heidelberg where we will visit the Heidelberg Castle and discuss the Heidelberg Confession. We will dine at our hotel this evening. (B, D)

Day 10: Saturday, June 17, 2017 • Basel, Geneva
After breakfast we will head south to Basel, home of Erasmus and Johannes Oecolampadius. We will join our local guide for a walking tour of Basel, including St. Martin’s Church, the Marketplatz, Munster Church and the Rathaus. We will continue on to Geneva and in our hotel. (B, D)

Day 11: Sunday, June 18, 2017 • Geneva
This morning we’ll attend an English-language worship service at Auditoire de Calvin with the congregation of the Church of Scotland. After time for lunch, our local guide will take us on a tour of Reformation sites in Geneva including the impressive Reformation Monument. Four statues of four Reformation leaders stand as sentinels to truth and courage inspired by Godly faith. St. Pierre’s Cathedral, next to the the Auditoire de Calvin, is where John Calvin preached. We can see his chair and a restored section decorated as it would have been before Calvin. We will have plenty of time to explore the Reformation Museum and the Roman ruins below. Our farewell meal is at a local restaurant this evening. (B, D)

Day 12: Monday, June 19, 2017 • Return
We transfer from our hotel to the airport for our morning flights. (B/IF)

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!

Pre-tour nights are available. Please contact us for details!

Rome, Italy
June 9-12, 2017
Grand Hotel Palatino
Via Cavour, 213
I-00184 Roma

Wittenberg, Germany
July 30-31, 2017
Hotel and Brauhaus Wittenberg
Markt 7
06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg

Erfurt, Germany
June 14-16, 2017
Radisson Blu Hotel Erfurt
Juri-Gagarin-Ring 127
D-99084 Erfurt

Heidelberg, Germany
June 16-17 2017
Hotel Bayrischer Hof
Rohrbacher Straße 2
D-69115 Heidelberg

Geneva, Switzerland
June 17-19 2017
Hotel Cornavin
Boulevard James-Fazy 23
1201 Geneva

Flight Information

We have arranged group flights from Kansas, MO but we will continue to monitor options and might switch to another airline if the rates are better. If you would like to travel independently please arrange to be in Rome on the morning of  June 9, 2017. If you would prefer to arrive earlier, we can arrange a pre-tour hotel nights in Rome.. We can either assist you with flights or you can book your own as soon as we let you know that it’s a guaranteed departure. Please ensure we have a copy of your flight itinerary for our records as soon as you have booked it.

June 9, 2017: Please arrive in Rome in the morning, preferably before 10 AM.

June 19, 2017: You can depart from Geneva at any time.

What’s included in the land price of $3,299?

*Price based on a minimum of 25 participants

Your Tour Includes

-Transportation: via deluxe air-conditioned coaches
-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
-Baggage handling (1 piece of baggage per guest)
-All taxes and tips except as indicated below
– Basic insurance during the tour (pre-tour cancellation insurance available)

Your Tour Does Not Include

• Air transportation (currently $1,750 round-trip)
• Single supplement ($575)
• 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 trip cancellation insurance (contact us for a quote)
• Gratuities for tour manager, and driver

Payment Schedule

• Deposit of $350 will secure your place on the tour. Please send all payments to Reformation Tours, P.O. Box 854, Belleville, IL  62222.
• Final invoices will be sent in February 2017
•   Final payment has been extended to April 10, 2017
• Reservations will be accepted after March 25, 2017, subject to availability, and will need to be paid in full.

Please note that credit card payments are subject to a 3.5% service charge.

Insurance

We now offer all of our travelers FREE travel insurance on group tours, which is valid throughout the tour. This insurance is through RoamRight, a division of Arch Insurance Company. You have the option to upgrade to the Total Travel Protection Plan to receive full coverage. The price depends on the total land and air cost of the tour.

Included Insurance
The Travel Protection Plan covers you while you are on tour (not before). It includes medical and evacuation coverage, missed travel connections, trip delay, baggage delays, and lost luggage.

Included Travel Protection Description of Coverage

Upgraded Insurance from $161 (land) and $246 (land and air)
You can upgrade to the Total Travel Protection plan, by adding Trip Cancellation coverage. This is valid from the time of purchase until the tour begins. E-mail us to add the upgraded insurance, or request the upgrade when you sign-up for the tour.

Click for pre-tour cancellation insurance quote (additional cost) Total Travel Protection Description of Coverage

Please note this is a private tour for members and friends of Redeemer Presbyterian Church.

Bookings have now closed for this tour, but we invite to consider joining one of our other Current Tours.