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

Day 1: Overnight Flight to Zurich, Switzerland
We will board our flights today from the USA to Zurich, Switzerland. (IF)

Day 2: Zurich
On arrival in Zurich we will have private transfers to our centrally-located hotel and meet our tour director. The morning is at leisure to have a stroll around Zurich. In the afternoon we will have a guided tour of Zurich: the historical guildhouses and medieval churches on the banks of the Limmat river, the lake with its parks and harbors, the elegant shopping area of the Bahnhofstrasse and the banking and university district.  We will see the famous Chagall stained-glass windows at Fraumunster church and visit the Cathedral (Grossmünster) erected between the 11th and 13th centuries. Zurich is home of the Reformation in German-speaking Switzerland. Ulrich Zwingli, influenced by Erasmus and Luther started the Reformation in Zurich in 1523. We will visit the new Zwingli museum at Grossmünster church. We will also learn about the persecution of the Anabaptists who were drowned as punishment for re-baptizing believers and see sites connected to them, such as the memorial by the Limmat River.  This evening we will enjoy a welcome dinner and overnight in Zürich. (B/D)

Day 3: Zurich, Konstanz, Stein am Rhein
In the morning we will leave Zurich for eastern Switzerland and drive via Winterthur and Frauenfeld to Kreuzlingen, where we will cross the border into Germany and stop at Constance, site of the Church Council from 1414-1418. We will visit the Stone of Johan Hus, a member of the Bohemian clergy who was declared a heretic by the Council and burned alive. We will see the Council chamber which occupies the first floor of a former warehouse. Then we will follow picturesque Lake Untersee to the medieval village of Stein-am-Rhein on the Rhine river, walk through the narrow streets and see the frescoed adorned houses. We will also see the enchanting gilt and wrought iron trade signs at the shops, their pictorial devices dating from the time when few people could read. We will have some free time here before we return to Zurich late afternoon and dine in a local restaurant. (B/D)

Day 4: Einsiedeln, Kappel, Lucerne
Today after breakfast we will drive to Einsiedeln Abbey for a guided tour.  The monastery complex includes not only the living space for monks but also a diocese school, ten workshops, a wine cellar for the monastery’s own wine and stables for the monastery’s own breed of horses. Einsiedeln has been a place of pilgrimage for over 1000 years. Zwingli came to the monastery in 1516 and spent two years serving as a preacher. He also used his time for intensive Bible study. We will then take a short drive to Kappel where Zwingli died on the battlefield in 1531. In the afternoon we will check-in to our hotel in Lucerne and enjoy a guided tour of this lovely city on the shores of Lake Lucerne. We will see the Old Town with its ramparts and towers, the covered wooden Chapel Bridge, the Jesuit church and the Lion monument. We will dine in our hotel this evening. (B/D)

Day 5: Lucerne
Today we have a free day to explore Lucerne at our leisure and here are some leisure activities.

Our tour director will be leading the Mount Pilatus Golden Roundtrip ($120 per person), which is a wonderful way to experience the assorted delights of Lucerne’s landmark Mount Pilatus on an excursion involving a boat trip, cogwheel railway, and two panoramic gondolas (similar to a cable car). There are restaurants on the mountains and some optional walking trails.

An optional tour of the Rosengart Collection featuring the extensive paintings of Paul Klee and Pablo Picasso plus other works by Monet, Chagall, and Rouault may be substituted for those not taking the Mount Pilatus trip, with time to relax in Lucerne afterwards. (B)

Day 6: Thursday, May 31, 2018: Basel
Today we will explore Basel, an international business center and also known as the city of Eramus’ later years and the Holbein family.  Basel has maintained a tradition of art and culture. We will see the 12th century cathedral which was rebuilt after an earthquake in the 15th century. At the north end of the aisle is the tombstone of Erasmus. While he was living in Basel, Calvin began working on the first edition of The Institutes of the Christian Religion, which appeared in 1536. We will also view the University of Basel, which was founded in 1460, where both Erasmus and Karl Barth taught. Karl Barth is considered the greatest Protestant theologian of the 20th century  is the father of Neo-Orthodoxy.  After helping to write the Barmen Declaration of Faith, he had to escape Germany to Switzerland in 1935, for challenging the influence of Nazism on German Christianity. Then we will stop at the imposing red sandstone City Hall with its pinnacles and frescoes. Dinner will be served in our hotel in Basel this evening. (B/D)

Day 7: Bern, Gruyere, Geneva
This morning we will leave Lucerne for Bern, the romantic capital of Switzerland. We will spend time enjoying this historic city with its splendid preserved arcaded Old Town, see the Gothic cathedral, the fountains decorated with flowers and statues, the Clock Tower with the famous figure play and the House of Swiss Parliament.  Then we will have free time before heading on to Bern via Fribourg to Gruyeres, world famous for its cheese. This fortified little town lies atop a hill in a landscape full of grace and harmony. We will visit of the model cheese dairy and take time to walk the cobblestone streets or try the cheese specialties at one of the many restaurants. Then we will drive to lake Geneva and stop at Montreux for a visit of Lord Byron’s Chillon Castle. Once we’ve finished at the Castle, we will continue along the lake shores and vineyards to Geneva and overnight in Geneva. (B/D)

Day 8: Geneva
Geneva is also the city of Calvin and stronghold of the Reformation. Our tour will begin at the impressive Reformation Monument. Four statues of four Reformation leaders stand as sentinels to truth and courage inspired by godly faith. We will see Calvin’s church, the Auditoire de Calvin, (Calvin’s Academy, also known as The Protestant Lecture Hall), where he taught. Next door is St. Pierre’s Cathedral, where John Calvin preached. We can see his chair and a restored section decorated as it would have been before Calvin. Our final stop is an audio guide tour through the incredible Reformation Museum. Below the museum and the Cathedral, we can see the ruins of a Roman sanctuary, a 4th century basilica, and a 6th century church. We have a free time this afternoon to experience these key sites before our Swiss Farewell dinner with folklore show at the restaurant Edelweiss. (B/D)

Day 9: Departure
After breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer to the airport for our journey back home. (B)

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!

Zurich, Switzerland
Hotel Alexander  or similar
Niederdorfstrasse 40
CH-8001 Zürich

Lucerne, Switzerland
Hotel Continental Park or similar
Murbacherstrasse 4
6002 Luzern

Basel, Switzerland
Hotel Gaia or similar
Centralbahnstrasse 13
4002 Basel

Geneva, Switzerland
Hotel Royal Manotel or similar
43, Rue de Lausanne
1201 Geneva

What’s included in the land price?

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
•   Tour escort 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

Your Tour Does Not Include

•   Air transportation (can be arranged through Reformation Tours)
•   Single supplement
•   Meals and beverages not identified in itinerary
•   Items of a personal nature, such as passports and visas. Passports must be valid for 6 months beyond return date.
•   Pre-tour cancellation insurance (details sent with reservation form)

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 until 100 days before departure: $100
From 99-15 days prior to departure: $350 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.

VIEW TERMS & CONDITIONS

If you are interested in a quote for your group, please CLICK HERE to tell us more about your tour requirements or call (800) 303-5534.