Trip Itinerary

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 meet our Reformation Tours’ English-speaking tour director, who will stay with us throughout our stay in Switzerland. 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. 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. 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. The Mount Pilatus Golden Roundtrip ($120 per person) is a wonderful way to experience the assorted delights of Lucerne’s landmark Mount Pilatus on an excursion involving a boat trip, cogwheel railway, aerial cableway and panorama gondolas. (B)

Day 6: 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. Stop at the imposing red sandstone City Hall with its pinnacles and frescoes. We will dine 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
Today we will enjoy a city tour including the United Nations, the Red Cross and the World Council of Churches. Geneva is also the city of Calvin and stronghold of the Reformation. Stop at the Reformation Monument, a long wall, built against a 16th century rampart with the statues of the four Genevese reformers, see the University, Town Hall, St. Peter’s Cathedral and the Auditoire, where Calvin taught and John Knox was a minister. In the afternoon we will visit Reformation Museum in Geneva to end our tour. The rest of the day will be spent at leisure. This evening we will have a Swiss Farewell dinner with folklore show at the restaurant Edelweiss. (B/D)

Day 9: Departure
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to airport for 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!

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.