Trip Itinerary

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

Day 1: Thursday, September 1, 2022: Fly to Munich
Our journey to explore the sites and heroes of the Reformation begins with an overnight flight to Munich. Pre-tour nights are available for those who would like to arrive early.  (IF)

Day 2: Friday, September 2, 2022: Munich
Welcome to Germany! On arrival in Munich we will meet our Reformation Tours tour director and transfer to our centrally-located hotel.  In the afternoon we will have a walking tour of Munich, including the Cathedral, the Marienplatz, and the Old Town. Our Welcome Meal will be in a traditional beer garden. (IF/D)

Day 3: Saturday, September 3, 2022: Munich, Oberammergau
After a leisurely breakfast we will have free time to explore Munich independently. One of the best-known sites in Bavaria is Neuschwanstein Castle. We’ll tour the castle designed by King Ludwig. We will end our day in our 4-star hotel in the Oberammergau area. (B/D)

Day 4: Sunday, September 4, 2022: Oberammergau
We will transfer to Oberammergau this morning and have time to shop or explore locally on our own. We will eat lunch together before Part One of the Play, which begins at 1:30 PM. There is a break for dinner from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM and we will dine together in a restaurant in Oberammergau. Part Two ends at 9:30 PM and then we will board our bus to return to our hotel. (B/L/D)

Day 5: Monday, September 5, 2022: Romantic Road, Rothenburg
After a relaxed breakfast, we will drive to Rothenburg, the most picturesque and well-preserved of the towns along the famous “Romantic Road”. It’s one of Germany’s very best walled medieval cities, and most of the buildings were built by 1400. Our guide will take us for a walk along the well-preserved city wall. Inside St. Jacob’s Church we will see the famous carved “Holy Blood Altar” by Tilman Riemenschneider. The rest of the day is at leisure to shop at the famous Käthe Wohlfahrt store or explore the town. (B)

Day 6: Tuesday, September 6, 2022: Heidelberg, Worms
We will have a leisurely drive to visit Heidelberg Castle which boasts the world’s largest wine barrel, a fascinating history and a stunning view. From there we will drive to Worms, where we will tour the Cathedral, followed by the site of Luther’s Worms Debates (Diet of Worms), now a park, with a plaque commemorating Luther’s brave stand for faith and truth in 1521. We’ll have a photo stop at the Reformation Monument, followed by a visit to the Church of the Holy Trinity.  Tonight’s dinner will be in a family-owned winery and our meal will include tasting 4 local wines. (B/D)

Day 7: Wednesday, September 7, 2022: Rhine Cruise, Erfurt
What better way to start the day than with a Rhine cruise! We’ll board the boat 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 & right, and numerous trains roar up and down the Rhine River valley. In the afternoon we will drive up to Erfurt, where we’ll be based for the next 3 nights. We’ll dine in our hotel. (B/D)

Day 8: Thursday, September 8, 2022: Eisenach, Erfurt
Today’s full-day excursion will be to Eisenach. 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. We will enjoy a group lunch, then the afternoon will be free to explore Eisenach independently. Luther spent time here as schoolboy and the home is now the Luther House Museum. He sang in the choir of St. George’s Church, where the Bach family also worshiped. The town also has a fascinating Bach Museum. We will return to Erfurt in the late afternoon. (B/L)

Day 9: Friday, September 9, 2022: Erfurt
Our local guide will take us on a tour of Erfurt including viewing St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Severin’s Church and the famous Merchant’s Bridge. We will end our tour 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 when he lived there. At the end of the tour, we will have a group worship service in the chapel. The rest of the day is at leisure (B)

Day 10: Saturday, September 10, 2022: Eisleben, Wittenberg
Eisleben was one of Luther’s favorite towns. This is where he was born and also where he died, so it is sometimes referred to as his Bethlehem and Jerusalem. We’ll visit both of these homes with our guide, as well as St. Anne’s, an old miner’s church famous for the Biblical Scenes hewn in stone. We will also visit St. Peter and St. Paul Church where Luther was baptized. We will then continue to Wittenberg and check-in to our final hotel. We’ll join the weekly English service with the Wittenberg English Ministry then we can dine in the restaurant of our choice. (B)

Day 11: Sunday, September 11, 2022: Wittenberg
This morning we have the opportunity to attend a church service (in German) in St. Mary’s Church where Luther regularly preached. In the afternoon our local guide will take us on a tour of Lutherstadt Wittenberg. It was here in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door of Castle Church (Schlosskirche). Although the original doors were destroyed in the Seven Years War, we can see Luther’s texts cast in bronze on the new doors.  We will visit St. Mary’s Church and the Old Latin School next door. Luther’s former home, the Lutherhalle, is now a Reformation Museum and we will see where he lived with his family, as well as some of Luther’s very own personal library, rare manuscripts, and early Bibles. Our farewell meal will be in a local restaurant. (B)

Day 12: Monday, September 12, 2022: Fly / Berlin
After the airport drop off, those on the post-tour will have a guided tour of Berlin, including the Bonhoffer Museum. (B)

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!

Munich, Germany (same for pre-tour nights)
September 2-3, 2022
Flemings Hotel München-Schwabing
Leopoldstraße 130-132
80804 München

Oberammergau Area
September 3-5, 2022
Hotel Schillingshof
Fallerstraße 11
82433 Bad Kohlgrub

Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, Germany
September 5-6, 2022
Hotel – Gasthaus Schranne
Schrannenplatz 6
91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Worms, Germany
September 6-7, 2022
Domhotel
Kohlgasse 6
67547 Worms

Erfurt, Germany
September 7-10, 2022
Radisson Blu Hotel Erfurt
Juri-Gagarin-Ring 127
99084 Erfurt

Wittenberg, Germany
September 10-12, 2022
Luther-Hotel Wittenberg
Collegienstraße 62
06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg

Berlin, Germany (post tour)
September 12-13, 2022
Hotel Amano Grand Central
Heidestraße 62
10557 Berlin

Arrival and Departure Transfers

Transfers are automatically included if we have booked your flights.

If you have booked your own flights, we can still provide transfers, as long as we have your flight details on file and a phone number to give to the driver. We will include your transfer information in your final packet. Transfers will be arranged for each arrival, so that you won’t have to wait for other tour members if their flight is delayed. Transfers can be arranged for the day of your choosing, but we can’t arrange transfers if you arrive or depart by train.

Please note that individual transfers are booked through a third-party and you will be responsible to communicate with the company in case of delays.

Flight Information

Various flight booking options are available for this tour, including group air.

Option 1: We will reserve group air flights from Charlotte, NC

Option 2: You may request a flight quote from us by filling out this form. Payment is due at the time of booking.

Option 2: You may book your own flights, making sure you land on the morning of September 2, 2022 no later than 10:00 AM.  If you would prefer to arrive earlier, we can arrange a pre-tour hotel night in Munich. You are welcome to depart at any time on September 12, 2022.

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 Munich and post-tour nights in Berlin, but due to the volume of tours in 2022, we are not able to arrange additional travel within Europe.

What’s included in the land price of $3,899?

*Price based on a minimum of 30 participants.

Your Tour Includes

•   Transportation: via deluxe air-conditioned coaches
•   Accommodations (double-occupancy) in superior 3-star and moderate 4-star hotels
•   Category 1 seats for the Oberammergau Passion Play
•   Meals as indicated in the itinerary
•   Professional Tour Director throughout the tour
•   Local step-on guides for city tours and major attractions
•   Admission to all activities indicated in the itinerary
•   Group arrival and departure transfers
•   Baggage handling (1 piece of baggage per guest)
•   All taxes and tips, other than the driver and tour director

Your Tour Does Not Include

•   Round-trip air transportation from Charlotte (group air will be available)
•   Pre-tour night in Munich: $100 in double, $145 in single
•   Post-tour night in Berlin: $100 in double, $145 in single
•   Individual arrival and departure transfers
•   Single supplement ($800)
•   Tips to driver and tour director
•   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.
•   Passenger trip cancellation insurance

Payment Schedule

The deposits can be paid online or by check sent to Reformation Tours, 64 Fiesta Cir, St. Louis, MO 63146.

Postponed travelers – if you have a credit voucher we will send you an updated invoice, so there’s no need to send the initial deposit.

•   Initial deposit of $1,000 will secure your place on the tour
•   Final invoices will be sent in May 2022
•   Final payment is due by June 23, 2022
•   Reservations will be accepted after June 23, 2022, subject to availability

Insurance

We will continue to assist clients who have a current policy with Roam Right Insurance, a division of Arch Insurance Company. Travelers who had a policy in 2020 or 2021 have credit towards a new policy.

If you don’t have insurance yet, Squaremouth is an award-winning company which helps travelers search, compare, and buy the best travel insurance for the lowest price. We recommend using the following filters: trip interruption, coronavirus pandemic, travel delay ($500), emergency medical ($100,000), medical evacuation ($100,000), baggage delay and baggage loss.  Please read these instructions and if you still need assistance you can e-mail us and request a quote.

For other questions relating to Covid and travel insurance, please click here.

Cancellation

Regardless of reason, cancellations are costly. All cancellations must be in writing and the date of postmark will determine the amount of refund due. 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. Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is strongly recommended.

Oberammergau ticket deposits ($750) are non-refundable, but we will endeavor to find replacement travelers.

The following cancellation penalties apply, unless otherwise noted on the tour documentation:

From time of deposit to until March 8, 2022: $850 cancellation penalty plus any non-refundable deposits
From March 9 – July 20, 2022: $1,350 cancellation penalty plus any non-refundable deposits
From July 21 – August 3, 2022: Cancellation penalty is 60% of land costs plus any non-refundable deposits
From August 4-17, 2022: Cancellation penalty is 80% of land costs any non-refundable deposits
From August 18, 2022 to departure: No refund

Terms and Conditions

Reformation Tours reserves the rights to alter itineraries without notice should it become necessary. While on tour, if conditions necessitate changes, or if certain features are unavailable or limited, we reserve the right to vary or substitute alternatives. All prices are calculated at the exchange rate in effect at the time of this quotation: 1 Euro = $1.1864. Should currency fluctuations necessitate an adjustment in tour price, the adjusted price will be reflected in the final invoice.

This is currently a private tour for members of Living Savior Lutheran Church, but do feel free to contact us if you’d like to be on the waiting list.