Trip Itinerary

Please note this itinerary is copyrighted.

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

Day 1: Sunday: Overnight Flight to Berlin, Germany
Our journey to explore the sites and heroes of the Reformation begins with an overnight flight to Berlin.  Reformation Tours can arrange flights, or you are welcome to arrange your own. Pre-tour nights will be available in Berlin. (IF)

Day 2: Monday: Arrival in Berlin, Wittenberg
Welcome to Germany! On arrival in Berlin, travelers have transfers (included) to the centrally-located hotel. After time to explore and purchase lunch, we will gather back at the hotel to begin the tour. Our afternoon bus orientation tour will include a stop at the famous Brandenburg Gate for photos. We will also see the Cathedral, the Reichstag building and the lively boulevards, followed by visits to WWII Topography of Terror Museum and Cold War Check Point Charlie Museum. We will continue on to Wittenberg and dine in our hotel. (IF/D)

Day 3: Tuesday: Wittenberg
This morning, 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 and Melanchthon helped forge Reformation Theology. Here the Cranachs painted now famous portraits of Luther. We will spend time in the Lutherhalle (Luther House) Museum, where Luther lived first as a monk, then later with his wife and children. We’ll be able to view some of Luther’s very own personal library, rare manuscripts, and early Bibles. The tour will also include Castle Church, Stadtkirche St. Marien (St. Mary’s church) where Luther preached and where his children were baptized, and the Luther Oak where he burned the edict from Rome, condemning him as a “heretic”. We will end the tour with a short service with the Wittenberg English Ministry. The rest of the day will be free to enjoy the town. (B)

Day 4: Wednesday: Erfurt, Eisenach
After breakfast, we will travel to Erfurt, where we will have free time for lunch. Our local guide will take us on a walking tour including St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Severin’s Church and the famous Merchant’s Bridge. We will end the 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. We will continue on to Eisenach and have a medieval meal in the Lutherstube Restaurant. (B/D)

Day 5: Thursday: 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. Luther spent time in the nearby town of Eisenach as school boy and sang in the choir of St. George’s Church, where the Bach family also worshiped. We will have a group lunch in the restaurant next to the Wartburg. The afternoon will be free to explore the town of Eisenach. This evening we will have an after-hours reception in the Bach House, with a demonstration of period instruments. (B/L)

Day 6: Friday: Mainz
This morning we will have a relaxed drive down to Mainz on the banks of the Rhine. We will tour the Gutenberg Museum and the Cathedral, before spending the afternoon at the 12^th century Eberbach Monastery, located in vineyards just outside Mainz. We will have a wine-tasting tour, followed by dinner. (B/D)

Day 7: Saturday: Worms, Strasbourg
Our guide in Worms will take us to see 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. We’ll have a photo stop at the stunning Reformation Monument, followed by worship and prayers in the Church of the Holy Trinity. We will then travel into France to visit Strasbourg, referred to as the “City of Hope” and “Refuge of the Righteous” by the Anabaptists. This is where John Calvin wrote his famous books on systematic theology and where Martin Bucer, another Reformation leader, helped bring in the Reformation. We will have a stroll around the city center and view the Cathedral of Strasbourg, St. Thomas’s Church, and the charming “La Petite France” quarter. (B/D)

Day 8: Sunday: Strasbourg
This morning we have the option of attending church in Strasbourg, meeting local English-speaking believers. The rest of the day will be at leisure to explore this wonderful French city, take a canal tour boat ride, visit vineyards, or try local cuisine favorites. (B)

Day 9: Monday: Constance, Zurich
Today we will have breakfast in France, lunch in Germany and dinner in Switzerland! In Constance, we will pray on the spot where the pre-Reformer Jan Hus was martyred and see the Cathedral where some of the trials were held. Crossing over in Switzerland, we’ll dine in an authentic Swiss restaurant. Overnight in Zurich. (B/D)

Day 10: Tuesday: Zurich, Grindelwald
This morning we will meet up with our guide in Zurich, to learn about Zwingli and the Anabaptists on a tour of the key Reformation sites in Zurich. We will tour the Grossmünster, the Helferei (where Zwingli lived) and see the Zwingli Statue. After a stroll through the historic Auld Stadt (old city) we will depart for Grindelwald. (B/D)

Day 11: Wednesday: Grindelwald
This is our fun Alps play day! Local leisure options include bike rental, hiking with a picnic in a meadow, or the cogwheel railway up to Kleine Scheidigg and the spectacular Jungfrau Peak. Frank will escort those who wish on an amazing journey of cable cars and trains, returning to the hotel in the evening. (B)

Day 12: Thursday: Geneva
We will stop for coffee in medieval Murten, where we can walk atop the original city walls and explore another chapter of Swiss history. We then continue to Geneva, where Calvin, Knox, and Farel ministered. 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 the Auditoire de Calvin, St. Pierre’s Cathedral, and the Reformation Museum. We will dine in our hotel this evening. (B/D)

Day 13: Friday: Return
We will transfer from the hotel to the airport for our 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!

What’s included in the land price?

Price based on a minimum of 20 participants

Your Tour Includes

•   Transportation: via deluxe air-conditioned coaches
•   Accommodations (double-occupancy) in 4-star and 5-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
•   Single supplement
•   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

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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