8-Day Reformation Tour of Germany and Switzerland
Berlin Wittenberg Augustinian Monastery Wartburg Castle Heidelberg Grindelwald Reformers Wall, Geneva
Are you looking for a short, but comprehensive Reformation Tour? Our new 8-day tour gives you the opportunity to visit key sites related to Martin Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli, while traveling as a group.
Highlights include:
- Panoramic tour of Berlin
- Tour of Lutherstadt Wittenberg
- Tour and fellowship time in the Augustinian Monastery, Erfurt
- Luther’s room in Wartburg Castle
- Visit to the sites of the Diet of Worms
- Free time to explore Heidelberg
- Tour of Zurich
- Free time in Grindelwald in the Swiss alps
- Tour of Geneva, including Sunday morning service in the Auditoire de Calvin
Trip Itinerary
Key: IF = In Flight Meals, B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
Day 1: Monday, July 7, 2025: Depart
We will depart from the USA on our transatlantic overnight flights to Berlin. Pre-tour travel can be arranged through Reformation Tours. (IF)Day 2: Tuesday, July 8, 2025: Arrival in Berlin, Wittenberg
When we arrive in Berlin, we will transfer to the centrally-located meeting point. We will start our Reformation Tour with a panoramic sightseeing tour of the reunified German capital, highlighting the Reichstag (parliament building), the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the refurbished city center, Gendarmenmarkt and the Berlin Cathedral. We will continue to Wittenberg and end the day with our welcome meal at the hotel, next to Castle Church. ( IF/D)Day 3: Wednesday, July 9, 2025: Wittenberg, Erfurt
After breakfast, we will have a walking tour of 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 see St. Mary’s Church, where Luther regularly preached. Luther’s former home is now a Reformation Museum. After time for lunch we will continue to Erfurt. Our walking tour will include viewing St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Severin’s Church, and the famous Merchant’s Bridge. Our tour will also include the Augustinian Monastery where Luther became a monk on July 17, 1505. We will see his monastic quarters, including one cell furnished to look as it would have when he lived there. We will dine in the Goldener Schwan Restaurant. (B/D)Day 4: Thursday, July 10, 2025: Eisenach, Worms, Heidelberg
While Luther was fleeing from the wrath of the Pope, he 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. Our visit to Worms will include the grounds of the former Bishop’s Residence, the Luther Monument, and St. Peter’s Cathedral. It was at the Diet of Worms in 1521 that Luther stood his ground with the Emperor and refused to recant what he had said and written about grace, about indulgences, about the Pope. In the late afternoon, we will continue to Heidelberg and the rest of the day is at leisure. (B)Day 5: Friday, July 11, 2025: Zurich and the Swiss Alps
We will cross the German-Swiss border this morning to visit Zurich. We will visit key Reformation sites to learn about Zwingli and the Anabaptists, including the Grossmünster, the Helferei (where Zwingli lived) and the Zwingli Statue. After a stroll through the historic Auld Stadt (old city) we will drive through Switzerland into the Alps, staying in stunning Grindelwald. We will dine in our hotel, then stroll through the village admiring the traditional wooden houses and Alpine backdrop. (B/D)Day 6: Saturday, July 12, 2025: Grindelwald, Geneva
The morning we have free time for an Alpine picnic, a gentle hike, a ride on a cable car to Jungfraujoch, the most spectacular mountain railway station in the Alps, a gondola ride on the Männlichen, offering the best views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, or a trip to Grindwald First for the Tissot Cliff Walk. In the early afternoon we will board our bus and continue to our last destination, Geneva. We will stay at the Movenpick hotel for our final two nights. (B/D)Day 7: Sunday, July 13, 2025: Geneva
Geneva was described by John Knox as “the most perfect school of Christ since the days of the apostles”. We will attend the English-speaking morning service at the Auditoire de Calvin, part of the Church of Scotland. After lunch we will tour St. Pierre’s Cathedral, the Reformation Museum, and the impressive Reformation Monument. Four statues of four Reformation leaders stand as sentinels to truth and courage inspired by godly faith. We will enjoy a Farewell meal together this evening. (B/D)Day 8: Monday, July 14, 2025: Return
We will return to the USA today or continue our travels in Europe. (B)Please note this itinerary is copyrighted.
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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!
Wittenberg, Germany
July 8-9, 2025
Colleg Wittenberg
Jüdenstraße 8
06886 WittenbergErfurt, Germany
July 9-10, 2025
Radisson Blu
Juri-Gagarin-Ring 127
99084 ErfurtHeidelberg, Germany
July 10-11, 2025
Hilton Heidelberg
Kurfürsten-Anlage 1
69115 HeidelbergGrindelwald, Switzerland
July 11-12, 2025
Hotel Gletschergarten
Obere Gletscherstrasse 1,
3818 GrindelwaldGeneva, Switzerland
July 12-14, 2025
Movenpick Hotel
Rte de Pré-Bois 20
1215 Geneva Arrival and Departure Transfers
Once the pilgrimage is a guaranteed departure our air team can assist you with booking flights and transfers. 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
Our air team will be happy to assist you with flights once the tour is a guaranteed departure.
Arrival: Please arrange to arrive in Berlin no later than 10:00 AM on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Pre-tour night is available)
Departure: You are welcome to depart from Geneva at any time on Monday, July 14, 2025.
Pre- and post-tour nights can be booked through us.
What’s included in the land price of $3,699?
Price based on a minimum of 20 tour participants.
Your Tour Includes
• Transportation: via deluxe air-conditioned coaches
• Accommodations (double-occupancy) in 4-star hotels
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary
• Professional Tour Manager throughout the tour
• Local step-on guides for city tours and major attractions
• Guides will use Whisper Headsets throughout the tour
• Admission to all activities indicated in the itinerary
• Arrival and departure transfers for group flights
• All taxes and tips
• Full color personalized tour book
• Travel appYour Tour Does Not Include
• Round-trip air transportation and related taxes and fees
• Airport transfers separate from the group
• Single supplement ($690)
• 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
• Baggage handling (let us know if you need assistance)Payment Schedule
The deposit of $350 per person is due at the time of booking through the registration system. As you register you will be given the option to pay by ACH (direct from your bank) or by credit card (3.5% fee). If you prefer, checks can be mailed to “Reformation Tours”, 12316 244th St, Chisago City, MN 55013-9688
• Final payment is due by April 8, 2025
• Reservations will be accepted after April 8, 2025, subject to availabilityInsurance
There are two levels of insurance offered. Click here to compare. When you fill out the registration form, you will be given quotes for both.
Standard is 4.55% of the trip cost and can be purchased up until 2 days prior to departure, although we recommend purchasing it before.
Enhanced is 7.6% of the trip cost and includes cancel for any reason benefits. It has to be purchased within 14 days of registration.
Cancellations
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.
Cancellation penalties:
Days Before Travel Cancellation Penalty If the client cancels From sign-up until 100 days before departure $150 If the client cancels Between 99 and 30 days before departure $350 + any non-refundable fees If the client cancels Less than 30 days before departure No refund Reformation Tours reserves the rights to alter itineraries without notice should it become necessary.
Please click the button below to register.
Register for Tour REA25
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Click on the map to see a larger version. The numbers refer to overnights in these locations.