Trip Itinerary

Please note this itinerary is copyrighted.

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

Day 1: Tuesday, September 19, 2017: Depart USA
Our journey to explore the sites and heroes of the Reformation begins with an overnight flight to Berlin. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight! (IF)

Day 2: Wednesday, September 20, 2017: Berlin, Wittenberg
Our tour director will welcome us on our arrival in Berlin, and we will begin with a guided tour of Berlin including a stop at the famous Brandenburg Gate. We will also see the Cathedral, the Reichstag building, and Cold War Check Point Charlie Museum. We will then continue to Wittenberg and check-in to our hotel. Our welcome dinner is at our hotel this evening. (IF/D)

Day 3: Thursday, September 21, 2017: Wittenberg
This morning is at leisure, so that everyone can sleep in or relax.  We will have a delicious lunch at the Brauhaus Restaurant by the market square. Our local guide will then take us on a tour of Lutherstadt-Wittenberg including the site where Luther posted his 95 Theses. Although the original door was destroyed in a fire, the replica has all 95 Theses in bronze, which is magnificent. The Lutherhalle Museum is housed in the former monastery where Martin Luther lived first as a monk, then later with his wife and children.  This evening we are free to dine at the restaurant of our choice. (B/L)

Day 4: Friday, September 22, 2017: Erfurt
We will drive to Erfurt this morning and there will be time to purchase lunch in the town center. In the afternoon we will be joined by our local guide, who will take us to St. Mary’s Cathedral where Luther celebrated his first mass. We will also see the unique Merchant’s Bridge. Following in Luther’s footsteps, we will  visit the Augustinian Monastery, including the “Luther Cell” and exhibition. We will dine in a restaurant this evening. (B/D)

Day 5: Saturday, September 23, 2017: Eisenach, Frankfurt
In 1521, Luther, while fleeing from the wrath of the Pope, 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 see where Luther spent time in the nearby town of Eisenach at as school boy. He also sang in the choir of St. George’s Church, where the Bach family also worshiped. In the mid-afternoon we will continue to Frankfurt and check-in to the My Place Hotel near the Frankfurt Hahn airport. (B/D)

Day 6: Sunday, September 24, 2017: Cambridge, Oxford
After an early flight to England, our UK bus and tour director will meet us at the airport and take us to a café for breakfast.   Our first stop is the Round Church and we will spend the morning on a walking tour, watching the excellent video about the Reformation, and enjoying the displays in the church / museum. We will then have some free time for lunch in Cambridge. In the mid-afternoon we will board our bus and drive to Oxford and check-in to our hotel. We will dine at our hotel. (B/D)

Day 7: Monday, September 25, 2017: Oxford
Oxford is also one of England’s famous University cities with a rich Reformation history. The early English reformer, John Wycliffe, was a professor at the university as was the famous Christian writer C.S. Lewis. Other well-known students included Bible translator William Tyndale and the great revivalist preacher George Whitefield. Our walking orientation tour will include Christ Church College Cathedral, and the Martyr Memorial. The rest of the day is at leisure. (B)

Day 8: Tuesday, September 26, 2017: London
On the way into London we will visit Hampton Court Palace, with its magnificent palaces and garden. James I commissioned the King James Version of the Bible during the Hampton Court Conference in 1604. We will then continue on to London, and check into our hotel. (B/D)

Day 9: Wednesday, September 27, 2017: London
After breakfast, we begin our day at St. Paul’s Cathedral, a marvelous building designed by Sir Christopher Wren and recently renovated to its former splendor. We then continue to magnificent Westminster Abbey where most British Kings and Queens since 1066 have been crowned and it is the final resting place of many monarchs, heroes and poets. Although not open to the public now, we will hear about how 17 men translated the first third of the King James Bible Old Testament and the last half of the New Testament, in the Jerusalem Chamber. The rest of the day is at leisure. (B)

Day 10: Thursday, September 28, 2017: London
Today is a leisure day to explore London.  The tour director will be available for optional excursions, e.g. the Tower of London, Windsor etc. (B)

Day 11: Friday, September 29, 2017: London, Edinburgh
In the morning the bus will then take everyone to the station for the train trip up to Edinburgh, which takes just under 5 hours. The Scottish bus will meet us on arrival and we will check-in to our Edinburgh hotel.  In the afternoon our tour of Edinburgh Castle will include tiny St. Margaret’s Chapel, which dates back to the 1100s. We will enjoy a Scottish meal in our hotel this evening. (B/D)

Day 12: Saturday, September 30, 2017: St. Andrews, Stirling
Today we will journey to St. Andrews, a spiritual center in Scotland for centuries. During the Reformation, St. Andrews University was third in significance after Oxford and Cambridge. In the now ruined castle, we will see the Bottle Dungeon where George Wishart was imprisoned before being burned at the stake, and pause at his martyrdom site, also remembering fellow martyr Patrick Hamilton. St. Andrews Cathedral was once the largest church in Scotland, but fell into ruin after John Knox’s sermon, which was inspired by Wishart’s martyrdom. We’ll see Samuel Rutherford’s grave in the grounds of the Cathedral. We will then drive to Stirling, beginning with a tour of the magnificent Stirling Castle, where James VI was educated by Scottish Reformer George Buchanan. The Castle’s long, turbulent history is associated with great figures from Scotland’s past such as William Wallace & Mary Queen of Scots. After the restoration several Covenanters were imprisoned here. Nearby is the Church of the Holy Rude, once a royal cathedral where John Knox preached for James VI baptism in 1566. This evening we will attend a Scottish dinner show. (B/D)

Day 13: Sunday, October 1, 2017: Edinburgh
This morning we have the opportunity to attend morning worship at St. Giles Cathedral, where John Knox first preached in 1559. It was reported that “he was so active and vigorous it looked as if he was about to break the pulpit in bits and fly out of it.” An expert local guide will join after lunch for a walking tour of Edinburgh, including John Knox House, Greyfriar’s Church, Magdalene Chapel and the Royal Mile. Our guide will tell us about the Reformation in Edinburgh: John Knox, the Covenanters and how the saints stood strong for Jesus and true doctrine. We will also visit the royal palace of Holyrood where in 1561 John Knox had discussions about Christianity with Mary Queen of Scots. The rest of the day is at leisure before dinner at the hotel. (B/D)

Day 14: Monday, October 2, 2017: Return
We will transfer to the airport today (either Edinburgh or Glasgow) for the return trip to the USA. (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!

Wittenberg, Germany
September 20-22, 2017
Best Western Standtpalais Wittenberg
Collegienstraße 56/57
D-06886 Wittenberg

Erfurt, Germany
September 22-23, 2017
Best Western Excelsior
Bahnhofstraße 35
D-99084 Erfurt

Franfurt (Hahn), Germany
September 23-24, 2017
My Place Hotel
Hauptstraße 8
55483 Lautzenhausen

Oxford, England
September 24-26 2017
Oxford Spires Four Pillars
Abingdon Road
Oxford OX1 4PS

London, England
September 26-29, 2017
Lancaster Gate Hotel Hyde Park
66 Lancaster Gate
London W2 3NA

Edinburgh, Scotland
September 29-October 2, 2017
Ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge
77 South Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1HN

Flight Information

Group air arrangements for travel roundtrip Los Angeles will be included in the tour cost. Please indicate on the registration form if you will need other travel arrangements.

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What’s included in the land price of $5,499?

*Price based on a minimum of 25 participants
**Included air fare still to be finalized, final price may be adjusted accordingly through Nov 16, 2016.

Your Tour Includes

• Roundtrip air from Los Angeles
• Transportation: via deluxe air-conditioned coaches
• Accommodations (double-occupancy) in superior 3-star and moderate 4-star hotels
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary
• Professional tour directors throughout the tour
• Local step-on guides for city tours and major attractions
• Entrance fees included as per itinerary
• All transfers, as a group
• Baggage handling (1 piece of baggage per guest)
• All taxes and tips

Your Tour Does Not Include

• Single supplement ($700)
• 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.
• Passenger travel insurance (contact Shirley at Group Advantage for details)

Payment Schedule

• Deposit of $600 will secure your place on the tour. Please send all payments to Julie Gaddis, 270 Lancaster Road, El Centro, CA  92243. Credit cards accepted at 3.5%  additional charge. Checks may be made payable to “Group Advantage”.
• Final invoices will be sent in May 2017
• Final payment is due by June 2, 2017
• Reservations will be accepted after June 2, 2017, subject to availability, and will need to be paid in full.

Cancellation Policy

All cancellations must be in writing and the date of postmark will determine the amount of refund due. The following cancellation penalties apply, unless otherwise noted on the tour documentation:

From time of deposit until 17 DEC 2016:  Fully refundable
From 18 DEC 2016 to 02 JUN 2017: $600 non refundable deposit
From 02 JUN 2017 to departure: Non Refundable

VIEW TERMS & CONDITIONS

To join the tour download and print a copy of the registration form here.   Complete and send with your deposit money and copy of your passport photo page* to Julie Gaddis, 270 Lancaster Road, El Centro, CA 92242 (this is a secure mailbox) as indicated on the form.    Checks should be made payable to Group Advantage.  Credit card charges will show as having been made by Group Advantage.

*Your name must match exactly the name as it appears on your passport.   You are not officially registered for this tour until we have received a copy of your passport.  Any additional cost incurred to correct a name on any tour documents will be paid by the tour participant.