Trip Itinerary

Please note this itinerary is copyrighted.

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

Day 1: Thursday, August 10, 2017: Flight
Depart USA for overnight transatlantic flight to Prague. (IF)

Day 2: Friday, August 11, 2017: Prague
When we arrive in Prague, our Reformation Tours Tour Director will greet and escort us to our waiting deluxe, air-conditioned motor coach. We will have some free time for lunch, then our expert local guide take us on a walking tour focused on Jan Hus, the leading personality of the Czech Reformation movement. We’ll visit Bethlehem Chapel where he preached (possibly closed for renovations), and see the Hus monument outside Týn Church. Hus was a contemporary of John Wycliffe and was heavily influenced by his writings. They both agreed that all Christians are members of Christ’s church and that Jesus is the head. We will celebrate our arrival in Prague with a dinner cruise on the Vltava River. (IF/D)

Day 3: Saturday, August 12, 2017: Prague
This morning we’ll explore Prague Castle, a complex of palaces, courtyards, streets and churches including St. Vitus Cathedral, which took 600 years to complete. We will then take a stroll across Charles Bridge, past the famous statues to the Old Town Square. We will finish by the Jan Hus Monument, built to commemorate the 500^th anniversary of his martyrdom. The afternoon is at leisure before a Czech folk dinner this evening. (B/D)

Day 4: Sunday, August 13, 2017: Prague, Dresden, Wittenberg
Crossing into Germany, we will stop in the wonderful Baroque city of Dresden. Highlights include the magnificent palatial buildings around the Theaterplatz and the Brühl Terraces, and the many art treasures at the state museums. Germany’s largest Protestant church, the Frauenkirche has now been fully restored after being damaged during WWII. J.S. Bach was the first to play on the Silberman organ when the church was originally built. We will then continue on to Lutherstadt-Wittenberg, where we’ll dine at Brauhaus. (B/D)

Day 5: Monday, August 14, 2017: Wittenberg
This morning is free to explore the town. In the afternoon our local guide will take us to where Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door of the Schlosskirche (Castle Church) in 1517. Although the original door was destroyed in a fire, the replica has all 95 Theses in bronze, which is magnificent. Next we tour the Lutherhalle (Luther House) Museum, where Luther lived for 35 years. It was here that he had his pivotal “Tower Experience” while reading Romans 1:17. (B)

Day 6: Tuesday, August 15, 2017: Erfurt
After breakfast, we will travel to Erfurt, where we will have free time for lunch and a stroll around this delightful medieval town. Our local guide will take us on a tour including St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Severin’s Church and the famous Merchant’s Bridge. We will end 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 done when he lived there. At the end of the tour we will have a group worship service in the chapel. This evening we will dine in the “Luther Cellar” restaurant with a traditional meal from his time. (B/D)

Day 7: Wednesday, August 16, 2017 : Eisenach, Rudesheim
This morning we’ll travel to the imposing Wartburg Castle, where Luther took refuge after a fake kidnapping staged by his friend and protector, Frederick the Wise. This is where Luther translated the New Testament into German in just 11 weeks! After traveling down to the Rhine, we’ll board the boat at St. Goar and sail past magnificent castles and the famous Loreley rock. We’ll then have the afternoon to explore Rudesheim, a town dating back to the pre-Roman era. Dinner will be in a winery. (B/D)

Day 8: Thursday, August 17, 2017: Mainz, Worms, Zurich
Our morning begins in Mainz as we focus on Bible printing history and the contribution of Johann Gutenberg, who developed moveable type. We will be able to see original copies of the Bible in the Gutenberg Museum. We will also view Mainz Cathedral, dating back to 975. After some free time for lunch we will drive to Worms and see the site of the Worms Debates (Diet of Worms), now a park, with a plaque commemorating the Diet of Worms and the Reformation Monument. We hear the stories of Luther as he responded “Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me.” We will then cross over into Switzerland and check-in to our hotel in Zurich. Dinner is at a local restaurant this evening. (B/D)

Day 9: Friday, August 18, 2017: Zurich, Lauterbrunnen
This morning we will have a guided tour of the key Reformation sites in Zurich. We will tour Zwingli’s church, the Grossmünster, and see the Zwingli Statue. We have a stroll through the historic Altstadt (old city) and see the Zwingli Museum and the Helferei (where Zwingli lived). Other notable sites are the Fraumünster (the famous Catholic Cathedral) with its Marc Chagall windows. We will then continue on to the picturesque resort of Lauterbrunnen, in the  Alps, where we will stay for two-nights. (B/D)

Day 10: Saturday, August 19, 2017: Swiss Alps
Today we will have a full day to explore the Lauterbrunnen Valley, regarded as one of the most spectacular glacial valleys in Europe. It lies surrounded by the un-spoilt natural beauty of the magnificent Swiss Alps. In the afternoon we’ll ride the funicular railway to the picturesque resort of Murren. This is a car-free village perched atop a cliff, surrounded by the unbelievable panorama of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau peaks. We return to our hotel for a second overnight stay. (B)

Day 11: Sunday, August 20, 2017: Geneva
Leaving the Alps behind, we will drive to Geneva, where our local guide will take us on a walking tour to learn more about John Calvin, the French Protestant theologian and John Knox, the Scottish Reformer, who spent several years here as a Pastor. The tour will include Cathedrale St. Pierre (St. Peter’s Cathedral), the impressive Reformation Monument, the Museum of the Reformation and Calvin College. We’ll have the opportunity to sample local Swiss cuisine this evening. We will spend our final overnight in Geneva. (B/D)

Day 12: Monday, August 21, 2017: Return
We will transfer to the airport for our return flights to Boston. (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! Pre-tour nights are available. Please contact us for details

Prague, Czech Republic
August 11-13, 2017
Hotel Yasmin
Prague, 110 00

Wittenberg, Germany
August 13-15, 2017
Acron Hotel
Am Hauptbahnhof 3
D-06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg

Erfurt, Germany
August 15-16, 2017
Augustinerkloster
Augustinerstraße 10
D-99084 Erfurt

Rudesheim, Germany
August 16-17, 2017
Ringhotel Central
Kirchstraße 6
D-65385 Rüdesheim am Rhein

Zurich, Switzerland
August 17-18, 2017
Hotel Alexander
Niederdorfstr. 40
CH-8025 Zürich

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
August 18-20, 2017
Hotel Oberland
Fuhren
3822 Lauterbrunnen

Geneva, Switzerland
August 20-21, 2017
Hotel Royal
43, Rue de Lausanne
1201 Geneva

Flight Information

If you would like to make your own arrangements, please arrange to be in Prague on the morning of  August 11, 2017.  If you would prefer to arrive earlier, we can arrange a pre-tour hotel night in Prague. We can either assist you with flights or you can book your own. Please ensure we have a copy of your flight itinerary for our records as soon as you have booked it.

What’s included in the land price of $3,399?

Price based on a minimum of 15 participants

Your Tour Includes

•   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 Director throughout the tour
•   Local step-on guides for city tours and major attractions
•   Admission to all activities indicated in the itinerary
•   All transfers, as a group
•   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 (estimated $950 round-trip from Boston)
•   Single supplement ($600)
•   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 (details sent with reservation form)
•   Gratuities for tour director, and driver

Payment Schedule

• Deposit of $350 will secure your place on the tour. Please send all payments to Reformation Tours, P.O Box 854, Belleville, IL 62222.
• Final invoices will be sent in May 2017
• Final payment is due by May 27, 2017
• Reservations will be accepted after May 27, 2017, subject to availability, and will need to be paid in full.

Insurance

We now offer all of our travelers FREE travel insurance on group tours, which is valid throughout the tour. This insurance is through RoamRight, a division of Arch Insurance Company. You have the option to upgrade to the Total Travel Protection Plan to receive full coverage. The price depends on the total land and air cost of the tour.

Included Insurance
The Travel Protection Plan covers you while you are on tour (not before). It includes medical and evacuation coverage, missed travel connections, trip delay, baggage delays, and lost luggage.

Included Travel Protection Description of Coverage

Upgraded Insurance from $166 (land) and $212 (land and air)
You can upgrade to the Total Travel Protection plan, by adding Trip Cancellation coverage. This is valid from the time of purchase until the tour begins. E-mail us to add the upgraded insurance, or request the upgrade when you sign-up for the tour.

Click for pre-tour cancellation insurance quote (additional cost) Total Travel Protection Description of Coverage

This is a private tour for friends of Dr. Jack and Kathy Daniel.