Following Luther: Both Then and Now
Wittenberg St. Thomas' Church, Leipzig Eisleben Erfurt Wartburg Castle Munich Salzburg
You are invited to join us on a once in a lifetime unique tour of the land of Luther with a purpose. Not only will will follow the life of Martin Luther visiting 15 cities, but we end our tour at a beautiful resort hotel by Lake Chiemsee for a couple of days with one of our church’s dear missionary families – The Grabers (Ben & Anna and their 5 wonderful children)We are delighted to welcome our tour host, Pastor Mark Trigsted and his wife Lisa. Mark has studied Martin Luther extensively and traveled our route on multiple occasions and will bring devotionals highlighting our daily activities. Lisa, owner of Get Neat With Lisa, will bring her organizing magic to make our trip not only organized to perfection but fun as well.
Designed as a study a Study / Missions trip, we will walk where Luther walked seeing where he was born, lived, and died. We will be able to worship together as we will spend two Sunday Morning Worship services together one in Wittenberg the birthplace of the Reformation and the other on beautiful Lake Chiemsee in Bavaria.
This tour includes these highlights:
- Tour of Berlin
- Luther’s home in Wittenberg
- St. Mary’s and Castle Church, Wittenberg
- Luther’s Birthplace in Eisleben
- The Home Luther lived in Mansfeld
- The Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt
- Gutenberg’s workshop and museum in Mainz
- City Tour of Munich
- Optional City or Sound of Music Tour of Salzburg, Austria
- Relaxing Lake time at Prien am Chiemsee
Trip Itinerary
Key: IF = In Flight Meals, B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
Day 1: Thursday, May 21, 2026: Depart
We will depart from the USA. Group flights can be arranged. Reformation Tours can also arrange pre-tour nights in Berlin for anyone who wishes to travel before the tour begins. (IF)Day 2: Friday, May 22, 2026: Berlin, Wittenberg
Welcome to Germany! On arrival in Berlin, travelers will transfer to the centrally located pre-tour hotel. After spending time exploring, purchasing lunch, and shopping, we will gather back at the hotel to begin the panoramic sightseeing tour, highlighting the Reichstag (parliament building), the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the refurbished city center, and Gendarmenmarkt. We will continue to Lutherstadt-Wittenberg and check in our hotel. We will dine in our hotel this evening. (B/D)Day 3: Saturday, May 23, 2026: Wittenberg
This year, Lutherstadt Wittenberg will celebrate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora. Luther’s former home, the Lutherhalle, is under refurbishment, but we will see the Luther exhibition in the Augusteum. We will also visit Melancthon’s House, followed by free time for lunch. The afternoon is at leisure before dinner in the Restaurant von Bora. (B/D)Day 4: Sunday, May 24, 2026: Wittenberg
Martin Luther regularly preached in St. Mary’s Church, also known as the Town Church. We will attend the German-speaking morning service with local parishioners. In 1517, 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 also visit Lucas Cranach’s House and hear about his art. The rest of the day is at leisure. (B)Day 5: Monday, May 25, 2026: Torgau, Nimbschen, Leipzig
After breakfast we will visit Torgau, the Political center of the Reformation in the 16th century. Our tour will include Hartenfels Castle, including Castle Church, which was the first Protestant church to be sanctified by Luther. We will see Katherine von Bora’s tomb in St. Mary’s Church, and the memorial in her home. We will continue to nearby Nimbschen to see the convent where Katherine lived before her marriage. After time to buy lunch and explore we will continue on to Leipzig and dine in our hotel. (B/D)Day 6: Tuesday, May 26, 2026: Leipzig, Halle, Eisleben
We will visit St. Thomas’ Church, where Bach was cantor for 27 years. We will also view the site of the Plessenburg Castle (now the Town Hall), where Luther preached on Pentecost Sunday in 1539. After free time for lunch in Leipzig, we will stop at the Market Church in Halle to see Luther’s Death Mask. We will dine in our hotel in Eisleben this evening. (B/D)Day 7: Wednesday, May 27, 2026: Eisleben, Erfurt
Local tour guide Ms. Dorothee Prohl will join us for breakfast in our hotel, then we will walk to St. Peter and St. Paul’s church for a devotional about baptism. We will also see the Birth and Death homes, and St. Andrews Church. On the way to Erfurt, will stop in Mansfield to see Luther’s childhood home, school, and home church. In Stotterheim we will remember when Luther was caught in a thunderstorm and pledged to become a monk. This evening we will dine in the Augustinian Monastery. (B)Day 8: Thursday, May 28, 2026: Erfurt, Eisenach
This morning we will tour 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. After a private worship service, we will continue to Eisenach and dine in our hotel. B/D)Day 9: Friday, May 29, 2026: Eisenach, Mainz
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 have s free time for lunch, and a tour of the Luther house, before we travel to Mainz. (B/D)Day 10: Saturday, May 30, 2026: Mainz, Freising
In Mainz, we will tour the Gutenberg Museum, which celebrates the work of Johannes Gutenberg, who invented book printing with movable letters. This led to the media revolution and the spread of Reformation teaching. 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 stunning Reformation Monument, followed by a visit to the Church of the Holy Trinity. In the afternoon we will drive through Bavaria to Freising, a small town close to Munich. (B/D)Day 11: Sunday, May 31, 2026: Munich, Prien am Chiemsee
We will have a morning fellowship time with Ben Graber and Mission to the World staff, followed by lunch in a Munich beer garden. We will tour Munich in the afternoon, then transfer to our hotel in Prien am Chiemsee, where we will dine together. (B/L/D)Day 12: Monday, June 1, 2026: Salzburg, Prien am Chiemsee
Our day trip to Salzburg will be by train. We will begin with a guided tour, including some sites related to Salzburg’s most famous resident, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, including the Mozarteum, one of the best music schools in the world, and the house where he was born in 1756. In the afternoon, we can choose between a Sound of Music tour or free time for relaxation, shopping, visiting museums, or enjoying coffee and cake. (B)Day 13: Tuesday, June 2, 2026: Lake Chiemsee
We will take a ferry ride this morning on Lake Chiemsee to visit Herrenchiemsee Palace, commissioned by King Ludwig and modelled on Versailles. After touring the house and gardens, we will take another ferry to Fraueninsel, the small neighboring island. Kloster Frauenwörth is the oldest nunnery in Germany, dating back to 772 AD. The island is also home to craft shops and cafes. We will return to Prien am Chiemsee by boat. (B)Day 14: Wednesday, June 3, 2026: Return
We will transfer to Munich Airport for our flight home. (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
May 22-25, 2026
Martas Hotel
Neustraße 7-10
06886 WittenbergLeipzig, Germany
May 25-26, 2026
Seaside Park Hotel
Richard-Wagner-Straße 7
04109 LeipzigEisleben, Germany
May 26-27, 2026
Hotel Graf von Mansfeld
Market 56
06295 EislebenErfurt, Germany
May 27-28, 2026
Augustinian Monastery (pending)
Augustinerstrasse 10
99084 ErfurtEisenach, Germany
May 28-29, 2026
Vienna House Thuringer Hof
Karlsplatz 11
99817 EisenachMainz, Germany
May 29-30, 2026
Hotel Erbacher Hof
Grebenstraße 24-26
55116 MainzFreising, Germany
May 30-31, 2026
Hotel Bayerischer Hof
Untere Hauptstraße 3
85354 FreisingPreim am Chiemsee, Germany
May 31-June 3, 2026
Yachthotel
Harrasser Str. 49
83209 Prien am Chiemsee Arrival and Departure Transfers
Once the tour 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
*Please do not book non-refundable flights until the tour is a guaranteed departure. Our air team will be happy to assist you with flights.
Arrival: Please arrange to arrive in Berlin no later than 10:00 AM on Friday, May 22, 2026. (Pre-tour night is available)
Departure: You are welcome to depart from Munich at any time after 11:00 AM on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.
Pre- and post-tour nights can be booked through us.
What’s included in the tour price of $4,599 + air?
Price based on a minimum of 30 tour 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 taxes and tips – including tour director and driverYour Tour Does Not Include
• Round-trip air transportation and related taxes and fees
• Arrival and departure transfers
• Pre-tour night in Berlin ($120 per person)
• Single supplement ($926)
• 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 February 20, 2026
• Reservations will be accepted after February 20, 2026 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, so we highly recommend purchasing travel insurance:
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 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.
Please click on the button below to access the printable registration page and register.
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Click on the map to see a larger version. The numbers refer to overnights in these locations.