Trip Itinerary

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

Day 1: Monday, April 21, 2025: Depart
We will depart from the USA on our transatlantic overnight flights to Berlin. (IF)

Day 2: Tuesday, April 22, 2025: Arrival in Berlin, Grimma
When we arrive in Berlin, we will drive to Grimma and settle into the Nimbschen Kloster Hotel, where we will stay for 3 nights (B/D)

Day 3: Wednesday, April 23, 2025: Torgau, Grimma
After breakfast we will visit Torgau, which was 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 return to our hotel this evening and enjoy an evening meal together in our hotel. (B/D)

Day 4: Thursday, April 24, 2025: Grimma
Today is a rest day in our resort hotel, nestled in the grounds of the former Cistercian monastery. During the day we will have a Martin/Katy Luther presentation. We can spend the rest of the day as we wish, and options include worship, study, prayer, bowling, miniature golf, boat rides, cycling, or a relaxing sauna session. The food in the convent includes traditional meals prepared using local ingredients. (B/L/D)

Day 5: Friday, April 25, 2025: Leipzig, Erfurt
In nearby Leipzig, we will visit St. Thomas Church, where Bach was cantor for 27 years. We will also visit St. Nicholas Church, home to the “Prayers for Peace” in 1989, with thousands joining in candlelight prayers, leading to the fall of the infamous Berlin Wall. After lunch in the historic Auerbachs Keller, we will continue to Erfurt and check in to our hotel. Our pilgrimage today will be on foot to view St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Severin’s Church, and the famous Merchant’s Bridge. (B/D)

Day 6: Saturday, April 26, 2025: Eisenach, Erfurt
On our day trip to Eisenach today, we will learn more about both Luther and Bach. 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. If the afternoon we will hear authentic period instruments in the Bach House, then visit St. George’s Church, where the Bach family served. We will return to Erfurt and visit 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. At the end of the day, we will have a group time in the chapel. The evening is at leisure. (B)

Day 7: Sunday, April 27, 2025: Eisleben, Wittenberg
In Eisleben we will tour the homes where Luther was born and also where he died. He was baptized in St. Peter and Paul’s Church and we we will see the remains of the original baptismal font. He preached his final four sermons in St. Andrews Church, which is where his body was laid in state. We will continue to Wittenberg, where we will dine together after checking into our hotel. (B/D)

Day 8: Monday, April 28, 2025 Wittenberg, Berlin
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, 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. We will have a short worship service with the Wittenberg English Ministry, then continue to Berlin, where we will have a free evening. (B)

Day 9: Tuesday, April 29, 2025: Berlin
Our Pilgrimage will end the Germany section of the tour with a visit to World War II sites in Berlin, including the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall, the Kaiser Wilhelm Church, the Reichstag Building, the Berlin Cathedral, and the Resistance Museum. In the afternoon we will visit the Bonhoeffer House, then have free time before our Farewell Meal. (B/D)

Day 10: Wednesday, April 30, 2025: Depart
Those returning today will have a transfer to Berlin Airport. (B/IF)

Czech Extension

Day 10: Wednesday, April 30, 2025: Dresden, Herrnhut
Dresden is a stunning Baroque city that was heavily bombed in the war. We will arrive in time to attend the noon service and tour in the recently restored Frauenkirche, Germany’s largest Protestant cathedral. The tour will continue through scenic Swiss Saxony to Herrnhut, a village near the Czech border. We will stay in the Guest House of the Evangelical Moravian Church. (B/D)

Day 11: Thursday, May 1, 2025: Herrnhut, Prague
May 1 is Europe’s Labor Day holiday and is typically a day to celebrate Spring. It’s also a day to commemorate workers and the contributions they have made. We will visit Count Zinzendorf’s estate and hear about the history and impact of the Moravian Church, see the Moravian star factory, and hear about the Daily Texts. We will travel to Prague, and the evening is at leisure. (B)

Day 12: Friday, May 2, 2025: Prague
Our morning walking tour will focus on Jan Hus, the leading personality of the Czech Reformation movement. We’ll visit Bethlehem Chapel where he preached and see the Hus monument outside Týn Church. Hus was a contemporary of John Wycliffe and was heavily influenced by his writings. This evening we will have fun at a Czech dinner, including seeing folk dancing. (B/D)

Day 13: Saturday, May 3: 2025: Prague
Today we will 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. Our farewell meal will be in our hotel. (B/D)

Day 14: Sunday, May 4, 2025: Return
We will return to the USA today or continue our travels in Europe. (B)

Please note this itinerary is copyrighted.

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!

Grimma, Germany
April 22-25, 2025
Kloster Nimbschen Hotel
Nimbschener Landstr. 2,
04668 Grimma

Erfurt, Germany
April 25-27, 2025
Mercure Hotel Altstadt
Meienbergstr 26-27
99084 Erfurt

Wittenberg, Germany
April 27-28, 2025
Hotel Martas
Neustraße 7-10
06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg

Berlin, Germany
April 28-30, 2025
Hotel Leonardo Berlin Mitte
Bertolt-Brecht-Platz 4
10117 Berlin

Herrnhut, Germany
April 30 – May 1, 2025
Guest House Komensky
Comeniusstrasse 8-10
02747 Herrnhut

Prague, Czech Republic
May 1-4, 2025
Hotel Ambassador Zluta House
Václavské náměstí 840/5
Nové Město, 110 00 Praha

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.

Group Options

Group air for the main tour is $1,392 per person.

Group air for the main tour and Prague extension is $1,384 per person.

Arrival: Please arrange to arrive in Berlin no later than 10:00 AM on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Pre-tour night is available)

Departure: You are welcome to depart from Berlin at any time on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 or from Prague on Sunday, May 4, 2025.

Pre- and post-tour nights can be booked through us.

What’s included in the tour price of $4,199 + air?

Price based on a minimum of 20 tour participants. The post tour is $1,099 per person.

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 driver

Your 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 ($475 / $285)
•   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 “Edengate Travel”, 12316 244th St, Chisago City, MN 55013-9688.
•   Final invoices will be sent in December 2024
•   Final payment is due by January 21, 2025
•   Reservations will be accepted after January 21, 2025 subject to availability

Insurance

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:

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.

Terms and Conditions

Please click on the button below to access the printable registration page and register.

Register for Tour RSH25