Trip Itinerary

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

Day 1: Sunday, September 15, 2024: Depart
Flights have been arranged from the USA.   Early arrivals will stay in the Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz, with included airport transfers. There will be an optional morning excursion to Berlin Cathedral on Sunday morning. (IF)

Day 2: Monday, September 16, 2024: Berlin, Wittenberg
Welcome to Germany! We will gather in the hotel lobby for a morning panoramic sightseeing tour of the reunified German capital, highlighting the Reichstag (parliament building), the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the refurbished city center and Gendarmenmarkt. We will also see Alexanderplatz, the famous boulevard “Unter den Linden,” and the Berlin Cathedral. After some free time, we will continue to Lutherstadt-Wittenberg and check-in our hotel. We will dine in our hotel this evening. (B/D)

Day 3: Tuesday, September 17, 2024: Wittenberg
This morning our local guide will take us on a tour of Lutherstadt 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 visit St. Mary’s Church where Luther regularly preached and visit the Old Latin School next door. Lutherhalle (Luther House) Museum. is currently closed for renovations, but the special exhibition “Literally Luther. Facets of a Reformer” will be open in the nearby Augusteum. In 1508, when Martin Luther came to Wittenberg, he lived in the Lutherhalle with other Augustinian Monks. Later, Luther and his wife, Katharina von Bora, raised six children here. We will arrange for a time of fellowship today with the Wittenberg English Ministry. The rest of the day will be free to explore independently. (B)

Day 4: Wednesday, September 18, 2024: Eisleben, Erfurt
This morning we will drive to Eisleben, where Luther was born and also where he died. It is sometimes referred to as his Bethlehem and Jerusalem. We will visit both of these homes with our guide, as well as St. Anne’s, an old miner’s church famous for the Biblical Scenes hewn in stone. We will also visit St. Peter and St. Paul Church where Luther was baptized, and St. Andrews, where he preached his last sermon. In the afternoon, we will continue on to Erfurt. We will have a fun dinner tonight in a medieval-style restaurant featuring foods from Luther’s time. (B/D)

Day 5: Thursday, September 19, 2024: Erfurt
This morning our local guide will take us on a tour including St. Mary’s Cathedral, Church of St. Severus, and the famous Merchant’s Bridge. We will also 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. The rest of the day will be at leisure.  (B)

Day 6: Friday, September 20, 2024: Eisenach, Rudesheim
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 some free time in Eisenach to visit the Bach House or Luther House before we drive down to our hotel in Rudesheim. We will have dinner in a local restaurant. (B/D)

Day 7: Saturday, September 21, 2024: Rhine Cruise, Rothenburg
What better way to start the day than with a Rhine cruise! We will board the boat and sail past magnificent castles and the famous Loreley rock to St. Goar. Every bend in the river will bring more stunning scenery, ships pass left and right, and numerous trains roar up and down the Rhine River valley. We will continue on to medieval Rothenburg, where we will have leisure time to walk around the walls and explore the town. (B)

Day 8: Sunday, September 22, 2024: Romantic Road, Füssen
We will have some free time this morning to visit the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop or walk around the medieval walls. We will then travel down the fabled “Romantic Road,” a famous and popular tourist route, displaying a rich and varied cultural landscape, through the Franconian wine country to Bavaria. We will pass small historic villages full of their original charm on our way to our hotel. We will tour the Passion Play Theater this afternoon and see the fabulous costumes and sets in Oberammergau, before we check-into our hotel in Füssen.  (B/D)

Day 9: Monday, September 23, 2024: Neuschwanstein, Füssen
After a leisurely breakfast, we will tour the magnificent fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration for the Disney Palace. This castle was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century and is now one of the most visited tourist destinations in Europe. We will also visit Linderhof Palace and Gardens, before returning to Garmisch. The evening is at leisure. (B)

Day 10: Tuesday, September 24, 2024: Munich, Oktoberfest, Freising
This morning we will depart for Munich, Bavaria’s fun-loving capital. We will watch the brass band concert this morning with all the Oktoberfest bands. After lunch in one of the tents, we will have a walking tour of the city, including the Olympic Village, Nymphenburg Palace, the elegant Maximillian Strasse and the Glockenspiel. We’ll end the day with dinner in a beer garden in the charming village of Freising, close to the airport. (B/L/D)

Day 11: Wednesday, September 25, 2024: Return
We will leave this morning and drive to Munich Airport for our flight home. (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!

Berlin, Germany
Pre-tour night/s in Berlin (optional)
Royal Leonardo Hotel Alexanderplatz
Otto-Brau-Strasse 90
10249 Berlin

Wittenberg, Germany
September 16-18, 2024
Best Western Hotel Soibelmanns
Collegienstraße 56-57
06886 Lutherstadt Wittenberg

Erfurt, Germany
September 18-20, 2024
Mercure Hotel Erfurt Alstadt
Meienbergstraße 26-27
99084 Erfurt

Rüdesheim, Germany
September 20-21, 2024
Hotel Jagdschloss
Niederwaldstraße 1
65385 Rüdesheim am Rhein

Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, Germany
September 21-22, 2024
Hotel Rappen
Vorm Würzburger Tor 10
91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Füssen, Germany
September 22-24, 2024
Hotel Hirsch
Kaiser-Maximilian-Platz 7
87629 Füssen

Freising, Germany (near Munich Airport)
September 24-25, 2024
Hotel Bayerischer Hof
Untere Hauptstraße 3
85354 Freising

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 Monday, September 16, 2024. (Pre-tour night is available)

Departure: You are welcome to depart from Munich at any time on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

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

What’s included in the tour price of $3,499 + air?

Price based on a minimum of 20 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 driver

Your Tour Does Not Include

•   Round-trip air transportation and related taxes and fees
•   Arrival and departure transfers
•   Single supplement ($550)
•   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 invoices will be sent in May 2024
•   Final payment is due by June 18, 2024
•   Reservations will be accepted after June 18, 2024, 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 RST24