"HISTORY OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION"
October 4-17, 2026
TOUR ITINERARY
TOUR BROCHURE:
TOUR CODE: MannaRef26
DAY 1 (October 4):
Tour members meet in Chicago and depart together on our flight for Geneva. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the in-flight service as you embark on this exciting adventure of a lifetime.
DAY 2 (October 5): Arrive in Geneva, Switzerland
After arriving in Geneva, we are greeted by our tour guide and
board our motorcoach to start a tour of the city. Our first stop
is the International Museum of the Reformation, where we will
dive into 500 years of Reformation history. We will explore how
the Reformation impacted lives, including faith, education, and
economic changes.
Located right next to the museum, we will then visit St. Peter’s Cathedral. It was here that John Calvin preached every other week from 1536 to 1564.
Next, we will walk to the Reformation Wall, a memorial built into what was once the city wall, representing the reclaiming and protection of the Gospel that happened here. Some of the reformers featured on the Wall include John Calvin, William Farel, Theodore Beza, and John Knox.
We will enjoy dinner in the city and then head to our hotel.
DAY 3 (October 6): Bern, Switzerland
After breakfast, we drive two hours to Bern, the historic capital
of Switzerland and a key city in the Protestant Reformation.
Ledby Reformer Berchtold Haller, Bern embraced Protestantism in
1528. However, it was also a site of intense persecution—many
Anabaptists were imprisoned, tortured, or drowned in the Aare
River for rejecting infant baptism and advocating believer’s faith.
On arrival, we enjoy a walking tour through Bern’s medieval Old
Town and visit the towering Bern Minster, Switzerland’s tallest
cathedral, with stunning views and Reformation ties.
We then check into our hotel and enjoy a relaxing evening and dinner.
DAY 4 (October 7): Zurich, Switzerland
After breakfast, we will board the bus and enjoy the countryside
as we drive from Bern to Zurich.
Once we arrive in Zurich we will have lunch. After lunch we will begin our walking tour of several churches including Wasserkirche, Fraumunster, and Grossmunster (where the preaching of Huldrych Zwingli initiated the Swiss-German Reformation in Switzerland).
After our walking tour we will check into our hotel where we will have dinner and overnight.
DAY 5 (October 8): Basel, Switzerland
After breakfast, we’ll enjoy a 90-minute drive to Basel, the cultural capital of Switzerland, featuring Mittlere Brucke (Middle Bridge) that dates back to the 1200s and offers beautiful views of the Rhine River and Basel.
Our adventure begins at Basel Munster, built between 1019 and 1500, which contains the tomb of humanist scholar Erasmus of Rotterdam.
After lunch, we’ll tour Saint Martin’s Church (Martinskirche), the oldest parish church in Basel, with origins tracing back to 1101 or 1103. Saint Martin’s Church holds a key place in Basel’s Reformation history. In 1529, reformer Johannes Oecolampadius preached here in German for the first time, marking a significant shift in religious practice.
We will have dinner and check into our hotel.
DAY 6 (October 9): Strasbourg, France
After breakfast, we board the bus and drive to Riquewhir, a
charming little village frozen in time. After taking a break with a stroll through town, we finish our drive to our stop for the day, one of Europe’s most beautiful cities: Strasbourg.
The Reformation ideas spread in Strasbourg in the early 16th century, helping to establish theological education. In 1532, Martin Bucer began courses in biblical exegesis, ancient languages, and more.
Our first stop upon arrival will be the Statue of the Reformers at the University, and we will also visit the historic quarter known as La Petite-France. Before lunch, we will visit St. Thomas Church.
After lunch, we will visit Strasbourg Cathedral, then have dinner in the city before checking into our hotel
DAY 7 (October 10): Heidelberg and Worms, Germany
After breakfast, we visit Heidelberg, a beautiful town on the Neckar River where romanticism is both past and present. Our walking tour includes the Old Town, the famous Stone Bridge over the Neckar, Heidelberg Castle (where the Heidelberg Confession was written in 1653), the Castle Church, the German Apothecary Museum, and the Church of the Holy Ghost.
After lunch, we continue to Worms, one of Germany’s oldest towns. There, we visit St. Peter’s Cathedral, an exquisite example of Romanesque architecture. In 1521, Martin Luther was summoned by Emperor Charles V to recant his teachings before the Diet of Worms. We also see the spot where Luther made his famous “Here I Stand” declaration.
Next, we visit the world’s largest memorial to the Reformation, along with Europe’s oldest Jewish cemetery, the Holy Sands.
Another Reformer, William Tyndale, completed printing the English Bible in Worms, escaping persecution in England.
After an amazing day of touring, we finish with dinner and check in at our hotel near Frankfurt.
DAY 8 (October 11): Wartburg Castle and Erfurt
After breakfast we drive to the magnificent Wartburg Castle for a self-guided tour of the Palais (Great Hall), the Elisabeth Hallway, and the Luther Room, where Martin Luther, under his disguise as “Junker Jörg,” translated the New Testament into German.
We then board the motorcoach for Erfurt, where we will have lunch
before a guided visit to the Augustinian Monastery, featuring a permanent exhibit about Luther’s life as a monk. If time permits,
we will visit St. Mary’s Cathedral, where Luther was ordained as a
priest, and St. Severus Church.
We end our day with dinner and then check into our hotel.
DAY 9 (October 12): Lutherstadt-Wittenburg and Berlin
We begin with breakfast, then take a motorcoach to Wittenberg.
Our tour starts with a guided walk, including a visit to All Saints’ Church of the Castle Church, where Luther posted his 95 Theses, sparking the Reformation. Luther is buried here beside Philip Melanchthon.
We break for lunch then visit the "Luther" exhibition in the Augusteum, built in the 1580s. With Luther House closed for renovation, selected pieces are displayed here. Luther Hall, once an Augustinian monastery where Luther lived as a monk and later as owner in 1525 with his family, is the largest Reformation history museum worldwide.
After the visit, we board the bus and head to Berlin, where we check into our hotel before dinner. We spend the evening reflecting on everything we've seen and learned during this incredible journey.
DAY 10 (October 13): Home to U.S. or Travel to London
This morning we transfer to the Berlin airport for our return flight to the U.S.A. or head to historic London.
After a relaxing lunch, we'll visit the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral. This iconic masterpiece, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, stands as a symbol of England’s Protestant heritage and resilience. Rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666, it became a beacon for the Church of England and a spiritual anchor in the post- Reformation era. Inside, visitors marvel at its soaring dome and inspiring history.
Afterwards, we check into our hotel, unwind, and enjoy a delicious dinner in the heart of this vibrant, storied city.
DAY 11 (October 14): London
We begin our day with breakfast at the hotel before heading to Westminster Abbey, a royal church with deep ties to the English Reformation—where monarchs were crowned and where Anglicanism took root.
After lunch, we visit the Metropolitan Tabernacle, the historic Baptist church once led by famed preacher Charles Spurgeon, a champion of evangelical Protestantism. We then explore Wesley’s Chapel, the “Cathedral of Methodism,” founded by John Wesley, whose revivalist ministry shaped Protestant faith across Britain and America.
After a day rich in Reformation history and spiritual heritage, we return to the hotel and enjoy a relaxing dinner.
DAY 12 (October 15): Travel to Edinburgh, Scotland
We depart our London hotel early and fly north to the historic
capital of Scotland—Edinburgh.
After lunch, we explore St. Giles’ Cathedral, the High Kirk of Scotland, and the spiritual heart of the Scottish Reformation. It was here that John Knox preached fiery sermons that led to Scotland’s break from Rome and its embraceof Presbyterianism.
Next, we visit the Scottish Storytelling Centre and John Knox House, the Reformer’s preserved 16th-century home, offering insight into his life, influence, and the turbulent rise of Protestantism in Scotland.
After our self-guided tours, we enjoy dinner and settle into our hotel for the evening.
DAY 13 (October 16): Edinburgh, Scotland
After breakfast at our Edinburgh hotel, we journey to St. Andrews,
a coastal town rich in Reformation history.
We begin with a self-guided tour of the St. Andrews Cathedral ruins, once the center of Roman Catholic power in Scotland until the Reformation swept through, leaving it abandoned as Protestantism took hold.
Next, we explore St. Andrews Castle, where Protestant preacher George Wishart was imprisoned and martyred, sparking greater resistance to Catholic rule. The castle’s bottle dungeon and siege tunnels tell of dramatic Reformation struggles.
We conclude with a heartfelt farewell dinner, reflecting on the journey before returning to our hotel.
DAY 14 (October 17): Return Home to the U.S.
We transfer to Edinburgh Airport in the morning for our return
flight to the U.S.A. and arrive the same day.
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