The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 11-Day Reformation Tour, May 17 - 27, 2025

Questions? Email us at info@signaturetours.com

Our tour will be led by Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., a world-renowned theologian and church historian. During our journey through Switzerland and Germany, Dr. Mohler will teach about the men – Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, Felix Manz – and the events of the 1500s which led to a Reformation of the church that shook the world, and the effects we still feel today. During our journey, you will get to see and experience some of the most scenic and historic cities and towns in Switzerland and Germany!

DAY 1 (MAY 17) – Depart JFK for Geneva.

DAY 2 (MAY 18) GENEVA – After arriving in Geneva, we are met by our tour guides and we will be transferred to the hotel in the city center. We will be transferred to the harbor and enjoy a one-hour cruise for a great getaway! We enjoy an unparalleled view of Mont-Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain, monuments, famous villas, the Jura, as well as parks and gardens. Check in to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome reception and dinner with Dr. and Mrs. Mohler.

DAY 3 (MAY 19) GENEVA - Our first stop on the city tour is the International Museum of the Reformation. Here we will be introduced to 500 years of Reformation history. We will have the opportunity to see how the Reformation impacted lives, from their faith to their education, and even how it affected areas economically. Located right next to the museum, we will have the chance for an individual inside visit of St. Peter’s Cathedral. It is here that John Calvin preached from 1536 – 1564. Next, we will walk to the Reformation wall. This memorial is built into the area that would have been the old city wall. A representation of the reclaiming and protection of the Gospel that happened here. Some of the reformers presented in the Wall are John Calvin, William Farel, Theodore Beza and John Knox. 

Dinner will be provided for guests throughout the tour.  Most dinners will be followed by a session led by Dr. Mohler which will include lecture, Q&A, and a live recording of The Briefing.

DAY 4 (MAY 20) GENEVA - ZURICH – This morning, we will board our train that will take us to Zurich, the unofficial capital of Switzerland. Zurich is definitely a combination of the old and the new. It is divided into the modern cosmopolitan district and the Altstadt (old city). Much of our time will be spent seeing the sights connected with Ulrich Zwingli. It was in Zurich where the Swiss branch of the Reformation got its start under his leadership beginning in 1520. We see his monument, the church where he was pastor (the Grossmünster), and the Guild Hall and Museum, where we find artifacts and works of art associated with the Reformation. Zurich is also the origin of the Swiss Brethren Anabaptist Movement. It had its start in the home of Felix Manz in 1525, only a few blocks from Zwingli’s church where Manz and others were rebaptized as adults by Conrad Grebel. The Anabaptists (re-baptizers), then became a target of Protestants and the Catholics for persecution and martyrdom, with over 3,000 dying in a “mini- holocaust” over the next decades. Dinner and overnight in the heart of Zurich.

DAY 5 (MAY 21) ZURICH DAY OF LEISURE

DAY 6 (MAY 22) ZURICH-HEIDELBERG-WORMS – After breakfast, we drive to Germany (by bus) and visit Heidelberg, a gorgeous 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 River, and the Heidelberg Castle (where the Heidelberg Confession was written in 1653). We stop for lunch, then we continue to Worms, one of the oldest towns in Germany. We visit St. Peter’s Cathedral, an exquisite example of Romanesque architecture. In 1521, Martin Luther was summoned here by Emperor Charles V to recant his teachings before the Diet of Worms. We also see where Luther made his famous “Here I Stand” declaration. We will visit the world’s largest memorial to the Reformation. Another Reformer named William Tyndale finished his printing of the English Bible in Worms, escaping persecution in England. After an amazing day of touring, we check in our Hotel in Worms.

DAY 7 (MAY 23) WORMS - EISENACH - WARTBURG CASTLE - ERFURT – In the morning, we depart for Eisenach. Today we drive to Wartburg Castle for a guided tour of the Palais (Great Hall), the Elisabeth Hallway, and the Luther Room where Luther, under his disguise as “Junker Jörg,” translated the New Testament into German. After our tour we board the Bus and make our way to Erfurt, where we will have lunch before a guided visit of the Augustinian Monastery, with a permanent exhibit depicting Luther’s life as a monk. We will visit St. Mary’s Cathedral, where Luther was ordained as a priest and St. Severus Church. Dinner and overnight in Erfurt.

DAY 8 (MAY 24) ERFURT - BUCHENWALD CONCENTRATION CAMP - LEIPZIG - BACH CONCERT - BERLIN – We continue to Buchenwald Concentration Camp, where we visit the Bonhoeffer Commemorative Site. The memorial commemorates the Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Wehrmacht General Friedrich von Rabenau, and Wehrmacht Captain Ludwig Gehre, who were held in the detention cellar of the SS casern as “special prisoners” of the Main Security Office of the Reich. We drive to Leipzig, the cradle of the Peaceful Revolution of 1989. Leipzig is also the place of work for one of the world’s most famous composers: Johann Sebastian Bach. We conclude the day in St. Thomas Church, where we will hear a brief organ concert followed by a brief lecture from Dr. Mohler at the Bach gravesite. Dinner and overnight in Berlin. 

DAY 9 (MAY 25) BERLIN – Explore Berlin, the capital of the reunified Germany, on a guided tour that includes all the most important highlights like the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag (Parliament), the impressive boulevard “Unter den Linden”, the Gendarmen-Market, the Alexanderplatz and Check- Point Charlie. Free time in the afternoon. Overnight dinner in Berlin.

DAY 10 (MAY 26) BERLIN - WITTENBERG – We drive to Wittenberg, where we go on a guided walking tour with a visit to the Castle Church, the famous site where Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the church, sparking the beginning of the Reformation. It is here that Luther is buried alongside his fellow reformer, Philipp Melanchthon. On our tour, we will also have the chance to see All Saints’ Church. We take a break for lunch and then continue with a visit to the temporary exhibition “Luther” located in the Augusteum that was built in the mid-1580s. Luther Hall was once an Augustinian monastery where Luther lived as a monk and again later in 1525 as owner with his wife and family. Luther Hall is the largest museum of Reformation history in the world. After our visit, we board the bus and drive back to Berlin before having our farewell dinner.

DAY 11 (MAY 27) BERLIN/USA – Transfer to Berlin Airport for your return flight home with luggage packed with keepsakes and your heart full of memories! 

NOTE: Schedule is subject to change due to various factors and the tour guide’s discretion. 

PRICING:

• $6295 per person based on double occupancy. 
  
• Single room supplement - $1495
• $500 per person with registration to secure space.
• 50% of the total amount is due on or before November 17, 2024
• Balance due on or before February 17, 2025

FLIGHT SCHEDULE: Flight Groups will be assigned around 2 months before departure 

Group 1

BA 174 17MAY JFK LHR   0650P 0655A 18MAY 
BA 728 18MAY LHR GVA  0925A 1205P 
BA 989 27MAY BER LHR 1225P 0130P 
BA 115 27MAY LHR JFK   0240P 0530P

Group 2

BA 112 17MAY JFK LHR   0630P 0630A 18MAY 
BA 726 18MAY LHR GVA  0820A 1100A 
BA 989 27MAY BER LHR 1225P 0120P 
BA 113 27MAY LHR JFK   0420P 0715P

* Flight times, flight numbers, equipment, gates, and seats are subject to change. For the most current information check the airline website.

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE REGISTERING

PASSPORTS: Passports must be valid with an expiration date of at least six months beyond the return home date of the tour. Participants with non-US passports are responsible for country-specific entry requirements. If you do not have a valid passport or need to renew your passport, enter "RENEWING" or "APPLIED FOR" when completing registration.

AIR: The Standard Tour includes round-trip, economy-class airfare from the departure city listed in the itinerary. All group seating is assigned by the airline and cannot be changed by Signature Tours. Seat changes can only be made during check-in at the airport. Upgrades such as Comfort, Premium, Business, or First Class are not available with the standard tour. Participants who wish to upgrade or purchase a specific seat should choose the Land Only option when registering. Frequent flyer, TSA Precheck, and Global Entry numbers can only be added at check-in.

LAND ONLY: Participants who wish to arrange their own air should choose the Land Only option. $1000 per person will be deducted from the standard tour price when selecting this option. Participants arranging their own air should notify Signature Tours at least 6 months prior to the departure date. Land Only Passengers arriving with or before the group are welcome to join the group bus at no additional charge. For those not traveling with the group, Signature Tours can provide contact information to arrange a private transfer.

GROUND/TRANSFERS: The group will be met on arrival by a Signature Tours representative and transferred to the hotel/airport. Land Only participants not traveling with the group are responsible for scheduling ground transfers.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The $500 per person deposit is nonrefundable. Other payments exceeding the $500 per person are refundable in full up to ninety days prior to departure. After this date, refunds for unused accommodations and services will be limited to the amount received from and/or credited by all carriers, sightseeing operators, and hotels. All funds, including the deposit, are non-transferable.

GROUND/TRANSFERS: The group will be met on arrival by a Signature Tours representative and transferred to the hotel/airport. Land Only participants not traveling with the group are responsible for scheduling ground transfers.

HOTELS: Superior first-class hotels throughout. Priced based on two people per room with a private bath and shower.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: A limited number of single rooms are available at additional supplement prices. Signature Tours and/or the group leader will make every attempt to pair single participants requesting a roommate. However, the single supplement fee will be charged for each person occupying a single room, whether by choice or circumstance.

MEALS: Breakfast and dinner are provided daily.

SIGHTSEEING: Entrance fees to all places listed in the itinerary are included, as well as an expert English-speaking guide.

LUGGAGE: Space is limited on the tour buses. Participants are allowed one suitcase weighing 50lbs or less and will be transported in storage under the bus. Participants are allowed one backpack/daypack or personal bag to carry on the bus during the tour. These requirements will meet most airline carrier restrictions. See the carrier website for airline-specific baggage restrictions and requirements. Medical devices are not included in these restrictions. 

TIPS, SERVICE CHARGES, AND TAXES: Tips, service charges, and taxes ARE INCLUDED in the selling price. Taxes, as imposed by national and/or local governments, that are not included at the time of booking are the responsibility of the participant.

NOT INCLUDED: Excess baggage fees, passport fees, visa fees, food or drink items not listed on the regular table menu for included meals, and items of a personal nature such as room service, laundry, etc. Any service not indicated in the itinerary and/or the above list of included features.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS: This tour requires a substantial amount of walking. Many of the sites are not accessible by wheelchair, and the uneven terrain is not feasible for rollators. Signature Tours reserves the right to refuse individuals who may require special attention beyond what the tour guide and tour host can provide.

TRAVEL INSURANCE: Travel Insurance is not included in the purchase price. For your convenience, we offer travel insurance through Travelex Insurance Services. For more information and rates, please review the product flyer or Click Here to enroll in the plan.
* Travelex Insurance Services, Inc CA Agency License #0D10209. Insurance coverages underwritten by Zurich American Insurance Company (NAIC # 16535).

Signature Tours
PO Box 956817 Duluth, GA 30095
info@signaturetours.com