Tour Lutheran Germany in 2027!

Join Pastor Andrew Gerike for a 14-day tour of Germany. We have partnered with Globus to feature this custom theological tour focusing on the major sites in the life and history of Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation, the birthplace of C.F.W. Walther, the little town from which Wilhelm Loehe built up the Lutheran Church in America, as well as other great highlights of Germany!



DATES


July 25 – August 7, 2027

 


LOCATIONS VISITED


Frankfurt, Mainz, Worms, St. Goarshausen, Bacharach, Cologne, Eisenach, Coburg, Erfurt, Eisleben, Leipzig, Torgau, Wittenberg, Jüterbog, Berlin, Dresden, Langenchursdorf, Nuremberg, Neuendettelsau, Dachau, Neuschwanstein, Munich



INCLUDED ON THE TOUR

  • A custom tour book with liturgies, hymns, Scripture readings, historical notes, and plenty of journaling space.
  • Daily devotions with Reformation history and theology connected with the places we will visit.
  • Tour director: a professional, multilingual guide throughout all our travels
  • 13 breakfasts and 6 dinners
  • Quality four-star hotels
  • Ground transportation with a fully airconditioned and Wi-Fi connected motorcoach
  • Sightseeing: As outlined in the itinerary, we will have access to museums, special sites, and expert information from local guides
  • Individual airport transfer at beginning and end of the tour

 

COST AND DEADLINES

  • Deposit: $250 ASAP (nonrefundable)
  • Cost: $5,285 per person
  • March 26, 2027: full list of participants and rooming list
  • April 26, 2027: final manifest sheet (including emergency contact and passport information), and flight information
  • May 21, 2027: final payment due
  • Single supplement: $1,161 (two single supplements are available first-come first-served)
  • Triple Room reduction: -$46 (two triple rooms available first-come first-served)


NOT INCLUDED

  • Airfare (flights into Frankfurt and out of Munich should be individually arranged).
  • Travel insurance (not required, but strongly recommended). Most policies require you purchase their plan within 14 days of making the first payment on your trip, especially if you have a pre-existing condition. When you pay your initial deposit, that "starts the clock." Travel insurance is available through Globus, or through other vendors. Pastor Gerike can provide additional information if you desire suggestions.
  • Tips for local city guides ($2-$5 per day)
  • Gratuity for tour director and coach driver ($150 to $200 per person suggested)


Space is limited! To join us for this tour or for any questions, contact Pastor Gerike at pastor@mountcalvary-lcms.org.

Detailed Itinerary

Every day will include Scripture readings, prayer, devotions, hymns, and a study of Luther’s writings and Reformation history led by Pastor Andrew Gerike.

  • Day 1 – July 25 (Sunday) – Arrive Frankfurt, Germany – Mainz

    Willkommen in Deutschland! Welcome to Germany!

    • Individual airport transfers are included from Frankfurt airport to your Mainz hotel.
    • This evening, join your group for a welcome dinner.

  • Day 2 – July 26 (Monday) – Mainz. Excursion to Worms and Winery Tour

    • View the majestic Cathedral of Mainz, St. Martin's, built above the Rhine Valley with its “Cathedral Mountains,” a key feature of the cityscape even today – over a thousand years after its construction.
    • View the Gutenberg Monument before a visit to the Gutenberg Museum to learn about printing with moveable metal type and see a Gutenberg Bible.
    • In Worms visit St Peter’s Church near the town square where the Diet of Worms was held in 1521 and Luther gave his “Here I Stand” speech before the Emperor and afterwards was condemned as a heretic. 
    • Then visit the world’s largest Memorial to the Reformation where a larger than life statue of Luther is surrounded by statues of the rulers who supported him, his colleagues, pre-Reformers, and the coats of arms of the cities that adopted the Reformation in its earliest years.
    • Visit a winery for a tour and tasting.
    • Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure

  • Day 3 – July 27 (Tuesday) – Mainz – Rhine River Cruise – Cologne

    • Board your Rhine river cruise in St. Goarshausen to enjoy scenic views of the Rhineland, past vineyards, castles, and quaint villages.
    • Disembark in Bacharach to board your coach to Cologne for a walking tour of the city center
    • Visit the incredible Cologne Cathedral, plus free time to explore.
    • Arrive at your hotel for an evening at your leisure.

  • Day 4 – July 28 (Wednesday) – Cologne – Eisenach

    • Journey across Germany to Eisenach to visit to Bachhaus, the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach, and tour the Lutherhaus, Martin Luther’s childhood home.
    • Dinner is included at your hotel this evening.

  • Day 5 – July 29 (Thursday) – Eisenach – Wartburg Castle – Coburg

    • Begin the day with a visit to Wartburg Castle where Luther translated the New Testament into German while in hiding as Junker Jörg (Knight George).
    • Travel to Coburg, the well-preserved 11th century medieval town that Martin Luther described as “exceedingly charming,” for a guided walking tour
    • Enjoy a guided tour of the mighty Coburg Castle, a fortress built on the hills above the town in 1225, and one of Germany’s largest castles.
    • This evening, dine as a group at a local restaurant.

  • Day 6 – July 30 (Friday) – Coburg – Erfurt – Eisleben – Leipzig

    • Travel to the lovely city of Erfurt to visit the Augustinian Monastery, where Luther lived as a monk from 1505–1511. 
    • Visit Erfurt’s St. Mary’s Cathedral where Luther was ordained a priest in 1507.
    • Continue to Eisleben where Luther was born in 1483 and died in 1546. See the house of Luther’s birth and death, St. Peter and Paul Church where Luther was baptized, and St. Andrews Church where he preached his last sermon.
    • Then it’s on to Leipzig, the city of music, where composer Johann Sebastian Bach lived the last years of his life. Visit the St. Thomas Church where Bach worked and is buried. Felix Mendelssohn, who revived interest in Bach and founded the Leipzig Conservatory, also died here.

  • Day 7 – July 31 (Saturday) – Leipzig – Torgau – Wittenberg – Jüterbog – Berlin

    • Travel to Torgau to visit the Hartenfels Castle Chapel, the first church building built by Lutherans, and consecrated by Martin Luther
    • See Katie Luther’s death house
    • View the Soldaten an der Elbe monument, commemorating the famous handshake between American and Soviet soldiers signaling the approaching end of WWII.
    • Continue to Wittenberg to travel back in time on a walking tour to see the Castle Church door where Luther posted his 95 Theses, giving birth to the Reformation.
    • See the Stadtkirche (Town Church), the Lutherhalle, the Old Latin School, and the Cranach House, where  Luther and his fellow reformers lived, taught, and preached.
    •  Stop in Jüterbog where John Tezel sold indulgences and infuriated Luther, driving him to write the 95 Theses. 
    • Arrive in Berlin for an evening at leisure.

  • Day 8 – August 1 (Sunday) - Berlin

    • Worship with your fellow confessional Lutherans at the Trinity Congregation with roundtrip coach transportation included back to the hotel.
    • The balance of the day is at your leisure to explore historical sites, museums, shop, or rest.

  • Day 9 – August 2 (Monday) – Berlin – Dresden

    • Travel southwest to Dresden, the old capital of Saxony and at one time called the “Florence on the Elbe.”
    • Experience the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). The Church was destroyed in the massive 1945 firebombing of Dresden which burned for nearly a week. After sitting as a pile of rubble during the communist era, reconstruction began in 1994 and was completed in 2006.
    • Explore the heart of Dresden with a walk to Zwinger Palace courtyard. Revered for its stunning Baroque architecture and beautiful gardens, this spectacular palace complex is the most famous building in Dresden.
    • Overnight in Dresden with dinner at your hotel.

  • Day 10 – August 3 (Tuesday) – Dresden – Langenchursdorf – Nuremburg

    • Travel through Saxony for a stop in Langenchursdorf, the birthplace and childhood home of Rev. Dr. C.F.W. Walther, one of the founders and first president of the Missouri Synod.
    • Continue to historic Nuremberg for a walking orientation of the city center.
    • Visit the German National Museum, the largest museum of German cultural history with a collection spanning from prehistoric times to the present day.
    • This evening savor a delicious dinner with local specialties.

  • Day 11 – August 4 (Wednesday) – Nuremburg – Neuendettelsau – Dachau – Munich

    • Depart after breakfast to travel through scenic Bavaria.
    • Stop in Neuendettelsau, where Wilhelm Loehe, another founder of the Missouri Synod (who never left Germany), served as pastor of the beautiful Nikolai Kirche, and see Loehe’s grave.
    • Continue to the sobering site of Dachau, the first concentration camp and the training ground for the brutality of the Third Reich, where more than 32,000 people were killed. A tour will guide you through the memorial center to read prisoners’ accounts of the atrocities carried out under the Nazi regime, see the SS offices, the roll-call area, cells, barracks, and the gas chamber.
    • Arrive in Munich for your 3-night stay with your evening at your leisure.

  • Day 12 – August 5 (Thursday) – Munich. Excursion to Neuschwanstein

    • Enjoy a morning orientation drive of Munich.
    • Travel through the Alps to Neuschwanstein, a fantastical storybook 1800s castle with all the modern conveniences (aka plumbing) built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the “Fairytale King.” Romantic and fanciful of design, Neuschwanstein inspired Walt Disney’s blueprint of a castle fit for Sleeping Beauty herself.
    • Return to Munich with the balance of your evening at leisure.

  • Day 13 – August 6 (Friday) – Munich

    • Enjoy the day at your leisure to shop for last minute gifts or explore on your own.
    • This evening celebrate with a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

  • Day 14 – August 7 (Saturday) – Depart Munich

    Auf Wiedersehen!


    Your custom tour comes to an end after breakfast with individual airport departure transfers.

About your host

Pastor Andrew Gerike has served as pastor of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Omaha since 2015. He wrote his 2019 Master of Sacred Theology Thesis on the theology of Martin Luther and Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI). He has traveled to Latvia, Greece, Germany, France, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Italy. In 2023 he co-hosted the Ultimate Holy Land Tour that gave travelers the chance to journey the in the steps of Christ and His saints through Egypt, Jordan, and Israel. They even climbed Mt. Sinai! He and his wife, Shayla, have six children and live in Omaha, Nebraska