Reformation Tour
& Passion Play
May 27 - Jun 6, 2022
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A GTI Signature Tour in partnership with Pathfinders
Registration handled by Pathfinders
What to Expect
This GTI Signature Tour includes the key Reformation sites of Luther’s vision for “faith alone, scripture alone, and Christ alone” as the source of our salvation. Not only will we feed our souls, but our minds, hearts, and tummies with classic Bavarian cuisine, a Spree River Cruise, marvelous castles, the famed Pergamon Museum, and MORE!
In addition, during our stay in the small German village of Oberammergau we'll experience their world-famous Passion Play. In thanksgiving for being spared from the Black Plague in 1634, the people of Oberammergau have proclaimed the Good News of Jesus every 10 years with over 500,000 pilgrims attending from around the world. What a blessing it will be to experience this once in a lifetime performance and reflect on the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord.
In the following podcast episode, Rich hosts trip leader Erik Thoennes as they walk through the details of this exciting itinerary!
GTI is proud to partner with Pathfinders chairman, Paul Lam, who has been leading Passion Play programs since 1984 with a vision of transformative travel which serves the Body of Christ.
PATHFINDERS has sent groups to PASSION PLAY on four occasions - 1984 (special 350th anniversary presentation), 1990, 2000, 2010 - and will do so again in 2020. Over the decades groups have stayed at premier properties in and around Oberammergau. Pathfinders PLAY seating is among the very best!
Explore the life of Martin Luther
See how he changed the course of church history.
Walk the structures that have shaped history
Coburg, Charlottenburg Castle and Castle Church
Experience the iconic Oberammergau Passion Play
Performed once a decade for over 350 years!
Fellowship and learn with like-minded believers.
Our walk is all about community!
Learn from Drs. Erik and Donna Thoennes
Exceptional teaching from exceptional people.
Led by Rich Ferreira
General Manager, GTI Tours
After graduating with his Masters in Theology from Talbot Seminary, Rich and his wife Becky began working full-time for Hume Ministries in 2001. Rich’s passions are discipleship and teaching God’s word in a way that brings it alive in today’s world. In his spare time, Rich enjoys leading Israel Study Tours (32 trips and counting), motorcycle riding, off-roading and spending time with his wife, daughters Ellie and Carmel as well as his two sons Jaron and Ronen. In 2016 Rich and his family moved to Michigan to join the GTI staff where he serves as General Manager.
Hosted by Drs. Erik & Donna Thoennes
Professors, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University
We're excited to join you all for this Reformation tour. It is so important that we understand our history and legacy that we've inherited as belivers and followers of Jesus. People gave their lives and their livelihood, and at great cost lived for what really mattered—a preservation of the Gospel and Biblical Truth. We're excited to go to the very places where those things happened and discover the family that we come from. We're so looking forward to this time!
Erik is a professor of theology and the chair of the theology department at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University as well as a pastor at Grace Evangelical Free Church in La Mirada. Donna is an adjunct professor at Biola University.
Any Questions?
If you have questions, you're not alone! Use the following form to submit any questions you may have and we'll get back to you.
You can also give Pathways a call during business hours at (719) 641-6510.
- $4933 base cost out of Los Angeles
- $0.00 single-occupancy supplement available
- Round-trip airfare in economy class from LAX
- Superior tourist/first class hotels, based upon double occupancy
- Four-star hotel accommodations, based upon double occupancy, and Room Category D, Arrangement Category B with the Passion Play Committee in Oberammergau
- Two meals daily throughout the trip and a light lunch (in Oberammergau only) with the Passion Play package
- All sightseeing (per itinerary), entrance fees and an English-speaking tour director
- Private, air-conditioned motor coach with driver
- Airport taxes/fuel surcharges: $595 per person (subject to change)
- Single room supplement not available in Oberammergau
- Personal services
- Travel Insurance - Optional Travel Insurance is based on full tour price (including additional costs such as a single supplement, 3% credit card fee, etc.) and by age at time of purchase
- Gratuities for Tour Guides, Drivers, Hotel Staff, Restaurant Workers, etc. - $130
- Travel Visa for non-U.S. passport holders
- Transportation to and from departure airport
- Drinks with meals
- Airline luggage fees, if applicable
- Difference between current and actual costs for airline taxes and estimated fuel surcharge, if applicable
“GTI Tours has been serving, listening to, and learning from their network of leaders and ministries for years—which is why their study tours are exceptional!“
Dr. Mark Strauss
Bethel Seminary Professor
Itinerary
Departure from the USA
We start our journey as we board our plane to Berlin, Germany. Meals and beverages served in flight.
Arrival in Berlin, Germany
We arrive in Berlin and are met by our PATHFINDERS Manager who assists with our baggage and the transfer to our hotel. We enjoy an orientation tour on the way to our hotel in Berlin. The rest of the day is free to explore on our own. Overnight in Berlin.
Berlin / Wittenberg
Today we enjoy sightseeing with a Local Guide in the once- divided metropolis includes the elegant Ku’damm, the restored Reichstag, Charlottenburg Castle, a picture stop at monumental Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial and the 21-foot Victory Column in the vast Tiergarten Park. We visit the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church with its bomb-damaged spire, drive along Unter den Linden Boulevard, and pass the State Opera House and Checkpoint Charlie. In the afternoon, continue to Wittenberg, Martin Luther’s hometown for more than 30 years and birthplace of the Reformation. Overnight in Wittenberg.
Wittenberg / Leipzig
We enjoy a guided walking tour and visit the Luther House where Martin Luther and his family lived. We visit St. Mary's Church, a twin-towered Gothic church where Luther preached reform, got married and baptized his six children. Finally, we see the door of Castle Church where Luther posted his 95 Theses, launching the Reformation in 1517. We continue to Leipzig for a walking tour and a visit to the Thomaskirche where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as a cantor. We also see the market square that today is a site for celebrations and festivals but once was the scene of executions and political demonstrations. Overnight in Leipzig.
Leipzig / Eisleben / Erfurt
Today on our way to Erfurt, we will stop in Eisleben, where Luther’s life began and ended. We visit his BIRTH HOUSE and DEATH HOUSE MUSEUMS, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites; as well as St. Peter and Paul Church, where Luther was baptized, and St. Andrew Church, where Luther preached his last sermon in 1546. Later, we drive to Erfurt, whose 36 churches, 15 monasteries, and other ecclesiastical buildings have earned it the nickname “Thuringian Rome.” The beautiful Old Town preserves the atmosphere Luther must have experienced during his student days. A highlight is an inspirational visit to the Augustinian Monastery where Luther lived as a monk, and the unique Merchant's Bridge, lined with half-timbered homes on both sides. Overnight in Erfurt.
Erfurt / Coburg / Wiesbaden
Today we will continue south to Coburg and visit fascinating Coburg Fortress where Luther lived and was protected during the Imperial Diet of Augsburg in 1530. As an outlaw of the Holy Roman Empire, he could not attend the Imperial Diet of Augsburg but instead spent his time continuing his work translating the Bible and writing on Reformation issues. We continue on to Wiesbaden for overnight.
Wiesbaden / Rhine Valley / Worms / Mainz
This morning we enjoy a scenic Rhine Cruise past castle- crested cliffs, terraced vineyards and half-timbered towns. In Worms, where the Imperial Council passed judgment on Luther in 1521, we visit the Cathedral where Luther presented his case, as well as Trinity Church and the Reformation Monument. We continue to Mainz to visit the Gutenberg Museum, which houses original copies of the Bible. Overnight in Mainz.
Wiesbaden / Rothenburg / Nuremberg
Today we journey to the medieval walled town of Rothenburg where our walking tour takes us to St. Jacob's Church with its masterpiece “Altar of the Holy Blood.” Afterwards, there is time to shop for the town’s famed Christmas ornaments. Then, we’re on to Nuremberg, the first town to accept the Reformation in 1525. Our walking tour features the Gothic St. Lorenz Lutheran Church where you can pause for quiet meditation. Overnight in Nuremburg.
Nuremberg / Munich
Today we travel by motor coach to Munich and explore Germany’s “Secret Capital” with our Local Guide, including the Olympic Stadium, the 1,000-foot Television Tower, Marienplatz with its old and new Town Halls and the Gothic Frauenkirche. Dinner and overnight in Munich.
Munich / Oberammergau
This morning we drive to picturesque Oberammergau where the afternoon and evening are dedicated to the world- famous PASSION PLAY held every 10 years and performed by the people of the town. This small town of peasants and craftsmen, encircled by the wooded foothills of the Ammergau, owes its international fame to the Passion Play. Once every decade 1,100 amateur actors from the local population reenact the final days of Christ. Overnight in Oberammergau.
Departure Home
We transfer to the Munich Airport for our flight home, taking with us wonderful and inspiring memories of our pilgrimage, which will be treasured and relived for the rest of our lives.