Day 1: Depart USA
Overnight flight to Rome.
 
Day 2: Arrive Rome
We arrive at the Rome airport where meet our tour manager. Those arriving this morning will enjoy a stop at the ruins of Ostia Antica, which provides an idea of life in classical times. You will also see the Ostian Gate, today called the Gate of St. Paul, before arriving at the hotel for check in and some relaxation time before dinner. 

Day 3: Vatican Museums, St. Peter's, Scala Santa
After breakfast you will begin a full day of site seeing. First visit Vatican City where you will see the Basilica at St. Peter, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums with stunning works of art at every turn. After some free time for lunch, you will visit the 4th century Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, the traditional site of Paul’s tomb, and the Scala Santa, where Martin Luther made his stand against the practice of indulgences. This fascinating museum houses the Steps from Pilot's Judgment Hall in Jerusalem brought to Rome by Helena, the mother of Constantine. The practice today is to climb the steps on your knees, stopping to pray on each step.   Additional sights include the Arches of Constantine and Titus, Circus Maximus and the beautiful marble monument called the Wedding Cake.
 
Day 4: Forum, Mamertine, Coliseum, Catacombs
We begin our walking tour at the ancient Roman Forum, where our guide will divulge its secrets. We will visit the Arch of Titus which commemorated the sack of Jerusalem by Titus in AD 70.  We will step inside the Mamertine Prison, where tradition says the Apostle Paul was imprisoned. The Roman church would say that Peter was imprisoned here as well, but there is no imperial evidence that Peter was ever in Rome. Next, we visit the Coliseum, where thousands of people and animals perished during gladiatorial games. The Coliseum first opened in AD 80 and within 100 days of its opening, 5000 wild beasts perished here. The slaughter of both humans and animals continued for three more centuries. Historians believe the Coliseum could hold between 40,000 and 80,000 people depending on how close the seating was. The floor has recently had a plank placed over the middle making it accessible for people to walk over the labyrinth of brick cells, ramps, and elevators used to transport animals and gladiators into the arena. Hear the stories of the games that have fascinated people for years. We conclude our day at the Catacombs where thousands of Christians were buried in a remarkable tiered series of galleries. 

Day 5: Frescoes, Assisi, Montecatini
After breakfast you will say “Arrivederci Roma” and board your coach and travel through scenic Umbria to the ancient walled hillside village of Assisi. After lunch on your own, you will enjoy a guided tour of this beautiful, medieval town, which will include the Basilica San Francesco, decorated with some of the most renowned frescoes in the world. The stories of the sacrificial life of St. Francis will be an encouragement to us all. This afternoon, we travel on to the spa village of Montecatini Terme, our place of lodging for the next two nights in the heart of Tuscany.

Day 6: Beautiful Florence, Michelangelo’s David
After breakfast, you will spend the morning enjoying a guided tour of Florence, one of the world’s greatest artistic capitals, which will include the Piazza della Signoria, Duomo, Baptistry and a visit to the Accademia Galley, home of Michelangelo’s David. A stop will also be made on the hillside overlook across the river from Florence where we will enjoy a panoramic view of the beautiful red-tiled roof cityscape. This afternoon is at your leisure to enjoy shopping, visiting more galleries or strolling on the famous Pont Vecchio, the old bridge which spans the Arno River. Remember that Florence leather shops are the best in the world and bargains on excellent quality goods are abundant. It may be the time to purchase those special Christmas gifts.

Day 7: Pisa & Verona
We begin our day with a tour of Pisa where you will visit the Baptistry, Duomo and the famous leaning tower in the Piazza dei Miracoli, followed by free time for lunch. This afternoon, we travel northward through colorful Tuscan countryside, past Bologna and on to romantic Verona, medieval setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. We arrive in time to walk to the historic center/shopping district with free time to see the famed balcony of Juliet. We continue on to Venice Mestre for dinner and our lodging for the next two nights.

Day 8: Charming Venice
Start morning sightseeing in style as your guide takes you by private boat along the Giudecca canal to meet your resident expert. Highlights of your walking tour are St. Mark’s Square and the Byzantine splendor of St. Mark’s Basilica, lavish Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Afterwards enjoy Venice at your own pace, or join an optional gondola ride or a visit to the Waldensian Christian Museum. Returning to our hotel, we enjoy our dinner.

Day 9: Frankfurt, Erfurt
An early morning flight to Frankfurt and we begin our travel to the delightful historic Luther city of Erfurt where we have dinner and two nights lodging. The remainder of your day is free.

From a Priest to a Protestant
Tour sights are colorful with historic charm that cannot be found anywhere else.  The study of how a large portion of our doctrine of today came to be could not have a more picturesque setting.  Be challenged by the faith and courage of our church fathers on this wonderful tour vacation.

Day 10: Eisenach, Erfurt 
This morning we travel to Eisenach, birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach. It was here at the formidable Wartburg Castle that Luther, under "house arrest", translated the New Testament into the German language in only 11 weeks during 1523. This fantastic castle includes many restored rooms including a ballroom designed after King Ludwig’s famed Neuschwanstein, Luther's apartment and lovely panoramic scenery. This afternoon we spend time in nearby Erfurt, where Luther attended the university. A highlight will be the Augustinian Monastery where he spent his early years as a monk. You will find it interesting and uplifting to hear how the studies here brought him to his understanding of scripture. The remainder of your day is free in this charming city.

Day 11: Erfurt, Eisleben, Leipzig
Leaving Erfurt, we visit Eisleben which is noted among the most significant in Luther's history; he was born here in 1483, died here in 1546 and old manuscripts indicate that he felt a special affinity to Eisleben.  We will see the house of his birth and death, St. Andrews Church where he preached his last sermon, the Luther Monument, and St. Anne's Church with the famous Biblical scenes hewn in stone and many other sites.  This afternoon we travel to the beautiful city of Leipzig, Bach's city, with free time and a visit to St. Thomas Church where Bach was choir master and organist.  Our lodging for the next two nights will be in Leipzig.

Day 12: Wittenberg, Berlin
Continuing on to Berlin, we enjoy a inspirational guided tour of this fascinating city including the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate and many other sights. We continue on the Reformation Trail today with a visit to Wittenberg where Martin Luther lived and taught for 36 years. You will see the Castle Church door area where Luther posted his 95 Theses, giving birth to the Reformation.  This beautiful church is also the burial site of Luther.  We see the university where Luther taught and the Luther House which is the greatest museum of Reformation History in the world with a detailed history display of his life and accomplishments, historical documents and an outstanding collection of period paintings of his life and family members.

Day 13: Coburg, Wurzburg  
Wasting no time today we set out through scenic Thuringer Wald to view the fortress of Coburg known as Veste, the place of Luther's imprisonment in 1530. We visit the apartment where he stayed and continued his translation work, a chapel where he spoke and worshiped, and a gallery of period paintings. Continuing southward into Bavaria, our lodging for the next to nights will be in the Wurzburg area.

Day 14: Augsburg, Rothenburg, Romantic Road
Early this morning we travel the panoramic "Romantic Road" and visit the best preserved medieval town in all of Europe, Rothenburg. We see the quaint Rathaus (town hall) with its tower, have free time for coffee and shopping in the many delightful shops. You may choose to visit on your own the Kriminal-museum, housing all manner of medieval instruments of torture. Next, we travel south along the Romantic Road to the ancient city of Augsburg, the place where the Augsburg Confession was presented. Our drive will allow for time to rehearse this important document and digest the tremendous meaning it has as the basis for much of our doctrine today. It was here in 1518 at St. Anne's Church that Luther met the papal legate, Cardinal Cajetan, who demanded that Luther submit to the pope. Augsburg was also the site of another Imperial Diet (1530) and in the town hall the Peace of Augsburg was signed in 1555 ending for a time the religious wars in Germany between the Catholics and the Protestants.

Day 15: Heidelberg, Worms, Frankfurt
This morning, we travel on to one of the most charming cities in all of the world - Heidelberg, ancient capital of the Palatinate and home of Germany's oldest university. But most importantly, it was a stronghold of German Reformed Protestants beginning in 1560. One of the great confessional statements of the Reformation, the Heidelberg Catechism was produced here in 1563. Heidelberg Castle, a most impressive historic landmark of Germany, stands majestically overlooking the Neckar River. The structure, now largely in ruins, preserves numerous examples of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque German architecture. Our next stop is in Worms. It was here, during the Imperial Diet in 1521, that Martin Luther challenged the entire Roman Catholic establishment by his refusal to recant the great doctrines of Protestantism. It was also here that William Tyndale completed the printing of his English version of the New Testament in 1525 which he had begun in Cologne. After seeing St. Peter's Church and the symbolic Luther memorial near the town square, we will stop in nearby Mainz for commentary and a picture of the Gutenberg Monument dedicated the German printing of the Bible. Our lodging for dinner and the evening will be in Frankfurt.

Day 16: Departure
We transfer to the airport early this morning for our flight home.