Once every ten years, next in 2030
Ten days from Berlin and the Bonhoeffer House through Wittenberg, Leipzig, Wartburg and Gutenberg’s Mainz to Munich, Neuschwanstein and the Oberammergau Passion Play.
Berlin and Bonhoeffer, Luther’s Wittenberg, Bach’s Leipzig and Eisenach, Wartburg Castle, Gutenberg’s Bible in Mainz, then Munich and two nights in Oberammergau for the Passion Play.
From Berlin through Wittenberg and Leipzig to Eisenach, west to Mainz, then south to Munich and Oberammergau.
Two nights in Berlin, two in Eisenach, one in Mainz, one in Munich and two in Oberammergau.
Days 2 & 3
The divided city and the Bonhoeffer House.
Berlin
Days 4 & 5
The 95 Theses, Bach’s St. Thomas Church and Wartburg Castle.
Wittenberg, Leipzig, Eisenach
Days 6 & 7
Gutenberg’s printed Bible, then the Bavarian capital.
Mainz, Munich
Days 8 & 9
The castle, then the Passion Play performed since 1634.
Neuschwanstein, Oberammergau
The sites on this ten-day route through Germany.
Ten days, day by day. Every group’s version is built around its own dates, its own pace and the places that matter most to its people.
The Passion Play. Oberammergau performs the Passion Play once every ten years; the next season is 2030. Outside a Passion Play year, Day 9 is a day in Oberammergau and the Alps.
Days 1 to 4
Day 1
Our journey begins as we depart the United States for our overnight flight to Berlin.
Day 2
We arrive in Berlin and meet our Christian Expedition tour director, with time to rest and perhaps a walk in the city.
Dinner and overnight in Berlin for two nights.
Day 3
A morning tour of Berlin shows the marks of the divided city: the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, part of the old wall, the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie. In the afternoon we visit the Bonhoeffer House, the home of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Berlin pastor who stood against the Nazi regime.
Dinner and overnight in Berlin.
Day 4
In Wittenberg we see the Lutherhalle, where Luther lived as a monk and later with his family, the Castle Church, St. Mary’s Church, where he preached and his children were baptized, and the Luther Oak. Lunch is at Auerbachs Keller in Leipzig, a favorite of Luther’s, then we visit St. Nicholas Church, home of the prayers for peace that helped bring down the Berlin Wall, and St. Thomas Church, where Luther preached and Bach led the choir. We continue to Eisenach.
Dinner and overnight in Eisenach for two nights.
Days 5 & 6
Day 5
We walk through Eisenach past the Cotta House, where Luther lodged as a schoolboy, and visit the Bach House, with a short concert on Baroque instruments. After lunch we tour Wartburg Castle and see where Luther translated the New Testament into German in eleven weeks.
Dinner and overnight in Eisenach.
Day 6
We drive to Mainz on the Rhine, where Johannes Gutenberg printed the first Bible on movable type in 1455. After a walking tour and lunch the rest of the day is free.
Dinner and overnight in Mainz.
Days 7 & 8
Day 7
We drive to Munich for a guided tour: Nymphenburg Palace, the Frauenkirche, the New Town Hall and the Glockenspiel on Marienplatz.
Dinner and overnight in Munich.
Day 8
At Füssen we visit Neuschwanstein Castle, then continue to Oberammergau. In 1634, with the plague at the door, the villagers vowed to perform the life, death and resurrection of Christ if they were spared, and they have kept that promise every ten years since.
Dinner and overnight in Oberammergau for two nights.
Days 9 & 10
Day 9
A morning in Oberammergau to walk the village and its woodcarving shops. In the afternoon we see the first half of the Passion Play, have dinner during the interval, and return for the second half in the evening.
Overnight in Oberammergau.
Day 10
We transfer to Munich airport for the flight home.
Tell us the window you have in mind and we will build the itinerary around it: the time you have, and the places that matter most to your people.
Every inclusion can be tailored to your group.
Not included unless added to your package: travel insurance, lunches not listed in the itinerary, drinks at dinner, personal expenses, and the cost of meeting any national entry requirements.
Our group leader support team guides you every step of the way, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Eastern, at (877) 234-3002 or groups@christianexpedition.com.
Our 24/7 travel emergency team is there for travelers who are abroad and facing a travel-related emergency, at (877) 234-3002 ext. 9.
Start from this route for a Passion Play year, or travel outside one with a day in the Alps, and we shape the days, the pace and the sites around your people.
“Our church has absolutely enjoyed every aspect of planning travel with Christian Expedition! Their team makes the process of taking our church to see incredible locations from the Bible easy and stress free!”
Pastor Josh LuechtCalvary Chapel Palm City
“Trey and his team have done a fabulous job organizing, managing and overseeing our trips to Israel and Greece.”
Pastor Jim GallagherSenior Pastor, Calvary Chapel Vero Beach
U.S. citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. Germany is in the Schengen area, so passports must be valid for at least three months after the date you leave Europe. Passport and entry requirements remain the responsibility of each traveler.
Oberammergau performs it once every ten years. The next season is 2030, and tickets for groups are released well in advance, so tell us early if you are planning for it.
Yes. Every expedition is built for one group, on that group’s dates. The ten-day route on this page is our standard, and outside a Passion Play year we replace the play with a day in the Alps.
A good deal. The old towns are on cobblestones, Wartburg Castle sits on a hill above Eisenach, and Neuschwanstein is reached by a steep path or a horse-drawn carriage. Our guides set the pace for the group.
Travel insurance, lunches not listed in the itinerary, drinks at dinner, personal expenses, and the cost of meeting any national entry requirements. Anything not listed as included can be quoted for your group on request.
Tell us about your group and we will be in touch.