Calvin celebrates its 150th anniversary during the 2025–2026 school year, and our travel program is joining the celebration by exploring 10 countries across six continents. Join us as we commemorate Calvin’s global reach with an exciting line-up of tours.

Tour Dates

This tour is being developed as a 14-day tour in May 2026. Key cities are Rome, Salerno (near Pompeii), and Venice in Italy, as well as Vienna in Austria. 

Theme and Highlights

This tour is centered on "The Rise and Fall of Empires" – Roman, Holy Roman, Venetian, Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, Mussolini’s, and Hitler’s. While there will be plenty of stops of interest to history and military buffs, there will also be activities centered around arts, biblical history, and other general-interest areas. Potential stops:

• Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Forum in Rome
• Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia in Rome
• Vatican Museum
• Pompeii
• Monte Cassino
• Accademia and Uffizi Galleries in Florence
• American Cemetery in Florence
• Schönbrunn Palace and Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in Vienna

Tour Hosts

Ken Bratt is a retired professor of classics at Calvin University and a specialist in Greek and Roman history and archaeology. He will lecture and lead discussions on the Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Venetian Empire.

Ryan Noppen is a 2001 Calvin alumnus who is a specialist in modern European military history and the author of several books on such subjects. He will lecture and lead discussions on World War I and II.

Activity Level

The tour will require a moderate amount of walking, mostly on level ground, through
ancient sites and museums. In general, these walks will not exceed two hours without a
break for rest or refreshments.

Pricing

Final tour pricing is still being developed and may not be finalized until flight prices become available in summer 2025. Travel insurance will be offered via TravelEx for an additional fee.

More Information

Interested in learning more? Add your name to the interest list so you’ll be notified when full tour details are available. Note: We are announcing this tour extra-early as part of our 150th anniversary year of tours, so final details and registration won't be available until late summer 2025 (approximately 9-10 months before departure).

Joining the interest list simply means you’ll be notified directly when final plans are set; it does not reserve a spot on the tour. All passengers will be accepted on a first-come basis via our partner, Witte Travel, after tour registration opens.

For questions beyond the interest list, send an inquiry to alumni@calvin.edu.

Calvin tours are open to any friends of CALL and the Calvin Alumni Association who wish to travel with us. Explore other Calvin-sponsored tours, too!