Lewis, Patrick, The Reformation and You - 2026
Introduction July 20-29
GROUP: Lewis Foundation Ireland, UK 2026
DATES: July 20 - 29, 2026
PRICE: $4,325 per person LAND ONLY (based on double/twin occupancy)
PRICE: $5225 per person LAND & AIR (based on double/twin occupancy),
Group Roundtrip Airfare out of Chicago O'Hare: economy class (details after the itinerary below)
Single Supplement: $900 (for those who wish to have a room of their own)
3 Night Optional London Extension: July 31 - Aug 3, PRICE: $2,475
Accommodations:
All our hotels are handpicked, high-quality 3-star properties, chosen for their comfort, style, and excellent amenities. Each hotel offers spacious, well-appointed rooms with comfortable beds to ensure a restful night’s sleep.
You’ll enjoy a full cooked breakfast every morning, setting you up for the day ahead. Plus, with their central locations, you’ll be perfectly positioned to explore each destination with ease, whether you’re interested in sightseeing, shopping, or dining out.
This journey embodies an “Explore-Marvel-Share” experience, connecting participants with the legacies of Lewis, the Irish saints, and the Reformers, all centred around Jesus Christ. Travellers will enjoy the beauty of Ireland and England while reflecting on the historical and spiritual significance of these figures.
Co-hosted by Steven Elmore and Andrew Lazo, this tour aims to spark participants' and influencers' imaginations, encouraging them to engage with the literature and faith of influential church figures. The journey promises to be a refreshing and transformative experience, inviting participants to explore the rich heritage of faith and imagination.
Andrew Lazo is Special Advisor for the C.S. Lewis Foundation. Rev. Andrew Lazo is an internationally known speaker and writer specializing in C.S. Lewis and the Inklings. Andrew earned his Masters in Modern British Literature from Rice University where he was a Jacob K. Javits fellow in the Humanities. He is a frequent speaker around the U.S. and U.K. and has written several articles on C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
In 2009, Andrew published Mere Christians: Inspiring Encounters with C.S. Lewis. In 2014 he also was honored to transcribe, edit, and publish a previously unknown book by C.S. Lewis, “Early Prose Joy,” which was Lewis’s very first spiritual autobiography.
For ten years he taught English and C. S. Lewis at St. Thomas and Houston Christian High Schools in Houston. After finishing studies for an M. Div. (with Honors) at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA in May 2022, Andrew was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in January 2023 and serves as the Apprentice Rector at Church of the Messiah in Winter Garden, FL. He is also pursuing his doctorate in Romantic Theology at Northwind Seminary, where he serves as a Distinguished Lecturer. Andrew is married to author and speaker Dr. Christin Ditchfield Lazo.
Steven Elmore — President, C.S. Lewis Foundation
Steven Elmore serves as President of the C.S. Lewis Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering faith, reason, and imagination in the tradition of C. S. Lewis. With over two decades of experience in nonprofit and educational settings, Steven brings a rich and varied background to his leadership.
Before becoming President, he held multiple roles within the Foundation, including Vice President for Events and Communications and Director of Communications — positions in which he helped shape both the strategic direction and the outreach activities of the organization. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2006, Steven worked as a college English composition instructor, GED instructor (history and science), software instructor, test-preparation tutor, and in various office management and administrative roles in small businesses and nonprofits.
Steven holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature (with a business emphasis) from Pepperdine University, and a Master of Arts in Literature and Film from Claremont Graduate University. Beyond his administrative and teaching roles, Steven is also a writer of essays, memoirs, poetry, and fiction. As part of the leadership team at the Foundation, he helps guide the creative and intellectual endeavors that reflect the Foundation’s commitment to integrating faith, arts, and culture.
In his own words, Steven believes deeply in the value of relationships, faith, and community. For him, service is defined by love, stewardship, and the spiritual growth of individuals and communities — ideals that lie at the heart of the Foundation’s mission.
Carefully selected 4* plus hotels (double/twin occupancy) chosen for comfort, location, and local character. Hotel taxes and service charges are included. (Single room upgrade available at additional cost.)
Meals as indicated in the day-by-day itinerary (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner). Expect daily hot buffet breakfasts and thoughtfully arranged group dinners highlighting regional cuisine. Evening meals not included are arranged so you can dine at local restaurants and experience local culture.
Outbound international group air travel has been arranged from Chicago to Dublin. The return flight is scheduled from London Heathrow to Chicago. Guests are responsible for arranging their own transportation to Chicago to ensure timely arrival for the group’s departure flight. For those interested in premium, business, or first-class upgrades on group flights, these options can be arranged upon request at an additional cost. Please contact your travel coordinator for further details.
All those who have booked the group airfare receive airport transfers. Group arrival and Departure Flight times will be communicated, allowing those who book their own air to plan accordingly. If your flight arrives close to the group's scheduled arrival time, the group can incldue you in this transfer, provided you arrive no later than 30 minutes after the group's scheduled arrival time.
Deluxe, air-conditioned motorcoach with professional driver for all group transfers and touring listed in the itinerary.
Admission to all sites, museums, and activities specifically noted in the itinerary.
Guided devotional moments, Scripture readings, and site talks led by Samuel Chestnutt, helping you connect place, story, and faith.
Prepaid tips for hotel staff, restaurant service on included meals, local guides, and drivers, so you can relax and say “thank you.” Tips for the tour host are not covered and are at your discretion, provided you are satisfied with their service.
Most guests prefer to collect their luggage once it is offloaded from the coach, allowing them to access it more quickly and take it to their room. Those who require baggage handling must inform the tour manager, who will arrange it on your behalf.
Digital travel notes, packing tips, reading plan, and spiritual preparation resources sent in advance via a dedicated group App.
Full-time EdenGate tour host team available throughout the journey for assistance, prayer, and logistical coordination.
Please note: International airfare is included only for guests who select the LAND & AIR package at the time of booking. If you choose the LAND ONLY package, international flights are not included.
Unlikely, but noted here as a safeguard.
Please select these as add-ons.
In almost all cases, the itinerary will be fulfilled as communicated. In the unlikely event that any changes incur additional costs, we will let you know.
You will be invited to purchase travel insurance at the time of booking. You are strongly advised NOT to book international travel without comprehensive travel insurance.
Evening meals included in your itinerary do not include drinks.
Your pilgrimage opens as you gather at the designated U.S. international airport, luggage in hand and hearts expectant. The day is intentionally simple — travel, check-in, and the shared experience of an overnight flight to Dublin — but even transit is full of opportunity on this journey: it marks the first step away from familiar rhythms into something different. During the flight, take time to read the introductory reflections, pray, and begin a private journal you will carry throughout the trip. The trip’s spiritual theme — pilgrimage and anticipation — invites you to practice attentiveness, praying Jeremiah 29:11 back into your story: what is God planning to renew in you?
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." — Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Once airborne, you are invited to reflect on your journey ahead. You are encouraged to think or journal one or two hopes for the pilgrimage and offer them with your fellow explorers, if you are willing. This journey is also an invitation to imagine with C.S. Lewis’s words: “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” Use the quiet of the flight to let that anticipation turn into prayer, and rest knowing tomorrow Dublin and its happy people will greet you!
You arrive at Dublin Airport, meet your leader and fellow pilgrims, and transfer together to your hotel in the heart of the city. After settling in, there’s an optional visit to the Guinness Storehouse for those who want an immediate cultural immersion into a Dublin institution — a relaxed, convivial stop that sets the tone for experiencing how story, industry, and identity shape a place. The afternoon allows for orientation and a light lunch at leisure so you can begin to notice the city’s architecture, street life, and literary atmosphere; Dublin’s storytelling culture and contemporary shifts provide a living case study for C.S. Lewis’s warnings in The Abolition of Man about education and moral formation.
The group is invited to reflect on Lewis’s concerns about moral relativism, followed by thoughts prompted by Romans 12:2: where do we see cultures departing from gospel-shaped life, and how might Christians respond with both conviction and compassion?
You’ll be invited to journal your responses throughout the trip and share any impressions that have surprised or moved you. This gentle first day blends orientation, optional cultural immersion, and theological conversation to begin seeing places not merely as tourist sites but as moral landscapes.
Where do you see the effects of a culture moving away from the gospel in your own context? How might you respond as a bearer of hope?
Jet lag is a frustrating symptom of crossing multiple time zones. Depending on which way you travel -- and how far -- jet lag can last several nights or more! Join sleep expert (and frequent traveler),
Dr Michael Breus explains what causes jet lag and how you can alleviate its symptoms for a better start (or end) to your travels.
0:00 What is Jet Lag?
1:11 How Bad is Jet Lag and What Are its Symptoms?
2:28 How Can You Relieve Jet Lag?
Today is more sobering and richly layered: the morning begins at the National Museum of Ireland, where the exhibition titled “Kingship & Sacrifice" - Pagan Ireland was a land of horror and human sacrifice - this exhibition confronts visitors with Ireland’s pre-Christian realities. Expect powerful, at times unsettling displays that show why the coming of the gospel was so transformational; this is not romanticised paganism but a window into violence and spiritual disorientation that shaped the urgency of Christian mission.
From the museum, we walk the short distance to Trinity College to stand before the Book of Kells and enter the “Piercing the Dark” exhibition — a dramatic pairing of brutal history and luminous art that demonstrates how beauty and faith pierced the deepest cultural darkness.
After the museum and Trinity College, you have a free afternoon to process, walk Dublin’s streets, visit local cafés, or rest.
In the evening, we will enjoys a world-class performance of Riverdance at the Gaiety Theatre, a joyful counterpoint to the day’s heavier themes: Irish rhythm, community, and celebration remind you that culture also births beauty and resilience.
Throughout the day, there is time for journaling and a guided group discussion prompted by Isaiah 9:2: as you have seen darkness and light today, where does Christ’s light need to shine in your community?
You may use the free afternoon to explore other Dublin sites recommended by your tour host.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." — Romans 12:2 (NIV)
We depart Dublin and travel into Ireland’s Ancient East, a region where layered antiquity meets the landscapes that once captured the imaginations of C.S. Lewis and his brother Warnie. The morning is spent at Fourknocks Tomb in County Meath, where we will walk among Neolithic burial stones and imagine how ancient peoples formed their cosmologies. Silence and stone invite reflection on memory, mortality, and how the landscape shapes the story. From Fourknocks, we continue to Monasterboice to view the high crosses—magnificent stone carvings that stand as Gospel testimony through centuries and an aesthetic reminder that Christian art long sought to pierce darkness with beauty.
In the afternoon you will intentionally visit locations that the Lewis brothers explored, following small tracks and lanes that once nourished their youthful wonder. As the group travels toward Carlingford (or, depending on routing, Newcastle), conversation will likely drift between memory and imagination: how does place form vocation? You arrive at your chosen town, check into your hotel option (Carlingford’s Four Seasons or Ghan House are among the suggested accommodations), and gather for a group dinner and reflective time.
"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." — Psalm 84:5 (NIV)
Today, we step into the actual terrain that inspired Narnia. Begin with a hike to Cloughmore Stone and linger at vantage points where C.S. Lewis found the vistas that would later populate his fiction; the Mourne Mountains’ rugged slopes and the view over Carlingford Lough make it easy to imagine doorways between worlds.
Time permitting, we will visit Drumena Cashel and Legananny Dolmen—the latter known as the inspiration for Aslan’s Stone Table—places where the layered presence of history, myth, and Christian imagination converges. These sites encourage contemplation about how creation speaks of the Creator and how narrative cultivates devotion.
We head northward toward the life and legacy of Saint Patrick. The morning is rooted in Downpatrick at the Saint Patrick Centre and Museum, where interpretive exhibits and storytelling retell Patrick’s narrative: from captive youth to missionary courage, his life models sacrificial witness and pastoral imagination.
"Go and make disciples of all nations." — Matthew 28:19 (NIV)
After the museum, we visit Saul Church, traditionally recognised as the site of Patrick’s first church plant; this quiet, always open place invites prayer and the kind of personal examination that mission always requires. The day moves from museum interpretation to embodied hospitality when you have a traditional irish bread experience at Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen — a chance to taste local food that Lewis would have enjoyed and connect with rural Ireland.
In the afternoon, we transfer to Belfast and settle into our city-centre hotel. The evening is intentionally at leisure so travellers can rest, explore Belfast’s dining options, or meet in small groups to discuss the day’s themes: mission, humility, and the legacy one generation leaves for another. Throughout the day, there is time for group conversation to reflect on our spiritual ancestors and how you might steward the legacies entrusted to you
In Belfast, we trace the early footsteps of C.S. Lewis and confront the city’s history of division and hope. After breakfast at leisure, the coach tour brings you to St. Mark’s Church and Rectory—key markers of Lewis’s childhood landscape and formative experiences. The visit is both biographical and pastoral: you’ll hear how familial and local tensions shaped a young mind that would later write about courage, joy, and reconciliation.
"God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." — C.S. Lewis
In the afternoon, there is an option to visit the Titanic Exhibition for those intrigued by Belfast’s industrial past, or to take free time to walk the neighbourhoods and process privately.
Later, you will stand in C.S. Lewis Square, a public tribute featuring sculptures of Narnian characters that invite reflection on how imaginative life forms communal memory. Dinner is at your own expense, allowing for flexible fellowship.
As we explore today, the reflections are designed around 2 Corinthians 5:18 and the theme of reconciliation. Participants are encouraged to tell stories of healing or to name places in their lives where they long to see peace, remembering that Lewis himself lived within tensions that the gospel sought to redeem.
Tickets can be purchased as an add-on at the time of booking.
Today, you transfer from Belfast to Oxford (by flight and coach), crossing from the Irish landscapes into the English cityscape of dreaming spires. Upon arrival the group takes a walking orientation along Broad Street and High Street—streets steeped in academic history and the conversations that shaped the Church of England..
Walking orientation of Broad Street and High Street in Oxford.
Visits include the Martyrs’ Memorial, a sobering monument that remembers those who died for gospel convictions, and the University Church of St Mary the Virgin where debates of doctrine once rang out. Each stop is an invitation to consider the personal cost of faith and what reform and renewal require in every age.
In the evening, we will attend Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral, letting the liturgy, music, and stone architecture form a different kind of sermon—one that teaches through beauty and order.
After evensong, you are free to wander back to the hotel at your own leisure. Over dinner, you are invited to reflect on the day, focusing on 1 Corinthians 16:13 and the courage required to stand for truth. The city’s quiet nighttime streets are excellent for private prayer walks or small group conversations about what it means to be a reformer in our day.
"Courage, dear heart." — C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Oxford unfolds as a living theological map today. Beginning at the Martyrs’ Memorial and Broad Street you will engage the exact places associated with Reformation martyrdom, grounding theological abstractions in real human witness. From there the day takes a lighter, convivial turn: visiting The Buttery and the Turf Tavern—historic haunts associated with the Inklings—helps you imagine Lewis and his friends debating theology, literature, and life over food and drink.
We will also tour the Bodleian Library and see the Radcliffe Camera, spaces that contain so much of England’s intellectual memory.
In the afternoon, we visit The Kilns, C.S. Lewis’s home, where the domestic details of his life—study, garden, family rooms—make his writings feel near and human. A short journey later brings us to Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry, the modest parish where Lewis is buried; standing at his grave frames the heart of our tour: imagination, theology, and the hope of resurrection.
The day closes with a final group dinner and a time of reflection: As we tour together, you are invited to discuss what it looks like to live “downstream” from the reformers and faithful witnesses, sharing insights from each site we visit.
What has grace meant on this trip? How has it reshaped your commitments, and what concrete steps will you take to treasure Christ above all? The final overnight in Oxford gives you space to pack, pray, and prepare for the journey home.
On the final morning, you share one last breakfast together in Oxford. On the bus journey to the airport, there will be a structured time of group reflection and prayer. This closing journey invites each of us to name insights, commitments, and specific practices we will take home—how the pilgrimage’s rhythm, sites, and conversations will translate into daily life.
After farewells, we continue our transfer to London airport for our flights back to the United States, carrying with us the “flame” of Patrick’s courage, the reformers’ conviction, and Lewis’s imaginative hope.
The official program closes with a farewell at the airport. As you journey home, you are invited to reflect, in your own time, on one practical next step—a habit, a relationship, or a ministry—to help you embody the lessons of our tour.
Remember the closing scriptural encouragement to hold unswervingly to the hope you profess, and to let what you have heard and seen be formed into faithful living in your local context.
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." — Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)
All Inclusive Land & Air: $5,225 per person (Economy Class)
Flight times are subject to change. Pricing guaranteed with a minimum of 10 travellers. We will know which flights you will be on, depending on whether you add the London extension to your reservation. Travellers on the group flights will have group transfers between airports/hotels.
Departure:
July 20 | Chicago → Dublin
Aer Lingus EI #124 | Dep: 8:50 PM | Arr: 10:15 AM (July 21) (7hr 25 min)
Return:
July 29 | London Heathrow → Dublin
Aer Lingus EI #153 | Dep: 08:50 AM | Arr: 10:15 AM
Clear US Customs at Dublin Airport
July 29 | Dub → Chicago
Aer Lingus EI #123 | Dep: 11:35 AM | Arr: 02:00 PM
Return: Provisional flights bellow - TBC
Aug 01 | London Heathrow → Dublin
Aer Lingus EI #153 | Dep: 08:50 AM | Arr: 10:15 AM
Clear US Customs at Dublin Airport
Aug 01 | Dub → Chicago
Aer Lingus EI #123 | Dep: 11:35 AM | Arr: 02:00 PM
Here’s everything you need to know about flights and travel plans so your adventure gets off to a smooth start:
Leave the U.S.: July 20, 2026 (overnight flight)
Arrive in Dublin: July 21, 2026
First scheduled group activity: A delicious welcome dinner around 6:00 PM on July 21
When you arrive, hop in a taxi to the hotel—it’s super easy and costs about €55. We’ll send you more tips and details as the tour gets closer!
At the end of the standard tour, you'll depart from London Heathrow (LHR) airport.
You’ll want to book a multi-city itinerary, flying into Dublin (DUB) and out of London (LHR).
Some travellers choose to fly round-trip to Dublin and catch a short commuter flight from London to Dublin at the end of the tour. If you go this route, be sure to leave plenty of time to get your luggage and recheck it.
Many of our travellers like to arrive a day or two early to shake off jet lag and ease into the experience.
We’d be happy to book you extra nights at the group hotel at our special group rate.
Select the ONE or TWO-day pre-night stay options in the add-ons at booking, and we will arrange them for you.
Closer to the trip (about 3 months before departure), we’ll send you a quick email asking for your flight details so we can keep an eye on your flights to make sure everything is running smoothly.
EdenGate Travel is a faith-based travel company on mission with the church. At the heart of our vision lies a passionate commitment to the promise of Jesus in Matthew 16:18: “I will build my church.”
We believe Christ Himself is the architect and foundation of every thriving faith community, and it is our joy to serve His bride, the church, and join Him in this sacred work.
Our journeys span Ireland, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Italy, the seven churches of Revelation in Turkey, and the footsteps of Paul in Greece. We travel not just as explorers, but as partners and encouragers to local churches and pastors in every country we visit.
With your Bible in one hand and a guidebook in the other, we invite you to discover the joy of a Christ-centred theology of travel—to Redeem Travel for the Great Commission. Done the right way, with Colossians 1:18 in mind, travel becomes worship—a rehearsal for what we will do for eternity in the New Heavens and New Earth.
Travel with purpose and impact. With every step, handshake, and act of love, we celebrate the unstoppable advance of the gospel and echo Christ’s invitation to belong to His ever-growing family—a family built on grace, often marked by suffering, yet bursting with joy across the planet.
You, your family, and your church are warmly invited to explore the world with us. Let your adventure become a living testimony that the global Church is alive, that Jesus is building it, and that nothing can stand against His joyful, unstoppable cause.
Will you join us on this journey of faith, discovery, and joy?
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"So that in EVERYTHING He might have the Supremacy"
Colossian 1:18
Dublin is a vibrant capital where ancient faith, pagan folklore, and contemporary culture meet in striking harmony. As you walk its streets, the city reveals layers of history—from the early Christian scholars who shaped Ireland’s spiritual identity to the remnants of pre-Christian traditions that still echo through its myths and monuments. Iconic institutions like Trinity College anchor this rich heritage, housing treasures such as the Book of Kells that testify to Ireland’s monastic brilliance. Christ Church Cathedral and nearby St. Patrick’s Cathedral showcase centuries of worship and architectural splendor, reminding visitors that the city has long been a crossroads of spirituality, scholarship, and civic life. Yet Dublin is also modern: alive with literature, music, and an evolving cultural scene that continues to inspire both storytellers and seekers alike.
Carlingford is a beautifully preserved medieval town where stone walls, narrow lanes, and ancient fortifications immediately draw you into Ireland’s Norman past. Nestled between the mountains and the sea, it holds within its small footprint a remarkable concentration of neolithic tombs, high crosses, and early Christian sites. These landscapes once captivated the Lewis brothers, who wandered through its hills and ruins, absorbing atmospheres that would later shape C.S. Lewis’s imaginative worlds. Carlingford’s blend of archaeology, myth, and medieval charm makes it a place where history feels unusually alive—where the spiritual tensions and inspirations of Ireland’s past still resonate in its wind-worn stones and tranquil loughside views.
Newcastle is a Victorian seaside town framed dramatically by the Mourne Mountains, whose sweeping peaks appear to rise straight from the shoreline. This unique landscape has long enchanted travelers, but it holds a special significance for admirers of C.S. Lewis. He once wrote that the view overlooking Carlingford Lough from nearby Rostrevor was his idea of Narnia, and in Newcastle those inspirations come vividly to life. Walking its promenade or gazing up at the mountain silhouettes, it is easy to imagine why these places fed Lewis’s imagination with scenes of enchanted forests, rugged adventures, and mythic wonder. With its blend of natural majesty and seaside charm, Newcastle remains one of Northern Ireland’s most captivating gateways into the world that shaped Lewis’s stories.
Belfast, the birthplace of C.S. Lewis, is a city marked by both deep wounds and profound resilience. Its history of sectarian conflict, political tension, and social division is well known, yet in recent decades Belfast has also become a powerful symbol of reconciliation and renewal. Sites such as St. Mark’s Church, where Lewis worshiped as a child, offer glimpses into his early spiritual environment, while C.S. Lewis Square—with its sculptures of beloved Narnian characters—celebrates his enduring legacy of imagination and hope. Today Belfast is a dynamic city where art, culture, and storytelling mingle with a growing desire for unity. It stands as a testament to how communities can heal, rebuild, and rediscover joy even after generations of struggle.
Oxford is a city of dreaming spires, where golden stone towers, quiet quadrangles, and centuries-old libraries reflect a tradition of learning unmatched anywhere in the world. It is also a city shaped by faith and conviction, having witnessed the courage of Reformation martyrs whose sacrifices are still honored at the Martyrs’ Memorial. For C.S. Lewis, Oxford was not only an academic home but the setting where his imagination and scholarship deepened—through college life, friendships with the Inklings, and years of teaching and writing. Walking its cobbled streets, one can feel the interplay of intellectual rigor, spiritual inquiry, and literary creativity that has defined Oxford for generations and continues to inspire pilgrims today.
