I highly recommend Sonja and My Ancestor’s Journey for help planning a northern Germany family heritage tour that includes ancestors emigrating from Germany. Our family’s tour was excellent because of her knowledge and help. Our family already knew key facts about our ancestors in Germany, and we didn’t use the advertised Bremerhaven tour offered by My Ancestor’s Journey. We told Sonja what we knew and what we hoped to get from our tour. She connected us with knowledgeable people with a passion for the Schaumburg region and with access to historical records we didn’t know existed. I had tried to make contact with local experts I thought might help, and didn’t get much of a response. But when Sonja got involved, the doors opened up! She had great suggestions and helped with our arrangements even though she wasn’t our tour guide. I also liked her business model: she was upfront with the costs of her work, and we felt that her prices were fair. After the trip, we felt she went the extra mile for us. Whether you know little about your ancestors’ emigration from Germany, or like us, know a lot but want to take it to the next level, Sonja and My Ancestor’s Journey can help you.

I can’t recommend Sonja highly enough. She helped me retrace my grandfather’s journey through Bremen and Bremerhaven exactly 100 years after he left for America. Her knowledge, preparation and personal connections made the entire experience special, particularly our visit to the Emigration Museum, which became the highlight of the trip. Sonja didn’t just show me the places. She understood why the journey mattered to me and helped make it unforgettable.

Our itinerary which was developed by Sonja truly satisfied our expectations. 10/10 for accommodation, food and excursions suggested by Sonja. We are planning another trip to Germany in 2027 which we hope Sonja can organise for us again.

If you are planning an ancestry-theme trip to Germany (or Norway!) I highly recommend Sonja Irani. I first met Sonja through two zoom calls, where I explained my ancestry and where I planned to travel. But I needed her help in putting it all together. Ultimately Sonja put together a two-week itinerary for myself, my daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren (under the age of six). After sharing my family tree (ancestry.com) with her, Sonja went above and beyond. She shared my ancestry with regional experts, and she actually found a distant relative! Unfortunately this distant relative (we share the same 2nd great grandfather) passed away before our trip to Schleswig-Holstein, but before he died he emailed his family tree to me and this help me put together much of my older family tree. This never would had happened without Sonja. And how amazing that she also knows the Stavanger, Norway, region! There she found us a tour guide/driver for a 10-hour road trip, visiting all of my ancestor's villages and churches. In one village, the local historian greeted us and even showed me the home and tombstone of my 3rd great grandfather! This never would have happened without Sonja digging deep to make our trip memorable. This trip was a trip of a lifetime. I trusted Sonja to make it happen. You can trust her with your ancestry-inspired trip.

We had a great time touring Bremen with our wonderful guide, Sonja. She was very knowledgeable, super friendly, and a joy to be around. She allowed us time to stop in a little shop for souvenirs and later joined us for dinner at a fantastic restaurant in the historic Schnoor district. Definitely helped make our trip!