Shirley’s Story: 15 TourMagination Tours and Counting!

Recently, we talked to TourMagination traveller Shirley Ratzlaff about her travels with TourMagination. She has been on 15 tours and counting. Listen in on our conversation to hear about some of Shirley's incredible experiences. Tour #1: Australia “My mom [...]

COVID-19 Insurance Recommended for Upcoming Tours

If you are travelling on an upcoming tour, we highly recommend purchasing COVID-19 insurance.   For Canadians Manulife Travel Insurance Plan is available to Canadians travelling in Canada and internationally. It covers Emergency Medical Expenses if you are hospitalized due to contracting […]

Cross-Canada train tour to Commemorate Russlaender centenary

It’s been almost 100 years since 1923, when thousands of Mennonites from the Soviet Union began migrating to Canada. A train tour commemorating their journey will wind across Canada in the summer of 2023 to mark the anniversary. Ingrid […]

COVID-19 Update for Canadian and American travellers

Below are links to updated information for Canadian and American travellers from their respective governments. Requirements could change prior to your travel date. We recommend that you double check documentation and entry requirements for each country visited prior to […]

Join Us for Engaging Online Presentations!

Learn from experts and discuss with peers in collaboration with the Centre for Transnational Mennonite Studies and Anabaptist History Today.   WEBINAR: A New Home in Canada Thursday, October 28, 2021, 6:30 CT/7:30 ET Explore the experiences of Mennonites as […]

Why Is There a Mennonite Museum in Khiva, Uzbekistan?

Ichan Kala is the walled historic city centre of Khiva, Uzbekistan, where travellers can see some of the best-preserved examples of Islamic architecture in Central Asia. Among the original and restored buildings dating from the 12th to the 19th […]

The Anabaptist Story Lives on: Virtual Museum & Archive Tour ROUND 3

Back by popular demand! TourMagination is hosting Round 3 of the virtual museum and archive tour. Tuesday evenings, 8 PM ET/7 PM CT/5 PM PT, from January 5 to February 2, 2021 archivists and executive directors from Anabaptist and [...]

Merry & Bright Virtual Christmas Party

As Christmas approaches, we've been discussing how to do something special for our TourMagination community of travellers. We decided on a Virtual Christmas Party on Thursday, December 17 at 8 PM EST/7 PM CT/5 PM PT. Wear your favourite ugly holiday [...]

The Anabaptist Story Lives on: Virtual Museum & Archive Tour ROUND 2

TourMagination hosted Round 2 of the virtual museum and archive tour. Tuesday evenings, from November 3rd to December 1, 2020 archivists and executive directors from Anabaptist and Mennonite museums, archives, and heritage centres in the USA and Canada showed [...]

Russian Mennonite Migration Commemorative Train Tour Planned for 2023

On his deathbed in 2014, David Riesen asked his daughter Ingrid to organize an event to remember Mennonites' historic migration from Russia to Canada beginning in 1923. While the First World War was underway, Vladimir Lenin’s Bolsheviks seized power [...]

6 Tips for your Next Vacation Close to Home

With restrictions on international travel, sometimes we forget that there are many things to see and do in our own backyards. Below are six tips to help you make the most of a local trip.    Discover What’s Special [...]

Re-Registration

Do You Need to Re-register for a Tour? Were you on a 2020 tour and need to re-register? You will receive a personal email with instructions on how to re-register for your specific tour. You will be given a two-week […]

MWC Assembly Gathered Postponed till 2022

Dear TourMagination Travellers, We have been alerted that Mennonite World Conference (MWC) decided to postpone the global Assembly until July 5-10, 2022. From an MWC media release: “The Indonesian Mennonite churches are committed to hosting the Assembly in Indonesia. […]

50th Anniversary Tour Leader Reflection: Tom Yoder Neufeld

Leading a Learning Tour & Pilgrimage Journey Since 2003, about every two years, I have led the Exploring the World of Paul tour. Initially, it was called In the Footsteps of Paul, but it quickly became apparent that it [...]

50th Anniversary Tour Leader Reflection: Jack & Irene Suderman

Learning and Loving in Cuba TourMagination Tour Leaders Jack & Irene Suderman have been leading faith-based cultural tours to Cuba since 2015. They have a 30-plus year history of connecting with Cubans and helping to train Christian leaders in [...]

50th Anniversary Tour Leader Reflections: Fred & Shirley Redekop

Smiles Are a Language Fred and Shirley Redekop have led a variety of TourMagination tours. Beginning in 2005, Fred co-led World of Paul tours to Turkey and Greece with Tom Yoder Neufeld. “It was neat to watch people get [...]

50th Anniversary Tour Leader Reflection: Bob & Margaret Nally

Open to a Full Encounter with Culture & History After participating in several TourMagination experiences, Bob and Margaret Nally had an inclination that TM travellers might like to explore their homeland, Ireland. The Nallys mentioned the idea of a [...]

TourMagination 50th Anniversary Celebrations June 15-19

June 15-19, 2020 TourMagination is celebrating 50 years of helping people of faith explore, experience, and expand their worlds. The company began in 1970 to help North American Anabaptists explore their heritage in Europe. See a timeline of important […]

TourMagination Cruise & Travel Specialist Cheryl Gilmore

Growing up in multicultural Winnipeg, Canada, Cheryl Gilmore vowed to one day travel and see the world. After graduating from design in Toronto (1991) and following a season of local theatre, a unique opportunity arose to experience the high […]

Tips for Creating a Travel Photo book

Six years ago, Lorna Sawatzky (left) embarked on a remarkable trip to India and Bhutan.  She kept meaning to make a photo book because she didn’t want to forget a thing.  But life was busy with travel plans and […]

The Anabaptist Story Lives on: Virtual Museum & Archive Tour

Tuesday evenings in May & June, archivists and executive directors from Anabaptist and Mennonite museums, archives, and heritage centres across North America showed unique artifacts, photos and documents as they shared part of the Anabaptist story. Watch the presentations […]

COVID-19 Update – Travel & Insurance

Updated: October 14, 2020 If you are registered for a TourMagination tour in 2020, we want you to know we are committed to informing you about the status of tours as soon as we have the information we need […]

COVID-19 Update – Insurance

MANULIFE UPDATE AS OF APRIL 9, 2020: Some travel insurance policies provide coverage that may pay for costs that consumers cannot recover when trips are cancelled.  In the past, travel service providers usually provided consumers with refunds where the […]

COVID-19 Update, Status of Tours, Payments, Insurance

We want you to know that we are doing everything we can to communicate with TourMagination travellers about the status of tours happening in the next 6 months. We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation and waiting to hear decisions from […]

COVID-19 Information and FAQs

We are providing the information below to bring clarity for TourMagination travellers during the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. If your question is not answered, please contact us. We are here to help!   TourMagination’s Governing Body  Like all other travel […]

COVID-19 UPDATE

We care about your health and safety and want to assure you that we are attempting to make the best decisions we can with the information we have. We understand your frustration and your desire to know what will [...]

Southeast Asia Tours for 2021

Southeast Asia Tours Compatible with Mennonite World Conference Assembly Gathered Our itinerary expert, Cheryl Gilmore has been hard at work researching and sketching out some tours in Southeast Asia that are compatible with Mennonite World Conference Assembly Gathered July [...]

South Africa:  How a World Rugby Championship has Inspired a Nation

    How can rugby inspire a nation?  It’s worth noting that rugby was long the White Man’s Sport in South Africa, as captured in Clint Eastwood’s brilliant film Invictus.   Which is why non-whites hated the team known as […]

Do Good While Having a Good Time on These Tours

It is possible to do good while having a good time if you choose the right tour. Tourism is an important source of income in many countries. When visitors remember that they are visiting someone else’s home and they […]

TourMagination is Taking a Group to Cuba under the Religious Travel Category

As you may have heard, on June 5th, 2019 the United States Government issued new rules governing travel to Cuba by American citizens. Canadians Jack & Irene Suderman have been taking groups, mostly of Americans, on educational tours to […]

The “White Zulu” of South Africa: A Tribute to Johnny Clegg

Nelson Mandela.  Desmond Tutu.  These two must be among the biggest names of our time. Both proudly South African.  Both closely connected to Cape Town.  Both statesmen of the world.  And both at the heart of the stories we’ll […]

Media Release: MCC Centennial Celebration Tour Planned for March 2020 in Ukraine

Waterloo, ON July 10th, 2019 Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) held its first official meeting on September 27, 1920, in Chicago, Illinois. Canadian and U.S. Mennonite relief efforts came together under the umbrella of MCC to meet the desperate needs […]

Exploring Your Personal History

By Conrad Stoesz, archivist at the Centre for MB Studies Who am I? Do you ever ask yourself that question? Part of the answer includes where you came from—not only your past but your family’s past. It is one […]

Keeping the family stories alive

I believe in maintaining family ties. One small way in which I do this is sending a personalized email or text to immediate and extended family members on their birthdays. It’s not a long message, but it lets them […]

Maintaining Extended Family Ties: The Schürch Family

“One’s heritage cannot be taken away from you, but it can be lost by failing to save it for future generations,” said Tom Sherk, one of the founders of the Schürch Family Association of North America (SFANA). Tom believed […]

An Early Christmas Gift for Single Travellers

Our tour leaders intentionally build community on all TourMagination tours and ensure that single travellers feel welcome. As an extra special welcome, we are pleased to announce that we are waiving the single supplement for the following three spring […]

Is There a Lesson? European Anabaptist Heritage Documentary with John Ruth

Schedule of Screenings in 2018 If you have ever travelled with John Ruth on a European Anabaptist Heritage tour you won’t want to miss his 90 minute documentary entitled Is There a Lesson?. During this 90-minute documentary, relive your memories of […]

Is There a Lesson? European Anabaptist Heritage Documentary with John Ruth

Schedule of Screenings in 2018 If you have ever travelled with John Ruth on a European Anabaptist Heritage tour you won’t want to miss his 90 minute documentary entitled Is There a Lesson?. During this 90-minute documentary, relive your memories of […]

Hear an Exotic Mennonite Migration Story at Pioneer Days in Steinbach

Do you live near Steinbach, Manitoba? Come to Pioneer Days at Mennonite Heritage Village, August 3-6, 2018. Enjoy a short dramatic presentation of a Mennonite migration story with TourMagination staff member Sandra Reimer on Friday at 3:00 pm or […]

What to Expect in Zábalo Village on the Natural & Cultural Encounters in the Amazon Tour

Guests will stay in one of two large lodges in the village, each with several bedrooms and one or two bathrooms. Sararo Lodge is pictured to the left.  There are additional bathrooms in the bathhouse between the two lodges.  The […]

Condolences to Bonaventure Travel

We would like to extend our condolences to the staff at Bonaventure travel as they mourn the untimely passing of former owner Ruth Wiebe on Saturday, June 2 in Winnipeg. Ruth spent many years in the travel industry. READ […]

Performances Announced for the Marvelous Music in Germany Tour!

It’s been hard to wait for the concert schedules to book tickets for performances that travellers will attend on the Marvelous Music & Culture of Germany Tour, September 19-30, 2018 with Rod Zook and Rennie Regehr. Here’s what professional musician Rennie […]

TourMagination Collaborates with Mennonite Central Committee for Mutual Benefit

Waterloo, ON May 8, 2018 Recognizing shared values and an overlap between TourMagination travellers and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) donors, the for-profit business and non-profit organization recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding signalling their desire to collaborate more closely […]

Drought Update in Cape Town

As you may have heard in the news, Cape Town has been experiencing a serious drought. We want to assure you that we are proactively monitoring the situation in consultation with our contacts on the ground in South Africa. […]

Join One of Our Upcoming Webinars

Choosing to go on a TourMagination group tour is an investment of your precious time and money. You want to be sure you’re going to have an outstanding experience. Tour leaders have a significant impact on the quality of […]

Mourning the Passing of David Friesen

We were deeply saddened to hear of the unexpected and tragic passing of David Friesen last week. We mourn with David’s wife Trudy, son John, and other family members. David led several tours to Mexico with TourMagination. He will […]

The Legacies of Robert Mugabe and Nelson Mandela

By Len Friesen Robert Mugabe’s recent “retirement” in Zimbabwe provides a good opportunity to reconsider the remarkable legacy of Nelson Mandela, the first President of a post-Apartheid South Africa. There are, interestingly enough, many parallels between them. Both were […]

Trump Travel Restrictions in Cuba Won’t Affect TourMagination Cuba Tour

On Wednesday, November 8 the Trump administration announced that it will be tightening travel restrictions in Cuba for American citizens. Americans are still allowed to fly to Cuba under new rules issued by the US government, but they must […]

Can Americans travel to Cuba? You can with Canadian tour company TourMagination!

                                With the current political climate in the United States, you might be wondering, “Can Americans travel to Cuba?” It is important to note […]

PEACE ON PAPER: WHAT’S AHEAD FOR COLOMBIA?

For those in the Waterloo region, an event that might be of interest is “Peace on Paper: What’s Ahead for Colombia?” CLICK HERE to read more at the Woolwich Observer.

Heartfelt condolences on the loss of Dawn Ruth Nelson

We would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to Roma and John Ruth on the loss of their beloved daughter Dawn Ruth Nelson. Dawn passed away at the age of 65 on August 21, 2017 at her parents’ home […]

We’re Planning a Women’s Tour to Tanzania!

Many of you may know Shirley Redekop. She has led TourMagination tours on her own and with her husband Fred. Shirley recently approached us about putting together a women’s tour. As President of Mennonite Women Canada, Shirley is passionate […]

Travelling Solo? No Problem

Sometimes solo travelers who inquire about our tours worry that they’ll feel out of place among couples. A good balance of couples and singles travel with us on most tours. If desired, we assist travellers to find roommates and […]

Our Condolences to the Sharp Family

We offer our deepest condolences to John and Michele Sharp as they grieve for their son Michael, who was tragically killed while working for peace in the DR Congo. Many of you may have traveled with John on a […]

Celtic Spirituality Event – March 12, 2017

“The Celtic world knows darkness and pain, but rejoices in light, poetry, song and celebration. It displays penitence and the heights of praise.” Join Irish-born Margaret Nally, leader of TourMagination’s Sights, Sounds & Sacred Space of Ireland tour, at […]

Explore Your Mennonite Roots with an Archivist from Mennonite Archives of Ontario

On Thursday, February 9, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, TourMagination will host a Mennonite Family History Night in collaboration with Mennonite Archives of Ontario in the Community Education Room (Room 2202) at Conrad Grebel University College, 140 Westmount Rd […]

Top 10 Reasons to travel to Cuba with TourMagination

You could book your own trip to Cuba. Or you can explore this intriguing island nation with a TourMagination tour group. Here are ten reasons to join the Fresh Perspectives on the History, Church, & People of Cuba tour, January 20-29, 2017 with Jack and […]

We remember Janet Martin

With sadness, we announce that former TourMagination co-owner Janet Martin passed away suddenly on September 7th, 2016. Janet and her husband Wilmer were owners at TourMagination for more than 40 years. During that time, Janet co-led many tour groups […]

Book launch party with Ken Reed

Ken Yoder Reed is launching his new book Both My Sons at a launch party hosted by Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society on Thursday, October 6, at 7pm at the Historical Society auditorium, 2215 Millstream Road, Lancaster, PA 17602. Ken […]

TourMagination Ownership Change

As of April 1, 2016, Audrey Voth Petkau will assume sole ownership of TourMagination. Previous co-owners Wilmer and Janet Martin have sold their remaining TourMagination shares to Audrey. For more than 45 years, TourMagination has been building bridges among [...]

Safe Travels in the Holy Land and Beyond

There is no shortage of conflict in the world today. But anxiety should not prevent us from visiting these troubled countries as long as reasonable precautions are taken. TourMagination proceeds with a trip only after reviewing travel advisories from […]