Unterwegs mit einem Freund und seinem luxuriösen VW Bus

Like all of the reviews you will read, I echo the comments about how great Manfred is. But there is something more that goes far beyond the quality of the tours. Manfred is simply a wonderful human being that does what he does because he simply loves doing it, and it shows throughout your tour. Meeting him was a highlight of our vacation and I can truly say that he is someone I look forward to keeping in touch with well beyond this trip. He is most definitely my friend in Heidelberg. So, if you want a great tour guide that goes so far beyond that, he is your person. Before you even hire him, he helps with an itinerary, makes sure he can deliver what you’re hoping for, and so much more. At the end of the day, your vacation will be far better if you have the opportunity to meet Manfred. He really does go the extra miles.

I’ve become a firm believer that private guides, local to your travel destination, provide a superior travel experience to any other approach to vacation travel.. Private guides respond to your specific vacation objectives and organize your trip goals in an orderly fashion that saves time and therefore money. Not only did Manfred do all that, he was enjoyable company. In addition to getting us to all the venues we requested his knowledge base on the area provided a ton of historical perspective and, along the way, pointed out a number of interesting sites and experiences we had no previous awareness of. I assign Manfred a five star rating based on our experience. Last word = book him direct.

When I realized that I wasn’t interested in the big bus tour that our riverboat was offering to Heidelberg, I decided to look elsewhere. I googled private tours in Heidelberg and it brought me to Manfred Pitz and his business A Friend in Heidelberg. I read many many reviews on his website and they were all very positive. I contacted him shortly after and we chatted through the What’s App and also through email and finally tailored a tour to my liking. Despite being June, the day arrived chilly and pouring rain. My first thought was that it wasn’t going to be a very fun day in the inclement weather. Boy was I wrong! Manfred picked us up right at our Viking ship with a big smile on his face. We immediately felt at ease with him and his warm personality and soon the three of us were chatting away as to what our expectations for the day would be. We decided to hold off a little on the castle visit to see if the rain would let up. He drove us into the countryside and also across the river via a very cool one car ferry. He also took us to the remains of a fortress where there was a well that had a story to it that involved an antique key. I won’t give away what the story is but if you tour with Manfred ask him to take you there! Finally we decided to head to the castle with hopes that the rain would let up. Instead it came down in sheets raining sideways under our umbrellas and causing me to don a poncho on top of my jacket! But you know what? It made it all the more memorable of a day we will never forget! Manfred kept to his tour of the castle giving us much information about the castle outside until we finally went inside. Finally in the courtyard the rain did let up for us to take some great photos! We then headed into town on foot and explored the town a little, walked over the bridge, and the three of us had a delicious lunch at an Italian restaurant! We so enjoyed each others company getting to really know each other as the day went on. We then headed to Speyer for a visit to the beautiful Cathedral and finally back to our ship. It was truly a day we will never forget. We truly made a friend in Heidelberg!

We had the pleasure of spending a day exploring the Heidelberg region with our guide, and the experience exceeded every expectation. From the moment we met, he was personable, professional, and genuinely committed to ensuring our family had an enjoyable and memorable experience. His English was impeccable, making communication effortless, and his knowledge of Heidelberg's history, culture, and local traditions was truly exceptional. Every stop along the tour came alive through his engaging stories and historical insights, giving us a much deeper appreciation for the region than we could have gained on our own. What impressed us most was his flexibility and attentiveness. He tailored the day to our interests, answered every question with enthusiasm, and never made us feel rushed. His recommendations for local attractions, customs, and cuisine were outstanding and added tremendously to our visit. If you're looking for a guide who is knowledgeable, kind, accommodating, and passionate about sharing Heidelberg's beauty and history, I recommend Manfred without hesitation. He transformed our visit from a simple sightseeing trip into an unforgettable family experience. Thank you for making our time in Germany so special, we hope to return and tour with you again. An exceptional guide in every respect. Professional, knowledgeable, personable, and truly dedicated to providing a first-class experience. Our family couldn't have asked for a better experience to reminisce and experience Heidelberg and the surrounding region. Highly recommended.

On 20 May 2026, four Aussies set off on an adventure with Manfred for a private tour of Heidelberg, and we were not disappointed. From the time we reserved the tour, Manfred responded promptly and started to customize a tour for us. We had a fabulous time full of fun, laughs and adventures. Manfred’s knowledge of Heidelberg and the surrounding area is phenomenal. He had was some interesting stories. There were many highlights on the tour, one was Dilsberg Castle which has the most amazing views when you get up the top😊 another was a ride across the river on an old car ferry, which used a combination of cables and motor to pull us across the river. This was especially interesting to one of our friends.

I can't speak highly enough about the time we spent with Manfred. First and foremost, he provided a great service - he was punctual and professional, had a comfortable vehicle, and carried umbrellas in case of rain. He had deep knowledge of the areas we visited and gave us the history of many things so we had a better appreciation of what we were seeing. He was also very flexible, making changes to our agenda based on what we wanted to see and do. He provided a lot of recommendations, but it really felt like the day was ours to experience however we liked. But the real value of the trip was Manfred just being himself - he was funny, engaging, and made us all feel like lifelong friends. My whole family felt our time with him was a highlight of our trip. It might sound cliche, but I genuinely hope to see him again in the future. If you need a guide, and want to finish your trip with a new Friend in Heidelberg, I enthusiastically recommend you call Manfred.

We had a wonderful experience with Manfred Pitz as our “friend in Heidelberg.” He possesses a wealth of knowledge about the region and shows a genuine enthusiasm for his hometown. Before our arrival, he reached out to us via text, which was reassuring as we were heading to town. Throughout our journey, he kept track of our progress on the train, both when we arrived and departed from Heidelberg, which added to our comfort. On the day of our tour, he took the time to listen to our interests and customized the itinerary based on our feedback, giving us a mix of time spent in the car and walking. This was particularly appreciated since we were trying to minimize our exposure to crowds during a national holiday. Manfred shared entertaining anecdotes at various locations and recommended a restaurant for us. He even kindly contacted the restaurant on our behalf to make and modify our reservations. We found him to be personable, engaging, and knowledgeable, and we highly recommend him to anyone fortunate enough to visit this beautiful region.

It was a pleasure having Manfred Pitz as our “friend in Heidelberg.” Manfred displayed a wealth of knowledge about the region and a real enthusiasm for his hometown. He contacted us by text even before we arrived, which was reassuring as we were getting into town. He monitored our progress on the train, both arriving and leaving Heidelberg, which was also helpful and reassuring. Early on the day of our tour, he listened to determine what we might like to see, and tailored our tour based on this feedback, which offered us a mixture of time in the car and on foot. We appreciated this especially because we were trying to reduce our exposure to crowds, as this was the time of a national holiday. He shared funny anecdotes wherever we went and recommended a restaurant for us – and even called the restaurant on our behalf to make and change our reservations. We found him to be personable, entertaining, and informative, and would highly recommend him to someone who’s fortunate enough to visit this beautiful region.

Wow. What a great opportunity to see the highlights and special places in the Heidelberg area. Manfred is not afraid to show you some special places that the ordinary guide would not show you. The Heidelberg castle was an interesting place with exciting commentary at every corner. We had a great lunch at a local restaurant (the white asparagus was a special treat for us all). Our transportation was a top notch vehicle and Manfred always tried to learn more about you so he could keep the tour guided to our interests.

Manfred is definitely your friend in Heidelberg. I booked this tour last minute since the weather was going to be rainy and I knew we would not be able to get out and walk around the city. That was a great decision. Manfred medicine at our hotel and chatted with us briefly about our expectations for the day. The only thing we really wanted to do was the Hyderabad castle. He asked if we could go to the countryside and visit the Dilsberg fortress. What an unexpected surprise. We were the only guests at the fortress which was really great. The weather was rainy and we were able to take shelter in a small café in the village, which was amazing. We had a great tour of Heidelberg Castle. There were no awkward pauses in the Conversation As Manfred Is Very Friendly and eager to get to know his guess. Highly recommend.