Reviews

Manfred is the best!
This was my second time on tour with Manfred, which says some­thing right there. And just like the last trip, I really enjoyed my time with him. Manfred is extremely knowl­edge­able, knows the greater Heidel­berg area very well, and made it easy for me to get around and see every­thing I wanted to see. I espe­cially appre­ciate all of the local insight and back­ground he shares along the way — it always adds a lot to the expe­ri­ence. I even asked to go to a town in nearby France he had never been to before and he took that on with no problem. He helped make my time with him both easy and memo­rable, and I’m very glad I worked with him again!

We had such a wonderful day touring with Manfred. He truly is a friend in Heidel­berg. He picked us up at our Frank­furt hotel and drove us back south towards Heidel­berg. We stopped in a lovely little village for coffee and then a short, charming ferry ride. From there, a visit to a castle ruin and we ended the day in Heidel­berg, around the Old Town and up to the castle. And we had a great lunch! Manfred took such good care of us and made sure we were on the right train plat­form for our return to Frank­furt. If we ever return to the area, we will defi­nitely be calling on “our friend in Heidel­berg” again.

A Must in Heidel­berg!
Our friend in Heidel­berg, Manfred, was amazing. He asked ques­tions about our inter­ests and then created a tour that fit them all. He handled my diverse family very well. We had such a fun time seeing Heidel­berg and the surrounding area and got to see special places that we never knew about. We laughed and learned and would do it all over again. Manfred is extremely knowl­edge­able, funny, friendly, and welcoming. He really helps you have the best expe­ri­ence. It started to rain and he even had umbrellas for all six of us. He sent us links and infor­ma­tion for future trips and answered all of our ques­tions. We absolutely loved Heidel­berg, it was so special seeing it with Manfred. Defi­nitely book him and take as many hours as you can afford. You will not forget it. I can’t say enough good things about him!

Truly became a friend in Heidel­berg
Our six-hour tour went like a flash because of the contin­uous guide Infor­ma­tion and friendly conver­sa­tion. He got to know us person­ally and we learned about him. He shaped the tour to our inter­ests and added what we wanted. And, he had a wonderful car and he was an excel­lent driver.

Unfor­get­table!
No four-star review from us, strictly five star all the way. Manfred is the quin­tes­sen­tial profes­sional with a personal flair! From doing advanced research into our genealog­ical trip, to acting as inter­preter, Manfred helped facil­i­tate a trip I have been waiting to do for years. From navi­gating back roads in small villages and acting as liaison with towns­people and museum cura­tors to finding great places to eat, he made our trip more than anything I could have dreamed of. If we could give more than 5 stars, we would! Thank you, Manfred!

We had an amazing time with Manfred! He tailored our two days in the Middle Rhein to exactly what we were hoping to see and went above and beyond to make us feel at home and cared for. Commu­ni­ca­tion was clear and prompt — he was very willing to accom­mo­date any requests that we had. His friendly person­ality and local connec­tions made us feel more connected to the commu­nity and made our expe­ri­ence even better! We would highly recom­mend Manfred!

Fabu­lous Guide
We had a fabu­lous day touring wine country with Manfred! He was so kind, knowl­edge­able, and infor­ma­tive and took great care of us. Not only did he make sure that we had the best expe­ri­ence possible during our tour but reached out to us after­ward to make sure we were able to navi­gate our travels safely the following day. We wished we could have taken him with us to guide the rest of our vaca­tion. He truly made us feel as though we had a friend in Heidel­berg.

A Black Forest Adven­ture
Manfred was cheerful and welcoming from the very begin­ning. He helped us with our luggage and his vehicle was spacious, comfort­able, and clean. He also provided us with plenty of water. We enjoyed our drive to the Black Forest with short stops to see water­falls and walk around the small lake. Manfred suggested family style lunches at some great German style restau­rants and his sugges­tions provided a deli­cious variety. He also made a stop at an annual wine festival/carnival that featured local wines and foods. I would say that there were several thou­sand people in atten­dance and Manfred managed to find us a seat at the bar/lunch table. It was a great expe­ri­ence for us to be so immersed in an annual German tradi­tion. He was also thoughtful of our slower pace and the need for frequent stops. We really appre­ci­ated his consid­er­a­tion. We had a medical need during our time with him, and he went out of his way to help us. It was a plea­sure to meet him and learn more about a lovely area of Germany.

During a recent cruise on the Rhine, my wife desired to visit the ances­tral commu­nity of her paternal great grand­par­ents in Germany. She researched private drivers and discov­ered Manfred, owner of a friend in heidel­berg. What a find. With short notice he not only sched­uled our half day adven­ture as a result of a cancel­la­tion but inves­ti­gated and found a gentleman with a common sir name who was a cousin of my wife!! He arranged a visit with the cousin and asked him to join us in touring two local churches where her great grand­par­ents were married. This was the high­light of our two weeks in Europe. Manfred goes beyond the expected and antic­i­pated with joy and exuber­ance. He is a rare find in these hurried days of life who allowed us to expe­ri­ence an after­noon in the country with a new friend!! Thank you Manfred, Mike and Susan

Our day with Manfred Pitz exploring the Middle Rhine Valley was one of the high­lights of our trip to Germany. This private tour was part of a surprise vaca­tion I planned for my girl­friend, and Manfred went far beyond anything we could have expected to make the day incred­ibly special and memo­rable. Our expe­ri­ence with Manfred actu­ally began before we ever arrived in Germany. His commu­ni­ca­tion was wonderful, and he took the time to learn about our inter­ests, what we enjoyed, and what would make the expe­ri­ence mean­ingful for us. Because of that, our day felt truly personal rather than like a typical sight­seeing tour. It was obvious that Manfred genuinely cared about creating a memo­rable expe­ri­ence for us. The Middle Rhine Valley itself was beau­tiful, but having Manfred as our guide made it so much more enjoy­able. His knowl­edge of the history, castles, villages, vine­yards, and culture of the region was impres­sive, and he shared it with such enthu­siasm and warmth. He was atten­tive, flex­ible, and always seemed to know just the right thing to show us or tell us. We never felt rushed, and the entire day felt like we were exploring the region with someone who genuinely wanted us to have a wonderful time. One of the things we will remember most is Manfred’s expres­sion, “your friend in Heidel­berg.” He says it so natu­rally, but by the end of our day together, we real­ized that he really had become just that — a new friend. We started the day as guests on a private tour and ended it feeling like we had spent the day with someone we truly enjoyed getting to know. Manfred helped make a surprise vaca­tion into a truly unfor­get­table expe­ri­ence. We are so grateful for his kind­ness, thought­ful­ness, humor, and the genuine care he put into making our day special. We would recom­mend Manfred without hesi­ta­tion to anyone visiting the Rhine Valley or Heidel­berg. We absolutely plan to book with him again on a future trip to Germany. We may have started the day as visi­tors, but we left with wonderful memo­ries, a deeper appre­ci­a­tion for this beau­tiful part of Germany, and, most impor­tantly, a new friend in Heidel­berg.

A true friend in Heidel­berg
We recently were fortu­nate enough to meet and tour with Manfred. We had arranged a trip to Stuttgart and then wanted to explore the nearby town of Heidel­berg. From the minute I contacted Manfred, all our needs were met. He person­ally picked us up at the station and took us on the most delightful trip around Heidel­berg. He did not focus on the town only; he took us to the outskirts of the town and showed us the forests and moun­tains and castles from amazing vantage points. He contin­u­ously had inter­esting stories of each place and showed us very special things that an ordi­nary mass tour could just not get to. Each little request was careful included in the tour like a beau­tiful lunch at a local, truly German place and a visit to the Christmas shop for us to buy deco­ra­tions for our tree. Nothing was too big or too small for Manfred to care of. He is super knowl­edge­able and really is a friend in Heidel­berg. I would highly recom­mend him for anyone looking for a tour of Heidel­berg with a personal and friendly touch.

A true gem in Heidel­berg
Our guide in Heidel­berg, Manfred, was beyond extra­or­di­nary! His compa­ny’s name is “a friend in heidel­berg” and it could not be more fitting. It truly felt like spending the day with a friend. From his initial commu­ni­ca­tions before booking, to his good morning greeting to our last goodbye, Freddy was kind, a great listener and conver­sa­tion­alist. He knows the area and history like the back of his hand. And will really listen and customize your tour plan so you see exactly what you want! We have had more tour guides than we can count through years, and he was among the very best ever. Highly recom­mend!

Excel­lent expe­ri­ence with Mani­fred while visiting Heidel­berg
WOW book with Manfred imme­di­ately. He is outstanding. He enjoys taking the time to email you back and forth many times to make your day perfect. Trust me the man knows the area and makes the best recom­men­da­tions. We booked an afternoon/evening trip with him and he did NOT disap­point. We hit every­thing on my list…Speyer, Wein­heim, Heppen­heim, and ending with a beau­tiful picture at the lit-up Heidel­berg castle a 10 pm. Our 7 hours were incred­ible. Honestly, it was the high­light of our trip. Our pictures and memo­ries will be forever cher­ished. Mani­fred is not only our tour guide but now our friend. He is an incred­ible man who is so passionate about teaching you about the small towns in Germany, so you leave loving the area. The wine, the food and his company was perfect. Thank you for a wonderful trip. Can’t wait to rebook when we return for some more adven­tures with you!!!!!!

Heidel­berg private tour
Outstanding! If I had to summa­rize our expe­ri­ence with Manfred in one word, that would be it. Our day began at 11:00 and Manfred was extremely prompt. We had inten­tion­ally not had a specific plan in mind and Manfred offered a couple of ideas. With the time we had allotted, we chose the Neckar Valley outside of Heidel­berg. A great sugges­tion and absolutely beau­tiful. Manfred has a wealth of knowl­edge about Heidel­berg and the surrounding areas and was so conscious about making sure our needs were being met. A wonderful expe­ri­ence and we would absolutely highly recom­mend… A Friend in Heidel­berg!

A Friend in Heidel­berg for LIFE!
Manfred was quite possibly the best driver, tour guide, and prob­able friend for life! We booked him for a full day trip and quite possibly it was the best day of our entire trip! We went from Heidel­berg to Rüdesheim am Rhein where Manfred dropped us as we explored the Nieder­wald monu­ment and rode the cable car back into the city while enjoying some sparkling wine. We then boarded KD Cruise to Bacharach, where we viewed many Castles and old ruins! Manfred met us with his car in Bacharach where he showed us around the most quaint lovely town, recom­mended the best lunch spot and spoiled us with Reis­ling Frozen Yogurt! We had booked a wine tasting at Weingut Toni Jost, where he accom­pa­nied us (invited of course, as we were loving his company), helped us commu­ni­cate and educated us on fun inter­esting facts about our surround­ings! I had booked a wine tasting at Schloss Johan­nes­burg, where we headed next! Manfred was the best companion for me, while my husband took some busi­ness calls, and then we received a private tour of the Wine Cellar and did our second wine tasting. Manfred was the driver obvi­ously so was not partic­i­pating in the tast­ings, just learning along with us. Manfred then very safely returned us to Heidel­berg. Honestly, he is the best, most kind, knowl­edge­able host, and driver we have ever had. His English is impec­cable and his heart is even more impres­sive! I had researched a ton of larger busi­ness private drivers, but the expe­ri­ence could not have compared to what Manfred did for us, our vaca­tion, and our memo­ries! Thank you so much Friend in Heidel­berg!! Til next time!
Let me not forget to mention that he commu­ni­cated very effi­ciently before and after our trip! He was very helpful with sugges­tions and recom­men­da­tions on restau­rants, places to stay or see, etc. We had the most amazing meals from his refer­rals in Heidel­berg!

Highly recom­mend!
What a wonderful June 2026 trip we had with Manfred, our friend in Heidel­berg. We were three colleagues trav­el­ling together from South Africa for work and had asked Manfred to do some­thing a bit different for us on the Sunday as we were already touring Heidel­berg castle and surrounds on the Saturday. Manfred imme­di­ately made contact on receiving the booking to make sure he under­stood our groups needs and inter­ests so that he could best recom­mend what we could do on the tour. On the day he fetched us from the hotel which was really conve­nient and took us to see sights around Hirschhorn, this included a castle grounds tour, a coffee and ice cream stop at the old town, and we also got to enjoy a ferry crossing with Markus. It really is an incred­ibly scenic area and at the castle it felt like we were in Disney­land. Germany was also having a heat­wave that week, so it was great to be driving around in the air-condi­­­tioned car. Manfred is incred­ibly hospitable and accom­mo­dating and made sure we were enter­tained with facts and local knowl­edge as well as also taking an interest in where we were from. Thanks Manfred for looking after us so beau­ti­fully! Till next time.

The expe­ri­ence with Manfred was incred­ible, memo­rable and quite unique. We saw sights we will never forget, explored areas of the castle expe­ri­enced by few ate with the local Germans at an exquisite place on his recom­men­da­tion, were intro­duced to his gregar­ious friends who oper­ated an old cable guided ferry across the Neckar. His knowl­edge of the history, the area and the people are second to none. Too much joy to explain in this little space. My Grandson and I thor­oughly enjoyed this life improving trip.

Leading up to our trip through Germany and cruising up the Rhine River to Amsterdam, we booked Manfred during one of our river cruise stops for a private tour to an ances­tral home­town and to see Heidel­berg. Manfred was very helpful in doing a little research about our ances­tral town and inquis­i­tive about what we wanted out of the tour. Unfor­tu­nately, our river cruise was inter­rupted by low rivers and the day we were supposed to meet up with Manfred we were instead on a bus switching ships. Unfor­tu­nately, we were unable to take Manfred‘s tour. While he wasn’t able to take us on our tour, he was keeping in touch with us and being very proac­tive about trying to make it happen. He was giving us more infor­ma­tion than we were actu­ally getting from the cruise line. We are disap­pointed we didn’t get to take the tour with him. I am giving him a great review for all of his proac­tive commu­ni­ca­tion and help­ful­ness leading up to what I am sure would’ve been a wonderful tour. Thanks Manfred, hope­fully someday!

Licht­en­stein Castle & Black Forest Trip
Great expe­ri­ence! I took my teenage son to Heidel­berg, Germany for vaca­tion. There we met Manfred Pitz who is an excel­lent trip advisor/guide. We trav­eled to the Licht­en­stein Castle & Black Forest. Manfred was a welcoming host, took the time to get to know me & my son on a personal level and showed he cared about us having a great expe­ri­ence. Manfred is very person­able, knowl­edge­able, and inte­grated himself with us while going through the Castle Tour & made the Black Forest Hike for us a fun expe­ri­ence. I would highly recom­mend hiring him if you need a trip advisor. If we find ourselves back in Heidel­berg, I would hire him again. Lebe Wohl!

a friend in Heidel­berg
Our day with Manfred was the high­light of our entire Euro­pean trip. So knowl­edge­able and a delightful host. Our goal was to expe­ri­ence Germany without visiting the popular tourist sites. Manfred is easy to talk to and has a great sense of humor. What a day! We also enjoyed drinks in a small village and a delightful dinner in another. We would highly recom­mend Manfred’s services. It was a day to remember!

Amazing Guide!
My son and I visited Heidel­berg for the first time in July 2026. I didn’t have time to plan our trip, and I was only in town for 3 days. Thank­fully, I found Manfred online. He made our trip so beau­tiful! Not only did he pick us up at the airport and give us amazing tours of small villages, the Black Forest, and castles and palaces, but he also gave us a lot of histor­ical infor­ma­tion about the area. He even dropped off a book at our hotel about Heidel­berg and gave my son recom­men­da­tions for places to visit later in the week (he was staying longer than me). It would have taken me weeks to research sites for this trip and figure out trans­porta­tion. He was on time every day, as well as helpful and lots of fun! I feel like I have a new best friend! I highly recom­mend him as a tour guide! He will make your expe­ri­ence unfor­get­table!!!

Home­coming With Manfred
Even though I am a writer by trade, words fail me in describing how profes­sional and jovial our friend in Heidel­berg, Manfred, is. He went above and beyond in plan­ning a very special day trip for me. He tracked down the mayor aka burger meister of the tiny town in which I lived as an infant with my parents. Then he worked with the mayor to help me gain entrance to the apart­ment in which we lived 59 years ago! Further­more, he and the mayor found a friend to escort us at Land­stuhl Medical Center, so that I could see where I was born. A great guide, very knowl­edge­able, and all around wonderful human being. I highly recom­mend Manfred. Worth every euro. ~ Sandy

Manfred was incred­ibly accom­mo­dating and infor­ma­tive. The day flew by with surprise loca­tions and a fabu­lous ferry ride across the Neckar. We have done many local tours but Manfred’s ability to seize an oppor­tu­nity to show­case his home­town is unmatched. Walking down the street he was telling us about local village history when an acquain­tance walked out of her front door and greeted us as old friends inviting us into her home. Seeing Heidel­berg through his eyes is a treat not to be missed.

Our group of three couples from the U.S. was on a Viking River cruise from Basel to Amsterdam. We had sched­uled some private tours along with some of the Viking tours during the week. Our group is a bit discerning. On the final evening before the cruise ended we all shared our thoughts of what we liked and disliked. We had stops in Basel, Colmar, Stras­bourg, Koblenz, Cologne, Düssel­dorf, and Heidel­berg. Each of these stops were unique and contributed to our collec­tive cultural expe­ri­ences. To a person we all felt our day with Manfred, our friend in Heidel­berg, was the high­light of the cruise. He picked us up at our boat at 9a and drove us through the coun­try­side taking us to a church and some small towns in the Neckar Valley before stop­ping for lunch and a visit to the castle in Heidel­berg. We had a busy day, but a relaxed one. He didn’t push an agenda upon us, but listened to our inter­ests, made some adap­ta­tions, a few detours and shared with us the culture of his city. His years abroad including living in the states gave him a perspec­tive that made him relat­able to us. We asked him some ques­tions that he didn’t have the answers to. He was forth­right and let us know he wasn’t sure. Later that evening we’ll after the tour ended, he texted us with answers to our ques­tions. He took the initia­tive to research and make sure we came away with more knowl­edge than when we began the day. He intro­duced us to people along the way, made each stop fun and not a lecture, showed us a Jewish ceme­tery from the 1700’s not on his orig­inal list of activ­i­ties, and of course the Heidel­berg castle. Along the way he made sure we took the most desir­able photos. Manfred was a delight to be with and deliv­ered a great day to all of us. I highly recom­mend a friend in heidel­berg.

Five stars for Manfred
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.

We spent two and a half days with Manfred, our new Friend in Heidel­berg. Manfred was very knowl­edge­able of the areas he took us to and knew the care­takers of the points of interest very well. This allowed for some special expe­ri­ences for us that Manfred organ­ised. We were trav­el­ling to Germany, to visit & stay in a small town in the Oden­wald of Hesse, which is south of Frank­furt and east of the Rhine. We weren’t sure initially whether to hire a car from Frank­furt and drive ourselves, but after I found Manfred online the deci­sion was made easy for us. I explained to Manfred what we required and he quickly organ­ised a phone call with us so we could chat about our plans. We organ­ised to meet Manfred in Heidel­berg, and we did a 3‑hour tour of the Heidel­berg Castle and the Old Town. The next day Manfred drove us to our desti­na­tion, and we visited many towns and points of interest along the way. Some of these were a ride on the oldest ferry of Germany on the Neckar River with Markus the ferryman, a visit to the Dils­berg Fortress, yummy tiramisu at the café A Modo Mio in Hirschhorn, and late lunch at the Grüner Baum restau­rant in the quaint town of Michel­stadt. Manfred then left us for two days and then picked us up and drove us to Basel to link up with the start of a Rhine River Cruise. Along the way to Basel, we visited the spa town of Baden-Baden and had morning tea at the very nice Café König as well as a look at the Casino and the Trinkhalle, Baden-Baden’s Pump Room, with its Corinthian pillars and striking murals. Then to the Schwarzwald, Black Forest, via the Black Forest High Road which had beau­tiful views along the way. We stopped at Mummelsee, which at 1036m had wonderful views and an inter­esting lake to wander around. Of course, we had some very deli­cious Black Forest Cake here also. We cannot speak highly enough of Manfred. Nothing was a problem, including our many ques­tions and requests for photo stops. His English was great and we taught him a few Aussie words too. He was the perfect guide, and we saw and expe­ri­enced many things that we would not have done if we had trav­elled by ourselves. We felt perfectly safe and relaxed that someone else was plan­ning the route. We had great conver­sa­tions and felt like we were chat­ting to a friend. We were, our new Friend in Heidel­berg.

Thank you, Manfred, for such a well‑organized and truly educa­tional tour of Heidel­berg and the surrounding region. We appre­ci­ated the conve­nient hotel pick‑up and your flex­i­bility in adjusting the schedule so we could fit in an extra stop in Frank­furt. Driving through the small historic villages on the way to Heidel­berg was a high­light, and walking through the beau­tiful gardens — followed by tasting the local bakery treats — was exactly the kind of expe­ri­ence we were hoping for. The views from the hilltop castles and the long, layered history behind them were fasci­nating. And you went above and beyond by accom­pa­nying us into the train station and speaking with the ticket agent to make sure our trip back to the hotel went smoothly. Thank you again for making the day so memo­rable.

A trip I hope to do again soon!
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.

Manfred was the Best!
My wife and I and another couple used him as a guide and had a wonderful expe­ri­ence. First Class all the way. He was extremely knowl­edge­able, warm and friendly. We’ll use him again and recom­mend him to any and all. We truly gained “a friend in Heidel­berg”

Heidel­berg All Over Again
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.

Truly a friend in Heidel­berg
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 What­sApp 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 other’s 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!

Very Good Tour
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.

Had an amazing time with Manfred in the Rhine Valley
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.

Great welcome to the EU
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.

A Great Friend in Heidel­berg
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.

Fred is the man! He took my husband and I out for a great time exploring, off the beaten path. He brought us out of eat at a quaint little cafe and ended our trip with authentic gelato. I would highly recom­mend booking my new friend, Fred as your tour guide (you won’t regret it). Thank you, Fred!

Unique Heidel­berg expe­ri­ence
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.

Great day in Heidel­berg, despite the weather
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 met us at our hotel and chatted with us briefly about our expec­ta­tions for the day. The only thing we really wanted to do was the Heidel­berg 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 guests. Highly recom­mend.

Amazing tour, wonderful tour guide who goes above & beyond!
My family and I have booked many tours throughout the years, but by far, this was the best one to date. Manfred goes above & beyond for you to have the best day possible. He researches and spends the time making your tour a unique expe­ri­ence, which then results in a wonderful memo­rable day.
I initially had mentioned to Manfred that we were staying in Mainz but wanted to take the train to Heidel­berg and meet him there to see the castle and other points of interest. However Manfred picked us up at our hotel in Mainz, which was defi­nitely not expected but very appre­ci­ated. It worked out very well because when he provided info and pictures of surrounding towns outside Heidel­berg, we decided we wanted to see those quaint picturesque places on our way to Heidel­berg. Very worth it! We would have never seen these towns other­wise. I really wanted to see the Neckar Valley / River and not only did we drive through that region, but Manfred took us to a remote spot on the river where his friend oper­ated a walk-on cable ferry. It is a historic river crossing ferry for pedes­trians and cyclists to cross. This was my husband’s high­light of the tour. Once we crossed, we walked to the top of the hill nearby where a historic beau­tiful church with stain glass windows was there to greet us, and we also toured a very scenic historic fortress where the views were unbe­liev­able! Next up, an authentic German late lunch which I was really hoping for. It was a non-touristy restau­rant with the most deli­cious food. Last and not least, Manfred took us to the Heidel­berg Castle which is a must! Stun­ning castle with breath­taking views. Then we were dropped off at the train station to head back to Mainz. Manfred came into the station and helped us get our tickets and showed us where to catch the train. We were sad to leave him, but we were also very tired from a busy fun packed day. Highly recom­mend, you will not be disap­pointed! I believe our tour was approx­i­mately 7 hours, but it felt longer because we saw and did so many things. Thank you Manfred, you truly are a good friend in Heidel­berg!

A Memory of a Life­time
We had a wonderful full day tour with Manfred. By the end we under­stood his company name as we truly have a friend in Heidel­berg. Manfred customized our tour based on our inter­ests and time. We saw little out-of-the-way places we will forever remember, espe­cially the ferry ride across the river. While the day was amazing, we will most remember Manfred’s kind­ness when we ended up at the wrong dock to reboard our river cruise. After calling the boat he discov­ered that we were a half hour away and the boat was leaving in 20 minutes. The boat agreed to wait, and Manfred raced us to the correct spot just in time. Those are the things that make you recom­mend someone uncon­di­tion­ally. So, spend a day with our friend in Heidel­berg, Manfred. A memory for a life­time

My friend in Heidel­berg!
What a day in Heidel­berg with Manfred. He arranged to pick us up right at our boat (Viking river cruise). Manfred is very knowl­edge­able of the area and gave us a quick overview of the city. We got to Heidel­berg castle, and Manfred was our very own tour guide, with very detailed infor­ma­tion. After­wards, we stopped for coffee and toured the rest of the city. 100% recom­mend “Our Friend in Heidel­berg”

Great day touring Heidel­berg!
Great day touring Heidel­berg with Manfred. He picked us up right at our Viking river­boat in a very comfort­able van. Manfred proved very knowl­edge­able of the area giving us a quick overview of the city. We toured Heidel­berg castle with Manfred as our very own tour guide. After­wards, he intro­duced us to the butter pretzel, and then we toured the rest of the city. Then safely back to our Viking boat. Strongly recom­mend “Our Friend in Heidel­berg” Manfred!

Manfred at “a friend in heidel­berg” is an amazing person
Don’t go to Heidel­berg or anywhere in that vicinity without Manfred, who truly is “a friend in heidel­berg”. After a tour of Heidel­berg, I wanted to go to a church in a village just outside of Heidel­berg to see where my great-grand­­­par­ents married back in the early 1900’s, as well as a ceme­tery where family members from long ago may have been buried. Manfred was more than a driver or guide, as he walked with us in the ceme­tery, helping us to locate loved ones from our past. He took us to the church, where I could envi­sion my great-grand­­­par­ents walking up the stairs into the church to join their lives together, and where my beloved grand­mother was baptized as an infant. When we needed to find a restroom, Manfred located one for us, and one that we didn’t have to pay for! In short, that day Manfred became a dear friend, a family member. If you want to make the most out of your Heidel­berg visit, you don’t want to be in anyone else’s vehicle…you want to be with Manfred. You will be so happy you did.

Fantastic Expe­ri­ence in Heidel­berg
My husband and I planned to stay a few days in Heidel­berg, our first time here, and were recom­mended Manfred Pitz’s a friend in heidel­berg tour. From the get-go, Manfred curated a tour with us that matched our person­al­i­ties, making it a delightful after­noon spent touring the beau­tiful city and the wonderful outlying towns. The route we drove on April 12, 2026: Heidel­berg-Ziegel­hausen – Neckarsteinach – Hirschhorn (castle plus cappuc­cino and tea at “A Modo Mio” in the old town) – ferry “Neckarhausen — Neckarhäuser Hof” – Dils­berg fortress – Neckargemünd (drive through) – Heidel­berg-Schlier­bach – Heidel­berg Castle. Manfred was so very detailed, and you can feel his love for Heidel­berg and the joy he exuded in sharing that with us. We very much enjoyed his company and truly felt as though we had been friends with him for decades. It was an after­noon we will continue to cherish.

A job well done
It was bril­liant with Manfred – I’d love to do it again.

Busi­ness group excur­sion in Heidel­berg
I would like to express my sincere grat­i­tude for the truly wonderful expe­ri­ence. From a personal perspec­tive, the support and care in orga­nizing this part of the trip meant a lot to me. It was handled with such profes­sion­alism and atten­tion to detail that it will remain a beau­tiful and lasting memory. I would also like to pass on thanks from our group — everyone genuinely enjoyed the days spent together. As someone who orga­nizes trips profes­sion­ally, I know how much the overall expe­ri­ence depends on the guide. If the connec­tion isn’t right, it can affect every­thing. Here, however, it was exactly the oppo­site — every­thing felt natural, engaging, and perfectly aligned with our expec­ta­tions. It was also incred­ibly touching to see the generosity and mean­ingful actions beyond the tour itself. That left a deep impres­sion. Thank you again, Manfred, for such a memo­rable expe­ri­ence.

Histor­ical tour of Heidel­berg, Germany, a wine expe­ri­ence at Basser­­­mann-Jordan, and lunch in Deidesheim.
Visiting Germany was an absolute plea­sure. The enhance­ment of the trip was spending two days with Manfred as our tour guide. Our diverse group had the poten­tial to present a chal­lenge for a tour guide. But Manfred prevailed! He excels at commu­ni­ca­tion, plan­ning, and flex­i­bility. Manfred posi­tions his tours from a posi­tion of kind­ness and knowl­edge; he made the extra effort to ensure the needs of each member of the group were met. I get it now; he truly is your friend. Thank you, Manfred, for such an amazing expe­ri­ence!

Best one-on-one tour!
Manfred was very knowl­edge­able and very thor­ough. He reached out to us before the trip to find out what kind of things we were inter­ested in and to help person­alize our expe­ri­ence. He went the extra mile by giving us recom­men­da­tions for other parts of our trip! I highly recom­mend Manfred!

Truly a friend !
We were trav­eling with 4 adults. And 3 kids. Ages ranged from 72 to 2! And Manfred was great from the start. We needed flex­i­bility and guid­ance, and he did all of those things. Even from being a phone call away at the airport because we needed help finding our driver after the long flight. He was very upfront in his services and was so friendly and infor­ma­tive about all things Germany. We did the “wing it” approach for 2 days. We wanted to be taken out of Heidel­berg for both days and he was able to give us the perfect mix for adults and the kids! What I really appre­ci­ated was his flex­i­bility and under­standing with the kids’ moods and inter­ests while keeping the adults inter­ested in different facts about Germany’s and fun stories. Even with stop­ping at play­ground along the way ! We really felt comfort­able with him and would 100% recom­mend if going to Heidel­berg.

A Wonderful Tour of Christmas Markets
My wife loves Christmas markets. She travels to Germany for work and when it aligns with the holiday season, I’m asked if I’d like to join her for a long weekend. We took a quick trip to Frank­furt in early December 2025 and were able to schedule a day of touring with Manfred.
When Manfred picked us up at our hotel we sat down and discussed the plan for the day. He laid out a plan to visit the markets in several areas to expe­ri­ence as much as we could in our time together. We stayed within an hour or so of Frank­furt, visiting three beau­tiful places over the course of the day.
We started in Kron­berg where we expe­ri­enced small town charm with very friendly locals. We tried some raclette with mush­rooms for break­fast and had a conver­sa­tion with several locals, including a doctor working for his charity during the market. We then explored the castle and its many vendors of orna­ments, jewelry, and food. Near the top of the castle was a lovely art studio we admired and talked to some local artists and the curator. Kron­berg was an amazing start to the tour day.
We then headed to Mainz, a larger town with a much larger market. It was later in the day and defi­nitely much busier with people enjoying the market. We enjoyed listening to some Christmas music from a local band, did a little shop­ping and had some gluh­wein and snacks along the way.
Our final stop was Hochheim am Main, a smaller town with a smaller market but still very lively! We met several new groups of people sharing tables for dinner. The smaller streets seemed more inti­mate, and the indoor shops displayed beau­tiful hand­made orna­ments, mittens, candles and more.
If you enjoy food and drink, my personal belief is that the Christmas Markets are the best places in the world to try German special­ties! My wife and I enjoyed all of the following and prob­ably more that I’ve forgotten — Glüh­wein, Mispelchen (a Frank­furt specialty!), Apfel­wein, Raclette, Kartof­felpuffer, candied nuts, lebkuchen, flammkuchen, crepes, stollen, spätzle, and all of the amazing variety of wurst (brat, käse, curry, and more!)
Manfred is a consum­mate profes­sional — he was cheerful, knowl­edge­able, and engaging for the entirety of our time together. He helped us mingle with the locals, recom­mended new-to-us food and drinks, and shared his knowl­edge of the history of each loca­tion as we spent time walking through. He’s an extremely safe driver and we even got to expe­ri­ence the thrill of the auto­bahn, getting up to 200kph! If you’re going to spend any time in or around Heidel­berg or Frank­furt, you cannot go wrong to book with Manfred!

Perfect service and a sound busi­ness philos­ophy
I contacted Mr. Pitz to orga­nize a field trip for a former boarding school reunion. During the plan­ning meeting, it became clear that Mr. Pitz wasn’t actu­ally the ideal person for our needs. Mr. Pitz then very thought­fully found a replace­ment, contacted several colleagues in Heidel­berg, and connected me with a guide who enabled me to put together a fantastic field trip program tailored to our wishes. So, I can’t comment on Mr. Pitz’s qual­i­fi­ca­tions as a guide. However, what I can say is that I find his busi­ness philos­ophy of looking after customers even when there’s no money in it and ensuring they receive the best possible expe­ri­ence outstanding, and I can’t imagine that such a busi­ness philos­ophy could result in a poor product. There­fore, I would whole­heart­edly recom­mend Mr. Pitz.

Manfred, the best German Tour Friend!
The three of us trav­elled to see Heidel­berg for its renowned castle and river view, and Manfred was our guide. He has all the best stories about these places. Our tour was so joyous for his adding histor­ical inputs and real perspec­tives besides what we saw! Manfred is the best tour guide and he natu­rally became a friend to us. His personal insights, lovable person­ality and warmth have sparkled the expe­ri­ence.

Best tour of Heidel­berg
Manfred was an absolute delight! He picked us up in his gorgeous van (3 sisters and 1 brother-in-law) from Viking Christmas Market cruise on the Rhine River. I had always heard that Heidel­berg was a beau­tiful city and we all decided on a private tour as opposed to a bus tour. From the moment we got into his van, the day was great. Since he is a native of Heidel­berg, the tour was personal and we saw areas off the tour track adding refresh­ments at a local bakery and seeing another Christmas market in a delightful town leaving Heidel­berg. We were so lucky to have Manfred as our guide–highly recom­mended!

Manfred was an amazing…
Manfred was an amazing guide! He contacted me almost imme­di­ately after booking and asked what our inter­ests are and if we needed any accom­mo­da­tions. The day prior to our tour I asked if we could get coffee and a pastry while we discussed what we wanted to see. Manfred was very knowl­edge­able about the area. While walking through the Christmas market he stopped and bought us one of his favorite treats. We asked for a recom­men­da­tion for a restau­rant, and he actu­ally reached out and was able to get us a reser­va­tion at a very popular restau­rant. We had a great day and truly felt like we were with a friend.

Book with Manfred!
Manfred’s commu­ni­ca­tion and respon­sive­ness before, during, and after our trip were excep­tional. His warm person­ality and service-focused approach made our time in Rothen­burg ob der Tauber truly memo­rable. He was engaging, accom­mo­dating, and genuinely lived out his mission of becoming “your friend” in every­thing he did. What began with a simple greeting and hand­shake quickly turned into a mean­ingful connec­tion, ending with a heart­felt hug goodbye. We highly recom­mend Manfred to anyone looking for an authentic, personal, and unfor­get­table expe­ri­ence.

Manfred is an excep­tional…
Manfred is an excep­tional driver and tour guide in all respects. He was able to accom­mo­date my wife’s “must-sees” within the 3‑hour window we booked and we would highly recom­mend using his services. You will not be disap­pointed.

Manfred is the man! And defi­nitely your friend in Heidel­berg!
Chanced upon Manfred’s private tour during my research for the trip and I have to say that it is defi­nitely the right deci­sion I made to book with Manfred! Not only was there no dull moment… Manfred makes every­thing so easy and fun! Kids had fun inter­acting with Manfred and we loved listening to Manfred’s sharing about the places we went to and the inter­esting stories about Heidel­berg Castle. He knows Heidel­berg so well and is defi­nitely the man to show you around in his very comfort­able “bus”! We already loved Heidel­berg and he has made us love Heidel­berg even more now! Will defi­nitely recom­mend Manfred to anyone looking for person­alised and inter­esting tour around Heidel­berg!

First Class Tour Guide
While trav­eling on a Viking Christmas Markets Rhine River cruise, my daugh­ters and I enjoyed an outstanding day with our new friend in Heidel­berg, Manfred Pitz. From the moment I started corre­sponding online with Manfred, he was atten­tive, person­able, and very inter­ested in providing the kind of tour we desired. His tour included picking us up in the lobby of our ship, driving us to Heidel­berg, giving us a tour in his car of the city, touring the Heidel­berg castle and guiding us around the Christmas markets. It was every­thing we hoped for! He picked us up at 10:00 am in the morning and drove us to the desti­na­tion of our Viking cruise ship in Speyer, Germany at 4:00 pm. He speaks excel­lent English as he has worked in the United States and also has exten­sive knowl­edge of Heidel­berg. What impressed me the most was his enthu­siasm. I’m sure he gives daily tours, but he made us feel like we were the most impor­tant people he had ever worked with and was so enthu­si­astic. We truly had a wonderful day and are grateful for our new friend in Heidel­berg, Manfred Pitz!

Heidel­berg tour
Manfred was so person­able! He made sure our expe­ri­ence was exactly what we wanted. He took the time to get to know us. Super friendly, knowl­edge­able, and went an above and beyond! Thank you!

Excel­lent person­able guide
Manfred is truly a “friend” in Heidel­berg! He goes above and beyond for his guests, wanting to give us the expe­ri­ence we wanted. He reached out as soon as we booked the tour to intro­duce himself and learn more about our wishes. He is super friendly, knowl­edge­able, and person­able. Will defi­nitely look him up again when in the area!

Our New Heidel­berg Friend
Our new friend in Heidel­berg was a phenom­enal guide from start to finish. My sister, my friend and I were cruising the Rhine River. We hoped for an indi­vid­u­al­ized visit to Heidel­berg and surrounding area so we chose Manfred Pitz, a resi­dent of Heidel­berg, to show us the home town he obvi­ously loves. He picked us up where our river ship was docked and imme­di­ately took the time to listen to what we hoped to see and do. Thanks to him, we discov­ered the charming German village of Laden­burg, explored the breath­taking Heidel­berg Castle, and enjoyed a deli­cious lunch together. He even told us about the dueling frater­ni­ties of Heidel­berg! His warmth, knowl­edge, and genuine interest in making our day special made all the difference—by the end of the tour, he truly felt like our friend in Heidel­berg. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide and highly recom­mend him to anyone looking for a person­al­ized unique non-touristy way to expe­ri­ence beau­tiful Germany.

Awesome Heidel­berg tour!
My friends and I did a tour of Heidel­berg castle with Manfred in November 2025. From the first email to reserve the tour, Manfred responded right away and customized our tour to our requests. We were on a Viking Rhine river cruise and wanted to do our own tour without the crowds of the ship. Manfred contacted the ship and veri­fied our port arrival time and was prompt to pick us up. It was easy to commu­ni­cate with him on What­sApp. The van he had was comfort­able and clean. He was very knowl­edge­able about Heidel­berg and the castle and also provided us a tour of Speyer. We had a wonderful time with him and would highly recom­mend him as a tour guide.

Manfred feels like your close friend showing you around!
Manfred is lovely! Knowl­edge­able and infor­ma­tive. We had a great private tour of Heidel­berg castle, old town and the old bridge. Then he found us an awesome authentic German restau­rant for lunch that was deli­cious.

Great expe­ri­ence!
Excel­lent tour guide with a great person­ality! Defi­nitely enhanced the expe­ri­ence! Very accom­mo­dating and atten­tive.

As soon as I reached out to Manfred, he began making helpful sugges­tions for our time in Heidel­berg. He was very friendly and committed to making our trip from Heidel­berg to Frank­furt as comfort­able as possible. We enjoyed a variety of stops, including Speyer, a wine tasting, a deli­cious German lunch, and a stop in Worms.

A+ day for Wine­tasting in Germany
We had the best day with Manfred. From the moment he picked us up, he felt more like a friend than a tour guide. He joined us for lunch at Restau­rant Spindler and ordered a selec­tion of German foods we had never tried…every single dish was perfect — we cleaned every plate. The wines were great, too! He came with us to both wine tast­ings at Basser­­­mann-Jordan and Reich­srat von Buhl, sat with us while we learned, and made the whole day feel easy, relaxed, and fun. We’d book with him again in a heart­beat.

Our new best friend in Heidel­berg!
This trip was truly amazing! Upon my initial outreach, Manfred was very respon­sive and asked the right ques­tions to ensure that he had a good under­standing of what our group was looking for, so that he could prepare accord­ingly. I gave him an idea of what we were inter­ested in, and he set the plan in motion. We drove from my family’s home up into Heidel­berg along the scenic coun­try­side and made a few fun stops along the way before we reached the Heidel­berg castle. Of course we had a truly authentic German lunch… I promise it was legit, approved by the 3 locals in our group. The best part of the day was when Manfred, in seem­ingly normal conver­sa­tion, without my real­izing, asked my mom if she remem­bers the hospital (in Heidel­berg) where I was born. She told him… and later that day he detoured to show us the building, as it was still there with the orig­inal facade and all! This was such a full circle moment for my little family, and even though it was unique to us, it shows how much care Manfred will put into your trip as well. Seri­ously, I’m fully crying right now just thinking about it (happy tears!!). And he was even kind enough to take photos for us here and there! Book with my new best friend Manfred right now!

Heidel­berg Tour with Manfred Pitz – A Memo­rable Journey Through History.
I recently had the plea­sure of exploring Heidel­berg, Germany, with the excep­tional guid­ance of Manfred Pitz, a solo tour guide whose deep-rooted knowl­edge and passion for the city made the expe­ri­ence truly unfor­get­table. For €300, we embarked on a 3‑hour private tour that offered far more than just sightseeing—it was a journey through time.
Manfred took us through the heart of Heidel­berg, begin­ning with a scenic drive to the majestic castle ruins perched above the city. The view from the top was breath­taking, with the crisp autumn air carrying the scent of fallen leaves and history. Inside the castle, Manfred capti­vated us with tales of ancient masonry, romantic legends—including a queen who fell in love with a knight who leapt from the castle walls, leaving a foot­print on the cobble­stones below—and archi­tec­tural marvels that brought the past to life.
We strolled through the charming Gassen (alley­ways), sipped coffee over­looking rain-slicked cobble­stones, and watched locals and visi­tors alike enjoy the peaceful over­cast day. Manfred’s story­telling, driving skills, and warm person­ality made every moment feel personal and immer­sive.
Three hours flew by, and it was clear that Heidel­berg holds many more secrets waiting to be uncov­ered. If you’re plan­ning a visit, I whole­heart­edly recom­mend booking a tour with Manfred Pitz. His exper­tise, charisma, and genuine love for Heidel­berg will elevate your expe­ri­ence beyond expec­ta­tions.

The BEST Tour in Germany
Like the title says, this was our favourite tour and expe­ri­ence we did in Germany! After many days in other cities with pre-recoded audio tours, I was intent on finding someone who we could chat and connect with, espe­cially for my senior parents. Our choices were also limited due to my dad’s acces­si­bility needs as he uses a cane and walker.
This tour was every­thing we were looking for and more. To start, Manfred as a guide was fantastic. He shares stories of Heidel­berg through both his own life of growing up there, as well as through the rich archi­tec­ture and histor­ical sites. This tour is totally customiz­able to your inter­ests and needs, which was unlike anything else we did.
The tour started right at the doorstep of our hotel (which we were picked up and dropped off at). We decided on a driving tour of the town and a visit to the castle for our 3 hours. Manfred was able to take us right up and directed us for tickets to visit the castle. Mid-way in our visit, my dad needed a break, so we sat down for drinks and lunch with his help to trans­late. He was incred­ibly easy going, very inter­esting to listen to, and the warmest welcome we had yet.
Manfred also helped with photos for our family and ensured we had been given every­thing we were looking for in the tour. He even checked in with us a couple days later as he knew we were heading to our next city and wanted to make sure we arrived safely.
I could say more but all together — if you are unde­cided if this tour is worth the money, rest assured that this is absolutely an incred­ible expe­ri­ence and unique to anything else you can book. You leave Heidel­berg with a friend and someone you hope to visit again one day if you find your­self there. Thank you again Manfred!

Manfred is the kind of tour guide who turns a sight­seeing trip into a heart­felt expe­ri­ence. From the moment he picked us up in Frank­furt, we felt like we were trav­eling with a friend. His deep connec­tion to Heidel­berg, where he was born and raised, made every stop—from the Castle to Old Town—feel personal and mean­ingful. He even took us to his favorite local spots, including a charming café called Choco­la­terie YilliY (don’t miss the hot choco­late!). What impressed me most was his follow-up. Knowing I’m a car enthu­siast, Manfred sent me info the next day about museum tours and travel options. That’s concierge-level service! If you want a guide who’s person­able, passionate, and truly invested in your expe­ri­ence, Manfred is your guy. Highly recom­mend!

Heidel­berg and Beyond
Recently my wife and daughter along with my busi­ness partner and his wife took a trip to Germany for a trade show we were attending. With having no knowl­edge of what to do or where to go, I stum­bled across Manfred and “a friend in heidel­berg”. I sure am glad I did. After reading hundreds of 5‑star reviews, I reached out to him. He quickly responded and we exchanged a few emails and texts so he could obtain some basic knowl­edge about our group and what our inter­ests were. Manfred stayed in touch and always followed up with addi­tional ques­tions to make sure we were never wondering about anything. Manfred also emailed me links for things to do the day before we were even meeting him for our tour. We booked the Four Castles River­boat tour in Heidel­berg and then we had dinner at Schnitzel­bank (where he was able to get us reser­va­tions that we could get on our own”. His knowl­edge of the area helped us make our deci­sions and plan out itin­er­aries. He made sugges­tions for places to eat and places to see. He ended-up meeting us at our hotel where we sat one more time to go over the possi­bil­i­ties for the day ahead of us. As we spoke, he even asked ques­tions about the rest of our trip and when he found out that we were going to be going to Garmisch for the rest of our trip and that we didn’t have our train tickets yet, he suggested we drive to the train station to get that all booked before we started the day. He truly went out of his way to help us out to ensure we could travel hassle free even on the rest of our trip. After that we toured the Heidel­berg Castle, had a fantastic lunch at an Italian restau­rant which was in Old Town Heidel­berg, then he took us to a winery about 40 minutes away to have a private wine tour and tasting. Manfred even sent birthday wishes to myself and my busi­ness partner since both happened while we were trav­eling. The day after we left Heidel­berg, he even checked back in with us to ensure every­thing was going off without a hitch. Manfred is a true profes­sional who really enjoys what he does. By the way, his van was spot­less as well. We all had a great day with him.

Awesome! A must add to your list of things to do in Heidel­berg!
We spent about four hours with Manfred in his very comfort­able van. Manfred was very person­able and worked well with the idio­syn­crasies of our group of 4. Manfred was actu­ally delightful. He customized our trip expertly. We had already spent some time in Heidel­berg, so Manfred took us to the Speyer Cathe­dral, and we toured the amazing crypt. Along the way, he discussed points of interest and shared many inter­esting sights. He then set up a wine tasting for us at Lucashof winery. We tasted lots of wine and learned a lot about the local region. Thank you so much Manfred, and we hope you and your girl­friend visit us in Montana!

Our day with Manfred was every­thing we hoped for!
We completely enjoyed our day with Manfred! We were on a “bucket list” excur­sion and he deliv­ered every­thing we hoped for. Manfred commu­ni­cated clearly and quickly prior to the trip, as well as on the day we met up. He was thoughtful (brought umbrellas and met us right at our ship) and pleasant the entire day. Manfred quickly became our ‘personal photog­ra­pher’ which alle­vi­ated some of the pres­sure I always feel to get plenty of photographs. He joined us for lunch and relayed many fun and inter­esting facts about Germany and kept us laughing with fun and inter­esting stories about himself. He truly became a “friend”. Our day with Manfred was every­thing we hoped for. Thank you, Manfred!

Indeed a friend in Heidel­berg
Manfred was indeed a friend you can have in Heidel­berg. We, group of 6 from Viking River cruise, toured Speyer and Heidel­berg much more effi­ciently by hiring him for a private tour. He’s born and raised in Heidel­berg and know the city in and out. After touring the Heidel­berg castle, we had a quick lunch at the local restau­rant and walked many corners of Heidel­berg with Manfred. We were also lucky to be there at the time of their Fall Fest! Highly recom­mend him!

Baden-Baden & surrounds
Manfred was an excel­lent commu­ni­cator before, during & after our trip. He made sure our tour was tailored to our inter­ests, but included a couple of welcomed local surprises as well! He was prompt, friendly & respectful. His vehicle was very comfort­able & clean, but most impor­tantly his driving ability was smooth & safe. He was great company as well. I would highly recom­mend his tours.

Manfred is the best!!
Manfred was a plea­sure to be around. He is so knowl­edge­able, and he knew all the best photo oppor­tu­ni­ties! We have some really special pictures of our trip. He knew every­thing about the Heidel­berg area. His personal knowl­edge made the tour so special. The only way we were able to jump into a full day’s tour after a red eye flight from the US was because of Manfred’s excel­lent guid­ance. He is so engaging—we are so fortu­nate to have bene­fited from his knowl­edge.

Not just a friend but a best friend in Heidel­berg
I would describe Manfred as not just a friend but more of a Best Friend in Heidel­berg. Someone you can count on for those extra things that make your visit special and managing those unex­pected things that are trou­bling when you are not at home.

Manfred Made our Trip Unfor­get­table!
Our time in Germany was made truly unfor­get­table thanks to our guide, Manfred. He was by far the best guide we’ve ever had—knowledgeable, person­able, and so easy to spend time with. His deep under­standing of the area brought every place we visited to life, and his warm person­ality made the expe­ri­ence even more enjoy­able.
Manfred went above and beyond in every way. He not only helped us locate distant rela­tives but also arranged a meeting with them, which was such a special and mean­ingful moment for our family. When I unex­pect­edly needed medical care, he even managed to get me in and out of a clinic within an hour—something I would never have been able to navi­gate on my own.
Manfred combines profes­sion­alism with genuine care, and he turns a good trip into a once-in-a-life­­­time expe­ri­ence. We can’t recom­mend him highly enough and feel truly grateful for all he did for us!

We highly recom­mend a friend in heidel­berg
Had a surprising and delightful excur­sion in Baden-Würt­tem­berg with Manfred. As Australians unfa­miliar with the region, we had engaged him to drive us from Heidel­berg to some of the small town­ships and villages in the Hohen­lo­hekreis area where our German ances­tors had emigrated from in the 1850s. Manfred said that those villages are so small it was likely that family members may still be living there, so spon­ta­neously made a couple of phone calls. That led to actu­ally finding and meeting with elderly rela­tives in their home in a village where gener­a­tions have lived for 900 years! They shared memo­ries and photos… all made possible thanks to Manfred’s sleuthing and cross trans­la­tion. Then we went to lunch in Öhringen with two of their chil­dren, cousins xx? times. Thanks to Manfred, much more than a driver, I have now unex­pect­edly discov­ered rela­tives across the world.

Fabu­lously fantastic
Manfred is one of a kind fantastic! Manfred went above and beyond as our guide and making the effort to research family heritage to the point of making contact with long lost rela­tives! Manfred is joyful, kind and incred­ibly educated in German history! You would be lucky to meet Manfred in not only Heidel­berg but anywhere your travels take you!

You must hire Manfred as your guide in Germany
Manfred was an excel­lent guide, wonderful, person­ality, warm, charming, funny. It was a wonderful three-hour tour. It ended too soon. We had a great time.

Shore Excur­sion with Manfred Pitz, a friend in Heidel­berg
Our group of 3 couples had the most charming, fun-packed day with Manfred Pitz, A Friend in Heidel­berg guide service.
Manfred put in time prior to our big day through email ques­tions to target our pref­er­ences & desires for the tour. It was clear from the start that he was expe­ri­enced & prepared in his commit­ment to exceed our expec­ta­tion.
It was clear he knew the routing & timing of our river cruise. He made gentle sugges­tions to guide us along. We really felt like family very quickly. He came to under­stand our travel desires for this region that we hadn’t ever visited. He engen­dered trust as his style of “winging it” was spot on for the 6 people he was guiding.
Manfred has a great sense of humor. He encour­aged feed­back & steered the direc­tion of the day to scratch our itch for knowl­edge & under­standing. We never felt like Manfred droned on with factoids & minu­tiae. We found his personal stories a great fit to add contem­po­rary info to the inter­esting histor­ical accounts.
Our itin­erary included a quick pick-up in Mannheim, a drive to the Neckar Valley to tour Dils­berg Castle, then to Heidel­berg for the stun­ning Heidel­berg Castle, and a return to our River cruise ship moored in Speyer. We enjoyed the most amazing lunch, comfort stops as needed and a coffee with apple strudel to wrap the day.
Manfred Pitz exhib­ited integrity, trans­parency with payment & completed every promise he made for our time together. I believe his expe­ri­ence for us was a good value & encourage you to consider contacting him for a tour.

Wonderful Expe­ri­ence with Manfred
Manfred is an amazing tour guide and highly recom­mended! We asked Manfred to take us to some areas that he was a little unfa­miliar with to chase my wife’s ancestry research. He not only happily obliged, but was very helpful doing his own research ahead of our trip and asking locals what they could help with — which was invalu­able! We spent the entire day with him in the coun­try­side and when we finally got back to Heidel­berg, he provided a quick tour of his city and some excel­lent recom­men­da­tions on what we should see and do. He is a wonder­fully pleasant man that is willing to go out of his way to make sure his passen­gers are extremely satis­fied — and we were!

AWESOME!!
Our friend, Manfred, is the best!! His “easy” demeanor and engaging conver­sa­tion made us comfort­able from the very first moment. He listened intently and made our events spon­ta­neous and customized. Although jet lagged, we became delighted with Manfred’s histor­ical knowl­edge of Heidelberg’s Castle and his anec­dotal side­bars of infor­ma­tion. Lunch at a quaint cafe on the Haupt­straße led to a stroll along the pedes­trian walkway. He left us with recom­men­da­tions for a bakery and an ice cream shop to satisfy our sweet tooth crav­ings.
With a good night’s sleep under our belt, on day two we toured the cathe­dral in Speyer and climbed to the top of the spire together. Lunch & wine tasting at Hein­rich Spindler, then a second tasting at Lucashof on the Forst an der Wein­straße filled the after­noon. Manfred’s most notable char­ac­ter­istic is that he is a man of action. For example, when we mentioned that we had to pick up a rental car he drove by the agency so that we knew exactly how to get there. He also nego­ti­ated a golf tee time for our “free” day.
Our best acknowl­edge­ment of his services is that we have already referred him by sharing his contact infor­ma­tion several times since our Heidel­berg expe­ri­ence.

A Friend In Heidel­berg
Manfred is an expe­ri­enced, fun and extremely accom­mo­dating guide to all things Heidel­berg! Our time with him was awesome.

The best day ever! Revis­iting Heidel­berg
Can I give more than 5 stars? This was a trip back to Heidel­berg after living there in the late sixties. Our family was there when there was a mili­tary base in Heidel­berg. So, my brother and I decided to go back and visit… We had some memo­ries and pictures, and Manfred was wonderful from our first contact with him. He researched our schools & housing. He took pictures and found addresses and we took a trip back in time. We spent an entire day with him and the only thing we could have done better would be to schedule more time with Manfred. I know there are a lot of things you can do on your own while trav­eling. However, the day was so much more by spending it with a friendly local who made us feel so comfort­able. We went to the old schools, neigh­bor­hoods, and army spots. We also stopped at a bakery, grocery store (we had to find specific candy we remem­bered), ventured outside of Heidel­berg, had lunch, and just had a great day! Anyone going to Heidel­berg wanting to make the most of your time, book some time with Manfred! He was respon­sive to every­thing we asked and willing to do anything we wanted — even switching around once we started the day. I promise you will have a great time!

Great Tour!!
Manfred truly becomes your friend in Heidel­berg. He is inter­ested in your entire vaca­tion and even gives helpful hints and advice for other cities you are trav­eling to see. We enjoyed the sights and inside infor­ma­tion. Manfred has energy to spare and will even enjoy a cup of coffee with you if you need a break. Manfred picked up / dropped us off at our hotel. Go with Manfred, you won’t be disap­pointed!

A wonderful tour with a wonderful friend!
What a wonderful day we had with Manfred! My wife and our two friends recently enjoyed a tour of Heidel­berg with Manfred during our Viking cruise. He truly sets a new bar in private touring — from proac­tive commu­ni­ca­tion to local knowl­edge to customizing the tour to your liking. He took us to Heidel­berg Castle and gave us a private tour with many stories about the castle. We enjoyed an excel­lent meal in town and had some time for shop­ping and exploring. What sets Manfred apart at the many little things that make a tour special — working out the details in advance so you have no worries, the personal stories about his family and friends, the will­ing­ness to make changes on the fly during the tour. Manfred’s love of his home is conta­gious and will make you feel like you explored a beau­tiful place with a close friend. If anyone is consid­ering travel to Heidel­berg or the nearby areas, you cannot do better than to contact Manfred for the tour of a life­time!

You really do have a Friend with Manfred
Manfred is a delightful and caring person. Our excur­sion, unfor­tu­nately, turned into a medical episode for my wife. Manfred, with his knowl­edge of the area, knew where to take her for urgent care. He devised a plan that allowed the rest of our small group to see the castle while he took my wife for care. We kept in touch via text and were able to meet later for lunch. My wife is doing much better now. I trusted Manfred with my wife’s problem and safety, and he came through — Big Time!! Thank you Manfred
Manfred checks all the boxes for an excel­lent guide — prompt, knowl­edge­able, profes­sional, person­able , caring and a genuine nice guy.

Just call Manfred!
My family and I visited Heidel­berg while pursuing my dad’s genealog­ical research in the region. We trav­eled outside the city with Manfred, and I would highly recom­mend to anyone that you do the same.
Working with Manfred allowed us to focus on our family and family history, and he deftly navi­gated our travels, our schedule and our gracious hosts. He was at once our tour guide, and truly, our Friend in Heidel­berg!

We are currently on the Viking Alruna from Amsterdam to Basel and spent the day in Heidel­berg. We arranged a private tour with Manfred, a friend in heidel­berg. Manfred picked us up in Mannheim and imme­di­ately whisked us up to the Castle. We were done touring the castle before it got too hot and too crowded.
Manfred then took us to the next city over to tour the Dils­berg Fortress – we only saw 4 other tourists, so that’s a big plus in my book – the view from the top of the tower was breath­taking.
We then stopped at a local Brauhaus for amazing Germany food and some beers. Lastly, we returned to Old Town Heidel­berg for some sight­seeing and gelato.
Manfred was fantastic — he is currently driving us to Speyer to meet back up with our ship. So very glad we spent our day with him!!! If you’re looking for a private guide near Heidel­berg, look him up and tell him that Vickie recom­mended him!!!!!

Our wonderful trip to Heidel­berg and Black Forest
Manfred is truly a wonderful friend and an amazing guide in the Heidel­berg Area.
My family and I visited Heidel­berg in June. It was my husband, my two sons (11 and 9) and my mom. I booked him a couple of months in advance. He gave us restau­rants recom­men­da­tions so I could book ahead of time. He reached out to me a few days before our arrival to confirm our meeting time and loca­tion and showed up at our hotel on time. Manfred is friendly, kind, thoughtful and knowl­edge­able. His van is spacious, luxu­rious, and super clean. He showed us around in Heidel­berg as we discussed and took us to a fun loca­tion that he thought my boys would enjoy and we all did.
Next day he took us to the Black Forest that my husband really wanted to see. He took the time to get to know us and learned what we wanted to see. He accom­mo­dated all of our request and even find an area in the forest so my husband could have a place to medi­tate. When my husband mentioned that his mom had made straw­berry rhubarb pie and potato pancakes for him when he was young, Manfred called our hotel in Munich (our next stop after Heidel­berg) and asked them to make that for us. It was really sweet, and we are very touched. By the end of the trip, we no longer thought of him as a tour guide, but instead as a friend in Germany. I would highly recom­mend Manfred if you are visiting Heidel­berg and nearby area.

Wonderful morning with my Mum in Heidel­berg
I was trav­el­ling to Heidel­berg with my elderly Mum and my busi­ness partner suggested Manfred as a poten­tial guide. I reached out to Manfred at least six months before our trip and he was friendly and very accom­mo­dating. I explained that a full day would be too much for my 80+ yrs mother and he had no problem suggesting an itin­erary to suit our inter­ests and booking our required date and timeslot. We arrived in Heidel­berg and Manfred reached out by What­sApp to welcome us to his home­town. On the day of our booking Manfred suggested a delay to commence due to poor weather. Fantastic sugges­tion as we were due to walk the Schwet­zingen Palace and gardens. He also ensured he had umbrellas and water onboard if needed. First he drove us to a small village Ersheim which we walked as well as pointing out various land­marks as we toured. Manfred has a very comfort­able van including a step to assist my Mum to climb into her seat. He speaks fluent English if that’s required. We enjoyed a lovely lunch with Manfred at the Palace Cafe and it felt like a social occa­sion with a friend. Manfred was kind enough to drop my Mum back to the hotel as she was tiring and then drop me to the Old Town to pick up Black Forest Cake to take back for Mum. Such a knowl­edge­able and inter­esting guy. Highly recom­mend. 😊

Great day touring Heidel­berg and the surrounding area
We had a wonderful time with Manfred. He showed us around Heidel­berg and the surrounding area and got us back to Frank­furt airport to catch our evening flight. We were only in Germany overnight and wanted to see Heidel­berg before leaving for Africa, and Manfred’s services made this all possible. We were able to put our luggage in the van and leave from the hotel by the airport, have a great day of tourism while still making it back for our flight in plenty of time. Manfred was fun, knowl­edge­able and even indulged my attempts at speaking German :-) He provided all that we were hoping for and was really fun to be around. I really do feel that I have a friend in Heidel­berg now.

Jewish Tour of the SchUM Cities Plus Heidel­berg
Manfred was amazing and went above and beyond my expec­ta­tions! ❤️ I booked him through the Jewish Travel Agency to tour the SchUM Cities, as it has been a dream of mine to one day see this area and learn about my Yekke heritage first­hand. Manfred was very thoughtful and allowed me to pick where we went since I didn’t have much time. He drove me to multiple Jewish syna­gogues, museums, and ceme­teries — AND he even managed to get the key to private, lesser-known Jewish ceme­tery in Heidel­berg! 🙏
Manfred truly feels like a good friend hanging out with you in Germany because he manages to make even mundane moments feel fun — like singing and dancing to music while driving down the Auto­bahn. He picked me up in Frank­furt and drove me all through Mainz, Worms, Speyer, and Heidel­berg. Along the way, if I saw some­thing cool and wanted to stop and check it out — he would gladly pull over. 10/10 would book again ❤️

Your best private guide in Heidel­berg and the region
I found Manfred through a Google search, and I couldn’t be happier that I booked a day tour with him. He is a very kind and friendly private guide based in Heidel­berg, which is one of the most beau­tiful places in Germany. He care­fully planned our day, and we visited the wine region of the Palati­nate together. Manfred knows every­thing about the area and has the right contacts to show you the best loca­tions for wine tasting and secret sight­seeing. If you want to expe­ri­ence some­thing unique and special during your holiday in Germany, I strongly recom­mend booking your tour with Manfred.

Fun day in Heidel­berg
Manfred is truly like being with a friend. He picked us up at our cruise ship dock and deliv­ered us safely to the next dock so we could spend all day in Heidel­berg visiting the castle and churches, having a wonderful lunch, great ice cream, and fun shop­ping.

Beyond expec­ta­tions
Our trip through the Heidel­berg Castle and Town was every­thing and more than we expected. Manfred was kind, thor­ough and giving expla­na­tions of the history and was overall enjoy­able. He listened to our request and gave great advice as what to try. He wisely asked us to only order six main dishes with our group of nine and we shared them family style and it was so much fun as we got to sample so many different types of German food. Excel­lent tour, guide and excel­lent tour.

Visit to Ances­tral Village
Excep­tional tour guide expe­ri­ence. I had an incred­ible time with Manfred, knowl­edge­able, friendly, and genuinely passionate about sharing the local culture. He tailored the tour to my inter­ests by taking me to the family ances­tral village and went above and beyond to ensure my visit was special. It felt like exploring with a local friend. Highly recom­mend for anyone looking for a person­al­ized memo­rable expe­ri­ence.

Heidel­berg Your Way
We arranged a tour of Heidel­berg with Manfred after reading the stellar reviews, so we thought we’d add ours to his growing fan base. The tour was a finale to a week in southern Germany and proved to be the cherry on top. Our pre-trip require­ments were compli­cated: four people coming from two different places, one a wheel­chair user. Of course, the trains didn’t run on time, but Manfred met us unper­turbed and said, “Let’s have a coffee and wait for everyone to get here.” That atti­tude — adapt and adjust — exem­pli­fied our day and really allowed us to explore the high­lights (old town, castle) and also take advan­tage of serendipity. While touring the castle and gawking at the world’s largest wine cask, Manfred learned we loved wine. He popped over to the bar and mirac­u­lously and spon­ta­neously orga­nized a wine tasting for us with Timo, one of the hosts. Not planned or expected, but absolutely perfect for us. The whole day was really like that — show­casing the best of Heidel­berg by focusing on what we really enjoy. He’ll do the same for you if you’re willing to turn your­self over to him. Act quickly — he books out well in advance. Prost!

High­light of our time! The Best!
This tour was the high­light of our trip/stay in Frank­furt. We were all so happy we booked with Manfred and spent the day with him in Heidel­berg. He was above and beyond from his messages prior to our arrival, his prompt arrival, atten­tion to details, providing us with cold waters, and just making sure we were all taken care of. He took us to some fabu­lous spots that I feel like we would not have expe­ri­enced other­wise. Lunch with him was a truly local expe­ri­ence that was also beyond fantastic. I would highly recom­mend booking a tour with Manfred. I only hope to go back to visit and book again with him! The Best! He truly cares about his clients.

A Day in Heidel­berg with Manfred
We spent the day in Heidel­berg and the surrounding area with Manfred. He is defi­nitely passionate about his work and we had a wonderful expe­ri­ence. We toured the castle and had a nice wine tasting there, and we enjoyed a very nice lunch. Manfred was very infor­ma­tive and a plea­sure to be with. We promise you won’t be disap­pointed if you book a tour with him. This day was one of the high­lights of our trip from Amsterdam to Basel.

Road-Trip­ping with My German Dad (Sort Of)
Trav­eling solo so I decided to go on a tour with my now good friend Manfred from Heidel­berg after stum­bling across his website—and I’m so glad I did. Within minutes of reaching out, he responded and we had our entire day trip planned just two days before go time. That alone speaks volumes about how respon­sive and accom­mo­dating he is!
The tour itself? Incred­ible. Manfred took me on a personal adven­ture through the Black Forest and the charming spa town of Baden-Baden. He knew all the best spots—scenic views, hidden local gems, and even some unex­pected high­lights like a vintage car show where I got to witness Manfred light up like a kid at Christmas. Watching him geek out over classic Mercedes models was chef’s kiss.
Now, here’s the funny part—Manfred has a daughter my age, so the whole day felt like I was road-trip­ping with my dad… or a really cool uncle but more like a dad who also happens to be your buddy who’s fluent in local history and shortcut routes. It was laid-back, full of laughs, great conver­sa­tion, and the kind of energy that turns a simple tour into a core memory.
I wouldn’t have discov­ered half the places we went to without him, and honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted to. This wasn’t just a tour—it was a genuine expe­ri­ence.
So here’s the deal: if you’re thinking about exploring the Heidel­berg region, stop thinking and book Manfred (A Friend in Heidel­berg). He’s a hot commodity for a reason. Your trip will instantly become ten times better—I promise.

2025 July Heidel­berg Trip
Today we had the most incred­ible tour! We learned so much about the city castle and coun­try­side with our new friend Manfred. All commu­ni­ca­tion leading up to the trip was excel­lent and the tour itself was extremely flex­ible.

Excel­lent Heidel­berg Expe­ri­ence
We were able to visit both Heidel­berg and Speyer the same day. Manfred knows Heidel­berg really well. He took us to the Philoso­phers’ Walk (a special request from me), the Heidel­berg Castle, the Old Town, and a nice restau­rant for lunch. We then proceeded to visit the Speyer Cathe­dral. The whole expe­ri­ence was excel­lent because of Manfred’s knowl­edge. The van was spacious and very comfort­able.

The best tour in Heidel­berg with a true friend!
Defi­nitely 5/5 stars!!!! Manfred went above and beyond to not only meet but exceed our expec­ta­tions in every way! We only had a short time in Germany, and I really wanted to visit Heidel­berg and the Black Forest! Manfred made it happen. We met that morning for a few minutes over coffee to discuss what we really enjoyed and what we expected and then off we went. We person­ally wanted to see beau­tiful nature in the Black Forest, and I wanted to see the cuckoo clocks! He took us to Lake Mummelsee, which was beau­tiful for a short hike and true Black Forest cuckoo clocks. He even helped us deter­mine which clocks were more tradi­tional and authentic. We then enjoyed lunch at a local restau­rant. He then took us on a Heidel­berg castle tour. He is so knowl­edge­able and truly loves his home­town. Throughout the day, we truly became friends! When the day was over, he knew I had a special place in my heart for Christmas after our many talks and on the way home- he stopped at a true German Christmas shop, and it basi­cally brought tears to my eyes! I was in absolute heaven in the Christmas shop. What a wonderful expe­ri­ence with our friend in Heidel­berg. I cannot recom­mend Manfred enough and hope to visit again!!!

Trip to Fischbach Army Depot
Manfred was exactly what we wanted for our driver and trans­lator. He was above anything we could have asked for. Very friendly and knowl­edge­able. We wanted a special trip to the loca­tion I was stationed in 1969. Fischbach/Area one. It was an army weapons storage depot until 1981. I wanted to see what it looked like now. I could see it on Google maps, but that doesn’t tell the story. Manfred talked to the local family that lived in our old barracks. She told us that nobody locally goes in because it still shows a level of radi­a­tion unsafe. Manfred also helped find a castle near the base. He was great and climbed up to it with my son. I could not handle the climb. Took pictures of all the stops we made and sent them to us.

Amazing trip to Kaiser­slautern
My parents lived in Kaiser­slautern 50 years ago. Manfred took us back to their neigh­bor­hood to help find the house they lived in. He went above and beyond by asking neigh­bors, knocking on doors, and looking at old pictures to find the right one! He was a great detec­tive and amazing guide! He also took us all over town to see the rest of the places we wanted.

Best day in Germany!
Manfred was very knowl­edge­able and friendly. He was willing to plan the day according to what we wanted to see and do and learn. He took us through the Black Forest, to some beau­tiful hikes and a great lunch. Very knowl­edge­able about the area. He did research ahead of our tour to make sure we saw all the sites we had in mind. One of our very best days in Germany! Highly recom­mend a day with Manfred!

Manfred is the man!
Manfred was an amazing guide and person. He listened to what we wanted to do and see along with taking us to places that he hadn’t explored. Very knowl­edge­able and a lot of fun. We would defi­nitely book him again and encourage anyone coming to this area to look for him as your guide. Manfred also has a kind spirit as he gives back to his charity, a very admirable quality.

Friendly, Fun, Safe and Knowl­edge­able — Wonderful Way to Expe­ri­ence Heidel­berg, Mannheim and Speyer
I can’t say enough good things about Manfred and his tour guiding services. We were on a Viking river cruise and decided we wanted a customized tour of Heidel­berg, Mannheim and Speyer. We found Manfred’s site online and were impressed the glowing reviews of his services. Manfred and I talked by phone a few weeks ahead of our tour and he had great ideas and sugges­tions. When the day of our tour arrived Manfred was waiting at our landing site with his clean, new-looking van with plenty of room for all four of us. We felt safe and comfort­able as Manfred drove us around Heidel­berg and the region. Very impor­tant was the fact that Manfred speaks perfect English and was easy to under­stand. He knew the area in great depth and provided us with lots of fun and inter­esting facts about the culture and history of the area. Thank again, Manfred.

Awesome day in Heidel­berg!!
I highly recom­mend this tour. Manfred, the tour guide, is a Heidel­berg native. Very knowl­edge­able of the area and a super nice guy. He speaks perfect English. We had a blast and saw some amazing coun­try­side. I would defi­nitely do it again!

Truly a Friend!
My husband and I brought my elderly parents on a River Cruise and Heidel­berg was on of our stops. We hired Manfred to show us Heidel­berg from a local’s perspec­tive. We loved every minute. The only change we would make is that we wish we would have had more time avail­able to spend with Manfred. He was fun, knowl­edge­able, accom­mo­dating, and profes­sional. We hit the high points of Heidel­berg — the castle, a cute cafe and ice cream shop that Manfred loves, and an old church. The old city is so beau­tiful and quaint. We hope to return and hire Manfred for another day in the city. He is truly a Friend In Heidel­berg!

Returning to Heidel­berg after 64 years!
My wife and I had a fantastic tour with Manfred Pitz, a friend in heidel­berg. From the time we booked the tour, Manfred commu­ni­cated with my wife and was very helpful in making sure that our tour would be more than expected! My wife lived in Heidel­berg 64 years ago and wanted to see where she lived and didn’t know the address for the second apart­ment. Manfred went to work and located that apart­ment along with contacting the daughter in law of the women my wife knew from her time living in Heidel­berg on the Neckar River. We wrote the woman and Manfred was able to set up a meeting with her so we could see the apart­ment! WONDERFUL EXPE­RI­ENCE!
We ended up spending more time than orig­i­nally booked and Manfred was able to adjust his fee based on time and distance! Very accom­mo­dating and a truly wonderful person. He went above and beyond every aspect of our 3 days with him.
Highly recom­mend Manfred and his tour. He customized every­thing, is very knowl­edge­able about the area and truly cares about his customers and providing a wonderful expe­ri­ence.

Truly A Friend in Heidel­berg
If you’re looking for a tour guide in Heidel­berg or Mannheim, look no further — Manfred, A Friend in Heidel­berg, is your man! He is honest, thoughtful and extremely knowl­edge­able. His reviews are truly reflec­tive of the person­al­ized services he provides and the care that he gives to his clients. He exceeded my expec­ta­tions and provided lovely memo­ries to last me a life­time. We had a person­al­ized tour with Manfred in Heidel­berg and Mannheim, and it was every­thing and more than I expected. Manfred was so knowl­edge­able about the sites and took the time to talk to people to ask them more about the sites. An added plus was Manfred’s sugges­tion to tour Benjamin Franklin Village and meet with his friend, Marvin, who gave us a private tour of his Germer­i­cans Museum as well as House of Memo­ries. We felt as though we were with a trusted friend rather than a tour guide. I highly recom­mend Manfred and would not hesi­tate to book again with him. Excep­tional customer service!!

Truly a wonderful expe­ri­ence
Manfred is a life savior! I had a medical emer­gency while in Baden-Baden and he came to my rescue and took care of every­thing I needed and MORE! He was able to solve my problem and went above and beyond to make sure that my expe­ri­ence in Heidel­berg was every­thing I had hoped for. I was able to extend my booking with Manfred — he picked my husband and I up in Baden-Baden and drove us to Heidel­berg. This was totally unex­pected but worked out great. We were able to spend more time seeing the sights and enjoying our time with Manfred. Excel­lent expe­ri­ence all around. Before he left us off on the third day, he checked our train tickets and found out that our train from Heidel­berg to Frank­furt had he cancelled. He told us how to get a revised reser­va­tion and sent multiple texts to make sure that every­thing was ok with our trip.
I highly recom­mend Manfred and “a friend in heidel­berg” and have told my travel agent that if she has anyone going to this area of Germany that that should us Manfred’s service. You won’t be disap­pointed!

Wonderful day with our friend in Heidel­berg!
When Manfred says he’s your friend in Heidel­berg he isn’t kidding!
Starting with a pickup at the eleva­tors in our hotel lobby, we had a great ride to Heidel­berg, Manfred making sure to give us all the infor­ma­tion about things we saw along the way.
Before we arrived, Manfred made sure to stop up above the castle for a great picture oppor­tu­nity and a chance to give us a bit more history. That’s prob­ably the thing we appre­ci­ated the most, his knowl­edge of the history plus his outgoing and friendly person­ality! We walked the castle together and then down into town to visit a favorite off the path restau­rant of Manfred’s where we had deli­cious soup and sand­wiches. Manfred even popped into a famous choco­late shop to grab some for us to try for dessert! He also dealt with my habit of wanting to stop and look at the shops! :)
Before heading back we pulled off the auto­bahn into another small town where we took a walk through the park and saw another castle from afar. Finally, we went to another of Manfred’s recom­mended cafes and had some dessert. Perfect end to the day! Thank you Manfred, we will be back!

Such a Great Expe­ri­ence!
We had such an amazing time! We were in Heidel­berg for only a short time and wanted to see a lot of note­worthy sites. Manfred’s tour exceeded our expec­ta­tions!!! He knew so much about every place we went, and he added so many personal touches! My three college-aged kids were also very impressed and they loved the tour, too! I would recom­mend this tour to anyone, you will not be disap­pointed!!

A Great Person­al­ized Expe­ri­ence in Germany!
We had a wonderful time in Heidel­berg and beyond! Manfred was friendly, helpful, knowl­edge­able, and flex­ible. Our family trav­elled from the USA and met up with friends who reside in Germany. We were mixed in ages and inter­ests yet Manfred managed to customize our trip in order to make it fun for every­body. For us safety & not having to worry about plan­ning details abroad is impor­­­tant- this person­al­ized expe­ri­ence was perfect. We had a terrific trip and look forward to visiting Germany again! Strongly recom­mend!

Touring with Manfred
Manfred’s knowl­edge and enthu­siasm is conta­gious. Even before arriving in Heidel­berg he responded quickly with ideas and prac­tical plan­ning for our family of five. His van is comfy and immac­u­late with plenty of leg room. Manfred knows Heidel­berg for personal tours, but we wanted to get into the coun­try­side. He there­fore chose a “lazy” road to Burg Gutten­berg, which in addi­tion to its small castle museum and magnif­i­cent views, it hosted a fantastic raptor show with a myriad of owls, eagles, and vultures. It fasci­nated adults in addi­tion to chil­dren and accom­mo­dated us in English. We did a little wine tasting and German food indulging. Always too much food in a single portion, so order to share and take Manfred’s menu sugges­tions. He knows his food and has contacts for reser­va­tions. The wine tasting was also in English and person­able and we hope to find some of the German wine in the US. Again, Manfred knew his wines and his roads and contacts. We highly recom­mend his special “touch” as he became part of our family for a few days.

Manfred made our time in Heidel­berg!! Three gener­a­tions and EVERYONE enjoyed their time!
I cannot give enough praise to Manfred on our expe­ri­ence with him in Heidel­berg!!! My Mom (82), sister (57) and daughter (23) all joined me on a trip to visit my son who was studying abroad. Need­less to say trav­eling with three gener­a­tions was daunting, but Manfred made our visit to Heidel­berg the best expe­ri­ence. He kept each gener­a­tion engaged and excited about showing us his perspec­tive on such a beau­tiful city! Manfred met us at the train station and imme­di­ately we were off! To us, Manfred was like a close friend showing us a slice of this breath­taking city. His knowl­edge of Heidel­berg was incred­ible and spending time with him showed how much love he had for this city! I would recom­mend Manfred to anyone wanting to visit Heidel­berg!!!

We had a wonderful private family history trip
We had a wonderful private family history trip with Manfred. He did research on our behalf, resulting in an amazing day of touring the German & French coun­try­side. We gladly recom­mend Manfred for a tour!

A Memo­rable Day with Manfred that Exceeded Expec­ta­tions
There is a reason Manfred has a perfect 5‑star rating with over 200 reviews: he cares about his customers. It may sound cliché, but from the initial sched­uling to the pickup & drop off, and even the post-tour follow-up, Manfred exceeded expec­ta­tions at every step.
We booked our initial 3‑hour tour online from the US. Shortly after booking, Manfred reached out via email to confirm our date, group size, time pref­er­ence, and how we would be arriving in Heidel­berg. Upon learning we were cruise passen­gers, Manfred had specific knowl­edge of our cruise line’s schedule and thought­fully suggested we disem­bark at the first stop to maxi­mize our time that day and allow flex­i­bility to extend our tour. Addi­tion­ally, Manfred asked about our pref­er­ences of sights to see, as well as our desired combi­na­tion of drive time vs walking tour. As we were trav­eling as two couples, one of which had some mobility issues, Manfred thought­fully adjusted the tour pace and route to accom­mo­date every­one’s needs.
The day prior to our tour, Manfred sent us histor­ical back­ground videos about Heidel­berg Castle in the event we wanted more back­ground infor­ma­tion. On the day of our tour, he texted us a photo of our cruise ship sailing under a nearby bridge, noting to us that he’d arrived and was waiting, even though our ship was running slightly behind schedule.
Manfred’s van was perfect for our group of 4. It had plenty of room, felt like it was brand new, and was easy for our less mobile members to enter & exit. This was a huge differ­ence in our comfort throughout the day. Also, Manfred’s English is excel­lent, which was crit­ical for our aging parents that do not hear as well. It also goes without saying that Manfred’s knowl­edge of the area, partic­u­larly Heidel­berg Castle, is impres­sive. He provided great overviews of what we would see in each building of the castle, which was extremely helpful in prior­i­tizing our visit due to our group’s mobility issues. He even knows the perfect spots to take group photos that others have posted in their reviews. Once we finished our tour of the castle, Manfred recom­mended a local restau­rant with a nice outdoor patio and good food. NOTE: this restau­rant only accepts cash, not credit cards—it would have been helpful if Manfred had mentioned this before­hand, but fortu­nately we had cash avail­able and this was not an issue.
We enjoyed Manfred’s company and exper­tise and extended our tour by an addi­tional two hours after our lunch. At the end, he dropped us at the loca­tion closest to our ship for re-embarka­­­tion and we provided final payment for the time exten­sion.
This next detail was one of the most surprising and speaks to Manfred’s integrity. A week after our tour when we were back in the US, he contacted us about an over­pay­ment we’d acci­dently made on the day of the tour and helped arrange a refund. This level of honesty speaks volumes about his char­acter and is yet another example of why he has excel­lent reviews. We have already provided Manfred’s contact infor­ma­tion to two different sets of friends who will be trav­eling in the area later this year.

Autobahn/Black Forest
We recently spent a week in Germany for our honey­moon. One of the things we asked for was a tour of the Black Forest. What we received from Manfred was far beyond our expec­ta­tions! When we first met with him in the morning he asked to sit for a few minutes to get to know us. During our conver­sa­tion, he learned we had booked a car earlier that week with someone else so I could drive on the Auto­bahn (a long­time desire of mine). This previous engage­ment fell through and I had given up on that possi­bility. Imagine my surprise when Manfred asked if he could make a phone call as he might just have a solu­tion to this and I would maybe be able to drive after all.
Thanks to Daniel Buhler with Wack­enhut Mercedes in Baden-Baden, within an hour, we were riding in a beau­tiful AMG Mercedes, on our way to the Auto­bahn. I couldn’t believe it! This was not at all on our schedule for that day. What a dream come true!
After returning the Mercedes :-( we then made our way to the Black Forest to enjoy some deli­cious Black Forest Cake and coffee and do a little shop­ping in Mummelsee. On the return trip to our hotel we proceeded to get “lost” on purpose driving along little roads taking in the beau­tiful scenery. We even stopped and met some local men sitting by the side of the road.
He not only made our day extra special but made our whole vaca­tion unfor­get­table! He felt more than a tour guide, he felt like an old friend.
Thank you Manfred! I hope our paths cross again soon!

Awesome day in Heidel­berg
Manfred was awesome! We were trav­eling on a Viking Cruise. He met us in a loca­tion that was conve­nient for us and we trav­eled to Heidel­berg. He was very flex­ible with our schedule which allowed us to spend time seeing exactly what we wanted to see. He is very friendly and knowl­edge­able and his love for Heidel­berg is clear. We had a great time and could not recom­mend him more!

Unique Heidel­berg Touring
My wife and I were trav­eling with another couple on a Viking River cruise. We hired Manfred for a day tour of the Heidel­berg, Germany area. Our group wanted to focus more on the area around Heidel­berg than the city itself and Manfred special­izes in custom itin­er­aries.
Manfred met us at a very brief stop that the boat made in Mannheim. His van was comfort­able and in excel­lent condi­tion. He drove us through Heidel­berg explaining some history and stopped for us to walk on the bridge to the old town which also provided photo ops of the famous Heidel­berg Castle. We continued to a scenic drive though the Neckar Valley where we crossed the Neckar River on a very small, very unique ferry to visit the beau­tiful village and castle at Dils­berg. There were no crowds in sight! We were then off for nice lunch break at a local restau­rant where Manfred assisted us in selecting some dishes providing one of the best meals (and at reason­able prices!) we had on our entire trip. Lunch provided us with the energy we needed for our drive to the Palati­nate area where Manfred took us to sample some excel­lent local wines. He then drove us to Speyer where our river boat had moved for us to rejoin our cruise.
Our day with Manfred may not have been what the typical river cruiser might have chosen. However, it was exactly what our group wanted to do and Manfred could not have been more accom­mo­dating. Manfred charges by the hour so you can spend as much time with him as you choose. The cost of our custom tour was not much different from what the 4 of us would have paid to Viking for one of their “special excur­sions” where you are still moved around on busses and in large groups.
If you want a special day in the Heidel­berg area tailored to what you want to do, hire Manfred!

Customized to our inter­ests
We had an awesome day with Manfred. He focused on our needs and inter­ests, and we toured at our own pace. He told stories about the area and we learned more than we would have on our own. We defi­nitely would tour with Manfred again, and recom­mend him to our friends and family. He was an excel­lent guide and added to our vaca­tion expe­ri­ence.

Wine tour
Manfred was absolutely great as a tour guide. He was very infor­ma­tive and person­able. We would highly recom­mend him. He was great not just with us but also with our chil­dren.

Truly, a friend in Heidel­berg!
Little did we know when my husband and I booked Manfred, a friend in heidel­berg that we were about to spend an enjoy­able day truly immersed in the history, beauty, and joy of the Heidel­berg area. Manfred was incred­ibly atten­tive to all our emails and texts prior to our visit – he even came to our Viking boat in Mannheim early to confirm the exact port and depar­ture time, and to person­ally intro­duce himself to the Viking staff. On the day of our tour, he picked us up directly from the ship and later returned us to our Viking ship that had moved upriver to Speyer, ensuring every­thing went seam­lessly. Our explo­ration unfolded at a relaxed, comfort­able pace that suited myself and my husband perfectly. We visited both Heidel­berg Castle and Dils­berg Castle, wandered through the old town, and explored charming small towns and the surrounding coun­try­side. Manfred shared histor­ical infor­ma­tion in easily digestible portions that capti­vated our interest. One of the high­lights was enjoying a tradi­tional German dinner at a local monastery, where both the service and the food were excep­tional – thanks to Manfred’s strong connec­tions in the commu­nity. When you hire a local guide who has deep roots and real rela­tion­ships in the area, you know you’re in good hands – and that you’re getting the best possible expe­ri­ence. We certainly found all of this during our time with Manfred. He is person­able, knowl­edge­able and atten­tive. After Manfred departed, we felt we had spent the day with a close friend. We both couldn’t have been more pleased.

Seasoned Veteran
Manfred will construct a tour based on your time, and inter­ests. He is very familiar with the Heidel­berg region.

Our Visit to Heidel­berg
The name of Manfred’s busi­ness, “a friend in heidel­berg”, is an entirely accu­rate name. My wife and I were vaca­tioning in Western Germany and wanted a guide familiar with Heidel­berg to take us around. Even ahead of the tour, Manfred and I texted several times, and he imme­di­ately took a friendly interest in us, and gauged what we wanted from our tour. On the tour day, he met us at our hotel in Mannheim and was a smiling and comfort­able pres­ence. We stopped in Wein­heim for a coffee and a crois­sant and then moved on to Heidel­berg. Our interest was in seeing the old town and the old bridge. I had visited the castle once before, and my wife didn’t have interest, so we wanted to stay in the town, see the sights, have lunch, and explore the shops. My wife and I speak very little German, so it was useful to have a bilin­gual guide who also knew Heidel­berg well (as well as being able to navi­gate the streets and drive us around). Manfred guided us through the streets, we had a nice tour of a beau­tiful city, we had an excel­lent lunch, and Manfred deliv­ered us back to our hotel. What more can you ask of from a friend?

Absolutely 5‑stars
Absolutely 5 stars for Fred Pitz, the incred­ible owner of a friend in heidel­berg! From start to finish, our expe­ri­ence with Fred was above and beyond anything we could have hoped for. He picked us up right on time from the Mannheim train station and imme­di­ately made us feel welcomed. Our private tour of Heidel­berg and Speyer was a perfect blend of history, culture, and local charm – Fred’s deep knowl­edge and engaging stories made every stop come alive. The next day, we explored Hirschhorn, the Oden­wald, and Wein­heim, where we got a real taste of the region – including a ride on the Auto­bahn, a visit to a local grocery store, and sampling some deli­cious local sausages and cheeses. It was authentic, relaxed, and so much fun. One of the most mean­ingful parts of the trip was Fred helping us with our family ancestry search. He took the initia­tive to reach out to the archives and even found port infor­ma­tion related to our ances­tors who immi­grated from Baden-Würt­tem­berg. Thanks to him, we now have new leads to continue exploring our family’s story – some­thing we’re incred­ibly grateful for. Fred also joined us for dinner one evening and gave us fantastic recom­men­da­tions for two restau­rants in Heidel­berg – both turned out to be memo­rable, deli­cious expe­ri­ences. He finished our trip with a smooth and timely transfer to the Frank­furt airport, making every­thing stress-free. Fred is not just a guide – he’s thoughtful, genuine, and truly passionate about giving his guests an unfor­get­table expe­ri­ence. If you’re visiting the region, don’t think twice – Fred is the best!

He shared his beloved city and taught him geocaching, I think he’s hooked!
Yep, he’s our friend! Manfred met us on his bike after we visited the Univer­sity (my son is consid­ering attending for his under­grad­uate degree), and we jumped right on our feet to walk around Heidel­berg. We had a very luscious outdoor lunch that reminded me of my German grand­ma’s cooking. We then tackled the path to the castle where we wandered, learned, chatted and geocached. Then back to the old city to visit the bridge and share some ice cream before we bid our good­byes. He was fun, infor­ma­tive and a plea­sure to be with. He even checked in with us to sort our train journey the next day. What a gentleman.

Our Adven­ture in Heidel­berg
Our day with Manfred was spec­tac­ular. He picked us up at our Viking boat at 8:30 in the morning on Monday and off we went to see Speyer cathe­dral. After we had visited the cathe­dral, and he had been our private guide through the cathe­dral we were off to Heidel­berg and Heidel­berg Castle. Again, Manfred was our private guide through the castle which was inter­esting and infor­ma­tive. The castle is amazing! We then went for a deli­cious lunch in a small hidden Gem in Heidel­berg. After some wonderful time in Heidel­berg, we were off to peruse and walk other villages in the surrounding area. I wanted to explore medieval villages and see medieval houses and walk the streets and canals. We had an absolutely amazing time and Manfred then deliv­ered us to our boat in Rüdesheim at 6:00 p.m. that after­noon. It was one of the high­lights of our cruise. I cannot recom­mend Manfred enough; you will have a fabu­lous time!

Manfred has got to be one of the best driver guides in Southern Germany. He made sure that my sick wife had a wheel­chair so that she could visit the Schwet­zingen and Heidel­berg gardens and showed us Heidel­berg’s magical Philosopher’s Walk at twilight.
He made sure that we didn’t walk very far when we saw the beau­tiful stained glass Volck­amer window and the famous Veit Stoß wood­carving of the Annun­ci­a­tion when we visited the church of St. Lorenz in Nurn­berg. He took us on a tour of the battle­field of Elchingen where Marshall Ney and Napoleon’s 6th Corps over­whelmed 15,000 Austrians and, when we visited Lindau, he somehow managed to navi­gate the narrow alleys of the town with inches of clear­ance on either side before we took a boat trip on Lake Constance.
What more can I say? He got us the best seat at a Bercht­es­gaden restau­rant so that we had a wonderful view high up above the town and the valley. He went out and got us an umbrella when it rained, made the reser­va­tions for our Passau boat trip, and provided some great sugges­tions for addi­tional sights to see. You really can’t go wrong if you have someone like Manfred helping you to get where you want to go on your German vaca­tion.

Great day with Manfred!
Great day with Manfred! Excel­lent local knowl­edge added much to our trip. Were able to see all we had asked plus more. Highly recom­mend!

Our new Friend in Heidel­berg
We booked 2 days with “A Friend in Heidel­berg” during our trip (March 2025). Manfred really takes personal care of his clients and unlike tradi­tional tour compa­nies, caters your time with him to what you are inter­ested in. He covers all the history and details but he does not follow a set script and was happy to answer all of our ques­tions about the city and what life was like in Heidel­berg. Manfred made sugges­tions for shops, restau­rants (all excel­lent!) and other things to do on our day without him. It is really like you have a local friend taking you around! While in Heidel­berg, we toured the Heidel­berg castle and walked the city. He is easy going and fun to be around. Although everyone we encoun­tered in Heidel­berg spoke English, it was helpful to have him with us to commu­ni­cate more in depth with others in shops and cafes. For our 2nd day, we booked him to take us to Stuttgart because we had a tour at the Mercedes Museum. On the way back, he suggested we stop in the city of Speyer where we enjoyed dessert and coffee in a cafe and walked around to see the Speyer Cathe­dral. If we are ever lucky enough to return to Heidel­berg, we defi­nitely would call our “Friend in Heidel­berg” again!

Person­al­ized Tours with a Local Friend: Manfred’s approach is encap­su­lated in the name of his service – a friend in heidel­berg. He offers more than just stan­dard tours; he provides an expe­ri­ence akin to exploring the city with a knowl­edge­able friend. This person­al­ized touch ensures that each tour is tailored to the inter­ests and pref­er­ences of his guests, making every journey unique and memo­rable.

Luxury Trans­porta­tion: Trav­eling in comfort is a corner­stone of Manfred’s service. His luxury van ensures that guests not only explore Heidelberg’s sights but do so in style and relax­ation. The vehicle is well-main­­­tained and equipped to provide a smooth and enjoy­able ride throughout the tour.

Highly Recom­mended by Clients: Clients consis­tently praise Manfred’s exper­tise and the quality of his services. One testi­mo­nial high­lights his excel­lence and knowl­edge, stating: “Manfred provides an excel­lent and knowl­edge­able limou­sine service. Highly recom­mended for visi­tors to Heidel­berg.” Such endorse­ments reflect the high level of satis­fac­tion among those who have expe­ri­enced his tours.

Compre­hen­sive Services for Various Needs: Whether you’re in Heidel­berg for leisure or busi­ness, Manfred caters to a wide array of needs. His services are ideal for private trav­elers seeking an inti­mate explo­ration of the city, as well as busi­ness profes­sionals requiring reli­able and sophis­ti­cated trans­porta­tion. This versa­tility ensures that all guests receive the atten­tion and customiza­tion they desire.

Conclu­sion: Choosing a friend in heidel­berg means opting for a tour expe­ri­ence that is both inti­mate and luxu­rious. Manfred’s dedi­ca­tion to providing person­al­ized itin­er­aries, combined with his comfort­able trans­porta­tion and exten­sive local knowl­edge, guar­an­tees a memo­rable visit to Heidel­berg. His services come highly recom­mended for anyone looking to explore the city beyond the typical tourist expe­ri­ence.

The Guide Who Made Me Stay: How Manfred Trans­formed My Trip
In my last review, I said Manfred is the friend who makes Heidel­berg feel like home. After another incred­ible tour in Stras­bourg and Riquewihr, I real­ized – Manfred isn’t just the friend who makes a city feel like home; he’s the reason a city is worth staying for.
I came to Germany for busi­ness, with no plans for sight­seeing. As a preg­nant mom with a three-year-old and a two-year-old waiting for me, all I wanted was to finish work and get home. When Manfred first reached out, he messaged videos and back­ground info on the places we’d visit. Honestly, I wasn’t inter­ested in anything except my return flight – but his welcoming and enthu­siasm were unde­ni­able, the warmth came through instantly.
After my first tour with him, every­thing changed. I told my assis­tant to scrap my plan to leave early – Manfred made me want to stay. And when our tours ended, I thought about resched­uling to an earlier flight again, but then he suggested Stras­bourg and Riquewihr. That was all it took – I stayed, and I’m so glad I did.
Long story short: I came for busi­ness, but thanks to Manfred, I left with memo­ries I’ll cherish forever. If you get the chance to tour with Manfred, take it – you won’t just see a city, you’ll expe­ri­ence it in a way you’ll never forget.

Manfred: The Friend who Turns Heidel­berg Into Home
Okay, where do I begin? Besides the usual – he’s punc­tual, atten­tive, profes­sional, knowl­edge­able, and detail-oriented – Manfred is so much more than that.
True to his tagline, he really is a friend in Heidel­berg – not just to his clients but to everyone in the city! His charisma and genuine nature make him friends with local shop owners, store workers, and even strangers in cafés. When you’re with Manfred, you don’t just visit Heidel­berg; you feel like part of the commu­nity.
Instead of simply enjoying Germany’s famous beer, sausages, old towns, castles, and churches, Manfred gives you an expe­ri­ence of what it’s like to truly live in Germany – becoming part of the Heidel­berg commu­nity, befriending locals, and eating what they eat every day.
Manfred takes the time to get to know his clients and tailors every expe­ri­ence to them, rather than just taking them to the usual touristy spots. Trav­eling with Manfred feels like a trea­sure hunt. Depending on what “trea­sures” you’re looking for – whether it’s shop­ping for local cooking ingre­di­ents to take home, purchasing specific supple­ments for a family member, breaking the stereo­type that “Germans eat sausages every day” or finding the spots that inspired The Ring of the Nibelung and The Völsunga Saga – Manfred is the perfect guide to embark on those missions with you.
I’ve met many excel­lent guides, but if you’re looking for more than just a check­list of the “top ten places to visit in Heidel­berg,” Manfred is the friend who will show you the city as if you’ve lived there.

Customized Service
Manfred picked us up from our River Cruise and got us back in time. He took us to Heidel­berg and showed us all the high­lights we wanted to see along with other info that only a local can give. Great service for a family or a couple.

Best Tour Guide you Could Wish for
Manfred was an outstanding tour guide who truly did feel like a friend, from before we even met with his helpful and funny commu­ni­ca­tions to the last minute of the tour when he made sure we boarded the right train back to Frank­furt. He is so knowl­edge­able about history, liter­a­ture, archi­tec­ture, pop culture, current events — and so inter­ested in his guests and making them at ease as well! Heidel­berg was magical to me- like a fairy­tale, as everyone says- and our favorite was the Schloss but all of our stops for the day we spent with Manfred were terrific. Manfred does a great job curating sights based on detailed ques­tions he asks in advance- for example, we wanted to stop at a smaller artisan Christmas market and he took us to the most enchanting little village and market that we never would have known about. We enjoyed every minute of our day with him and were comfort­able and warm the whole time too! I cannot recom­mend him enough. Spend a day with Manfred and you too will have a friend in Heidel­berg!

Such a wonderful expe­ri­ence!
Do not delay booking Manfred! He is Germany’s best kept secret, but not for long. Manfred’s knowl­edge and love of his home­land is compre­hen­sive and conta­gious. He joyfully catered to our needs and inter­ests, creating a one-of-a-kind expe­ri­ence for us. You’ll come away with many magical memo­ries and a friend for life. We orig­i­nally booked him for a one-day trip to Heidel­berg, his home­town, and were so blown away by the comfort and ease that we expe­ri­enced that we tried to book more days, but he was not avail­able. By a stroke of luck, another group cancelled at the last minute, and we were able to add another day with him touring Germany’s oldest city, Trier. If we’d been able to book him for our entire trip, we would have done so. Can’t wait until next time to create another great expe­ri­ence with Manfred!

Wonderful Custom Daytrip
Our day with Manfred was perfect! Prior to the trip, he helped my husband and I plan an outing that included high­lights of the Black Forest and the Christmas Market at Baden-Baden. Manfred even included links to videos and other info that would help us enjoy our time in Heidel­berg prior to and after our time with him. When the day for our tour arrived, he picked us up in Heidel­berg in his comfort­able and spot­less car and drove us to Lake Mummelsee. The visi­bility was not right for the hike we had planned, but Manfred quickly pivoted to take us on a gentle hike around Lake Mummelsee which was so picturesque with the snow & ice on the trees. We enjoyed some hot cocoa after the hike and then Manfred took us to a shop so that we could purchase a cuckoo clock at a discounted price. We had lunch at an amazing restau­rant where we sampled Black Forest special­ties (including black forest cake)! The Christmas Market at Baden-Baden was amazing and it was nice to be able to enjoy gluh­wein knowing that Manfred would get us back safely to Heidel­berg!

Magical day with a friend in Heidel­berg
We had an amazing day with our friend in Heidel­berg. We were heading from Heidel­berg to Frank­furt and asked Manfred to design a day trip to see some lovely villages and castles. It is not an over­state­ment to say that the day was magical. I had frac­tured my knee and the day was arranged to ensure that there was not too much walking or steps. We were picked up and dropped off at our accom­mo­da­tion which was perfect given my injury. The weather was perfect being frozen and only small amounts of snow. Whilst driving through hills the scenery was spec­tac­ular and Manfred ensured that we had lots of oppor­tu­ni­ties to take photos. Auer­bach Castle was a real high­light. Manfred is very knowl­edge­able and person­able. We would highly recom­mend spending a day with a friend in Heidel­berg.

Very happy clients because of touring with Manfred!
I brought a small group of trav­elers to the German Christmas Markets which included Heidel­berg and hired Manfred to give us a person­al­ized tour. From start to finish, he was a wealth of knowledge—and not the dry, boring kind. Manfred made every­thing come alive with fasci­nating stories and fun expla­na­tions that kept us all engaged and enter­tained. He didn’t just point to land­marks and rattle off facts; he truly brought the culture to life. My clients all said how happy they were to have had him as our tour guide. On top of being an awesome guide, he went above and beyond for us. Even though he had a family cele­bra­tion to get to, which I knew of in advance, he offered to stay a little longer just to make sure we had the best expe­ri­ence possible. Now that’s commit­ment! From our time walking at the castle, to the lookout point over the city, to stop­ping at a local cafe, every­thing was fabu­lous. The Dande­lion Jour­nals will defi­nitely be booking with Manfred again—he made the tour unfor­get­table, and we can’t recom­mend him enough!

Excel­lent guide, A+
Manfred is absolutely a GREAT guide, as well as a depend­able and punc­tual commu­ni­cator, and an all-around nice guy. His reviews are very repre­sen­ta­tive of the calibre guide (and friend!) he is, so we would absolutely recom­mend him with no hesi­ta­tion. You won’t be disap­pointed!!

What a great day!
We had a wonderful day trip with Manfred. Frank­furt pickup to Heppen­heim, Wein­heim, and most of the day in Heidel­berg. He tailored the day to our wishes. He was very person­able, a great and safe driver, with a clean and very comfort­able car. We had a good mix of riding in the car, stop­ping to walk around and explore, finding special places, making sure we have some­thing to eat, and hydrated, and always adjusting as we might request. He knows every­thing about Heidel­berg with a good mix of history and current culture for our day. It felt like walking around Heidel­berg with a friend. Even gave us recom­men­da­tions for a day trip to Rothen­berg. We sched­uled our day with Manfred because 6 years ago he provided an enjoy­able tour for one of our sons and his now wife. Highly recom­mended!

Fun Road Trip with Manfred
If you are looking for a private driver and tour guide who is profes­sional, knowl­edge­able, and person­able, look no further than Manfred. He was easy to commu­ni­cate with and had great sugges­tions, making me very comfort­able to book his service. We were a group of six and he arranged for a bigger vehicle to accom­mo­date us. He picked us up at our Airbnb in Heidel­berg and deliv­ered us to our hotel in Frank­furt via a scenic drive through the coun­try­side with stops including a walk through the town of Laden­burg, a meal in Wein­heim and the Christmas Market in Michel­stadt. It was all wonderful and allowed to see and learn things we would not have other­wise. Manfred is engaging and has a great sense of humor. Ages in our group ranged from 20 to 85 and he earned a 10/10 rating from every single one of us. I would absolutely book his services again — thank you so much Manfred!

Excel­lent Private Guide/Driver for Heidel­berg Area
Manfred exceeded all expec­ta­tions! A Heidel­berg native, he is extremely knowl­edge­able, engaging, and person­able. His advance plan­ning with us was metic­u­lous (we came by river boat, and he went above and beyond to deter­mine exactly where to meet us and drop us off.) His vehicle is comfort­able and spot­less. His “insider insights” about Heidel­berg and the region are inter­esting and enter­taining. And his English is flaw­less. We recom­mend him in the highest terms.

A lovely day with Manfred in Heidel­berg
We had a wonderful time in Heidel­berg with Manfred. We took the train from Stuttgart, and Manfred picked us up at the station. Fortu­nately, Manfred brought along umbrellas for all 5 of us, as it started to rain as soon as we arrived. We spent the morning touring the castle (and the Phar­macy museum, which was a treat for my son who is a Phar­ma­cist!) and then went into the town (Altstadt) for shop­ping and lunch. There weren’t many restau­rants open on off-season Mondays, so keep that in mind if you have options for which days of the week to tour. We found a lovely Italian place, which we all thor­oughly enjoyed. After treating us to ice cream, Manfred dropped us off at the shortcut to Philosopher’s Path, where we took a rigorous walk up and down the other side of the river. The views were gorgeous and well-worth the exer­cise. Manfred picked us up at the end of our walk and dropped us off for dinner at a charming restau­rant not too far from the train station. Before catching the train, we stopped at a rooftop bar in the Atlantic Hotel offering great drinks and lovely views of Heidel­berg. The McCann family highly recom­mends booking a tour with Manfred. He goes above and beyond to make your visit to Heidel­berg excep­tional! Thank you, Manfred!

Taylor family day out with Manfred
We are a family of 5 trav­el­ling from Australia. Heidel­berg was our 1st stop and one to tick off the bucket list. I initially contacted Manfred in August after reading his reviews. He responded imme­di­ately and we were able to lock in 4/12/24 for a day trip. We weren’t sure what we could do but when I asked if Stras­bourg was an option, Manfred was more than happy! So off we went after having a coffee at his local cafe. Throughout the day Manfred checked in with us to ensure we were happy and he had lots of his own ideas as well. What a wonderful day we had in Stras­bourg! Manfred was partic­u­larly atten­tive to the needs of our son who has an intel­lec­tual and phys­ical disability — Tom had the best time and wanted to go out again the following day! We can’t thank Manfred enough for his time and sharing of knowl­edge. We highly recom­mend you contact a friend in Heidel­berg for your next visit.

Everyone should have a friend like Manfred!
I wish I could give Manfred ten stars! We used his services three times during a recent trip. The first was a pickup from Frank­furt airport to Heidel­berg. He commu­ni­cated well prior to pick up and was waiting for us when we arrived. The third time we used him was for a transfer from Heidel­berg to Stras­bourg, which was super easy. Again, he was punc­tual and friendly. The second trip, however, was where he really shined. We used Manfred for a day trip to Rothen­berg ob der Tauber. Some people just drive and pick up but Manfred takes you around town showing you all the spots of interest, like a tour without all boring details that my teens hate. I, however, love those details so when­ever I asked Manfred about a specific building or histor­ical event, he knew the answer. It truly was like having a friend show you around. One final example of how Manfred went above and beyond is that I was looking for a German card game that I had recently played with my Swiss rela­tives and every­where was sold out. Manfred called a dozen stores and found three copies for me in a Heidel­berg store. The store would have been a half hour walk for me so Manfred biked over and dropped it off at our Airbnb… just so above and beyond anything we’ve ever expe­ri­enced. And to top it off, he is just a really great guy to spend a few days with. HIGHLY RECOM­MEND!!

From the heart­land of the USA to beau­tiful Heidel­berg, Germany!
We engaged with Manfred about 4 months earlier as we were exploring castles to see in Germany. Via emails and text messages, we were able to refine our itin­erary and schedule with his help. He was very respon­sive with emails and texts and answered all our ques­tions. We trav­eled to Heidel­berg from Berlin and enjoyed seeing the German coun­try­side. Heidel­berg is a much smaller commu­nity with a very friendly and familiar feel. We started our day early with Manfred at his favorite break­fast loca­tion and talked about the plans for the day. We spent our morning at the Heidel­berg Castle. Manfred is a wealth of knowl­edge and shared many inter­esting histor­ical notes with us. We enjoyed lunch together before spending the after­noon in Old Town. We trav­elled in very comfort­able style in Manfred’s van and always felt safe and well taken care of, as Manfred was very atten­tive to details. Manfred endeared himself to our family and I consider him a friend who I hope to visit again in the future. I would highly recom­mend Manfred to anyone consid­ering a visit to the Heidel­berg and surrounding area. He was a 10 out of 10!

A Wonderful Day in Heidel­berg
We had a wonderful day with Manfred. Our tour exceeded our expec­ta­tions. Manfred is highly knowl­edge­able and we were able to see and learn so much. We didn’t feel rushed, we got to see and try things we didn’t expect based on his recom­men­da­tions. It truly height­ened our expe­ri­ence. Besides the Heidel­berg castle and historic old city, the Schwet­zingen Palace Gardens is a must visit! Add it to your list. Wein­heim is another small, beau­tiful city we got to visit. If you have time, even for a coffee, it’s worth the visit. I highly recom­mend you book some time with him for your next trip. He even made sure we had a great time before/after our tour with recom­men­da­tions and help. Just like the name says, it truly felt like a day with a friend in Heidel­berg.

A Must-Do Tour
a friend in Heidel­berg describes exactly the expe­ri­ence you receive from Manfred. On our 1‑day stop in Heidel­berg we were able to see so many beau­tiful sights thanks to his expert knowl­edge and care. The unex­pected sights — like the Schwet­zingen Palace Gardens — really added to our expe­ri­ence (I highly recom­mend adding this as a stop on your tour). We got to try local foods, see the old city from many view­points, and tour the gorgeous Heidel­berg castle. If we didn’t get help from Manfred, our expe­ri­ence would have paled in compar­ison. Do your­self a favor — go to Heidel­berg — add it to your bucket list and defi­nitely find “a friend in Heidel­berg”. I can highly, highly recom­mend his services.

The best day with Manfred!
We just returned from 13 days in Europe and our day with Manfred in Heidel­berg was our absolute favorite! He was waiting for us at our agreed upon loca­tion, and Manfred couldn’t have been more enter­taining, infor­ma­tive, and flex­ible. At the end of our day, we said goodbye to our friend and thanked him for the most unfor­get­table day! Our little group just loved Manfred!

You do have a Friend in Heidel­berg
Manfred was very person­able. The accom­mo­da­tions were great. We took a little getting start because he does not have defined tour. He will take you to what you would like to see. We ended up going to Schwet­zingen Palace and Gardens and then a nice tour of the town on the way back. We did not tour the palace, but did explore the gardens and prop­erty. This was one of my wife’s and her sister’s favorite stop on our 3‑week trip. I would highly recom­mend tour the gardens.

We made a friend in Heidel­berg
I highly recom­mend Manfred as your tour guide in the Heidel­berg area. We were able to customize our day and even make changes as needed. He picked us up in a comfort­able car at our cruise port and dropped us off in perfect timing. Manfred knows all the best spots, he is very knowl­edge­able with lots of info. He really is a good friend to know in Heidel­berg.

Tour through the City and envi­rons
Manfred was great to work with. He was knowl­edge­able and a most gracious guide. All six of us very much appre­ci­ated the time we spent with him. I would highly recom­mend working with him.

Great tour of a beau­tiful historic city
Manfred was great! Gave a fantastic histor­ical tour around the beau­tiful city. Was very flex­ible based on what I wanted to see and made great recom­men­da­tions. Very person­­­able- trav­elled as a solo female and felt like I had a friend with me!

A wonderful day with Manfred
This tour is so very rightly named! My husband and I spent a day with Manfred and what a day it was. He is so knowl­edge­able about Heidel­berg and the area. I think the most impor­tant thing, though, is that he’s friendly and just plain fun. We really do feel like we have a friend.

“Hey, memo­ries of Heidel­berg sind memo­ries vom Glück”, having met the right guy for a good time.
Manfred meets all expec­ta­tions with his friend­li­ness, profes­sional local knowl­edge and uncom­pli­cated response to customer wishes. The fact that as a service provider he oper­ates in a segment in which he inevitably learns a lot about his customers and has an open ear for their expe­ri­ences, as well as contributing his own expe­ri­ences to the discus­sions, makes him stand out from the crowd of tourist guides. We enjoyed our time with him. Thank you Manfred!!!

Fantastic Expe­ri­ence with A Friend in Heidel­berg!
We don’t travel over­seas very often, but this was a trip we couldn’t pass up. My wife’s great, great grand­fa­ther emigrated to the US in 1848 from Edenkoben, Germany, a little town an hour outside of Heidel­berg. My wife and her siblings had been talking about a trip to see the town he and the family had come from over 175 years ago. Our travel agent got us set up with “Our Friend In Heidel­berg” and Manfred went to work! He researched Edenkoben and was able to take us to the house that Niko­laus and has family had lived in. While we were taking a picture of the home, the owner came out and we struck up a conver­sa­tion, and Manfred kindly inter­preted for us. The next thing we knew, they had invited us inside to see this home that was built in 1794. Incred­ible! After that, Manfred had arranged a private, personal tour of the Edenkoben Museum given by the propri­etor. Seeing pictures and arti­facts from this ances­tral town in the 1840’s (and before) made the whole trip come alive. Next was an incred­ible meal at a local restau­rant Manfred had also gotten a personal recom­men­da­tion for. He helped us order and suggested we get a variety of dishes for everyone to sample which added to the fun. It was great! To end our time, Manfred had sched­uled a wine tasting at a vine­yard that bore the family’s name. We talked Edenkoben, history, and wine with the owner for almost 2 hours. Finally, after casu­ally asking about Speyer, another nearby town, he routed us through there on our way back to Heidel­berg. What a fantastic day! There is no ques­tion we will use Our Friend in Heidel­berg anytime we are in the area.

Great time around Heidel­berg
Had the BEST time with Manfred in Heidel­berg! He was a fantastic guide and antic­i­pated all needs without prompts. He listened well and provided unique expe­ri­ences at the spur of the moment and just to order. He is extremely patient and generous. Asked to stay away from crowds and we spent lots of time sight­seeing and touring wineries and beau­tiful gardens. The conver­sa­tion never lagged and was fun and inter­esting all of both days. Cannot recom­mend him enough!!

My wife, sister, and brother-in-law recently had the plea­sure of expe­ri­encing a private tour of Heidel­berg, Germany, and it was absolutely fantastic! Our guide, Manfred Pitz, was incred­ibly knowl­edge­able and passionate about the city’s history. We were on a Viking Rhine River cruise and Manfred picked us up in a spacious van at the docked ship right on time. We started our tour with a visit to Heidel­berg Castle, a majestic fortress perched atop a hill over­looking the city. Manfred brought the castle’s history to life with fasci­nating stories and insights. After exploring the castle, we drove down into the charming Old Town. We wandered through the narrow cobble­stone streets, admired the colorful half-timbered houses, and even ran into Manfred’s daughter and dog. When Manfred calls his busi­ness “A friend in Heidel­berg”, he isn’t kidding. He estab­lishes an instant rapport and comfort level with you and his tour sugges­tions are geared towards what you are inter­ested in. Manfred is passionate about Heidel­berg and the surrounding region and with good reason. Our visit to Heidel­berg with Manfred was one of the high­lights of our trip. We highly recom­mend this private tour to anyone visiting Heidel­berg. It was a person­al­ized and infor­ma­tive expe­ri­ence that allowed us to see the city at our own pace. Whether you are just in the area or are on a river cruise (as we were) and are looking for a special shore excur­sion that is above and beyond what the ship offers, do contact A Friend in Heidel­berg. Thank you, Manfred, for making our day so memo­rable! If we could give Manfred a sixth star we would!

A Wonderful Day in Heidel­berg
Trav­eling with a group of 6, we elected to hire Manfred for a day’s tour of Heidel­berg. Manfred picked us up from our Viking River Cruise ship and drove us into Heidel­berg. He dropped us off at the upper entrance to the castle, where he provided a very detailed and inter­esting overview and tour of the castle. From there he trans­ported us to a restau­rant outside the town for lunch, where he ordered a collec­tion of authentic German dishes, which we all sampled and thor­oughly enjoyed. We spent the after­noon exploring the historic areas of the town and even­tu­ally he returned us to the ship. We found Manfred to be very person­able, easy to interact with, and having lived a large part of his life in Heidel­berg, very knowl­edge­able regarding the history and culture of the area. In addi­tion, as US citi­zens, the fact that Manfred had also lived and worked in the US for several years, made our inter­ac­tion very easy. We also appre­ci­ated his profes­sion­alism, quickly responding to written corre­spon­dence including texts and email. If you contact him or have a ques­tion, he is excep­tion­ally respon­sive. In summary, all 6 of us were very happy with our expe­ri­ence and would use his services again without hesi­ta­tion.

Unfor­get­table Day in Heidel­berg with an Incred­ible Tour Guide!
Just wrapped up an incred­ible day tour in Heidel­berg with an amazing tour guide, Manfred! 🏰❤️ His local insights and passion for the city made every moment special. Manfred truly knows how to bring Heidel­berg to life! If you’re in the area, don’t miss the chance to tour with him. Such a fantastic day spent with a great friend! 🌍🥰

A wonderful day retracing the birth places of fore­fa­thers
Manfred is indeed a friend! From the moment we first made contact with him several months ago, until we bid farewell after spending eight hours together, we felt a close bond. He is a great commu­ni­cator and keeps in touch throughout. We came to the Baden Würt­tem­berg area to visit the area from which our ances­tors had immi­grated to Australia in the 1850’s. Manfred went “above and beyond” to seek out infor­ma­tion for us, both in the villages we visited, and prior to our arrival from local author­i­ties. He proudly showed us around this beau­tiful region in his comfort­able van. He is fluent in English and German and was a godsend for us, commu­ni­cating with local folk. Manfred took us to places we would never have been able visit on our own. A wonderful day to remember!

Expe­ri­enced More Than We Could Have Ever Imag­ined
Our friend Manfred went above and beyond to make our expe­ri­ence more than we ever imag­ined it would be! My husband, his brother, his brother’s wife, and myself took a Viking River cruise from Basel to Amsterdam. One of the reasons we chose to take that cruise is because the port stop in Speyer was near the German village that my husband’s family had a home in the 1500’s. It is a small village and the only clue we had as to where it was located was a picture of it from 1910. When we got to the village Manfred asked some villagers if they knew of the house and soon we located the house! Not only did we find the house Manfred knocked on the door and the people living there knew of my husband’s ances­tors and their history . We spent a wonderful after­noon inside the house with this wonderful couple that lived there. We could not have done any of that without Manfred’s initia­tive and him inter­preting for us. Manfred picked us up from the ship in Speyer and we joined the ship at the next port. We spent 10 hours with Manfred and it was worth every cent!

Searching for Family in Germany
Many thanks to Manfred for the greatest family adven­ture. I went with my family (we’re all born in Wisconsin) on a vaca­tion up the Rhine. We decided to try to find my uncle, who lives in Germany a few hours from the river, an uncle I haven’t seen in at least 30 years. He doesn’t own a phone, so he isn’t easy to find. We also didn’t know his address. Crazy ask for anyone, but Manfred was confi­dent he could help us on our quest. He drove my family to my uncle’s little village in Germany. We found his flat after some searching, but he wasn’t home. Fred suggested to cruise the village, and that’s when we found him! I got to recon­nect with my uncle, he got to see his sisters, and also, he got to meet his grand­nieces for the first time. I paid a driver and got a detec­tive and friend included for free.

The German expe­ri­ence we wanted. We wanted to visit a castle, gardens, see the sights in Heidel­berg and a great lunch
We wanted the true German expe­ri­ence. We wanted to see a castle, gardens, Heidel­berg and have a true German lunch. This met our expec­ta­tions.

Truly a Friend in Heidel­berg!
I often procras­ti­nate when it comes to holiday detailed plan­ning — same thing when I went to Heidel­berg in August 2024 and had to scramble online for a private tour guide only upon arriving in the city! By God’s grace, not only I stum­bled upon “a friend in heidel­berg” website, Manfred, the man behind a friend in heidel­berg, happened to be avail­able the next day (which I figured out later on to be very rare, so please do not be like me and book him way in advance!). I also found out that he was actu­ally out of town and was so kind to decide to come back to Heidel­berg to bring me around. We decided to “wing it” instead of doing a fixed program, depending on what I felt like doing on the day. I love the spon­taneity! We started off with a break­fast in a cafe in Manfred’s resi­dence neigh­bor­hood, as I was looking for more “local” expe­ri­ence. We then decided to make full use of Manfred’s super comfort­able van to explore areas outside of Heidel­berg. We visited the gorgeous Schwet­zingen Palace and Garden, as well as the stun­ning Speyer Cathe­dral, and ventured to wine region of Pfalz visiting some of the vine­yards. With Manfred, conver­sa­tions just flow natu­rally, as if he is a friend that you have known for a long time. He reads widely so he can chat about a lot of topics, and he speaks English fluently having lived in the US for several years. Hence, it is apt to call his busi­ness “a friend in heidel­berg”, as in him you find a friend indeed! Upon returning to my hotel and bidding farewell to Manfred, one of my hotel staff saw me with Manfred and sepa­rately mentioned to me that he had seen Manfred bringing various guests in the past. The hotel staff was full of glowing feed­back on Manfred, espe­cially on the extra miles Manfred would go through for those guests. Nothing beats such confir­ma­tion post-event. Thank you again for making my time in Heidel­berg a memo­rable one, Manfred; but most impor­tantly, thank you for a new friend­ship. Look forward to being back in Heidel­berg again hope­fully soon!
PS: Thank you also for the fantastic meal recom­men­da­tion at Hugo! Love the food there!

Manfred was the perfect guide to tour the five of us through Heidel­berg. He met us promptly when we departed our Viking cruise ship and drove us in his comfort­able and clean van. Manfred spoke to us about the local areas as we drove to our desti­na­tion. We toured wonderful castles and grounds. We decided on a Bier­garten for lunch and he took us to a deli­cious one! Don’t hesi­tate to reserve Manfred!

Heidel­berg Castle and Schloss Schwet­zingen Gardens
We booked with Manfred Pitz, owner of A Friend in Heidel­berg, to hear history and tour the area around Heidel­berg. We commu­ni­cated by email or what’s app as soon as we booked and discussed his guide service in detail. Since we were two couples with different likes/dislikes, we waited until all four were together before final­izing the 6‑hour itin­erary, but we ended up happy with our tour of the exte­rior of Heidel­berg Castle and the gardens a few miles into the nearby city at the summer retreat of the prince elect. He picked us up at our hotel on time and deliv­ered us back timely after late lunch at a wonderful restau­rant where he ordered for us to try many local German foods. We could not have been happier with this private tour in an air-condi­­­tioned very comfort­able van, and his stories of local colorful char­ac­ters. I would highly recom­mend this “friend” oppor­tu­nity as a fun, reason­ably priced and very inter­esting way to visit Heidel­berg.

Recon­necting with Beau­tiful Heidel­berg!
Knowing that my father was stationed in Heidel­berg when I was in second and third grade and that I had not been back to this beau­tiful city since then, my wonderful husband took the oppor­tu­nity to find a private tour to Heidel­berg when our Viking River Cruise stopped in Speyer. So many trav­elers, who had similar circum­stances as me, had already reviewed Manfred and shared how he helped them recon­nect with a city or past rela­tives they once knew, so Manfred was an easy choice. Truth be told, my journey with Manfred started months before our cruise when I connected with him via email and told him about the expe­ri­ences I remem­bered, where we lived, and places we visited as a family so long ago. We corre­sponded quite a bit, and I think Manfred was as excited as I was to show me around his beau­tiful home­town! When my husband and I finally met Manfred in person, it was like meeting a long-lost friend. He imme­di­ately drove us to Patrick Henry Village (US Army housing), where I had once lived. So much looked familiar but so much had changed. I got goose­bumps just being there! From there, we went on to see all the other sites in Heidelberg–places I had vague memo­ries of visiting when I was a kid or places my parents (now 88 and 85 years old) told me we had been to. One thing that struck me is how beau­tiful the city is and how lucky I was to be living there as a kid. It was a big home­coming that I got to share with my parents and siblings via text and photos in real-time. As Manfred drove us around that day, he was cheerful, talk­a­tive, and infor­ma­tive. We talked about Heidel­berg’s history and current topics of the day. He offered to take us to a beer garden for lunch, but also suggested that we try a favorite place where locals like to go. Natu­rally, we went to the local restau­rant, and I enjoyed great food and a glass of German wine! As the day was closing, I felt like I had really recon­nected with Heidel­berg and that was all due to Manfred. This was exactly the kind of tour I wanted where I felt like, for a day, I was totally immersed in the German culture and enjoying great one-on-one conver­sa­tion with a true local. Whether you have a connec­tion to Heidel­berg like me, or just want to get to know the beau­tiful city of Heidel­berg, Manfred is the perfect choice, and I highly recom­mend him!

Wonderful day with our friend Manfred
Do not hesi­tate to book your tour of Heidel­berg with your friend Manfred! From the time I contacted him, several months prior to our arrival, his prompt commu­ni­ca­tion and atten­tion to detail was outstanding. He defi­nitely went above and beyond what we expected. We were a party of four had a wonderful day with him and ended up spending about seven hours on our tour, the day flew by. He is the ulti­mate profes­sional and you will be so glad to have made a friend in Heidel­berg!

We Found Our Friend in Heidel­berg
From the moment you commit to this expe­ri­ence with Manfred you are welcomed with great infor­ma­tion and commu­ni­ca­tion. He works with you to under­stand and create travel together as some­thing you want and need in this beau­tiful part of Germany. Our visits to the castle, palace and old town including a surprise or two making this trip worth­while. If you like rigid plans or some­what go with the flow this is your friend in Heidel­berg without reser­va­tions. He brings person­al­iza­tion and customiza­tion with every kilo­meter, conver­sa­tion and tour. We paid extra for our trans­porta­tion to and from Frank­furt to Heidel­berg had a special lunch with Manfred and a few other unex­pected wonderful oppor­tu­ni­ties. Would use his services again as he treats it like a busi­ness and a passionate hobby. Make your appoint­ment today!

A friend in Heidel­berg indeed!
“A friend in Heidel­berg” is the perfect name for Manfred’s busi­ness. We had a group of 9 friends and family with us on a river cruise up the Rhine and we hired Manfred to tour us around Heidel­berg. We had a few places we wanted to visit, which he gladly accom­mo­dated. In addi­tion, Manfred suggested a wonderful trip to a fortress outside of town, made reser­va­tions for an authentic German lunch, and shared his beau­tiful city with us. He is extremely knowl­edge­able about the city and its history and we couldn’t have picked a better person to show us around this beau­tiful city.

Cultural Germany in a Nutshell
My daughter had booked a short-day trip with Manfred. My wife, my two daugh­ters, and I had different tastes, and we expected all of us to be satis­fied, and we all were. Manfred was keen to spend a few minutes at the Hotel lobby to get to know us, our back­grounds, and what we were inter­ested in. He then planned a trip for us based on our expec­ta­tions and said there would be some­thing for all of us that day, and it was. We saw the Schloss Heidel­berg, previewed the old town, visited the market­place, and walked on the old bridge — all the while hearing stories of war, the nobles, and the economy from Manfred. He provides all that is said on the website with excel­lent English, a smile, and plenty of mirth-filled jokes. He shares quite a bit of his life, too, if you are inter­ested. He loves this place and his work. I whole­heart­edly recom­mend him to anyone looking for a cultural taste of Germany, pack­aged in a form that would suit your needs and the time avail­able.

The Best Tour Guide in Heidel­berg!
Manfred was the best guide during our time in Germany this past month. He went above and beyond all expec­ta­tions. He met us the day before our planned time together to get to know everyone in our family. He made dinner reser­va­tions for us in the most perfect places. He consid­ered everyone (ages 18–78) in our family and made all of us feel special. We absolutely would use him again and look forward to our next vaca­tion in beau­tiful Germany!

Laura and I had a wonderful expe­ri­ence on our private tour of the Heidel­berg area. Manfred is a warm and friendly host and a plea­sure to spend time with. Having grown up in Heidel­berg, Manfred has in-depth knowl­edge of not only the beau­tiful and historic city itself but also the towns and points of interest in the surrounding area. Commu­ni­ca­tion prior to the tour was friendly and effi­cient and Manfred sent us videos ahead of time that gave us an under­standing of Heidel­berg’s history. Our day was totally tailored to our inter­ests and included visits to several surrounding towns and castles, as well as the beau­tiful gardens at Schwet­zingen Palace. Manfred also selects the most scenic route between loca­tions to make the journey even more special. A tour with Manfred is more than just heading out with a Friend in Heidel­berg, it’s spending the day with an excep­tional friend that takes the time to under­stand your inter­ests and goes to extra­or­di­nary lengths to make your day as enjoy­able and as memo­rable as possible.

Superb Person­al­ized Tour
My husband and I spent a fantastic Sunday with Manfred exploring the local Heidel­berg area. From the corre­spon­dence prior to arriving in Germany to every stop during our tour, Manfred contin­u­ously made us feel comfort­able and well looked after. He discussed our inter­ests with us and customized the day, which was wonderful. We espe­cially liked seeing aspects of Heidel­berg that only a local could find! We did not know much about the area, and Manfred did a great job telling us about its history and tradi­tions. From Dils­berg Castle to the Schwet­zingen Palace, we loved seeing the beauty of this region. Throughout the day, Manfred listened to our inter­ests and contin­u­ously customized the tour to match them. I cannot recom­mend Manfred more highly. It was truly like spending the day with a friend!!

Layover Tour with A friend from Heidel­berg
We recently had an 8–10-hour layover in Frank­furt and decided to make the most of our time by visiting Heidel­berg. Thanks to our excep­tional tour guide, Manfred the entire expe­ri­ence was smooth, enjoy­able, and worry-free. From the moment we stepped off the plane, Manfred was there to pick us up with a warm smile and a clear plan for the day. The pick-up from the airport was punc­tual, and the vehicle was comfort­able, clean, and spacious, making for a relaxing drive to Heidel­berg. Once we arrived, Manfred show­cased a deep knowl­edge of Heidelberg’s history, culture, and hidden gems. They tailored the tour to our inter­ests, ensuring we saw all the major sights like Heidel­berg Castle, and the Old Town, and even had time for a leisurely walk along the Philoso­phers’ Walk. What stood out was Manfred’s ability to share fasci­nating stories and histor­ical facts that brought the city to life, all while keeping an eye on the clock to ensure we stayed on schedule. Throughout the tour, Manfred was incred­ibly atten­tive, making sure we were comfort­able and had every­thing we needed. He even took care of the small details, like recom­mending the best spots for photos, arranging a quick but deli­cious lunch, and ensuring we had enough time to explore without feeling rushed. The drop-off back at Frank­furt Airport was equally seam­less. Manfred made sure we arrived with plenty of time to catch our next flight, allowing us to relax and reflect on what had been a truly wonderful expe­ri­ence. Manfred (a friend in Heidel­berg) made our layover in Frank­furt an absolute plea­sure. If you’re consid­ering a layover tour of Heidel­berg, we highly recom­mend Manfred for an unfor­get­table and hassle-free expe­ri­ence.

When I was plan­ning our trip, Manfred provided great guid­ance on where he suggested we go and how much time to allow for our private excur­sion to Heidel­berg. We were on a Viking cruise, and he met us at our port and after our tour in Heidel­berg was over, he drove us on to Rüdesheim to meet our Viking boat. His van was perfect and very clean. Heidel­berg was lovely, and Manfred knew a lot about the town and the castle. He did all he could to ensure we had a wonderful expe­ri­ence 😊

Tour of Heidel­berg with family
Our guide Manfred was a wonderful, accom­mo­dating and fun tour guide. He led us around Heidel­berg in a comfort­able van. We sat down to discuss our inter­ests and where we would like to go before we started — he really takes the trouble to get to know his customers. We visited the Heidel­berg Castle, the old town and the beau­tiful gardens at the Schwet­zingen Palace. We had fun and took a lot of photos. Our guide told us many inter­esting facts and stories about the places we saw. We are grateful for his effort to make us feel welcome and comfort­able.

A day in the coun­try­side!
We wanted to get out into the coun­try­side and Manfred deliv­ered! He worked with us for a list of ideas and pref­er­ences. We visited a couple castles in more rural areas, had lunch with a view of the Rhine valley and a wine tasting. Exactly like we wanted. Manfred was friendly and ener­getic and had a plan for the day but was always open to sugges­tions or changes. He deliv­ered an excel­lent day that was excep­tional.

Manfred our host for our day in Heidel­berg
Manfred was fantastic. Very atten­tive and engaging with a great sense of humor. He made our day in Heidel­berg excel­lent!

Blown away by Manfred’s kind­ness!
We were consid­ering a private tour to Heidel­berg, but we had limited amount of time and contacted Manfred the day we planned on going (VERY last minute). We told him we didn’t need a tour guide for the entire dura­tion but would pay the full amount. Instead of taking advan­tage of this, he took the time to call me and suggest we use our Eurail pass and take the train to Heidel­berg. In addi­tion, he gave us detailed instruc­tions on which travel guide booklet to purchase, the most scenic walk to town, where and how to buy castle transport/tour tickets for the castle, his favorite cafes and restau­rants, and a short video that he made us promise to watch before we toured the castle. All of this at no charge. UNREAL! We are on our way right now and beyond grateful for Manfred’s incred­ibly generous insight, sugges­tions, and kind­ness.

A beau­tiful day “off the beaten path”
Manfred is a wonderful tour guide! The commu­ni­ca­tion was always clear and prompt, which made me feel comfort­able from the start. He took us to places that we never would have thought of without him, yet were absolutely perfect for our vaca­tion. Manfred is so friendly, light-hearted and knowl­edge­able. We enjoyed our tour thor­oughly! Highly recom­mend!

A six-star day
As a solo trav­eler busy with lots of details, what a delight it was to spend the day, a perfect one, with Manfred. I shared my inter­ests with him and he took it from there. He is warm, kind, intel­li­gent and knows Heidel­berg and its surrounding area with immense detail. Trav­eling with him, I was able to see many sights I didn’t know existed. Bonus points for his photo­graphic abil­i­ties and knowing where you should be for the best shot. Don’t look any further to find your perfect guide, and friend, in Heidel­berg.

Glorious day in Heidel­berg!
Our group had a delightful tour of Heidel­berg with Manfred. We were on a Viking River Cruise and knew where to pick us up in Mannheim and drop us off in Speyer. He was most accom­mo­dating with our time schedule. Manfred has a delightful dispo­si­tion and knows so much history about the area. We had a special day.

A Friend in Heidel­berg: A Remark­able Journey with Manfred
If you’re seeking a truly memo­rable and person­al­ized tour expe­ri­ence in Heidel­berg, look no further than A Friend in Heidel­berg guided by the remark­able Manfred. Our day with Manfred exceeded all expec­ta­tions, leaving us in awe of his knowl­edge, warmth, and extra­or­di­nary commit­ment to ensuring our every need was met.
1. Person­al­ized Tour Guided by a Local Friendly and Respectful Indi­vidual
Manfred is not just a tour guide; he is a true ambas­sador of Heidel­berg. As a native German with fluent English, his insights into the city’s history, culture, and hidden gems were unpar­al­leled. From the moment we met him, Manfred welcomed us warmly, imme­di­ately making us feel like old friends rather than clients.
2. Excel­lent Commu­ni­ca­tion Prior and During the Trip
Commu­ni­ca­tion with Manfred was seam­less from the outset. He was incred­ibly respon­sive to our inquiries and tailored the itin­erary precisely to our pref­er­ences. His atten­tion to detail ensured that every aspect of our tour, from coor­di­nating dinner reser­va­tions to aligning with hotel check-in times, was perfectly timed and executed.
3. The Incred­ible Ability of Manfred to Find Solu­tions
Manfred’s resource­ful­ness and quick thinking were truly astounding. Upon real­izing that my uncle had left his camera on the train, Manfred sprang into action. Within minutes, he had located the camera and coor­di­nated with the train staff to retrieve it, all while ensuring we remained comfort­able in his impec­cably main­tained vehicle. His deter­mi­na­tion to resolve the situ­a­tion swiftly and effec­tively demon­strated his unwa­vering commit­ment to his guests’ happi­ness and well-being.
Our day with Manfred was nothing short of excep­tional. His driving skills were impec­cable, his commit­ment to safety commend­able, and his ability to engage and enter­tain us with capti­vating stories and insights made our visit to Heidel­berg unfor­get­table.
In summary, Manfred exem­pli­fies the pinnacle of hospi­tality and profes­sion­alism. He turned what could have been a stressful situ­a­tion into a heart­warming display of care and effi­ciency, earning our utmost admi­ra­tion and grat­i­tude. Without a doubt, our time with Manfred and A Friend in Heidel­berg was the high­light of our Euro­pean vaca­tion. Thank you, Manfred, for sharing your passion for Heidel­berg with us—we are forever grateful!

High­light of Germany Trip
Don’t second-guess your­self.… reserve your time with Manfred NOW. You will thank your­self later! My husband and I arrived in Heidel­berg the day prior to our time with him and had seen/done the typical tourist recom­mended activ­i­ties. The following morning Manfred picked us up at our hotel and took us outside of Heidel­berg to a little village called Dils­berg. It was a beau­tiful, quiet spot where we had the oppor­tu­nity to walk through the castle and grounds. We then trav­eled to Neckarsteinach (crossing the river by way of ferry) where we sat together, had a cappuc­cino and chatted. As we only had a few hours to spend with Manfred, we then headed back to Heidel­berg. However, that was not the end of Manfred’s gracious­ness. He recom­mended a place in his neigh­bor­hood for lunch (HUGO Wine & Dine) and later sent us (via email) details of a scenic route we could take to get to Miltenberg where our niece would be getting married a few days later. Manfred’s van is impec­cably clean and comfort­able. More impor­tantly is Manfred, himself. He is a very friendly, helpful and gracious man. He is very generous with sharing his time and infor­ma­tion. Manfred made it a top priority to get to know us and learn about our lives. The time we had with Manfred was a high­light of our time in Germany. We feel blessed to have met him and spent time with him.

Heidel­berg visit
On our trip to Germany, my husband and I wanted to include a visit to our child­hood homes, as both our fathers were stationed (US Army) in Germany in the 1960’s. Manfred success­fully located and took my husband to the former US Army base in Heidel­berg, where base housing he lived in was still there, having been converted to univer­sity student housing. My husband was thrilled. I unfor­tu­nately, could not locate the house my family lived in, in Bibergau. We had a delightful time with Manfred in Heidel­berg and my husband wrote him a great review. I however, was disap­pointed, not in our tour, just because I looked forward to returning to Bibergau for many years, only to fail in locating my family’s former resi­dence. My husband asked Manfred if he could be of any help in researching what had become of the house, and the people who rented it to my father. Keep in mind, Bibergau is 180 km from Heidel­berg. Never­the­less, Manfred agreed. Upon our return to the US, Manfred reported he had found the address of the home, including a Google street scene, as well as what had become of the prop­erty owners. They were such sweet people and so nice to us as chil­dren, me and my siblings wondered what had become of them. While the prop­erty had changed over the decades, I could see char­ac­ter­is­tics I remem­bered as a child. We used to play in the orchard across the street, and clearly there are still fruit trees there today. My siblings were thrilled with this update. I am so thankful for Manfred and his “above and beyond” efforts to help me. Manfred is more than a friend in Heidel­berg, he’s a wonderful person who will always be your friend, wher­ever that might be.

Great expe­ri­ence!
Our trip with Manfred was one of the high­lights of our Rhine River cruise. He commu­ni­cated prior to the trip and worked with the ship’s changing schedule to make sure we returned to the dock on time. Manfred is very easy to talk to and very knowl­edge­able about Heidel­berg. Great expe­ri­ence which I highly recom­mend!

Best Tour Guide in Heidel­berg!
This was one of our best excur­sions on our Euro­pean trip! Manfred was amazing and was so knowl­edge­able about Heidel­berg. He not only took us to all of the places we wanted to see, but he also suggested other places that he knew we would enjoy. We went to a local cafe for lunch and the entire day was great! Manfred has a very luxu­rious van that is very comfort­able. We highly recom­mend A Friend in Heidel­berg for a personal tour!

Manfred provides the so-called friend-in-Heidel­berg expe­ri­ence, so he is not a tradi­tional guide who will tell you about all the histor­ical facts of the area. It was the first time for us that we booked a tour that followed this formula. However, the expe­ri­ence was excel­lent. We had a great time with Manfred. We had indi­cated in advance that we were flex­ible and liked impro­vi­sa­tion, so that was what we got. In between we stopped at one rose garden and the walk at Mummelsee also went a bit differ­ently than planned. But that also makes it a bit of a surprise what exactly you get. The formula may not be suit­able for everyone, but we thought it was an excel­lent expe­ri­ence.

My return to Heidel­berg
We had a delightful time on the Heidel­berg tour. Manfred goes to consid­er­able lengths to create a personal, indi­vid­u­al­ized expe­ri­ence. My return to Heidel­berg was twofold, see Heidel­berg but also return to the base housing where I lived as a child. Manfred grew up near the base housing. He provided great insight in what has tran­spired over the last sixty years. 29‑D Holbein­ring was still there after all these years. A bucket list item to visit. As chil­dren, we loved German Brötchen and thought it was a specific bread, not under­standing the term is generic in nature (small rolls). Manfred found humor in this and took us to a local bakery to see the differ­ence. We sample Brötchen and some cookies. Wonderful! Manfred is a plethora of history and infor­ma­tion, at times, stop­ping on the side of the road to point out things and provide insight. Heidel­berg is a beau­tiful city and we saw it all. Manfred intro­duced us to a German wine expert at the Heidel­berg castle. Very inter­esting and of course we had to try the wine. Outstanding. Take the tour. You’ll get an insider’s view of the city and Manfred will take great care of you.

Our German-Amer­ican family enjoyed this tour so much! What a fun adven­ture!
Manfred was a wonderful tour guide! He truly is our new friend in Heidel­berg and I would recom­mend him to anybody. His van is also super cool! He came up with perfect sugges­tions in a very natural way, we never felt rushed, and our family had a great time talking with him. Manfred has a lot of town pride and is knowl­edge­able about every­thing in the area — and if we had ques­tions he hadn’t encoun­tered before, he was quick to find out! He was also very good at navi­gating, driving, and sched­uling. And also a great photog­ra­pher! Thank you, our new friend in Heidel­berg — we will absolutely contact you next time we are in the area! X Jasmine

Wonderful anniver­sary day in Heidel­berg!
We just had a wonderful day in Speyer and Heidel­berg with Manfred! We are cele­brating our 45th wedding anniver­sary on a Rhine River cruise. When the water of the Rhine got too high, we had to do a ship swap, which meant we would miss Speyer where we had arranged for Manfred to pick us up. We were so disap­pointed! Never to worry! Manfred arranged to pick us up at a rest stop along the highway where access on and off was easy for the bus taking us to our new ship. He was there 15 minutes early so we didn’t have to wait! The bus made a 3‑minute stop to let us off and we were all on our way! We had a wonderful stop in Speyer seeing the cathe­dral and some of the down­town. Then it was on to Heidel­berg where Manfred gave us a lovely tour of the city, before taking us the Castle- the high­light of the day! An amazing struc­ture with amazing history! Manfred was our tour guide and local enthu­siast! He knows a lot of history! After the castle we walked to an authentic German restau­rant for schnitzel (our choice of food!). The food was deli­cious, and the restau­rant was filled with authentic atmos­phere! We spent time walking around old Heidel­berg and enjoyed some gelato. It was a perfect day, and we were so grateful not to miss this part of our tour! Manfred then returned us to our ship in Stras­bourg. His flex­i­bility made it all possible, and his good humor, warmth and stories made it all fun! We would defi­nitely recom­mend Manfred for all your touring needs in this area!

Heidel­berg was fantastic with Manfred
Wonderful expe­ri­ence. We love visiting with local personal guides. We were treated to a special­ized indi­vidual visit with stories, history but best of all local flavor. It’s like visiting a friend when someone can recom­mend the best Gelato and it actu­ally is the best! Manfred was kind and accom­mo­dating and always asked and reset his pace to fit our needs and interest. Highly recom­mend and most appre­ci­ated his time.

Highly recom­mend touring with Manfred!
Manfred picked us up from our hotel and took us on a tour of the Heidel­berg Castle and other must-see spots in Heidel­berg. He is a fun and knowl­edge­able tour guide. Very flex­ible, he can adjust your time with him either extending it or cutting it short because you’re still jet lagged. He is a fun, kind, and knowl­edge­able man.

A friend in Heidel­berg brings us to Würzburg AND Heidel­berg
Manfred fetched my friends and myself from Bamberg to transfer to Frank­furt. On the way, we stopped at Würzburg where he gener­ously provided another guide. The guide in Würzburg was very knowl­edge­able and we thor­oughly enjoyed our daytrip to Würzburg. Then, Manfred dropped us off in our hotel in Frank­furt. The following day, Manfred fetched us for our daytrip to Heidel­berg. This time he was the guide because he is from there. His tour was more that of a home­town person who is familiar with the sights. It was more than adequate for us. Manfred has a compli­cated way of computing the cost of his tours but I have to say, he is a fair person. It was generous of him to hire another guide in Würzburg since he said, he was not from there. Our transfer and tours were reason­ably priced and we were very happy with our tours with Manfred.

A Friend in Heidel­berg…
Fred is indeed a friend in Heidel­berg. He is helpful, friendly and knowl­edge­able. Very flex­ible in arranging itin­erary. Keep it up Fred. 5 stars all round. Highly recom­mend if you need a friend or guide in Heidel­berg…

Our expe­ri­ence with Manfred!
Our expe­ri­ence with Manfred in Germany was absolutely amazing. He took us on a great tour where we got to see some beau­tiful places. To start the day he took us to this incred­ible restau­rant. He had searched high and low for it and even called ahead to reserve a spot for us. The break­fast there was so deli­cious that we still talk about it months later! Our trip’s high­light was defi­nitely Lake Mummelsee. It was our first-time expe­ri­encing snow when we saw it there, but the excite­ment of playing in the snow and taking in the view made it a memo­rable expe­ri­ence. I can’t even begin to express how incred­ible our day in Germany was with Manfred. He was so infor­ma­tive and knew every­thing about the places we visited. What really stood out was how he person­al­ized the activ­i­ties to match our inter­ests. It made the day feel so special and unique to us! To top it all off, Manfred took us to the airport when it was time to return. Manfred went above and beyond to assist us in locating a delivery van so that we could receive our delayed package and catch our flight on time. Not only that, but he also offered to help us carry our belong­ings, even though it wasn’t neces­sary. His kind­ness and help­ful­ness were truly remark­able. I can’t recom­mend Manfred enough, he truly made our trip special. If you ever get the chance to visit Germany, be sure to reach out to him. You won’t be disap­pointed!

EXCEL­LENT Tour!
EXCEL­LENT tour by Manfred! He picked us up and gave us an excep­tional tour tailored to exactly what we wanted to do and see. He suggested a terrific restau­rant for lunch which we thor­oughly enjoyed. We visited old town in Heidel­berg and the palace. Manfred is now our buddy and we all had a blast with him. Reach out to him about sched­uling your custom tour and you will be happy you did!

Heidel­berg with a friend!
5.1 stars! Our recent two-day tour of Heidel­berg, surrounds and the Black Forest was excep­tional thanks to Manfred. Before we arrived in Germany from Australia, Manfred invested a signif­i­cant amount of time under­standing us and our plans, crafting a perfect two-day itin­erary for our party of four. When we finally met Manfred in person, we already felt like old friends. His car is impec­cably clean and comfort­able, his approach warm and relaxed. Manfred is a great racon­teur whose sense of humor made for two very fun days, together with fantastic local knowl­edge and insights. We were surprised and delighted by the places we visited and learned about history, people, flora and fauna and had such an incred­ible expe­ri­ence overall. We highly recom­mend Manfred, who will do his absolute best to ensure you take home wonderful memo­ries like we have. ‘Lass die Schwachen hinter dir’

Our amazing Heidel­berg expe­ri­ence!
I highly recom­mend a day in Heidel­berg with Manfred Pitz! Our group of four recently did so and had a wonderful time. Manfred’s commu­ni­ca­tions in advance of the tour were excel­lent, his knowl­edge of his home region is supe­rior, and he was prompt, cour­teous and accom­mo­dating throughout the day. He has lived in the US and has excel­lent English skills. On our trip, we visited the castle, drove through the town, enjoyed an authentic lunch at a monastery outside of the town and strolled through the Old Town. There is great flex­i­bility with Manfred as he is willing to follow your plan or ask what you like and suggest where to take you. Book with Manfred and you will truly have a new friend in Heidel­berg!

Good driver and guide
Manfred was punc­tual, helpful, solic­i­tous, and made sure that we had a pleasant day. The tour of Heidel­berg was infor­ma­tive.

Outstanding Person­al­ized Tour with Manfred Pitz, “A Friend in Heidel­berg”
My husband and I took my mother on a Viking Rhine River cruise to cele­brate her 85th birthday in late April. We contacted Manfred and set up a day to see Heidel­berg and the surrounding area. He picked us up at our ship docked in Speyer, and after a day of touring the area, he dropped us off in Rüdesheim where our ship was located later that after­noon. We left the itin­erary up to him, and our day ended up just as we had hoped for! We visited the beau­tiful Schwet­zingen Palace and Gardens and then made our way to Heidel­berg castle. He drove us through the city of Heidel­berg before taking us all the way to the front entrance of the castle, which greatly mini­mized the walking required by my elderly mother. He also assisted us by giving my mother a lovely coffee break to warm up and rest before venturing into the castle. We crossed the Neckar River on a small ferry and stopped by the Dils­berg Fortress. We then went to lunch where he joined us at a local restau­rant in Hirschhorn, a small town near Heidel­berg. It was perfect for a rainy day and the occa­sion. Manfred is a people person who antic­i­pated our family’s needs very well. His English is excel­lent, and his van is perfect for touring and was metic­u­lously main­tained. We now truly have a friend in Heidel­berg, and we sincerely thank him for making this day so enjoy­able and unfor­get­table!

High­light of our Europe Trip Was With Manfred
We couldn’t have asked for a better expe­ri­ence and gain of friend­ship with Manfred. He is so full of enthu­siasm, energy and truly makes your expe­ri­ence for your liking. He checks with you after your booking to see what you are wanting to do / see. We started off railing from Frank­furt to Heidel­berg. Manfred picked us up and we went. He gave us every­thing we were hoping for and more! We visited the castle in Heidel­berg, saw many views from outside and in. Many stories to go along with the views. We made a stop on the bridge to take in the beau­tiful city of Heidel­berg. We then stopped at a small café for a drink and lunch (cheese­cake and sand­wich). Sweetest man ever took the extra time to drive us to Mannheim to rail back to Frank­furt. This day was by FAR the high­light of our week-long trip in Greece- Manfred made the best part of our trip in Germany! Very grateful.

Family outing with a new friend
Our family enjoyed our tour with Manfred, very much. Our group consisted of 4 adults and 2 chil­dren which was accom­mo­dated by a luxury rental van, that was arranged by Manfred ahead of time. Commu­ni­ca­tion with Manfred before and even after the tour is a breeze, he is very atten­tive and acces­sible. We visited the beau­tiful Speyer Cathe­dral and the surrounding town, enjoyed local wines at a winery, where the customer service was wonderful and all the staff were very friendly and patient with us, as we tasted different vari­eties offered on their menu. Lastly, we shared and expe­ri­enced German cuisine in nice restau­rant, outside of the city. After this expe­ri­ence, we can truly say that we have gained a friend in Heidel­berg! Will defi­nitely contact Manfred again in a future visit to beau­tiful Heidel­berg 😍

Best Way to See Heidelberg…and more
Prior to embarking on a recent Royal Viking cruise down the Rhine River, we decided to book “A Friend in Heidel­berg” to take our group of four on an indi­vidual trip from Speyer to Heidel­berg and then on to Rüdesheim where we re-connected with our boat. It was one of the best deci­sions we made during our two-week vaca­tion. Manfred Pitz, the company owner and our driver, was all we could have asked for to get the most out of our Heidel­berg venture. Punc­tual, profes­sional and personal, he was extremely infor­ma­tive and knew all the ins-and-outs of Heidel­berg as well as points of interest along the way. Manfred’s knowl­edge allowed us to be effi­cient with our time and learn a great deal about the history and culture of Germany in general and Heidel­berg in partic­ular. We covered a lot of ground, including a cool local spot where he joined us for lunch. Manfred speaks English fluently, has spent exten­sive time in the U.S. and seemed to be enjoying the day as much as we were, all posi­tives in making it successful and memo­rable. Person­ally, he also assisted in making the following day equally note­worthy. I was inter­ested in taking a second side trip to the Nürbur­gring F1 auto racing facility outside of Koblenz but had run into some chal­lenges in regard to both trans­porta­tion and what to expect at the venue. Hearing my frus­tra­tion, he took an interest, made several phone calls when we were with him and ulti­mately cut through the language barrier to arrange not only a driver to take me and a friend to the Nürbur­gring but also reserve a ride with a profes­sional driver around the circuit. It was a fantastic outing and one of the high­lights of the trip which would not have happened without Manfred’s exper­tise and will­ing­ness to go above-and-beyond. I recom­mend “A Friend in Heidel­berg” without reser­va­tion.

Best tour expe­ri­ence ever!
My husband and I took a day long tour of Heidel­berg with Manfred in April 2024. In a word it was excep­tional. Manfred is an incred­ibly pleasant and delightful person and a life­long Heidel­berger. He certainly knows the area well in terms of present day, and in terms of history. In our partic­ular case, I had roots in Heidel­berg as a very young child. My memo­ries were vague and mostly from photographs and family conver­sa­tions from my parents, both of whom are no longer alive. Manfred took the initia­tive and time to inves­ti­gate from the facts that I had avail­able and old photographs to locate the home where my family lived when I was born. It was a very happy time for them, and to see this in person was incred­ibly powerful. In an unex­pected twist, the son of the woman who cared for me during those years still lived in the house. Manfred contacted him and explained the history. This gentleman remem­bered my family and was gracious enough to extend an invi­ta­tion to see the home and to meet with him. He had not seen me since he was in his early 20s and I was in an infant carriage. I cannot find the words to adequately convey how incred­ibly precious this oppor­tu­nity was. For Manfred to take the initia­tive to do this is a testa­ment to his passion for people, and for his profes­sion. The remainder of the day was filled with much laughter and visiting many beau­tiful sites in the city. We were guided to restau­rants and served deli­cious food with broad smiles, and hospi­tality. We even had the oppor­tu­nity to walk with his beau­tiful dog Ronja. As dog lovers ourselves, this was a special treat. Manfred was all about person­al­izing the expe­ri­ence and making it a day to remember. I cannot say enough about this wonderful day that Manfred gave to us. The personal atten­tion to detail. His gracious hospi­tality was precious. I would recom­mend Manfred whole-heart­edly to anyone looking for this special­ized and very personal tour expe­ri­ence. He is simply the best.

The best of Heidel­berg with Manfred!
Manfred is an amazing, extremely knowl­edge­able (and fun) guide who helped us plan our ideal visit to Heidel­berg. From our Viking River­boat, he picked us up in Speyer and deliv­ered us directly to our boat in Rüdesheim that evening after our tour…which was the best, most infor­ma­tive tour of the Castle and City! We enjoyed a great lunch at his favorite restau­rant. Manfred went ‘above and ‘beyond’ to make our day the very best…we are so lucky to have found him!!!💯

Wonderful time!
Manfred was on time, cour­teous, friendly, and very profes­sional. His car is clean and very comfort­able. He kept good commu­ni­ca­tion with us before our pick-up. He really knows Heidel­berg and took us to all the great spots including a fabu­lous German lunch. He defi­nitely knows the cruise lines (we were on Viking) and their sched­ules which was extremely helpful and he even helped my husband figure out a side trip to Nürbur­gring Green Raceway. He went above and beyond. Defi­nitely 5 stars!!!!

Heidel­berg Gem: Unveiling the City with Manfred
For anyone seeking an unfor­get­table private tour expe­ri­ence in Heidel­berg, look no further than Manfred! My recent explo­ration of this charming German city was nothing short of excep­tional, thanks entirely to Manfred’s exper­tise and passion. Manfred isn’t just a tour guide; he’s a true Heidel­berg insider. His deep under­standing of the city’s history and hidden corners made every step of our tour engaging. Whether you’re a history buff, an archi­tec­ture enthu­siast, or simply seeking a picturesque stroll, Manfred tailors the tour to your inter­ests. He possesses an impres­sive knowl­edge of the city’s must-see sights, like the majestic Heidel­berg Castle and the breath­taking Neckar River, but also knows the off-the-beaten-path gems that add a unique touch. Manfred’s warmth and genuine love for Heidel­berg make the tour truly special. He fosters a friendly atmos­phere, happy to answer ques­tions and cater to your pace. It felt more like exploring the city with a knowl­edge­able friend than a formal tour.

Truly your friend in Heidel­berg!
Good tour guide and very friendly. His pre-trip commu­ni­ca­tion was GREAT. He knows his stuff and shows you the non-tourist side of his city. He took us to a great local restau­rant which had the world’s best hot choco­late. Highly recom­mend Manfred!!!

Great Heidel­berg Tour
Manfred was the best guide we had through our tour though Europe. We expe­ri­enced a great local family-owned restau­rant, had a great I rightful tour of the city and castle.

Histor­ical trip to Heidel­berg Castle
Exploring a castle with an amazing guide. I was here in Germany for the first time to explore outside of the USA, to cele­brate our 50th wedding anniver­sary. I had felt anxious to take a trip into an unknown area, which included an unknown language for me. With much relief, our guide provided not only a lot of needed infor­ma­tion, but also helped my spouse and me see so much more of the histor­ical castle Heidel­berg, and the entire city surrounding it. Manfred really became a friend in the city for us. Manfred answered not only all of our ques­tions but was there to help make it a fun and an adven­ture we will never forget.

Heidel­berg Tour and After­wards
Manfred was the best guide we have ever had and offered us wonderful sugges­tions for our entire stay in Germany. He has now become an extremely helpful and resourceful friend. We had to rebook our departing flight due to unfore­seen travel circum­stances. Manfred discov­ered through his contacts that a vehicle acci­dent caused our travel delay. He obtained proof of it through the regional traffic author­i­ties, and we now have the neces­sary docu­men­ta­tion for our insur­ance company. We could not have accom­plished this end result without his guid­ance and support!

Fantastic expe­ri­ence!
Manfred was more like “family” than “friend”. He contacted us before our travel and he crafted our tour to include all what we wanted and added his outstanding recom­men­da­tions. The result was an excep­tion­ally tailored trip. He even found an optical store that provided a diffi­cult to find contact lens lost that morning and incor­po­rated this activity into our tour. Manfred was fully knowl­edge­able about Heidelberg’s geog­raphy and history as well as other surrounding cities. We will stay in touch with him during our travels and after­wards from home. We are defi­nitely recom­mending Manfred to all our friends and rela­tives! On a scale of one to ten, we rate him eleven!

We recom­mend Manfred!
Manfred provided a wonderful tour. He was very knowl­edge­able and knew his city so well. We had people from America and Germany, and we were all impressed. The Germans learned a lot of things they never knew and very grateful for that. Manfred was so helpful in advance of our arrival. He even was sending messages about the weather that was coming into Frank­furt as it may have inter­rupted our flight. So kind of him. If you are in the area, I highly recom­mend you take one of his tours of one of the places that inter­ests you. He will make it a very memo­rable, fun and worth­while expe­ri­ence.

There is only one way to see Heidel­berg RIGHT. This is it!
Such an absolute plea­sure! Manfred is such an excel­lent and gracious host. He’s knowl­edge­able, person­able, flex­ible, and all around a joy. Exploring the Heidel­berg area with some who is truly like a friend. Loved that he was able to suggest things to see, or follow your itin­erary, or switch it up on the fly based on our wishes. Do not tour Heidel­berg WITHOUT Manfred!

Wonderful time visiting Heidel­berg with Manfred, your friend in Heidel­berg
Manfred was wonderful! I would highly recom­mend if you are coming to the area to reach out to him. He made our trip so very special. He was extremely knowl­edge­able, patient, friendly and truly wanted to make our trip special. He sat down with us and found out what was impor­tant for us to see and do while we were here. And made it happen. He is your friend In Heidel­berg!

Manfred is THE BEST!
Best tour we have ever been on. Manfred was so accom­mo­dating and went out of his way to make sure we had the best expe­ri­ence after our river cruise had a few logis­tical hurdles of arriving to the port. Extremely know­able about the history of the region and catered the day around every­thing our family wanted to see and do. Christmas markets, castles, old town, market square, philoso­pher’s walk. the Old Bridge… he took us to do it all. Couldn’t recom­mend him more if you are in the area – and worth going out of your way to make sure you check out Heidel­berg with Manfred! Truly, a friend.

An enthu­si­astic tour of beau­tiful Heidel­berg and the region
Our recent trip to Germany kicked off with a full day tour of Baden-Würt­tem­berg. Manfred picked us up at our hotel in Mannheim and gave us an in-depth tour of his home base of Heidel­berg. At our request, the tour dropped us at our next desti­na­tion, the sleepy wine town of Oberderdingen – my maternal family seat. But before we got started, Manfred was in contact with us about our inter­ests, diet and any specials requests for our visit. When he learned that we were going to explore the town when my ances­tors once lived, he even did his own research, finding existing rela­tives in the region. Although they did not fit into our plans for this trip, I will be reaching out on my own. From the hotel that Manfred recom­mended, he picked us up and we enjoyed the scenery en-route to Heidel­berg. In Heidel­berg, we were intro­duced to beau­tiful archi­tec­ture from medieval to baroque periods that was spared the bombing that destroyed so many Euro­pean cities in WWII. A high­light of the trip was touring the Heidel­berg Castle, destroyed by French attacks and light­ning strikes. The partially recon­structed Schloss offers a glimpse into castle life, including a wine tasting near the Heidel­berg Tun, said to be the world’s largest wine barrel. Being the holiday season, we were also treated to Gluh­wein at one of the town’s many Weih­nachtsmärkte (Christmas Markets), and to a thick and deca­dent hot cocoa at “yilliy Choco­la­terie.” After a few more pics, including a selfie with the Bridge Monkey statue, we were off to a quick drive through Kloster Maulbronn (Maulbronn Monastery) and deliv­ered to our B & B in the old town of Oberderdingen. Throughout the tour, Manfred gave us history and insights that high­lighted his love and knowl­edge of the region. He was an enthu­si­astic delight, and I would recom­mend that you consider him as your tour guide.

Perfect day
Manfred was very knowl­edge­able, person­able and versa­tile. Being with Manfred was very easy, like you knew him for years. You can’t go wrong choosing Manfred as your guide.

Perfect day
We had the best day with Manfred! It truly is like spending the day with a friend from the area. He is a wonderful driver and so knowl­edge­able. You won’t regret seeing the area with your new friend Manfred.

Loving Heidel­berg with Manfred
We highly recom­mend Manfred! He was both knowl­edge­able and charis­matic!! Any concerns I had about making our connec­tion were quickly put to ease and every­thing went without a hitch. We had the best time. We learned a lot and even stopped for lunch and coffee. His driving and hospi­tality were impec­cable!!! Thank you, Manfred!!

Excel­lent Guide!
Manfred was a fabu­lous guide – knowl­edge­able, orga­nized, fun and wonder­fully accom­mo­dating. He provided every aspect of the tour we wanted and imme­di­ately adapted to rainy weather with umbrellas, a warm/dry cafe and pick-up service. Top notch in all cate­gories!

Friendly driver of a wonderful city
Manfred took us on a three hour visit to Heidel­berg. It was a magnif­i­cent expe­ri­ence. The build­ings of the city were beau­tiful, and the stories narrated by our friendly driver really inter­esting. Then he took us to the castle where we enjoyed the views and saw a huge barrel of wine. We finished in the old town with the beau­tiful Christmas market. Thank you, Manfred, hope to see you again.

Amazing!!!
Thank you so much for giving my father and I the oppor­tu­nity to expe­ri­ence Heidel­berg and its beau­ties as our “friend In Heidel­berg” haha. We loved every second of it, espe­cially the Black Forest and its special cake. Your care and flex­i­bility made us feel as if we had known you all our lives. Your recom­men­da­tions were all perfect. From deciding to go to Stuttgart to deciding to drive through the coun­try­side to reach Rothen­burg, I wouldn’t have changed one thing about our days and plans together. My father and I hope to return to Germany during different seasons and bring the entire family. We will be waiting for you! Thank you so much!

Best private tour ever
Having been in the mili­tary, wanted to retrace our steps. This guide was fabu­lous and got us every­where. What a wonderful expe­ri­ence. First time back in 56 years and this tour was price­less. He customized to see what we wanted to see.

A true friend in Heidel­berg…
Manfred was a fantastic host on our tour of Heidel­berg. Before we even arrived in Germany, he reached out to get a brief under­standing of who will be on the tour, our inter­ested and to set up logis­tics. He starts the tour by getting to know the people in the group to under­stand what they are inter­ested in seeing and learning – and this is not even part of him being “on the clock”. In addi­tion to me, our group consisted of my sister, her son and his wife – ages ranged from early 20’s to 60’s. We were primarily inter­ested in Heidel­berg Castle and its history. However, before we went to the castle, Manfred gave us a short-driven tour of Heidel­berg in general to help set the context and the land­scape. This was very helpful and enjoy­able. We enjoyed seeing the old part of the town which is beau­tiful. The castle is stun­ning from the old part to the newer part. Manfred’s knowl­edge of the “romantic” and mili­tary history of the castle truly helped us enjoy the tour. I want to point out that this is not a dry, fact-based tour. Manfred wove humor into the history and knows some fun secrets – that I won’t share so others will expe­ri­ence the surprise. He offers to take pictures of the group on any and all phones so no need to share the pictures after the tour. At the end of the tour, I truly felt I had a friend in Heidel­berg.

Unfor­get­table Custom Tour
We had an amazing 2.5‑day custom tour with Manfred our Friend in Heidel­berg! From meeting us at the train station to coor­di­nating with our Airbnb host, researching my husband’s ances­tors, and surprising us with unique and mean­ingful expe­ri­ences; Manfred’s help and friend­ship made our trip unfor­get­table. The thought­ful­ness and effort he put into plan­ning added an extra layer of enchant­ment to our trip and is some­thing we will cherish for years to come. His profes­sion­alism, knowl­edge, and atten­tion to detail surpassed our highest expec­ta­tions. Thank you for every­thing!

Manfred is Awesome!
Manfred was an inter­esting, knowl­edge­able, polite and fun host/friend for a day on a recent trip to the Heidel­berg area. He picked us up from a river cruise port and drove us to Heidel­berg. Along the way we stopped at a beau­tiful garden, then he drove us through the US mili­tary areas so I could see where my daughter’s father and grand­par­ents had been stationed in the 1950s. We had a quick city tour, a great lunch, a fun wander around the perimeter of Heidel­berg Castle and even­tu­ally he deliv­ered us to the next port to catch up with our cruise. We spent several hours together and thor­oughly enjoyed his company. His sense of humor is great, and he gave us a lot of history and infor­ma­tion about the area around Heidel­berg. All in all, a great host, guide and friend for a day!

Great tour guide!
We had a very short time in Germany but wanted to expe­ri­ence a town outside Frank­furt. We booked Manfred to take us on tour in Heidel­berg, hoping to get the most out of short time period! Manfred made sure to think and take care of every­thing. Our train was almost an hour late and he was able to help extend stay to make up for the lost time! Highly recom­mend!

Best memory from our Germany trip
Manfred was awesome. Gave us a highly customized tour, was very knowl­edge­able about the city. We highly recom­mend.

Private van tour of charming Heidel­berg
Our group from Boston wanted to get out of the busy Frank­furt lifestyle to see a smaller, pret­tier town. We’re so glad we found this expe­ri­ence. Manfred was highly knowl­edge­able on the city. His private van (which was quite nice) allowed us to get to little nooks and cran­nies of Heidel­berg very quickly. He knew which things to spend time on, which to skip, and was always willing to speed up or slow down depending on the group. Prost Manfred!

Amazing!
Wow! We really do feel like we have a friend now in Heidel­berg! Manfred was SO great! He commu­ni­cated with us prior to the trip and picked us right up from the train station. His van is perfect and so clean! It rained later in the day, and he had umbrellas for all! We wanted to just “wing it” – and we had such a great day! He showed us all around the castle, took us to a great place for lunch, the Christmas store, etc. It was exactly what we wanted, and having Manfred with us made the day so much more fun! We didn’t have to worry about anything but having a great time! Thanks so much Manfred, we are still talking about what a great day we had!

Amazing atten­tion to details that only a real friend would do… ;)
On a recent visit to Frank­furt to see an NFL game, we decided to explore the quaint city of Heidel­berg and many other local surrounding cities. Not wanting to drive ourselves, we went looking for a local guide. Luckily for us, we (now) have a friend in Heidel­berg. Having recently visited an old friend in Leiden, Nether­lands, who took us to local restau­rants, talked to us about local culture, and ensured we saw more of the authentic city, we can confi­dently say our expe­ri­ence with Manfred was just like that, and a lot more. First, we were thankful and impressed with Manfred’s commu­ni­ca­tion. It started imme­di­ately upon our inquiry about his services, where he recom­mended changes to our hotel, suggesting we spend more time in Heidel­berg vs Frank­furt. Knowing very little about either city, we only real­ized what great advice this was once we arrived and spent time in both. It made our stay in both cities so much more enjoy­able and relaxing. The day of our flight Manfred contacted us to wish us a safe journey and give us the most updated weather fore­cast for our stay and to get our flight infor­ma­tion. Because we flew into Frank­furt, he suggested taking the train to Mannheim and then getting a taxi from there to Heidel­berg which was only about a 20-minute drive. This was a great sugges­tion as navi­gating the trains was a bit chal­lenging at times. Once we arrived in Heidel­berg, we again heard from Manfred, making recom­men­da­tions on where to eat and what to see before we spent any time with him. He provided us with direc­tions for a scenic walk to the old town and the sugges­tion of a restau­rant for an authentic German meal. He recom­mended getting there right when they open because it was quite popular. This was absolutely the case. We were fortu­nate to get a seat at one of the shared tables and enjoyed our meal with a lovely older German couple who lived locally and a young Russian couple who had recently relo­cated to Heidel­berg. Both had said they tried to get into this restau­rant multiple times but had not been able to until that night. Manfred goes above and beyond just the time you spend together to ensure you have a well-planned trip. We spent two days with Manfred, and I must first recog­nize his van’s clean­li­ness. As a self-described neat freak, I cannot take a dirty vehicle, and his car was absolutely immac­u­late. He was also prepared with umbrellas as the first day was a bit rainy in the morning. We had some planned time in Old Town and at Heidel­berg Castle, among other stops, which Manfred helped explain. Beyond that we took drives to Pfalz near Deidesheim (2nd largest wine region in Germany) to have a lovely local meal. We spent our second day in Baden-Baden and the Black Forest, both of which we’d highly recom­mend. A real advan­tage is having a local who speaks the language and is willing to ask ques­tions of local busi­nesses to get the expe­ri­ence you want. To end our last day in Heidel­berg, we wanted to find a club for some elec­tronic music. Manfred was quick to call his daughter who suggested a couple places we might want to go. She even did some research to find out what kind of music would be played that night. If you’re driving a lot like we did, you really get a chance to have a conver­sa­tion about all kinds of inter­esting topics. As an Amer­ican, getting the perspec­tive from others on their global views and things happening in their country is again one of those nice touches that does indeed make it feel like a friend in Heidel­berg. We have to admit we were sad to move on to our next adven­ture after two days together. If you’re looking for a unique, custom tour guide expe­ri­ence in Heidel­berg and its surrounding areas, we’d highly recom­mend a Friend in Heidel­berg.

The best tour guide – a friend in Heidel­berg
Manfred Pitz, a friend in heidel­berg, was our amazing tour guide for two days, October 16 and 17. We highly recom­mend Manfred. He is super! He is a Heidel­berg native and knows all the great local spots to see in Heidel­berg. Manfred is so warm and friendly. Seemed as if we had known him forever. He drove us from Frank­furt to our hotel in Heidel­berg. Upon arrival at our hotel, Manfred promptly went to the recep­tion desk and speaking in German made sure our room was ready. Little did we know, he had been corre­sponding to devise a surprise for our 47th anniver­sary: A special room with the VIP treat­ment. The tour of Old Heidel­berg and Heidel­berg Castle was amazing. Manfred is so knowl­edge­able, kind and only wants his clients to be happy. At the end of our first day, Manfred took us to a charming little choco­la­terie and intro­duced us to Spanish hot choco­late – what a treat! A great time and a great tour. Our second day with Manfred was modi­fied to allow a detour to a little village where my ancestry is from. Manfred was so encour­aging and assured us our tour could be however we wanted. Long story short, we found rela­tives of mine in that little village and spent almost three hours visiting. None of this would have been possible without Manfred speaking German to help with commu­ni­ca­tion. We visited with an English-speaking rela­tive and had the very best time! This meant less time in the Black Forest, but that was totally fine. Finding a rela­tive was a dream come true – all due to our friend Manfred. What a blessing. Manfred made our trip of our life­time a dream. He made us feel so welcome and special: Truly a very special person. His service goes way beyond a five-star rating, and he is now a new friend – a friend in Heidel­berg.

A True Friend in Heidel­berg
I had the plea­sure of joining Manfred along with my family this past October. As someone who lives in Germany, I can say Manfred did a wonderful job taking us off the beaten path and away from the tourist hotspots. Exactly the kind of expe­ri­ence my visiting family was hoping for. He was a charming conver­sa­tion­alist and did a masterful job working in local, German, and his own personal history to keep the tour engaging and inter­esting at all times. Manfred is a true Friend in Heidel­berg!

Outstanding person­al­ized tour with “A Friend in Heidel­berg”
My husband and I took a river cruise on the Rhine for our 50th wedding anniver­sary. Our cruise stopped each day at a different town. Excur­sions included walking tours, castle tours etc. Spending a day with Manfred Pitz “a friend in Heidel­berg” was the best day of our 10-day trip. We did not want to do another walking tour as we are not as mobile as we once were and had seen enough castles to know that we wanted some­thing different. We left the itin­erary up to him and our day was just what we wanted. We visited several of the smaller villages, stopped at a beer garden and a cafe for one of the best cinnamon buns I’ve ever had. Manfred is a very friendly person and seems to know exactly what his customers want. It was easy to set up a date and time for him to meet us at our port in Mannheim. I highly recom­mend “a friend in Heidel­berg” if you want a unique personal expe­ri­ence.

Highly recom­mend Manfred, defi­nitely a friend in Heidel­berg!
My husband, son and I had the plea­sure of spending time with Manfred on our recent trip to Germany. Manfred is an excep­tional host and indeed he is a friend in Heidel­berg. We wanted an “off the beaten path” expe­ri­ence and Manfred deliv­ered! We visited ancient castles and immersed ourselves in a small village that dated back to the 1200’s! We had hot choco­late at the quaintest choco­late shop, which was absolutely delightful. Lunch was at a restau­rant in Manfred’s neigh­bor­hood; it was excel­lent. We even got to ride a ferry across the Neckar River (Manfred made this happen just for us). Our time with Manfred was the high­light of our trip. Great company, conver­sa­tion, food and scenery. Don’t hesi­tate, book your tour now!

2‑day tour with Manfred
Our family of 6 (2 teens, 2 young adults, 2 parents) had a lovely time on our 2‑day tour with Manfred. The plan­ning phase was very easy with an initial phone call followed by numerous emails. My family was debating between 2 towns for our second day. Manfred weighed in and it was an excel­lent choice. The first day we explored the Black Forest area, featuring a couple of villages and an easy hike to a water­fall. In one town, my daugh­ters had seen a cute little park on social media. It wasn’t in the town center, so Manfred worked with my daughter to find the loca­tion and made the stop on the way out of town. It was a great spot offering beau­tiful photo oppor­tu­ni­ties. Our 2nd day in Rothen­burg was well worth the drive. Manfred suggested the night watchman’s tour (free) and timed our visit accord­ingly. Some reviews said it was a bit cheesy and Disney-esque. But our family found it enjoy­able with inter­esting stories about the history of the town. On the drive to town, we were met with road closures due to an upcoming festival. Thank good­ness Manfred was driving. The detours would have been frus­trating for us to manage. The detour took us through picturesque coun­try­side that we were able to enjoy without the stress of navi­gating. Manfred was an incred­ible host in Heidel­berg. I would absolutely refer him to friends and book him again when in Heidel­berg.

The best tour guide ever!
What a wonderful day we had with Manfred! My adult daughter and I went on a Viking River Cruise on the Rhine specif­i­cally to visit my birth­place of Heidel­berg. I had not been back to Germany since I was 5 years old and the trip really needed to be special. Thank good­ness we found Manfred, because he did make it special, from the moment he met us where the boat docked until drop off later that after­noon! Manfred’s care and atten­tion began before we ever left America when he reached out to find out what our inter­ests were so that he could plan the perfect custom schedule for our day together. He was delightful from start to finish, showing us the sights, sharing inter­esting history, and leading us to the best schnitzel place around. If we could do it all over again, we would not change a thing. Thank you, Manfred, you truly have become our friend in Heidel­berg!

Great time, great food, excel­lent service. Would hire Manfred again
Spent the day with Manfred, we had 12 people in our group, Manfred was able to rent a second vehicle and a driver, Peter. Both were excel­lent and showed us around Speyer and Heidel­berg. After a great lunch and shop­ping we were driven to Rüdesheim where we rejoined our cruise. We were hoping to find the grave of my grand­fa­ther in Rüdesheim, Manfred called the people in charge of these things and found out the stone is no longer there. If you are in Heidel­berg area and need someone to give you a tour, Manfred is the person to contact!!

Friendly and knowl­edge­able
Manfred was very warm and friendly with excep­tional knowl­edge of the area. He made our tour very comfort­able and we had the most amazing time.

Seeing Heidel­berg as a Local
Manfred did a great job showing us around Heidel­berg and the surrounding area. Was great to get a local’s view of the city. He was on time and very respon­sive with commu­ni­ca­tion ahead of time.

Super cool friend in Heidel­berg!
It is with much enthu­siasm that I write this personal review that briefly describes the wonderful service I received from Manfred Pitz, A Friend in Heidel­berg during a recent trip to Germany. If you want a uniquely planned trip then A Friend in Heidel­berg is the perfect choice. Manfred possesses all of the char­ac­ter­is­tics neces­sary to really stand out as a profes­sional tour operator/chauffeur and one that does not have to operate strictly within the frame­work of an estab­lished travel route. Instead, he listened to my needs/preferences and adapted our day trip from Frank­furt to Heidel­berg and ending in Freiburg. He skill­fully navi­gated all of the pickup coor­di­na­tion, driving, parking and was so cool to just hang out with! Because he is a native of Heidel­berg, he had special knowl­edge of and shared some of the nuances and elements of the German culture that I found super inter­esting and fun. Touring a country other than your own is ALWAYS better when trav­eled with a native and espe­cially someone like Manfred whose cultural exper­tise under­scores his cred­i­bility. As a woman trav­eling alone, safety was most impor­tant to me. Every element of plan­ning, corre­spon­dence and travel felt super safe with all the right elements of profes­sion­alism and kind­ness. I absolutely recom­mend Manfred Pitz, A Friend in Heidel­berg!

Great Heidel­berg Tour
We had a great time exploring Heidel­berg with Manfred. He’s friendly and knows the city and surrounding areas well. He’s also inter­ested in getting to know his guests and learning from them. An enjoy­able and unique expe­ri­ence for anyone inter­ested in a private tour.

Worth it!
We allowed Manfred to create a day for us. He asked what we liked to do (adven­ture, castle, etc.) and he devel­oped an amazing day for us! We saw things that we would have never seen on our own. He took us to a historic loca­tion with a hidden passage to see a former well, a festival of a city turning 1250 years old (the music! The enter­tain­ment!) His flex­i­bility to our needs was apparent- when we requested coffee mid-day, needed food, etc. I believe I actu­ally do have a friend in Heidel­berg now!

Great tour with a new friend
Manfred was amazing. He took consid­er­able time and effort to arrange travel for a group 1 larger than his van could hold. He found a beau­tiful van for us that fit our group, that wasn’t very expen­sive. He commu­ni­cated with us weeks in advance and was very trans­parent about the price. He picked us up from our cruise port, did our wonderful tour of Heidel­berg and then dropped us off at the new port the boat had moved to. Every­thing went off without a hitch. Along the way we got history, stories, and a nice local place to eat. We loved our private tour of castles, cathe­drals, and local points of interest. We felt like we did have a friend in Heidel­berg. Highly recom­mend.

Our Heidel­berg Expe­ri­ence
First off, we HIGHLY RECOM­MEND spending time with Manfred. He is truly a friend in Heidel­berg and treated us that way. He actu­ally called me in NY shortly after we booked with him to ask about who was trav­eling, their names, what we expected from the tour and more. It was my wife, adult daughter and myself. He was genuinely inter­ested in our visit and connected with each of us. We ran 30 minutes late to our sched­uled pick-up time and texted him and he easily responded that it wasn’t an issue. He met us in our hotel lobby where we got to know each other and off we went in his late model VW van. While our tour was booked for 3 hours, we had such a wonderful expe­ri­ence that we added an extra hour. Manfred only books one tour a day so there is limited pres­sure. We weaved through some local­i­ties of Heidel­berg and then out to some surrounding villages and cool medieval castles and ruins. We even took brief vehicle ferry ride (2 minutes) across the river. He’s easy to talk to and speaks the Amer­ican English very well. While he’s a wealth of infor­ma­tion, he some­times relies on Wikipedia to fill in the gaps. The tour was very flex­ible and we made numerous impromptu stops. We even had wine and pie at one of the medieval stops. The tour culmi­nated when he dropped us off at the Heidel­berg Castle near the top entrance. After 4 hours, we hugged and bid adieu. He also does limo service if he’s avail­able. He also responds to texts and provided us with restau­rant recom­men­da­tions. Manfred is a very good vaca­tion invest­ment!

Elevate your Heidel­berg expe­ri­ence with this tour!
An excel­lent invest­ment to maxi­mize our time in Heidel­berg that was worth every penny. Not your typical out of a box type tour but one Manfred customized to our varied tastes and inter­ests. Certainly, we saw things we would have missed if we had planned the trip on our own and we still had free time to wander. By the time we departed, we truly felt we had made a friend in Heidel­berg. We expe­ri­enced a personal issue well after the tour ended and Manfred went way above and beyond to resolve this for us on his own time.

Truly a Friend in Heidel­berg
In August of 2023, we vaca­tioned on a river cruise and docked in Speyer which is down river from Heidel­berg. I was born in Heidel­berg but lived in Karl­sruhe as a young child. I have never been back, so I wanted to find someone willing to work with us to visit multiple places. Manfred (A Friend in Heidel­berg) rented a van to fit my family, picked us up in Speyer where we were docked, hunted down the hospital of my birth and the church I was baptized in, and the apart­ment I lived in till I was two years old. He recom­mended an outdoor eatery in the hills of Heidel­berg that was unique and had deli­cious food. We then proceeded to tour the Heidel­berg Castle and do some touristy shop­ping. Manfred then drove us to return to the ship as it had moved upriver to a different loca­tion. All in all, it was a 7‑hour day, and all had a blast. I would highly recom­mend A Friend in Heidel­berg if you are looking for an oper­ator with the kind of skills to enhance your vaca­tion expe­ri­ence.

We recently had the plea­sure of booking a tour with Manfred, and I must say it was a fantastic deci­sion. Orig­i­nally, my plan was to spend two nights in Frank­furt before the tour, but after speaking with Manfred, I decided to change my plans and stay in Heidel­berg instead. Let me tell you, I am so grateful for that choice because Heidel­berg is an absolutely charming city. Manfred’s profes­sion­alism and commu­ni­ca­tion skills were outstanding from the moment we started plan­ning the tour until well after it had concluded. He was incred­ibly helpful in providing sugges­tions on what to see and where to eat during our stay in Heidel­berg. His knowl­edge of the city and its hidden gems made our trip even more enjoy­able. Overall, I cannot recom­mend Manfred enough as a tour guide. If you’re looking for a knowl­edge­able, profes­sional, and friendly guide who will enhance your travel expe­ri­ence, Manfred is the one to choose. Thanks to him, our visit to Heidel­berg was unfor­get­table, and I’m grateful for the wonderful memo­ries we created during our time in this charming city.

Wonderful!
We thor­oughly enjoyed our day and tour with Manfred; we found him friendly and engaging. He showed us all the high­lights of Heidel­berg. There were a couple of things I didn’t really like though- I wasn’t prepared with cash for lunch ($85 euro) nor was I prepared to pay in cash an extra $100 for an exten­sion of the tour. He told us if it went over 6 hours it would be an extra $100 at the start of the tour, but I didn’t know it actu­ally would. Because of the train depar­ture time, our tour was actu­ally 8.5 hours. I ended up digging into my daugh­ter’s cash. In hind­sight I would have turned this down. I also didn’t like stop­ping for ice cream and coffee at noon (when I was really hungry for lunch and didn’t want to have ice cream or coffee, and just wanted food). By the time we ate lunch it was 2:30 pm; lunch was good, but time consuming.
Reply from Manfred: Dear Bethany, I too enjoyed the time I spent with you, your husband, and your daughter in my native town and its vicinity. It is true that some places in Germany still accept cash only – espe­cially those which are off the beaten track like the restau­rant where we went. I too was disap­pointed that it took them so long to serve us. I learned my lesson, and I am not taking guests there anymore. To make it easier for my guests to pay me, I recently purchased a credit card reader. I am sorry that I did not have that device on the day of your tour. I under­stand that I need to be more explicit when it comes to telling my guests at the start of the tour that it is them who decide what we do – and what not. Then you would have prob­ably told me that you wanted to have lunch earlier and not coffee and ice cream. At the time we reached the six hours, I should have reminded you of the time of day. But as you wrote, in the end I only charged you for one addi­tional hour even though the tour was longer than 7 hours.

A real friend
If you didn’t think you knew anyone in Heidel­berg, you are wrong! Manfred is your guy! He was an absolute joy to spend the day with. We had actu­ally already been around the town, so we asked Manfred to take us around some of the inter­esting sights in the surrounding area. He designed a person­al­ized day for us including a palace and a winery. He was much more than a driver; he was a friend. I had several ques­tions before we arrived in Germany and I emailed him and he provided excel­lent infor­ma­tion. In fact when we arrived at the airport in Frank­furt, we real­ized that the car service I had booked was actu­ally booked for a different day, he helped us get it straight­ened out. He made restau­rant recom­men­da­tions for us during our visit. His daughter even went out of her way to come meet us one night with a souvenir that Manfred told us about but we were unable to find.

Excel­lent Heidel­berg Tour
Manfred was on time at the pickup place agreed to. He was very accom­mo­dating as to where to go and what to see. The tour was exactly what a person with very limited mobility needed. He made sure we were comfort­able and ate at an excel­lent cafe. He took excel­lent care of us and was very knowl­edge­able. We got to see and go places we would never have gone other­wise, including trying to locate an old mili­tary training site that was no longer there. I would recom­mend his services to everyone.

Besties for the Resties! – Excep­tional Tour
A friend in Heidel­berg is just that – Manfred is a true friend in that area wanting to make sure you’re happy, have a great expe­ri­ence, and feel comfort­able. Manfred is a very rare and special human. He was so kind and person­able making you feel like the only person/client in the world. His commu­ni­ca­tion was excep­tional. He reached out in advance to help us arrange details and follow up. Then, he commu­ni­cated with us throughout our travels. He even sent us photos/directions of where to go at the Frank­furt airport to make it smoother for us. He is so thoughtful on every detail of how to make your trip as easy and problem-free as possible. It made our layover day in Germany unfor­get­table. Addi­tion­ally, he would speak with us and as he learned about us, he would pivot or change plans based on our wants/needs/personalities. It’s worth every penny. For refer­ence, we’re from the states and it was my mom and myself. We booked a private all-day tour for an all-day layover we had in Frank­furt. We miss you Manfred!! We’ll be back again soon!

Manfred’s tours and knowl­edge are the best
From the time of first contact, two months prior to arriving, Manfred was inter­ested and excited to estab­lish what and where we would like to go and include in our ‘adven­tures’. Manfred was even able to make contact with the Town Hall staff in a regional town to assist us with tracing some family history. This would not have been possible without him. Manfred’s local and histor­ical knowl­edge was an added bonus to our two sepa­rate day trips. We truly found a friend in Heidel­berg!

Fantastic way to see Heidel­berg in one day
Man, Fred was an exquisite tour guide who handled our every need… Begin­ning with pre-tour ques­tion answered succinctly to touring us to “where he would want to go”. We toured the Heidel­berg castle, had a leisurely Alsa­tian lunch, toured old town area, and finished our day on a leisurely ride through the coun­try­side… Along with a surprise at the end of our tour. I highly recom­mend Man Fred, as he is very thor­ough and accom­mo­dating, knows the area, extremely well, and is willing to answer all and any ques­tions. This 6‑hour tour was well worth the expense and was a great value. Manfred is now TRUELY our FRIEND in Heidel­berg!!!

Would go to Heidel­berg again just to hang out with Manfred!
Manfred was amazing! He customized every­thing for us and made sugges­tions all along the way. Our kids are 10 and 13 and they enjoyed all the things we got to see. Tweens and teens are hard, but he did great with them. His knowl­edge of Heidel­berg was great, and we enjoyed all the stories.

Heidel­berg Area Tour
From the moment we booked our tour Manfred was atten­tive, profes­sional, and humorous. He contacted us through What­sApp to discuss our expec­ta­tions, set a time and place for meeting, and also sent us useful links to help us plan our stay in Heidel­berg. He met us on time, the van was comfort­able and clean, and he was a delightful tour guide. We went to some small towns in the Neckar valley, and he filled us in the history of the region. To top it off, we stopped for cake and coffee, his treat! Had a wonderful day.

Highly Recom­mend!
Manfred is the best! He made our adven­tures in Heidel­berg so fun and took all the stress out of our travel! He made wonderful recom­men­da­tions for restau­rants and even told us to call him if we needed any assis­tance! Highly recom­mend!

Manfred to the Rescue!
We had an unex­pected issue with our rental and Manfred came on a Sunday to our assis­tance. He even drove us to another agency and made sure we were comfort­able with our rental car. Knight in shining armor!

Very knowl­edge­able and kind Tour Guide
Manfred was very orga­nized and precise. We even had conver­sa­tions before­hand as to what activ­i­ties we wanted to do on the day and agreed upon the Heidel­berg Castle activity. We took the train from Frank­furt to Heidel­berg to avoid paying extra miles for the trip. We were met with a warm smile greeting on arrival at the train station. He knew the place so well and we were toured around the Heidel­berg Castle well. He even took pictures along the stroll allowing good memo­ries from the trip. He always made sure that we do not rush with the activity and reminded us about the time keeping. He has accepted sugges­tions while on the trip and tried to answer each query we had. We had a very casual chat as if we have known Manfred for a long time making us feel at ease during the stroll around Heidel­berg. Overall, the activity was very infor­ma­tive and produc­tive. We are very satis­fied with the way Manfred has handled the tour. We were on time at the train station back to Frank­furt. He even texted me links to watch about the Heidel­berg Castle and texted us to see if we have arrived safely to our hotel accom­mo­da­tion in Frank­furt. This is one of the best unfor­get­table tour guide expe­ri­ences we had. For sure we will hire Manfred again in the future!

50 years of memo­ries relived thanks to Manfred Pitz
Bruce and I had 4 goals when we took the train into Mannheim, Germany. Although we were already tired (just completing an 11-day tour of the Austria and Switzer­land after flying from Seattle, WA). Manfred met us at the train station with a huge smile. He had a luxu­rious van to accom­mo­date are luggage and a brief outline of how he would help with our goals. To our surprise, Manfred had created an emotional journey of Germany that took us back 50 years. Manfred was tena­cious and used “great people skills” in helping us get into closed mili­tary instal­la­tions, private house­holds, and collecting histor­ical infor­ma­tion. Goal 1, visiting our son’s birth­place 50 years later. It was a tearful yet wonderful expe­ri­ence to see Heidel­berg Hospital and remember the drive over cobble stone roads and barely making it to the hospital. Goal 2, driving by Coleman Barracks, to view where Bruce was assigned to an infantry unit 53 years ago. Manfred accom­plished a miracle and got us into the facility. Although my husband is rarely emotional, he became a 20-year-old soldier again and retold stories of commanding an armored track vehicle in 1973. Goal 3, see Benjamin Franklin Village in Mannheim where we lived from 1974–1977. Manfred got us into an area that was in the process of being demol­ished. We met Marvin, a YouTube star, who created several videos on the past and present of the area. Seeing the build­ings and mili­tary arti­facts helped us rekindle fond memo­ries and created a connec­tion (Marvin) to future infor­ma­tion about the area. Goal 4, visiting Lampertheim, where we lived in a German home in 1973–1974. Since Bruce and I had forgotten most of our German, Manfred mastered the language in conveying our desire to visit the home where we lived and speak with present land­lords or neigh­bors. Although Oma and Opa, the Schapp­ners had died, their grand­daughter, Claudia, was living in the home. Manfred used his charisma to assure Claudia that we only wanted to relive a wonderful memory of her grand­par­ents. This opened the door to more stories and memo­ries and visit to the “French farm” across the street where are daughter, Carmen played with Ludwig as a child. Again, Manfred helped us bring the past into the future. He talked with Ludwig’s mother and sister, and we left with addresses to continue future corre­spon­dence. Throughout our journey, Manfred kept in contact through numerous text and emails. He gave us helpful hints of sights to see and restau­rants within walking distance of our hotel. Bruce and I agree that our goals would not have been completed without Manfred’s amazing hard work in orga­nizing our trip. He is a kind and dedi­cated person that is not only an expe­ri­enced guide but our “friend from Germany”.

Great expe­ri­ence with a great tour guide
Manfred was such a great host to me and my family. He truly is a friend from Heidel­berg. One of the big reasons we decided to go to Germany was the fact that we could have a private customized tour of what turned out to be such an incred­ible town of Heidel­berg. Castles, great restau­rants, and other surprises made this such a great trip, and we would recom­mend to all. My 3 kids (age 8–14) had such a great time as well. Manfred made the trip great for all of us. Defi­nitely a must-do trip!

A wonderful and knowl­edge­able guide
I am actu­ally writing this review about Manfred, but we never went on our tour. We had to cancel our trip due to my father’s back injury, but I wanted to leave a review anyway because Manfred was awesome leading up to our now cancelled trip. My husband was born in Heidel­berg, and we thought it would be a real expe­ri­ence to visit all the places my husband visited when he was a kid. Manfred was amazing and helped me research all the places we would poten­tially have been able to see. He was going to pick us up at our port and then spend the day with us going to Worms and Heidel­berg. He had a wealth of infor­ma­tion to share and was compas­sionate in our having to cancel, and kind to not accept a cancel­la­tion fee I would have welcomely paid for his time spent on research. He even had to rent another van to accom­mo­date all 7 of us. We are sad to not be able to meet Manfred in person but know that we will be rebooking our tour with him in 2024.

Insider Expe­ri­ence + Great Ride = Perfec­tion!
When you want insider access go with a local! Manfred’s profes­sion­alism, friend­li­ness, knowl­edge and great ride were a welcome break from touristy options. I wish there were more of him in every Euro­pean city! You create your own itin­erary. We chose to take it easy and see some of the local trea­sures we could not have found on our own. After a short chauf­feured a/c ride we relaxed on a beau­tiful palace garden tour. As there was almost no one at the loca­tion, we had it mostly to ourselves. Ahhh­hhhh, our teens loved it. Then a quick trip in the hills to a Medieval Castle Ruin for the most amazing view of the surrounding valley and river. Because Manfred knows people, he also obtained access to a tunnel under the ruins for a refresh­ingly cool expe­ri­ence. His vehicle/transportation was top flight. New, good a/c, spacious, clean and comfort­able. We will defi­nitely work with Manfred for our next trip to Heidel­berg or the surrounding area and can’t wait to explore more local faves. Thank you!

Wonderful Layover Day in Heidel­berg
My husband and I had a day between flights at Frank­furt Airport and decided to spend it with Manfred of A Friend in Heidel­berg. It was a great time touring Heidel­berg and another local village for six hours. High­lights included the Castle ruins, a lovely lunch in the town, walking around the town, and visiting shops, churches, and other points of interest. Manfred was an excel­lent tour guide who was very friendly, orga­nized, and fun. After Heidel­berg, we stopped in another town often used as a movie set in Bolly­wood movies. We took the more expen­sive option to have him pick us up in Frank­furt and return us there, an alter­na­tive would be to take a train there and back, but the conve­nience was worth it for us. Overall, a great day, a friendly and knowl­edge­able host, and well worth it.

Unfor­get­table expe­ri­ences
From start to finish, we were treated to excep­tional hospi­tality and first-class service. The van was spacious, comfort­able, and equipped with the latest tech­nology, which made our trip even more enjoy­able. Our guide, both our friend and driver, knew the region like the back of his hand and took us to the most breath­taking places. From histor­ical sights to hidden gems, we discov­ered the beauty of Heidel­berg in a very special way.

Wonderful day in Heidel­berg and loved our expe­ri­ence!
Manfred took our family of five on a tour of Heidel­berg and nearby coun­try­side – we had three kids – 15, 18, 20, and he catered it to what we were inter­ested in seeing. He gave us great recom­men­da­tions for restau­rants and getting to our next day of our trip. His van was very clean and spacious. He truly is like having a friend in town.

A Birthday to Remember
June 14, 2023 was my birthday and since we were on a Rhine River Cruise we thought hiring a private guide so we could see the sites and also cele­brate in Heidel­berg was the way to go. Manfred was the perfect guide for us. Being seniors (my mother is 93yrs old and did not want to do much walking) Manfred picked us up at the ship and ushered us around Heidel­berg, enter­taining us with a history lesson of the area and stop­ping for a terrific lunch. More tour in the Neckar Valley area and then back to the ship. A fantastic birthday. Thanks Manfred

We have hired him three times and have loved every expe­ri­ence!
My husband and I have toured Germany with Manfred three times, and we have thor­oughly enjoyed each visit. In 2019, Manfred drove us from Heidel­berg to Grosskarl­bach to visit the church where my great-great grand­par­ents were married shortly before they emigrated to the United States. Even though the church was closed upon our arrival, Manfred contacted the minister and arranged for a tour of the church for us. In addi­tion, Manfred contacted distant cousins of mine and arranged for a private luncheon for us at my cous­in’s wine bar and restau­rant. In 2021, we visited Germany again, and toured the Mosel and Middle Rhein regions with Manfred. We visited Eltz Castle, Bonn, and several small villages along the Rhein over the course of two days. We spent another after­noon hiking through vine­yards in the Rhein­hessen region before trav­eling to Stuttgart to visit the Porsche Museum and to Sindelfingen to visit a weaving museum and school. (Manfred located the weaving museum for me because of my interest in the craft.) After taking a break to spend several days with rela­tives in 2021, we re-joined Manfred for a tour of Bavaria and Neuschwanstein Castle, before moving onto Rothen­burg ob der Tauber. The total time spent with Manfred in 2021 was seven days. This year, in May 2023, we returned to Germany for a third time. After visiting rela­tives once again, we spent several days with Manfred and visited the Altstadt, Philoso­pher’s Way, Nazi Amphithe­ater and Mark Twain Center – all in Heidel­berg – before trav­eling back to the middle Rhein region to visit the Rhein­stein Castle. Now that we have spent well over two weeks in Manfred’s pres­ence, we can once again attest that he is the most profes­sional, knowl­edge­able, charming, charis­matic, friendly, funny and down­right fun tour guides we have ever met. As his company name suggests, he really is not a tour guide, but he is a friend. We only hope that we will visit Germany for a fourth time some­time in the not-too-distant future and will spend more time exploring the country with Manfred. And we hope that Manfred will someday visit us in the United States.

A Wonderful Day with our New Friend Manfred!
My sister and brother-in-law and I were sched­uled for a Grand Circle Cruise Line on the Rhine and Mosel Rivers in May and I wanted to include Heidel­berg which was not on the itin­erary. For weeks I kept checking Viator and Tripad­visor and other travel sites to see how I could make it happen when suddenly I noticed the “friend in Heidel­berg” private tour. I contacted Manfred, told him what I wanted to see, and we started to work out the details. I was thrilled to then have what seemed to me to be the perfect agenda for our wonderful cruise. We needed to alter our plans for the tour just a bit with my sister’s broken shoulder, but we had a happy and infor­ma­tive drive into Heidel­berg after Manfred met us at our ship in Speyer. Driving us up as close as he could get to the grounds of the Castle, we started in on our walking tour and enjoyed the beau­tiful views while he told us about the exte­rior of the castle and the history of Heidel­berg. Through a remark­able twist of fate, Manfred learned that the owners of historic Fitz Ritter Winery (his favorite winery!!) were dear friends of my sisters. Knowing (as we didn’t realize) that the winery was actu­ally less than an hour away, he strongly encour­aged my sister to try to get in touch with her friends. In fact, he had the number of the winery in his phone and, with permis­sion, called the number and asked to speak to my sister’s friend. What a delightful moment when my sister and her friend recon­nected and we quickly made arrange­ments for Manfred to drive us to the winery for lunch and to spend time with them before heading back to the ship. Even with the excite­ment of the soon to be reunion and our adjusted schedule change, Manfred showed his aware­ness of my orig­inal “places I wanted to see” list and included them as we drove through Heidel­berg towards the winery. The Old Bridge, the Univer­sity, parts of the Old Town. I got to see them all and I noticed that he remem­bered. We had a lovely reunion and lunch at Fitz Ritter with dear old friends (and Manfred!) and an awe-inspiring tour of their winery and grounds before we had to leave to get back to the ship. And to make the day even more perfect, before taking us back to our ship, Manfred showed us the historic area of Speyer and took me into the beau­tiful Impe­rial Cathe­dral I had wanted to see. It truly was a perfect day – a tour of marvelous and not to be missed Heidel­berg, a great surprise visit with cher­ished old friends and their extra­or­di­nary winery and grounds (with part of the day at “no charge” from Manfred), and all of the places I wanted to see that day checked off because he remem­bered that I wanted to see them. His friends in the United States will never forget our new friend in Heidel­berg. Thank you, Manfred, for the memory of a life­time.

Best Time in Germany
Touring with Manfred is touring with a friend who wants to show you the best his home has to offer. Prior to the tour he called me to get to know a bit about me and my family and what we wanted to do. Working with him is easy and he looks for ways to make your time with him special. He really goes above and beyond. We had a unique expe­ri­ence having lunch at a restau­rant that uses ingre­di­ents from only their own region. And when we visited the town my ancestor came from, Manfred found someone there who could tell me why my ancestor left for the colonies in the 18th century, which was an expe­ri­ence we will cherish. Everyone we met while with Manfred was so gracious and friendly, which is a testa­ment to how well Manfred does do at building rela­tion­ships with others. He truly is a friend in Heidel­berg and we had the best time trav­eling with him.

A great day with a local
From our Viking River Cruise, we were looking for a more person­al­ized way to see Heidel­berg Germany and the surrounding area. Manfred provided the combi­na­tion of both trans­porta­tion from the port and a local expert to show us around. We had a varied group of 6 (parents and adult children/spouses…requiring a larger rental car for addi­tional cost) who were all capti­vated by Manfred’s friendly banter and local perspec­tive. Manfred will take you where you want to go, and leaves the specifics up to you, with some guid­ance. It would be useful to give him some para­me­ters (i.e. do you want more walking/exploration of the city center or driving to more distant sites? More inter­ested in history/culture or shop­ping? Do you want a lengthy sit-down lunch in a beer garden or rather a grab-and-go lighter fare?) He will accom­mo­date your pref­er­ences. It was a fun way to spend the day away from the cookie-cutter cruise tours. Highly recom­mend!

Manfred is a friend indeed!
Manfred is indeed a friend. It was easy to forget that we were tourists when we were with him. He kindly asked about our wishes and needs before embarking on the journey, and tried to accom­mo­date us in every possible way, keeping the itin­erary flex­ible and making the ride pleasant. I was trav­eling with my elderly mother who had diffi­culty walking due to a recent acci­dent. Manfred was able to find the best way for her to see a little bit of every­thing. We managed to get a taste of Black Forest, Baden-Baden, and of course Manfred’s home­town Heidel­berg, without much walking. Manfred is an excel­lent driver, very kind and easy to talk to. We had some inter­esting conver­sa­tion along the way and took a nice nap in his comfort­able luxury car during a longer ride. If you are looking for a friend in Heidel­berg, Manfred is ready for you!

Simply The BEST
“He loves what he does…and it shows.” This is an apt summa­tion of who Manfred is and the premium he puts on “client first, fore­most and always.” To say a friend in Heidel­berg Manfred is a “tour guide” is a massive disser­vice to his one-of-a-kind way of working. He listens first, asking what kinds of activ­i­ties pique your interest. Then he provides his thoughts and recom­men­da­tions, based on many years of expe­ri­ence and the fact that he is a life­long resi­dent of Heidel­berg. He does this in with a most person­able and humorous persona. He is the quin­tes­sen­tial profes­sional and we are happy to recom­mend Manfred, a true friend (so much more than guide) in Heidel­berg. uncon­di­tion­ally. Vielen Dank, Manfred!

Fantastic person­ally tailored day trip!
We had an incred­ible expe­ri­ence! We had a 12-hour layover and Manfred was an incred­ible tour guide for a day. He tailored the day ahead of time and was so fun to hang out with. The best part is he found the old base where my husband was stationed when he was in the mili­tary 20 years ago and took us there as a surprise for my husband. It was a great day!!!

We truly found a friend in Heidel­berg
My son planned a trip to Germany for us and we were so lucky to find A Friend in Heidel­berg, oper­ated by Manfred Pitz. Manfred really listened and paid atten­tion to the small details about what would make our trip enjoy­able. He under­stood it was impor­tant that we visit Sinzheim, Otters­dorf, and the Black Forest area where we had family history. Manfred’s prepa­ra­tion for our tour was perfect. We were able to visit churches that had a family connec­tion and also a museum. Manfred took us to Sinzheim, Otters­dorf, and the Black Forest. We also visited several histor­ical sites in Stras­bourg and Heidel­berg. Manfred’s luxury van was spot­less and a very comfort­able way to travel and see the beau­tiful German coun­try­side. He has a great knowl­edge of history, and we enjoyed learning about the German culture. We loved sharing deli­cious German meals at some wonderful restau­rants. Manfred was a great help explaining the menu and suggesting foods we might enjoy. To sum it up, our trip was more than we ever could have hoped for and we are very grateful to our friend in Heidel­berg! Manfred intro­duced us to the beauty of Germany and the warmth of its people. We never dreamed we would have expe­ri­enced so much in two days, and we’ll always remember this mean­ingful trip. We highly recom­mend A Friend in Heidel­berg!

Extremely Memo­rable
We had an unfor­get­tably wonderful full day excur­sion with MANFRED that covered an exten­sive drive through several loca­tions across Germany. When it became neces­sary to extend the journey due to emer­gency circum­stances, MANFRED made it all come together. He is a real gentleman with exten­sive knowl­edge. The best personal guide you’ll ever meet!!!! We had a great time. Germany in One Day!!!! Spent the entire day with MANFRED after he found us at our River Cruise Ship. And what a tremen­dous expe­ri­ence!!!!! He is excep­tion­ally person­able and fun to be with. After we completed Heidel­berg, we jour­neyed to our ances­tral places, several off the beaten path villages and historic sites. Ended up crossing the Rhine on a local ferry boat to catch our ship at 19:00. In the end, we made a real FRIEND – and sensa­tional memo­ries. Ten STARS!!!

Manfred is a true friend!
Even though our travel plans had to be altered due to unfore­seen circum­stances at the last minute, Manfred was a great friend, offering advice and checking on us even though we were not able to take a tour with him. If you want a guide who is also a caring human being, Manfred is your man.

Awesome tour of the Rhine river valley!
What an amazing day my family of eight (ages 17–72) spent touring with Manfred along the Rhine river valley north­west of Heidel­berg! Charming little towns and villages, beau­tiful castles and churches, all in a comfort­able coach with a talented person­able driver guide who we now call ‘Friend’. Manfred custom-tailored our day beyond our expec­ta­tions, even sending histor­ical, fun and funny infor­ma­tion and videos about the sites we would visit ahead of time which, due to that knowl­edge, enriched our overall expe­ri­ence. We all trea­sure the memo­ries made that day in Heidel­berg with a Friend!

Truly a friend in Heidel­berg!
I had an amazing time with Manfred in Heidel­berg. I was tran­siting via Frank­furt with a 10 hrs. layover, and I wanted to see a bit of German towns and villages, get a taste of their culture and food. Manfred is the perfect person for that! He picked me up from the airport in his VW bus, and we drove together to Heidel­berg, where we walked around the Neckar river, had a nice lunch at a local restau­rant, then walked to the Heidel­berg castle and had a tour there. Then we walked around the town, the Heidel­berg univer­sity, had the most deli­cious hot choco­late, after which he dropped me back to the Manheim train station for my ride back to the airport. Throughout the tour I had a great time talking to him, he is such an engaging person, we talked about the history of the castle, the history of the town, a bit personal and profes­sional conver­sa­tions. Manfred is a retired tech profes­sional, he came up with the “friend in Heidel­berg” out of pride and joy in the history of his hometown/country, he is fluent in English, possess deep knowl­edge about the rich history of his country, fantastic to talk to. He is truly a friend in Heidel­berg. He is equipped with every­thing you need, water, umbrella etc. in the van. Highly recom­mend to anyone looking for a nice time in Germany.

A great outing with Manfred!
Manfred was excel­lent as a driver and tour guide. He picked us up at our Viking ship in Mannheim and drove us to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. Before our outing, he was respon­sive and easy to coor­di­nate plans with. During our outing, he was prompt, cour­teous, and friendly, and we enjoyed his company throughout the day. We even got a short bonus tour of Heidel­berg! Overall, it was a great day and defi­nitely one for the memory books!

Spent the day exploring Heidel­berg and surrounds with Manfred today. Wonderful host, and a wealth of knowl­edge — thanks friend.

Wonderful customized expe­ri­ence
This tour was wonderful. Manfred was able to fully customize it to our inter­ests, and beyond that, one of our passen­gers was mobility impaired, and he imme­di­ately adjusted the plan and desti­na­tions to places where he could provide door to door pick-up and drop off with mini­mized walking for our group. He clearly knows the area like the back of his hand, and anytime we had a request he happily knew the perfect spot. It really was like touring around with a good friend that is also a local expert. I can’t say enough posi­tive things. We simply had a wonderful time.

Gain a great knowl­edge of Heidel­berg but better yet, Gain a friend!!
5 stars are not enough to rate Manfred (our friend in Heidel­berg). With taking over 15 tours, this tour was by far our favorite. The name of the tour/company is exactly what you are getting. I would say a day with Manfred is exactly what you get when visiting a friend in another state or country. This tour is not educa­tional in a way like a tour you might book to learn every­thing in a museum or histor­ical land­mark. This is a tour of the beau­tiful cities, coun­try­side, castle, etc., while Manfred takes and talks to you what it’s like to live in these places. Manfred treated us to a cup of coffee where we sat and spoke and laughed for a while. It was as if we’ve known him forever. When it was time to eat, we had lunch together. It wasn’t like a tour where they tell you to find food and meet back. We never felt like we were on the clock. I could not recom­mend this tour enough. Manfred’s true gift is his friendly nature and making you feel like you are catching up with an old friend that had moved to this beau­tiful city. We hope to one day return to beau­tiful Heidel­berg and when we do, Manfred will be our first call.

A wonderful 2 days with our new friend
My husband and I visited Frank­furt in December, a trip prompted by a work confer­ence. We knew we wanted to explore the region but had only a vague notion of how we wanted to spend our time – Christmas Markets, good food, quaint towns, castles, and Jewish history were on our minds. From the first conver­sa­tion, Manfred was warm, inviting, and put us at ease. He got an idea of what wanted to do and was very comfort­able with our ask for him to “just do it” for us! From that moment, we put Manfred in charge and he absolutely deliv­ered. From the inter­esting research he sent us before our trip to a beau­tiful walk around Heidel­berg to sipping the most deli­cious hot choco­late we’ve ever tasted (seri­ously – the best) to expe­ri­encing a wide range of markets and boutiques to a private tour of an ancient Jewish ceme­tery with a local, it truly felt like we were spending the day with a long-lost friend. Manfred managed to fill our 2 days together with a unique slice of Germany, combining history with culture and friend­ship with laughter. A truly enjoy­able expe­ri­ence and we hope to find someone like Manfred wher­ever our travels take us next.

A bril­liant day with a good friend…
From the moment I got in contact with Manfred, I knew it was going to be a great tour. After several discus­sions around what we wanted to see and do, I real­ized that our day with him was going to be special. We wanted to do some­thing different to the usual “stuck in a bus” tourist ride, and Manfred totally deliv­ered. From insights and loca­tions off the usual track, to intro­ducing us to the locals, it was just an amazing expe­ri­ence. Manfred even heard that my wife was missing our dog (after several weeks away) and arranged for his dog to join us for a walk around the old town I can’t recom­mend spending a day with Manfred enough. It may cost more than a tour company trip, but you will get so much more out of it…

Private tour of Heidel­berg and wine region
What a great day! Manfred is just the best! He is so polite and so inter­esting! He knows the area so well for he is from Heidel­berg His brand-new van is so comfort­able for riding and seeing.

Heidel­berg in December
Manfred was very accom­mo­dating and we enjoyed our time with him. We toured Heidel­berg Castle and the Christmas markets and had a great time.

Enjoy the private tour in Heidel­berg with the new luxury van
Cold weather but happy voca­tion with family in Heidel­berg with new private luxury van and friendly tour guide.

Fantastic and friendly! Highly recom­mend!
I highly recom­mend booking Manfred – a friend in Heidel­berg! He is warm, easy­going, speaks perfect English and is incred­ibly enthu­si­astic about making sure you have a great expe­ri­ence. And we did!! It was a fantastic day, highly customized for us, and his hospi­tality is world class. We were also one of the very first to enjoy his beau­tiful brand-new VW bus. It is extremely comfort­able and very luxe! 5‑stars on every dimen­sion! Thank you!!

Heidel­berg With Fred!
We had a great time visiting the area and getting to know a life­long local – Fred! He took us to the sites but is not a tradi­tional guide. Fred is genuine, funny and very easy to talk to. He customized what we wanted to do while still insuring we saw all of the sites in and around Heidel­berg. Very profes­sional and respectful. We will visit Fred again when we return.

October in Germany
Heidel­berg has been a desti­na­tion for over 30 years with minimal travel outside Heidel­berg and the surrounding area. This trip I wanted to be a little different as I knew this would be the one and only time my mom would be able to accom­pany me. To add to the adven­ture Mom had broken her foot (again) 3 days before we headed to Heidel­berg. Having a private tour/driver has an addi­tional cost but the value you get out of the expe­ri­ence is worth every penny/euro spent. Manfred went above and beyond with every­thing that was asked and provided more!! Within minutes of Manfred picking us up – my daughter, mom and myself it felt like we had been friends for years. He truly is “a friend in heidel­berg”. We enjoyed the scenic route to Rothen­berg and spent time just exploring the town and few shops. With Mom having her foot in a walking boot Manfred made sure every­thing was as easy as possible. Our drive back to Heidel­berg was via the auto­bahn and a new expe­ri­ence for Mom. Manfred’s knowl­edge and easy commu­ni­ca­tion style made the day. He is a genuine good person. Will book again with Manfred if the need arises and will defi­nitely have dinner with Manfred and his girl­friend and of course I need to meet his dog next time Thanks for the great day!

Our friend in Heidel­berg, Manfred
Wonder­fully comfort­able, clean car. Manfred is extremely person­able and knowl­edge­able. Our day trip to Heidel­berg was perfect.

Manfred is outstanding!
We had a wonderful time with Manfred over a couple of days. He is an outstanding tour guide. Very profes­sional but also much fun and easy going. Nothing was too much trouble for him. We would recom­mend him to anyone who wanted a guide through Germany.

Manfred went above and beyond his job to provide a thor­oughly enjoy­able tour for me and my family. We had been in contact weeks before the tour and he was of tremen­dous help to me in plan­ning and patiently answered every single ques­tion I had. On the day of the tour, our train from Frank­furt got cancelled at the very last minute and we got redi­rected to take a train to Mannheim with a further connec­tion to Heidel­berg. Manfred offered to pick us from Mannheim instead seeing that I’ve 2 young kids. We had a truly wonderful time with him, and he is indeed the best friend you could ask for in Heidel­berg.

Manfred is a true friend!
Manfred went above and beyond during my Germany trip to make it a pleasant expe­ri­ence. Commu­ni­ca­tion with him was seam­less. Manfred is very knowl­edge­able and you will truly feel that you have a real friend in Germany!

You cannot go wrong with Manfred!!!
Manfred was truly a profes­sional tour guide who makes you feel like he’s not working for you, but rather he’s a fun friend who knows so much about Germany. Loved how he person­al­ized our tour making sure both of my teenage ballerinas and I would enjoy the places we visited, and every­thing we see and eat were amusing to us. Even our car ride was enter­taining and fun!!! I would recom­mend Manfred to everyone at all ages. He’s very profes­sional at what he’s doing and making sure you’ll have smiles and beau­tiful memo­ries by the end of the tour :)

My new “friend in Heidel­berg” fed my soul with joy and laughter
A return to Heidel­berg after six decades to cele­brate my 60th. Manfred Pitz is worth every Euro you will spend – I hired him for 8 hours. Worth it – no regrets spending the money. The expe­ri­ence he created for me on my 60th Birthday and first trip to Germany in 60 years was price­less. Back­ground: In June 2022, I sat in my home, in the suburbs of Pitts­burgh, Penn­syl­vania in the United States of America, contem­plating what to do to make my 60th birthday on October 7 a special and memo­rable occa­sion. I decided to check off a few bucket list items and spend my 60th in my birth­place of Heidel­berg. This would be my first trip back to Germany since returning to the USA with my Amer­ican parents in December 1962. I decided to hire a private driver and did a search for in Heidel­berg. It was fate, a streak of good fortu­nate that the listing catching my eye was “a friend in heidel­berg”. I imme­di­ately placed a reser­va­tion after comparing competi­tors and learning Heidel­berg was the home­town of Manfred Pitz. Manfred tele­phoned me in the states to ensure he would be a good fit in meeting my expec­ta­tions for his services. I knew right away it would be a perfect fit but just how perfect and life-changing would not be real­ized until the end of his services on my 60th birthday. We kept in touch leading up to my depar­ture for Germany on October 1. Manfred emailed to make sure I arrived safely in Germany. A tele­phone message from Manfred was waiting for me at the front desk upon checking into the Hotel Zum Ritter St. Georg on October 6. He wanted to know if I had checked and was okay. Without my knowl­edge Manfred contacted the Hotel staff asking them to reserve a special table for my break­fast the next day – Oct 7, my 60th birthday. I was so surprised by the kind gesture. Manfred arrived on time and entered the hotel to go over the day’s itin­erary. He offered sugges­tions to adjust or itin­erary for a better use of his services. I agreed and we set off for a day I shall remember for the rest of my life. It was perfec­tion – I also have no doubt he has a special rela­tion­ship with “Mother Nature” as it was a sunny clear blue-sky day. Manfred drove my friend and I to the hospital where I was born. While now aban­doned we still were able to stop, locate the building, and have several photos taken outside. Next stop – Mannheim. My parents spent their wedding night of August 19, 1961 in the Steigen­berger Palast Hotel now the Leonardo Royal Hotel. Manfred located Mirco Gyorits, F&B Controller/Purchasing Manager for the hotel. Mirco confirmed I was in the correct hotel. He poured us coffee and provide a light bit to eat – his cour­tesy to the Amer­ican who trav­eled back to the hotel 61 years after my parent’s stayed there. This memo­rable event would not have happened without Manfred. I tele­phoned my parents, John (84) and Constance (86) back in the United States to tell them I was in the hotel. They were excited and emotional – as they also spent their first-year anniver­sary in the same hotel and ate dinner at the same table. Now off to Worms via an exhil­a­rating drive on the Auto­bahn. We made several stops for photos, then trav­eled to the former US Army Base Taukkunen Kaserne now repur­posed. We walked the ground – entered a former barracks – now the Park Hotel Prinz Carl. The high­light was walking into the small chapel – now used for catered events – the same small chapel my parents wed on August 19, 1961. I called them from inside, they were excited and nearly in tears. It was an emotional phone call, one I will never forget. Next stop was the apart­ment my folks were living when I was born and were I lived from October to December 1962. I previ­ously provided Manfred with an address I found on docu­ments estab­lishing my US Citi­zen­ship. We drove to the address, Manfred spoke to a resi­dent who confirmed this was the loca­tion and once again I was able to trace my early life and that of my parents. My friend and I then took Manfred to lunch along the Rhine – my idea and he did not charge me during time spent enjoying a light later after­noon bite. He treated us to ice cream when we headed back to Heidel­berg so my friend and I could make our dinner reser­va­tions. I will admit I grew fond of this man, “a friend in Heidel­berg” now my friend, and his “friend in Pitts­burgh”. It was an emotional “Thank you” and “Good-bye” from me to Manfred. This “friend in Heidel­berg” enriched my life, and elevated my soul so imagine what he will do for you. Hire him, trust him, get to know him. Your limited time on this earth will be better for it.

Wonderful day in the Black Forest with Manfred
I had a great day with Manfred exploring the Black Forest! We met up for hot choco­late and dessert when I arrived in Heidel­berg. He gave me some tips for things to do while I was there. We had great conver­sa­tion and I got to meet his dog! Over the weekend he checked in to see how my trip was going. I took his advice and took the train to Speyer from Heidel­berg and had a wonderful time. On Monday we met up in the morning and spent all day exploring different places in the Black Forest. The fall colors were gorgeous and I loved the store we visited in Mummelsee. We visited a palace, lakes, and had a last stop at a water­fall in the forest. We had great conver­sa­tion all day and I felt like I was with a friend. I hope to book another tour with Manfred when I’m back in Germany and if he ever comes to my home­town, I look forward to showing him around.

Great tour customized for older trav­elers
My wife and I thor­oughly enjoyed our tour with Manfred. He contacted us several days before our tour to check on us and offer any advice or help that we needed. He picked us up promptly in his awesome auto­mo­bile and took us on a tour designed for us. My back does not permit a lot of walking so we rode and looked a lot. We stopped and had a nice break­fast and it was a joy having someone with us who knew what to order! After our stay in Heidel­berg was over, we went to Mainz and Manfred texted us a number of places for us to eat. We had lots of good discus­sions about Germany and the German people, and history. To sum it up, Manfred is a man who is doing what he loves, and he love sharing his knowl­edge and caring for his clients.

Excel­lent Expe­ri­ence in Germany
Manfred has become our true friend from Heidel­berg. He person­al­ized our entire trip. He met us at our hotel early and had coffee with us to finalize our plans for the day and we were off. We trav­eled the coun­try­side for two days. When we saw things we liked, he stopped and helped us, trans­lated if neces­sary as if he were our best friend there to help! Seeing previous reviews helped make our deci­sion to book Manfred. If you have any hesi­ta­tion, I hope this review helps you. He truly helped make our expe­ri­ence in a different country easy and extra special. When we come back with family, he will be our first call!

Manfred is defi­nitely our new friend in Heidel­berg!
Manfred was awesome and exceeded our expec­ta­tions. His knowl­edge of the area is exten­sive and if he doesn’t know some­thing he does his research before he sees you! He is profes­sional and friendly and has great instincts when it comes to people. We had many laughs in our short time together and felt very comfort­able with him. We would most defi­nitely hire him again and highly recom­mend him.

Feed­back from an expe­ri­enced travel profes­sional
I’m sharing from the travel profes­sional perspec­tive. I had the plea­sure of working with Manfred on behalf of a couple who was exploring some areas of Germany they hadn’t visited before. Working with Manfred through the plan­ning process was straight­for­ward and trans­parent. He presented options for my clients to consider, and they chose the itin­erary that most inter­ested them. And of course, the feed­back from the client was tremen­dous. They had a wonderful expe­ri­ence and have fallen in love with this area of Germany, and this is in large part to their day with Manfred.

I would highly recom­mend anyone visiting Heidel­berg or surrounding areas book a tour with Manfred. His knowl­edge of the area is immense but most impor­tantly Manfred goes to excep­tional levels to tailor the tour to suit your inter­ests and person­ality. You feel like you have spent the day enjoying life to the fullest with your favorite rela­tive. Throughout our 2 weeks’ vaca­tion our whole family thought that the time we spent with Manfred was the best expe­ri­ence of the vaca­tion.

A Good Friend Indeed!
Our tour with Manfred was a most enjoy­able expe­ri­ence! He was very accom­mo­dating, picking my wife and me up from the airport at the time of our choosing. We also were able to customize our tour according to our inter­ests, Manfred making appro­priate sugges­tions, steering us to the right choices. The tour high­light in Heidel­berg was the castle, walking around the grounds, and into the castle. We also walked into the old town center, where the smell of onion pie compelled us to stop into a bakery for a slice, washing it down with “new wine”, a sweet, white, slightly alco­holic beverage. The tour continued where we drove to a large cathe­dral in the town of Speyer, a magnif­i­cent struc­ture. Inside we were surprised by the sound of the organ, where it was being tuned by a sound tech­ni­cian preparing it for a recital the next day. Tired out by then (we had flown in overnight from the US), we decided to take a nap in the Mercedes S‑class as Manfred drove us back to Frank­furt to our hotel. Relaxing music soothed us along the way, and soon we were at the front door to our hotel, where Manfred assisted us with our luggage to get us checked in to our room. Manfred is an easy conver­sa­tion­alist, always conge­nial, and well spoken. We highly recom­mend him to take you wher­ever you may need to go, what­ever you may want to see. He is a local Heidel­berger and knows the area very well.

A truly wonderful expe­ri­ence
Choosing a bit more freedom and a more inti­mate expe­ri­ence for our visit to Heidel­berg and Speyer on our second Viking voyage up the Rhine, we decided to find a private driver rather than the stan­dard Viking excur­sion by bus. We found a Friend in Heidel­berg: Manfred Pitz. Our expe­ri­ence with Manfred was superb. Apolo­gies advance for the length of my review but the details were the best part and it is diffi­cult to convey the expe­ri­ence without them. He was there waiting for us at the dock when our boat arrived, with his sleek, clean, smooth S‑Class Mercedes. We jumped in and settled into comfort. We had no pre-arranged agenda with Manfred, so as we set off on the drive to Heidel­berg he asked about what we enjoyed most during our prior visit and if there was anything special we wanted to see. One thing defi­nitely on our list was a visit to the castle; other than that we wanted to spend some more time in the old center of town and expe­ri­ence it as a local. As we drove Manfred related inter­esting infor­ma­tion about the region and pointed out land­marks we passed by. When we approached Heidel­berg he drove us on a back route into town to avoid traffic and also to show us one of his favorite neigh­bor­hoods. We ended up at the end of the old bridge on the oppo­site side of the river from the center of town. There was such a beau­tiful view there of the castle high up above the city that we hopped out and spent several minutes snap­ping photos. Next he drove us through town and up the road to the castle. This only took minutes, but as he drove we were engaged in an inter­ac­tive discus­sion with him about his life in Heidel­berg. As we talked he would inter­ject and point out inter­esting sites or points about the places we passed: why the city proper has remained small, what beau­tiful building was torn down here and replaced that ugly one (and why?!), some surprising facts about how some of these build­ings are constructed. He pointed out his favorite church, and his grade school down one of the streets we passed. We arrived at the castle and started an external tour of it and the grounds. Manfred made it clear that he is not a certi­fied guide for this. But he did seem to possess a wealth of knowl­edge about its history and the various parts of it. Before entering the castle court­yard, he suggested we spend a few minutes walking through the garden area behind and over­looking the castle grounds and the city below. The views of the castle and the city below were stun­ning, and several beau­tiful photos were taken. Then we toured the castle court­yard, wine cellar area with huge wine barrels, and the patio vista of the river and city. Sensing that we seemed up to it, he suggested leaving the car at the castle and taking the scenic pathway down through the forested gardens below the castle down into the old town; possibly we could take the funic­ular back up later to retrieve the car. This beau­tiful walk ends up at one end of the main street of the old town. It also happens to be where his daughter lives; he was hoping we would run into her so we could meet her. We then walked into town and were caught up in the sights of the historic build­ings and the views of the castle from below. At one point we came upon a cafe with wonderful-looking food and tables in a court­yard on the side. Manfred suggested we have a sit and relax. Soon he comes out of the cafe with slices of a kind of onion quiche and glasses of some chilled sparkling wine he called “new wine” special­ties of that area. We thor­oughly enjoyed it; and it was on him! After this we spent some more time strolling through the old town. He told us some things about the univer­sity and area around it. He wanted to show us his favorite church; not the oldest or most signif­i­cant, but it was beau­tiful inside! Finally, it was close to the time we needed to leave for Speyer. Manfred suggested he go get the car, allowing us to do a bit more shop­ping in the mean­time. We drove to Speyer, one of our favorite cities from our previous voyage. Our plan was to have him drop us off there to explore on our own. We asked him for his recom­men­da­tions on what to visit. He suggested climbing the cathe­dral tower to get an over­look on the city. We were also curious about the Protes­tant church there, and he said the outside was beau­tiful, but he had never been inside. Then he offered to end our engage­ment with him there at the Protes­tant church, and visit it inside with him, so he could see it, then he would take us across town to the cathe­dral free of charge. Of course, we accepted that offer. The inside of that church was as beau­tiful as the exte­rior, so now I know he will be wanting to take people there in the future. Manfred’s ride alone is top-notch and well worth the money; what really makes the expe­ri­ence special is his personal atten­tion to you, and the way you become his friend along the way.

YES! You ABSOLUTELY want to book with Manfred!
We had SUCH a wonderful time with Manfred! You ABSOLUTELY want to book him as your guide! He went above and beyond, every step of the way. Even leading up to our visit, he was very commu­nica­tive and helpful with other stops we were making in Germany. He is less of a guide, and more of a fun friend who really knows the area. The whole thing was top-notch!

Exactly what we asked for
This was exactly what we were looking for. Private ride, comfort­able car, good conver­sa­tion and see the area. Manfred was a great host. Very person­able and friendly. Knew the area well and was able to quickly show us Heidel­berg which is what we asked for. Hope you all have the expe­ri­ence of the big man in a kilt on the ferry and the big beer barrel from the Heidel­berg castle. Manfred was also very helpful in recom­men­da­tions for other things to do and places to stay while we were in Germany. The upper middle valley Rhine was beau­tiful and we may not have seen it without his insights. I’d recom­mend the ride and connec­tion to Manfred to anybody who asked.

A Day with a Friend
The name of Manfred’s busi­ness is perfect. Spending the day with him was just like visiting with a friend who was local to the area. He was warm and kind and it is obvious he truly cares about giving his clients the best possible expe­ri­ence. He will go out of his way to craft an itin­erary that is tailored to his clients. I had a very fun and unique expe­ri­ence, and certainly saw things I would not have seen had I been on my own. I would highly recom­mend his busi­ness.

Trip to West­hofen
The visit to West­hofen was enjoy­able and some­what helpful in hopes to find rela­tives that might have been related to our family. Manfred is very thor­ough with the infor­ma­tion we needed to know about in the city of West­hofen. We would recom­mend him for any tour you like to go to.

We really do have a friend in Heidel­berg!
First class service for sure, as Manfred met us on the plat­form at the train station; he made us feel comfort­able right away! Beau­tiful scenery, castles, a palace, amazing gardens, vine­yards, gelato, deli­cious German food and so much more! We never felt rushed anywhere we went and he really listened to what we wanted to do. He spoke great English and had lots of great infor­ma­tion about the area! Schwet­zingen Palace, Neckargemünd-Neuhof, Hirschhorn, and of course Heidel­berg, these were just a few of the places we went! Thank you, Manfred, I’m sure we will see you again!

First class gentleman!
Manfred is a true profes­sional! I booked my expe­ri­ence and within moments of booking he reached out to assist in the plan­ning. Unfor­tu­nately, I quickly real­ized that I made an error and booked his service for the wrong city! He imme­di­ately helped me find an alter­na­tive and gave me addi­tional tips for my trip to Stuttgart. I truly wish I could have spent the day touring with Manfred!

Manfred is the man!
We had a wonderful outing with Manfred. He took us to some wonderful places, his car is super nice and fun, and he’s a plea­sure to hang out with. Not only that but Manfred helped us coor­di­nate other parts of our vaca­tion – he booked meals and even set us up with contacts in different cities. Highly recom­mend a friend in Heidel­berg!!!!

Wine and Dine
My son, daughter, and I were in Germany for medical reasons. We decided to stay in Heidel­berg for a few days. One thing we wanted to do was to visit a winery and eat lunch in a small, charming town. So, on the Internet we go. There we found Manfred. To our delight, he accom­plished our goals and more. He was friendly, infor­ma­tive, orga­nized, and fun. Manfred’s flex­ible easy-going person­ality and his beau­tiful comfort­able car made the day trip perfect for us. He truly is a Friend to Heidel­berg guests and trav­elers. We recom­mend him to all.

A true friend in Heidel­berg
I had the great plea­sure of being chauf­feured by Manfred and I must say his services are truly outstanding. In my expe­ri­ence with him he wasn’t just a chauf­feur, but was also a concierge, a trans­lator, a tour guide and in some cases a personal assis­tant. A pleasant and friendly gentleman who quickly becomes your friend in Heidel­berg who spares no effort in making your trips with him comfort­able and fun and nearly makes the impos­sible possible… just read the stories from previous clients and in my case he got me to jump a 1‑hour queue at the Mercedes museum. I surely look forward to hiring him again when I go back to Heidel­berg, Germany.

A daytrip to Edenkoben with Manfred Pitz
We were very lucky to find A Friend in Heidel­berg on the internet. That was two years ago. Then, Covid. We finally made our river cruise and Manfred met the ship took us to the village of my ances­tors and back in his beau­tiful car. But the story includes exten­sive work by Manfred to locate a local who took us inside the church where my ances­tors were baptized. Later, we went for a tour of the histor­ical museum with the guide Manfred arranged. His commu­ni­ca­tion was excel­lent and Manfred put together a fantastic day that I shall never forget. He is very profes­sional. He contacted the cruise ship and coor­di­nated with the agent there to get our exact loca­tion, arrival time, and where to drop us off. On the morning of our side trip to Edenkoben, Manfred was waiting in his car at the end of the gang­plank. There are not enough good things to say about A Friend in Heidel­berg. My wife and I highly recom­mend his service.

Manfred is truly a friend in Heidel­berg- he was always researching the best places to go- we went to a gorgeous winery, a castle, a beau­tiful restau­rant in a quaint town. We very much enjoyed his kind­ness, trans­la­tions and insight. He also was so helpful in offering his services for picking us up from the airport the day before our tour. Was glad to hop in his luxury car versus navi­gating the train system while jetlagged. Make sure you book him if you’re going to be in the area!!

Great person to work with
He was very kind and profes­sional. We are very pleased the service he provided even we have reached out to him in last minute. Thank you again.

A true friend making our trip in Heidel­berg
Manfred was the absolute high­light of our trip through Germany. He offered such a person­al­ized expe­ri­ence and sharing incred­ible stories and hidden gems along the way. Before we even began the journey he was extremely commu­nica­tive sharing sugges­tions, asking our inter­ests and offering advice for before and after we met. It truly felt like a new friend! We thor­oughly enjoyed seeing the behind the scenes of the area. Before the day began even sharing in a local break­fast together and learning more about each other. Visiting the Heidel­berg Castle, local hiking trails, food spots and enjoying a drink together all while sharing stories and history about what we were seeing. It was such a personal expe­ri­ence start to finish. We are so grateful to have made a new friend and can’t wait to go back. Thank you, Manfred, for making such a memo­rable time together.

Excel­lent service, friendly and very helpful
Excel­lent service, I have never been to Germany before and can’t speak the language. Manfred not only assisted with the plan­ning of my trip but also showed me around to all the places I wanted to see and assisted with trans­lating for me. Manfred also suggested other places for me to see within Heidel­berg.

My son and I spent the day in Germany and are so lucky that we found Manfred to hang out with for the day. From our first conver­sa­tion to saying goodbye at the airport terminal, Manfred went above and beyond to make our trip absolutely wonderful, even doing research on places for us to go that aligned with our partic­ular inter­ests prior to our arrival. We drove through lush coun­try­side, ate at a small cafe, visited beau­tiful castles, and even got a smidge uncom­fort­able as we sped down the auto­bahn. Top notch profes­sional and all-around awesome guy. I can’t give high enough stars to “A Friend in Heidel­berg”. Having trav­eled all over the world, I have never been as comfort­able with a tour guide as we were with Manfred. If you don’t book with him on your next trip, it will truly be your loss!

Completely satis­fied, clear recom­men­da­tion
We booked Mr. Pitz as a chauf­feur on our wedding day and were very posi­tively surprised by his excel­lent service. He noted down all the times and addresses in advance so that we could be chauf­feured in a relaxed manner on the day. He even took care of the phys­ical well-being in the form of a small snack and a bottle of sparkling wine. Mr. Pitz was completely reli­able, very friendly, open-minded, and always responded to all our needs. We wish him continued success and a safe journey! From us there is a clear recom­men­da­tion!

Great to have a friend in Heidel­berg
Manfred was a wonderful contact to have as a “friend in Heidel­berg”. He was imme­di­ately commu­nica­tive and helpful in looking out for our train sched­ules to receive us at the station and take us back. I was trav­eling as solo parent with my two teenage daugh­ters 14 and 17 and he had the perfect balance of infor­ma­tion and interest to keep them informed about Heidel­berg. He had wonderful recom­men­da­tions for places to eat and loca­tions for treats and was kind, patient and warm with my teenagers. Highly recom­mend this wonderful service.

Manfred, I am truly blessed and fortu­nate to have found you. You made me and my 84-year-old father as well as my friends so happy — this trip last month with you as my friend will remain the most memo­rable in my life. The photo here is a testa­ment of our joy. THANK YOU for EVERY­THING you have done for us, you went above and beyond. For those who are reading this while plan­ning for your travel, I absolutely recom­mend you to call up Manfred — he is very knowl­edge­able, helpful, funny and extremely accom­moda­tive, every­thing you hope and dream for. Please feel free to reach out to me if you want to know more. I will gladly share about my wonderful expe­ri­ence I had.

We booked Mr. Pitz as our chauf­feur on our wedding day and were very pleas­antly surprised by his excel­lent service. He had already noted down all the times and addresses in advance so that we could be chauf­feured in a relaxed manner on the day. He even took care of our phys­ical well-being in the form of a small snack and a bottle of sparkling wine. Mr. Pitz was completely reli­able, very friendly, open-minded and always responded to all our needs. We wish him continued success and a safe journey! A clear recom­men­da­tion from us!

Manfred the driver, concierge, regional expert, dining buddy and histo­rian!
Fred put together a custom trip from Heidel­berg to Rothen­berg, including histor­ical sites along the way. He included a river crossing on a vintage 1933 auto ferry with a super colorful and engaging pilot. We expe­ri­enced flammkuchen, the Night Watchman and a good dose of regional history on our extended day tour. This was a great life expe­ri­ence with a regional expert! He is a safe and profes­sional driver with an immac­u­lately main­tained car. Fred is outgoing and pleasant with a quick sense of humor and great command of English.

My wife and I planned a 4 day-night trip in the coun­try­side in July/Aug 2022. We left from Munich and drove to Königssee, then to Mitten­wald, then to Neuschwanstein castle, and then to Rothen­burg before finally driving to Frank­furt via Heidel­berg, staying one night in each place. Manfred, true to his by-line, indeed became a friend to us over the trip. Manfred has a very profes­sional approach to his work and pays atten­tion to every detail. He wants to give his customers the best expe­ri­ence. Starting from the time we agreed to hire Manfred, he set to work, antic­i­pating every need. How much luggage space he has in his car and how many bags can be accom­mo­dated (of course, he mentioned he is buying a van soon and concerns around luggage space would disap­pear), what kind of sight­seeing we expect to do, how we value scenic routes and compar­ison of driving time between scenic routes and Auto­bahn routes, getting tickets for boat rides, castles etc., sched­uling a massage based on our time sched­ules, finding a nice restau­rant – name your favorite cuisine, want a bicycle ride – normal or e‑bike? Just name it, and the list goes on… Not to forget that being on time for his rides, ensuring avail­ability of drinking water (do specify still or sparkling), arranging tea/coffee are all taken as a given with Manfred. A casual comment will be noted and acted upon – rest assured. Thank you Manfred for making our trip comfort­able. Go ahead hire this friend in Heidel­berg and rest assured, you will get the best out of your trip!

My husband and I found a friend in heidel­berg when plan­ning our honey­moon in Germany. I’m so glad we did… Manfred was a real plea­sure to work with. He antic­i­pated our every need and helped us with our other trans­porta­tion even on the days he wasn’t with us. He was a kind, thoughtful, and inter­esting guide. I will certainly look him up again next time I’m in Germany!

It was a plea­sure
Thanks to Manfred Pitz for a great ride and outstanding hospi­tality. I would always choose this friend in Heidel­berg again.

Great day in the Heidel­berg coun­try­side!
We enjoyed our time with Manfred during a brief visit to Heidel­berg. He took us on a lovely route through the coun­try­side to see small authentic towns and castles without all the crowds. Manfred is engaging and easy to talk to. We stopped for pictures and ice cream and had a great expe­ri­ence. He was also helpful in recom­mending some stops on the next day of our journey.

A Real Friend in Heidel­berg!
Our tour of Heidel­berg with Manfred began a week before we left for our vaca­tion in Germany. He called and messaged me several times to help plan and orga­nize our visit. He was very thoughtful in making sugges­tions of places to visit, both before and after our time with him in Heidel­berg. He even helped me plan my train tickets to visit other attrac­tions! He was a plea­sure to work with. Our visit to Heidel­berg with him was quite enjoy­able. He’s a very engaging conver­sa­tion­alist and has an excel­lent under­standing of all things we, as Amer­ican tourists, might have an interest in. I am already thinking about my next trip and where I can go with Manfred next time.

Wonderful Tour!
Manfred was 5 star all the way. He listens to his guests and under­stands what they are inter­ested in seeing. He is super knowl­edge­able as well as friendly and person­able. I highly recom­mend using his services.

BEST PART OF OUR TRIP!
Our tour with Manfred was one of the high­lights of our entire trip. First, he was amaz­ingly accom­mo­dating with all of our trip requests. Ask him for any special trip ideas, he will make them happen, or let him plan your entire trip – he’s an expert! Second, his recom­men­da­tion for lunch was incred­ible: a trip into the moun­tains to a farm­house with excel­lent food, beau­tiful scenery and expert conver­sa­tion. Third, Manfred is extremely knowl­edge­able about every mile of the Heidel­berg area and his expla­na­tions and stories are genuinely great! Take his tour if you possibly can!

Manfred, our friend in Heidel­berg, is the BEST tour guide I have ever had in all my years of trav­eling! He made Heidel­berg come alive for my daughter & I with so much knowl­edge & histor­ical infor­ma­tion. But, well beyond that, he is so genuine, person­able, enlight­ening & accom­mo­dating! If I could rate him with more than 5 stars, I would without any hesi­ta­tion! Thank you again & again for making our visit so enjoy­able & memo­rable! My best to you, mon ami❣️

Wonderful Tour!
We had such a great expe­ri­ence with Manfred. He was so friendly and knowl­edge­able of the region. We visited Speyer cathe­dral, a family-owned winery and Heidel­berg castle. A great day of sight­seeing!

A Wonderful New Friend in Heidel­berg!
We met our new friend, Manfred in Heidel­berg! I cannot agree more of what others have said about Manfred. He is AMAZING! For our expe­ri­ence, Manfred contacted us shortly after we booked him. He wanted to get an idea of what we were inter­ested in doing and seeing. Of course, we had no clue! He was asking because if he wasn’t familiar about some­thing, he would do the research ahead of time to prepare for the trip. Manfred arrived at our hotel on time and we sat in our lobby so that we could get to know one another. This was good because we ended up with an excel­lent plan for the day. Which included, in part, some wine tasting, visiting Speyer Cathe­dral and the small town and the Schwet­zingen Palace and Gardens (amazing place). After leaving Heidel­berg and Manfred, my husband and I headed up to Mainz. While there, we contacted Manfred and he was helpful in finding us a day cruise on the river Rhine. We enjoyed that trip as well! It was nice to have A Friend in Heidel­berg to help us with our travels! We had a wonderful time with Manfred and you will too!! Thank you, Manfred!! We will see you again!!

Outstanding, atten­tive tour guide!
Manfred is an outstanding, very orga­nized, and very atten­tive tour guide. I highly recom­mend him for any travel plans not just the ones listed on Viator or Tripad­visor. We booked a three-hour expe­ri­ence and before we got to Heidel­berg, he was giving us useful advice about how to get to the train station in Frank­furt, how to buy the train ticket etc. He responded to all messages quickly. He is a very person­able, funny, and engaging guide who gives 100% to the guests! Having someone drive you from place to place is very helpful! We went to the Schloss­garten in Schwet­zingen, some­thing we wouldn’t have been able to figure out without Manfred. He also showed us around Heidel­berg and the castle there. Manfred gives very indi­vid­u­al­ized atten­tion! We thor­oughly enjoyed speaking with him and enthu­si­as­ti­cally recom­mend him!!

Once in a life­time surprise for my Father
We hired Manfred and his beau­tiful vehicle as a surprise for my 77-year-old father. Manfred picked us up exactly on time in Speyer for a full day visit to Heidel­berg. Manfred helped us find the special places that my father remem­bered from his mili­tary service in Heidel­berg more than 50 years ago. It was an amazing day. My father is telling everyone that will listen about his friend in Heidel­berg. If you are looking for truly private first-class expe­ri­ence in this part of Germany, Manfred should be your first call.

Family roots
Manfred was excel­lent from the pre-plan­ning for our trip to our actual travel day. He went out of his way to make our expe­ri­ence special, personal, and authentic. We need to come back for more, and when we do, Manfred will be our man!

Fantastic, worth it, great day!!
Beau­tiful, vehicle. Punc­tual, friendly, knowl­edge­able. Works hard for the expe­ri­ence you want. He will study up and prepare to see anything you request or let him choose great places. Good man!!!

Taylor your visit to Heidel­berg with a friendly ambas­sador
Manfred is a profes­sional. In preparing for a Rhine River cruise we wanted an excur­sion away from the boat and into the German coun­try­side for the day. Manfred picked us up at our boat in Speyer, showed us around Heidel­berg and then returned us to Mannheim. It was like meeting an old friend that wanted to show you around, engage in some local history, share a meal and laugh over stories. What a beau­tiful day and what a special new friend. Manfred is really an ambas­sador of hospi­tality who can tailor your visit to your needs.

A Wonderful Bespoke Tour
Manfred was incred­ible! He created a custom tour based on our inter­ests. The expe­ri­ence truly was first class. His vehicle is very luxu­rious. He is very commu­nica­tive, reli­able, and knowl­edge­able. We explored palace gardens, had a local lunch on the river, and visited a winery and cellar where we tried ten different local wines, which were incred­ible. Book today with Manfred, you’ll be glad you did!

High­light of our Trip
Manfred is a gem. My husband and I hired Manfred to help us create a day itin­erary in the Heidelberg/Walldorf/Speyer area. I had lived in Wall­dorf as a young child and wanted to see my child­hood home after discov­ering that one of the ports on our Viking cruise was only going to be 30 minutes away. Manfred is orga­nized, person­able and an excel­lent commu­ni­cator. We talked and emailed multiple times prior to the trip and his caring atti­tude ensured a successful expe­ri­ence. He arranged trans­port from Manheim to Heidel­berg and Heidel­berg to Walldorf/Speyer where we met up with the cruise ship. He also orga­nized a wonderful guide, Vera, who gave us a fun and infor­ma­tive tour of Heidel­berg. Our party of six all agreed that our day in Heidel­berg was the high­light of our trip!! So grateful for Manfred!!

Best Guide
Every­thing about our time with Manfred was amazing. He met us in the airport and helped us with our luggage. He offered us water when we got in his car. Let’s talk about that car. It was spec­tac­ular. Seats could recline and massage and it was so quiet. The head­rests were cush­ioned and you could actu­ally push a button and the windows would be shaded. I was almost as impressed with the car as I was with Manfred! Because Manfred had commu­ni­cated via phone call, texts, and emails prior to my trip, he knew exactly what my husband and I wanted to do. We had lunch on castle grounds with no one else around. He took us to little villages on the way to Heidel­berg and treated us to ice cream. He carried our luggage to the hotel room and then came back 2 hours later to take us to a restau­rant for which he had made the reser­va­tions after asking us what we preferred to eat. He then took us back to the hotel after a short drive through the city. It was an absolute perfect time and I would not hesi­tate to recom­mend him!!!

Stuttgart Get Away
Manfred provided with a custom get away for a day from Stuttgart. It was a great expe­ri­ence and superb service. The lunch he arranged was fantastic, I highly recom­mend him.

Super amazing tour with this tour offering
If you want a truly GREAT expe­ri­ence in Heidel­berg AND pick-up a friend along the way, then run, not walk, to this tour offering! The gentleman in the picture is Manfred. He makes one feel incred­ibly special and is so friendly. He is VERY flex­ible with some­one’s likings and finding the best combi­na­tion of likes and inter­ests by the customer. His insight into the city is impec­cable. His English is off the chart good so commu­ni­cating is NOT an issue at all. Highly, highly recom­mend Manfred and his “On tour w/ a friend”.

First Class
Manfred is not only a 5 Star driver he’s also a kind and consid­erate human being, I have had the plea­sure of dealing with Manfred a number of times in Stuttgart and in Wall­dorf, I can honestly say he makes you feel safe, confi­dent and happy to be in his elegant car. I wouldn’t hesi­tate in recom­mending Manfred’s Car service to anyone.

Amazing!
My husband and I hired Manfred to help us explore my family history. I had a few names and clues about my ances­tors who moved to the US from Malchen, Germany in the late 1800’s. Manfred not only took us to the town they were from but arranged a private meeting with a local histo­rian! He showed us the house they lived in since the 1700’s and the 500-year-old church next door they were married in. This person­al­ized expe­ri­ence would have been impos­sible without Manfred’s assis­tance, persis­tence, and local knowl­edge. He was a great trans­lator and even took us out for Germany’s famous Spargel (white asparagus), a thrilling yet comfort­able ride on the auto­bahn, and secured plenty of photos and genealogy memo­ra­bilia for me to take home. This was a truly magical expe­ri­ence. Thank you, Manfred, we hope to see you again someday!

Top Notch
I booked the tour for a friend and the guide was very profes­sional and friendly. He was in touch from the moment I booked the tour and went out of his way to make the tourist comfort­able. If you want to have a splendid tour, you need to use him because he is top notch. Thank you so much a friend in heidel­berg limou­sine service.

Heidel­berg with a friend
Lovely company and as well getting to see the favorite parts of Heidel­berg from Manfred’s perspec­tive. Defi­nitely worth every penny.

New friend in Heidel­berg
We can defi­nitely recom­mend this newfound Friend in Heidel­berg! Thank you for showing us around Heidel­berg and taking extra special care of us, even taking us to a hidden local schnitzel restau­rant. Providing us with info not only of Heidel­berg but also other regions even after the tour concluded. We loved every minute! Many thanks!

10 Day Tour of Germany with A Friend in Heidel­berg
We had a unique situ­a­tion. Our daughter was studying in Heidel­berg, and we wanted to visit her but also visit a lot of Germany while on our ten-day vaca­tion. I found Manfred or better “a friend in heidel­berg” online and saw all his 5‑star reviews. I reached out and from our first contact he was prompt and thor­ough. He listened to every detail and even helped plan our entire vaca­tion in Germany with metic­u­lous detail. I had a wish list and he orga­nized and researched to plan the perfect holiday for us. He truly was a friend in Heidel­berg and so much more. We were to visit Klopp Castle in Bingen. Some­thing I am sure only impor­tant to us because of our last name. This castle is not open to the public since it hosts the city admin­is­tra­tion including the major’s office. However, Manfred made several phone calls until he arranged with the Janitor to let us in and show us around. We got an amazing tour that we never normally would have. This kind of care and service you just don’t see anymore. Our friend in Heidel­berg helped us arrange hotels that were very specific to our wants and needs. Even though most of Germany speaks English there are websites that when booking hotels or tours still have German words and phrases. He booked amazing local authentic restau­rants and a dream tour of Germany that that was care­fully planned and executed just for us. During our stay in Bingen, Manfred toured us through the coun­try­side along the Rhine River where he picked two perfect castles for us to tour. We were able to enjoy and take it at our own pace. When we trans­ferred to Heidel­berg, we paid the renowned wine growing region Palati­nate a visit. At the winery Fitz-Ritter we had a lovely after­noon of tasting wines and visiting its prop­erty. Some­thing we wouldn’t have found on our own. Manfred’s knowl­edge of the area and local favorites was crucial. After spending two days with our daughter in Heidel­berg we had Manfred drive us to Munich with a stop and tour of Dachau Concen­tra­tion Camp Memo­rial Site on the way. Once in Munich he drove us around and showed us high­lights of Munich including a visit of the renowned German Museum of Master­pieces of Science and Tech­nology. Manfred found the perfect quiet home base outside of Munich for our three days there. On one of our tours in Bavaria we caught a cog train to the top of Wendel­stein moun­tain where we enjoyed some unbe­liev­able views. One trip took us into Austria where we took a private “Sound of Music” tour in and around Salzburg. Our final trip before heading back to Heidel­berg was a tour of world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle. We couldn’t have enjoyed our vaca­tion or time spent with Manfred more. He checked off so many bucket list items for us and was instru­mental in our perfect German holiday.

A near mirac­u­lous tour of medieval Jewish sites in Worms, which Manfred made possible
Manfred knew we wanted to explore the UNESCO SHUM medieval Jewish sites along the Rhine but only had one day avail­able. He met us in Worms, wandering around trying to find the Rashi Museum and syna­gogue, and it was like an angel appeared – one dressed metic­u­lously with a fabu­lous limo. He guided us to the museum, where we were devas­tated to learn that the thou­sand-year-old syna­gogue was closed during reno­va­tions. But this was no diffi­culty for Manfred, who spoke with the director and arranged for us to enter and visit the building for as long as we wanted. Then, having learned from the director that the old local Jewish ceme­tery was larger and more acces­sible than the one in Mainz, which we had planned to see, he drove us there. It was after closing time, but this was no obstacle to Manfred, who, like at the syna­gogue, got the gates to open for us. The ceme­tery, with more than 2500 graves, was indeed an awesome sight. Also awesome, Manfred easily found parking where there didn’t appear to be any avail­able. I cannot praise Manfred highly enough. Profes­sional, knowl­edge­able and gets other­wise closed doors to open [including a staff toilet when we needed it]

Manfred continues to be the consum­mate profes­sional with all of our touring and vaca­tion needs. His in-depth knowl­edge of our chosen loca­tions is second to none. My wife and I recently took a much-needed day trip to Rüdesheim, viewing several castles on the Rhine. Manfred arranged it all to include pick-up, driving services, and an amazing lunch prepared by world renowned Chefs. We will continue to book with our Dear Friend In Heidel­berg!

Unique birthday expe­ri­ence
We had given the tour as a present for our moth­er’s 75th birthday and were thrilled from the first moment. Mr. Pitz was very respon­sive to our wishes and the needs of the “birthday boy” and the complete all-round care and the day itself were super – highly recom­mended. He has a gift to grasp the people and is then very posi­tive and atten­tive in dealing.

Excel­lent and special­ized service!
Manfred is one of the kindest and most knowl­edge­able people I have worked with to plan a trip. He is incred­ibly profes­sional and you can tell that what he cares about most is providing the client with amazing expe­ri­ences / memo­ries that they will have to last a life­time. He “dives in” to ensure he knows exactly what the client wants and will enjoy, never just giving general infor­ma­tion. Thank you, Manfred for all of your assis­tance! You made me feel like I have a new friend who wants the very best for me 😊

Friendly and thoughtful – excel­lent
Manfred asks great ques­tions to deter­mine what will really satisfy the customer – he’s knowl­edge­able, empa­thetic, and truly values each person he works with. One of the best tour guides we’ve had. Very resourceful; customizes each expe­ri­ence. Many thanks Manfred!

Truly a Friend with 1st Class Service
On our first trip to Germany to move in son for Univer­sity Semester abroad. Manfred made our first day so much easier! He is a friend, tour guide, and concierge all in one. From the contact before our trip to even after our depar­ture with him Manfred made sure we were taken care of. We had a wonderful tour of Heidel­berg and lunch and aid in getting some items settled for our visit. I highly recom­mend his services to my friends and anyone coming to this part of Germany.

A friend?! A VERY VERY GOOD friend!!!
Manfred Pitz is simply amazing! He takes care – and simply thinks – of and about every­thing! Metic­u­lous prepa­ra­tion, absolutely friendly and cour­teous – it’s hard to put into words what Herr Pitz does. Always a big bit “MORE” than expected. You notice in every second with how much heart and soul and joy Mr. Pitz accom­pa­nies his guests and has a huge share in the success of a great evening – and certainly also day!!! Thank you very much, dear VERY GOOD FRIEND in Heidel­berg – we will be back!!!

“A Friend” indeed
“A friend in Heidel­berg” is perfectly named. From the time I booked with Manfred, and even after my tour with him, he was warm, atten­tive, kind, and detail-oriented. He genuinely looked out for me as if I was the little sister of a friend, instead of just another customer. Manfred went above and beyond at every step, from keeping in touch with me in the weeks leading up to my trip, to talking with me on the phone to get a feel for my areas of interest, and overall making sure my visit was as stress-free and as tailored to my inter­ests as possible. He routinely sent me links to videos, as well as infor­ma­tion and news arti­cles related to my visit/interests in the days and weeks before my trip (and after­wards too!). On top of every­thing else, he also helped me with things that were *not at all* related to his duties as a local chauffeur/tour guide. For instance, he found a covid testing site near my hotel in Stuttgart (my tour with him was not even in that city), AND regis­tered me for an appoint­ment, AND sent me direc­tions to it. (I needed the test in order to visit some things, per strict German law/policy, in addi­tion to needing to be vacci­nated). He called places for me to get more info since he had an easier time of it (not everyone speaks English, despite how common English has become), he looked up train sched­ules for me, and all the little details which can be chal­lenging or a hassle when you’re in a foreign country (partic­u­larly if you’re on your own). Best of all, he found a Christmas Market that was still oper­ating– Bavaria and other regions of Germany had shut them all down and touring them had been my intent in visiting Bavaria in December (sad tourist noises). But Manfred found one that was not far away, and took me to it, much to my ecstatic surprise. I’m an expe­ri­enced trav­eler and have been all over the world. I’ve often heard the promise that a partic­ular place or service wants me to feel like I’m at home, or like I’m visiting a friend. It had been an empty marketing phrase until this trip. I genuinely felt like I was visiting with a friend, and like I had a local friend I could rely on to help me out, and who could also drive me around and show me the sights. I would absolutely not hesi­tate to book another tour with Manfred, or to refer friends and family to him. He is a gentleman and a true gem.

Trip to the Airport
Manfred offers a truly unique expe­ri­ence. As an exchange student learning German, it was nice to not only converse with someone in German, but with someone as charis­matic, profes­sional, and loqua­cious as Manfred. I recom­mend him whole-heart­edly.

Our excur­sion to Burg Franken­stein
The outing with Manfred and his beau­tiful Mercedes S Class 400 was the high­light of our trip. Manfred went out of his way to ensure that we had the perfect day. He’s very profes­sional and extremely person­able. I highly recom­mend his services and will defi­nitely book with Manfred the next time we are in Germany 😊😊

Adven­tures in Heidel­berg (and Manfred’s Mercedes S‑Class)
This was our first time in Heidel­berg and Manfred certainly made our visit very plea­sur­able. He reached out to check on us a few days prior to even arriving (which he didn’t have to do-we we’re still in Munich), and then again contin­u­ously throughout our stay there and even helped us with any ques­tions about our flight back. The all-day tour itself was infor­ma­tive and he took us to all the right spots for what we were looking for. Manfred made sure that every detail was taken care of-he was extremely prepared and very accom­mo­dating. He even bought us a light lunch in town and we got to meet a Spanish local who owns a deli­cious eatery-he suggested the hot choco­late and it truly was so deli­cious!! We had conver­sa­tions about almost every­thing really throughout our trip which really made our expe­ri­ence even more relaxing and comfort­able. The bonus, of course, was the trans­port and it was sooo nice (I got a hot back massage while sitting in the back seat! 😳) … my husband espe­cially enjoyed all the talk about fast cars! And his is no excep­tion. Very fun expe­ri­ence!!! We would highly recom­mend Manfred (and, of course, his car 😂) for anyone trav­eling to Heidel­berg or the surrounding areas.

A very punc­tual start to the journey from the agreed meeting point and an extremely pleasant and comfort­able journey in a top-class car (with inte­grated massage func­tion on the seats) are on offer when trav­el­ling with Manfred. Very inter­esting conver­sa­tions round off the journey. I there­fore recom­mend Manfred with a clear conscience.

A truly first-class expe­ri­ence
How to describe Manfred? Just three words Very profes­sional, genuinely profes­sional, and blue-blooded profes­sional. I engaged Manfred for two consec­u­tive days in October 2021. Before I reached Germany, I was already engaging him via a zoom call and What­sApp to exchange ideas for the tour itin­erary and to set the right expec­ta­tions. Some places that you may wish to consider including in your itin­erary could be the old town of Heidel­berg, espe­cially at night. As Manfred grew up in the old district, very soon, he would be beguiling you with stories of how the place had been devel­oping over the decades. I guess that is the one reason why we want a local friend to show us around. His sincerity in ensuring that I had a wonderful expe­ri­ence shone through, and I gained confi­dence that I had found a friend. While the German weather was dull and grey mostly, Manfred’s sunny person­ality lit up my two days. Indeed, it had been a truly first-class expe­ri­ence.

Our second tour with Manfred was even better than the first!
If a repeat customer is a sign of a happy customer, then Manfred should realize that my husband and I are some of his most satis­fied customers to date. We first hired “a friend in heidel­berg” back in April 2019 when we wanted to explore the home­land of my ances­tors during a four-hour break from a Viking River Cruise. We were so impressed with Manfred’s service that we vowed to return to Germany and hire him again. This year we hired Manfred for a 10-day tour of the three western German states of North Rhine-West­­­phalia, Baden-Würt­tem­berg, and Bavaria. During our road trip, we explored typical tourist sites such as Burg Eltz, the Beethoven Haus, the upper half of the Middle Rhine, Heidel­berg, Munich, Neuschwanstein Castle and Rothen­burg ob der Tauber. In addi­tion, Manfred customized our tour to meet our indi­vidual inter­ests. He found a delightful, centuries-old country inn along the Moselle for us to unwind in following our long flight from Cali­fornia. Knowing that I am a handweaver, he found a handweaving museum and school for me to tour in Sindelfingen – that just happened to be en route to the Porsche Museum that my husband wanted to visit. We spent a beau­tiful after­noon hiking through the vine­yards in the Rhine-Hesse, a lovely morning hiking through the forests above the Moselle, and a cold, but memo­rable morning of walking the medieval wall that encir­cles the town of Rothen­burg – where he also arranged for us to take the famous Night Watchman’s Tour. We even had time to walk Manfred’s dog through the resi­den­tial neigh­bor­hoods of Heidel­berg and stopped at a local – and wonderful – grocery store to purchase a variety of deli items for a delightful and deli­cious casual dinner. We visited numerous tiny towns off the beaten path where tourists seldom venture – and where Manfred always managed to speak with a merchant or stop a stranger on the street for a referral to the best café for coffee and cake, or the best dinner in town. As a result, we had some fabu­lous authentic food in restau­rants where “the locals eat”, and a true “immer­sion” into the German lifestyle. In the 10 days that we spent together, we were constantly impressed by Manfred’s profes­sion­alism, delighted by his story­telling and quick wit, and charmed by his ever-present smile and chival­rous manners. In the future, when­ever we return to Europe, we will find an excuse to “drop by Germany” just to see Manfred again. He is more than an outstanding busi­nessman. He is, indeed, a much beloved friend.

We booked a tour with Manfred‑A Friend in Heidel­berg last week while we were there visiting our son. Every inter­ac­tion with Manfred was 1st class. He was able to create a unique expe­ri­ence and tour catered to just us. When we told him we hadn’t really gone to any local restau­rants, he not only gave us ideas but called the restau­rants and made us reser­va­tions. Also, when our shuttle back to the airport didn’t arrive, he helped us find alter­na­tive options. We have already sched­uled Manfred to help our son get safely to the airport when he comes home in late December. We highly recom­mend A Friend in Heidel­berg. We cannot say enough wonderful things about Manfred!

Manfred was a great driver. We had a great chat and felt very comfort­able with him, both because of his cordial, careful manner and his safe driving style. The only down­side was that the journey was too short, so the conver­sa­tions didn’t last until the end. I can there­fore unre­servedly recom­mend him to everyone. I would love to ride with him again!

He went above and beyond!
Although we were not able to use this guy due to logis­tical chal­lenges, he was incred­ibly helpful with connecting us with guides that would be of use on quite short notice. He really went above and beyond and I’m convinced that if we were to actu­ally take a tour with him that we would’ve loved it. Thank you!

Wonderful guide and concierge
This was the first time we had used a bespoke service instead of pre-pack­­­aged tours and didn’t know quite what to expect. However, Manfred was extremely effi­cient to arrange a pre-depar­­­ture Zoom meet for us to get to know him and for him to better under­stand our very specific needs. My wife and I basi­cally needed to spend quality time with our daughter in Germany while effi­ciently touring the Middle Rhine valley, Heidel­berg and the Neckar valley and getting the required outbound Covid tests. I would highly recom­mend you give him as much back­ground as possible and do your own research so that he can use his great plan­ning skills and local knowl­edge to propose options/modifications for you to consider. Manfred was extremely approach­able, pro-active, accom­mo­dating, humorous and sensi­tive to our unspoken needs at the moment. He would often contact the various estab­lish­ments e.g. cruise oper­a­tors, rail company, hotels, Covid test canters, restau­rants directly in order to get the most up-to-date infor­ma­tion. He has an elec­tronic log system in his wonderful S‑class limou­sine that trans­par­ently docu­mented mileage and time. He spent social time with us over meals and dog walking for which he did not charge. All in all, he made us feel like his valued friends and not simply like his clients. His services are not cheap, but they are certainly value-for-money for those who want to spend more time enjoying rather than worrying about the logis­tics of their holiday. I unre­servedly recom­mend Manfred as your guide and planner for your next trip to Germany.

Service on a high level!
Very Special Service! Every year we are enjoying a “FaSo”-weekend, me as a father with my 2 sons. This year we visited Heidel­berg. We decided to spend some hours with Manfred and his luxury Mercedes. His appear­ance and nice and friendly service made it more than special. Specially his atten­tion to details brought this service on a high level! I wish you a lot of success with all your activ­i­ties.

Wedding ride to the registry office
Very person­able, punc­tual and compe­tent. Would book him again at any time. Can only recom­mend him.

Euro­pean Elvis Festival Special
I have never met anyone more dedi­cated to their job than Manfred! After having our holiday plans disrupted by Covid for the seventh time, my sister-in-law and I were left with little choice but to accept a six-day holiday, rather than our orig­inal 10 days. We were very disheart­ened as we would be unable to accom­mo­date every­thing we had planned to do, and we’re unlikely to be able to return to Germany in the near future. BUT then I discov­ered Manfred! His online reviews were excel­lent, so, with only eight days to go, I contacted him with a VERY ambi­tious list of loca­tions we would like to visit. To my amaze­ment, he accepted the chal­lenge and stated that he could readily accom­mo­date all but one of our requests! Wow! Manfred then began to complete back­ground research, plan­ning our route and even contacting some of the loca­tions in advance. He main­tained excel­lent commu­ni­ca­tions throughout the process and was quite clearly passionate about his work. Upon meeting Manfred over break­fast, we were instantly taken by him – he’s polite, friendly, charming, funny, talk­a­tive, and in no time at all we felt like we’d known him forever. We spent around 15 hours with Manfred, visiting all the loca­tions on our schedule. Throughout this tour, we were treated like impor­tant digni­taries as Manfred opened the doors for us to enter and leave his impec­cably main­tained vehicle – we had many enquiring glances from the locals. In total, we visited loca­tions in 10 towns and cities which were signif­i­cant to Elvis’ stay in Germany. Manfred was our chauf­feur, tour guide, inter­preter, photog­ra­pher, liaison, Elvis DJ and friend. Nothing is too much trouble for his guests. Our tour was most defi­nitely one of the high­lights of our trip, and we most defi­nitely could not have done it without Manfred. I cannot thank him enough for making our “Euro­pean Elvis Festival Special” tour so memo­rable. A first-class service from a first-class gentleman. Our sincerest thanks, Manfred. You are amazing!

We recently took a family trip to Heidel­berg, Germany. Upon doing a great deal of research, we decided on a partic­ular tour, “On tour with a friend and his Mercedes S‑Class — true first-class service”. The trip, just like the title, did not disap­point. Manfred was an outstanding tour guide. An actual Heidel­berg resi­dent, his knowl­edge of the area was amazing! He tailored our expe­ri­ence based on OUR wishes. He was able to put together a terrific package in short order that capti­vated my wife and I while making it fun for our 16-year-old son. As Amer­ican expats living in Germany, we wanted to expe­ri­ence Germany through the eyes of a local and we were treated accord­ingly. Manfred knew all the short­cuts, the right people to talk to and most impor­tantly how to avoid those long lines at the tourist attrac­tions. We were picked up and dropped off at the door of our hotel in his immac­u­late Mercedes which set the tone for the entire tour. Punc­tual, atten­tive, and willing to make changes to our itin­erary on a moment’s notice, Manfred truly IS a “Friend in Heidel­berg” who I would recom­mend without hesi­ta­tion to the most discerning trav­eler. Thank YOU for a job well done!

My best friend has recently moved to Heidel­berg, and I wanted her to be welcomed to the new city, new begin­nings with flowers, gifts and smile. Thank God I came across Fred who very patiently and lovingly purchased the gifts on my behalf. Not only that he suggested I make a hand­written note for my friend. He got it printed and handed it over to my friend when he went to pick her up at the airport. Before drop­ping her off to the hotel he drove her around the city showing impor­tant places and sharing trivia. He even helped her getting a mobile phone contract so that my best friend was able to contact me right away. So if you ever need a friend in Heidel­berg connect with Manfred.

Mr. and Mrs. Lafontant day trip
From the initial booking and conver­sa­tion, Manfred exceeded our expec­ta­tions. We want to visit Heidel­berg as we’d lived close to the city years ago and spent quite a bit of time there. Manfred ensured luxury and comfort in every aspect. Manfred ensured we arrived and was able to park our vehicle in a safe and easily acces­sible area. We visited Heidel­berg Castle, Old Town Heidel­berg, Hirschhorn, Dils­berg, and Speyer. Each tour was met with Manfred’s wealth of knowledge…as he honored my request to go “off the beaten path”. We are no longer tourist after residing in EU several times over the years, so he under­stood the request and honored it. The luxury trans­porta­tion was our stan­dard, so we didn’t have to worry about having to settle. Manfred had water, and snacks on hand as well. We were able to get closer than most to sights and avoid crowds at all times. Manfred was beyond accom­mo­dating to changes in our schedule and changes in what we wanted to see. I have recom­mended this tour and his service to my colleagues already.

I found Manfred Pitz to be reli­able, fore­sighted, intel­li­gent, honest, creative, like­able, charming and cour­teous. Best limou­sine service we have ever booked…

Heidel­berg, Heidel­berg Castle, Good Food
Manfred is the BEST! He will go ‘over and above’ to make sure that you have the best tour possible. He is smart, inter­esting, fun and very knowl­edge­able. If we make it back to Germany, we will be sure to ask for another tour with Manfred!

Customized Vaca­tion
My dad and I were connected with Fred through a travel agent as a highly rated guide. He put in a lot of time off the clock to research and contact people and places to customize our vaca­tion. Fred managed to get two private tours of castles and set us up with three excel­lent guides. He put in extra time and effort to make our dream vaca­tion come true! We spent three days with Manfred and it was a plea­sure dealing with him. He is very hospitable, consci­en­tious, and knowl­edge­able. And a great guy to just hang out with!MultiMulti

An extra­or­di­nary expe­ri­ence. Manfred is very profes­sional and at the same time warm and very kind. The car itself offers highest comfort. Highly recom­mend­able!!

We booked a day with Manfred and the tour was great! The tour was not only for enter­tain­ment, but it was also intel­lec­tual. Manfred is such a gentleman and made sure we had a first-class expe­ri­ence in Heidel­berg.

A wonderful expe­ri­ence with extra­or­di­nary service
If you want to visit the home­land of your ances­tors, Manfred Pitz is the man for the job! We were in Germany in April 2019 while on a Viking River Cruise. While others in our group visited Heidel­berg, my husband and I hired Manfred to take us to the Palati­nate to see the town where my great-great grand­par­ents lived before moving to the US. Manfred was able to locate the minister of the church where my ances­tors were married, and we were able to tour the church, which normally is locked on week­days. He contacted distant rela­tives who operate a restau­rant that carries my family name and arranged for a private lunch for us. My distant rela­tives do not speak or read English, and Manfred served as trans­lator throughout our visit. (Manfred has lived and worked in the United States, and his English skills are excel­lent.) Thanks to Manfred, our visit was the most memo­rable part of our vaca­tion. The name of his company, “a friend in Heidel­berg” says it all. He is more than a chauf­feur. He is more than a tour guide. He is the consum­mate profes­sional and a dear and true friend.

Caring was the best
I had an atten­dance from Frank­furt Airport for 4 days. It was a very satis­fying trip for me to come up with a plan to meet the demands as soon as possible.

Heidel­berg gentlemen
I visited Heidel­berg where my husband had always wanted to go in 30 years. Fred had a very good review on Tripad­visor, so I decided to ask imme­di­ately. I asked the reserved words imme­di­ately and exchanged them several times since I was in Japan. I was picked up at the airport on the day and asked for a reser­va­tion for dinner that day. That day was full of Friday nights and Christmas seasons, but many calls were made to make reser­va­tions. Everyone is satis­fied with a nice restau­rant that only locals can go to. The next day’s tour was changed from a 4‑hour course to a one-day course and left to him. Heidel­berg Castle and German Winery etcetera, the world’s largest asso­ci­a­tion, was built 1000 years ago. Lunch is a pasta that is also highly acclaimed by Ital­ians. He was a wonderful gentleman who would fulfil all of our requests without saying no once, some­thing that could never be done on the tour. I also found a biogas power plant that I wanted to see at work, and I was able to inspect it. It was a really wonderful trip. Thank you again in April next year.

I am very satis­fied. I booked Mr. Pitz and his S‑Class for my birthday to make it a great day in Heidel­berg. I haven’t had such a nice birthday for two years. I had plenty of space in the limou­sine and the sound system was mega cool. The S‑Class lives up to its promise of comfort­able motoring. I was also impressed by the massage seat, which warmed and massaged me in the cold outside temper­a­tures. I felt very comfort­able. I’ve been chauf­feured before, but the drivers hardly ever talked to me. Mr. Pitz showed me that there is another way. It was nice to see him not as a driver, but more as a friend. So, his name speaks for itself. I had a lot of fun and I will always remember this birthday. Thank you again, it was a very nice evening.

We are now home from a wonderful visit to Heidel­berg and I wanted to thank you for the profes­sional care you offered me and my family during our visit. We were delighted by the manner in which you took care of us: checking flights, coor­di­nating arrivals (as we were coming from different places), sending airport maps, and so much more. We could not have asked for better treat­ment. I have already recom­mended your services to some of my colleagues at the univer­sity. I told them that they will be wise to call upon you. I also wanted to thank you for coming to my lecture at the Deutsch-Amerikanis­ches Institut in Heidel­berg. Your ques­tion and comments were first rate. I must say, I travel the world, but rarely do I find a driver who is also an excel­lent inter­locutor. Many many thanks for making a short visit a very sweet one.

Great service, impec­cable, very friendly and perfect down to the last detail.

One of our best vaca­tion days
We’ve had a handful of very memo­rable vaca­tion days and this one rates in the top few. We didn’t have a specific itin­erary in mind. Manfred picked us up and we were imme­di­ately at ease with him. He was very accom­mo­dating and knowl­edge­able about the area. We had lunch at a restau­rant he chose. The food was fantastic. During lunch we thought we were just having a very engaging conver­sa­tion. But by the end of lunch Manfred had desti­na­tion sugges­tions based on our conver­sa­tion. We were very excited about his sugges­tions and agreed to the plan for the day. We had a great time and Manfred was an excel­lent tour guide.

Manfred is a true star in my book! As a travel adviser, I have been designing travel for clients for over 40 years, and I don’t believe I have ever expe­ri­enced a tour guide like Manfred who is so devoted to his client’s expe­ri­ences while being their guide. Without ques­tion, he went far above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that my clients had a once in a life­time stay in and around Heidel­berg. Thank you Manfred!

Customer service second to none
I contacted A Friend in Heidel­berg based on the excel­lent Tripad­visor reviews. Trav­el­ling in Germany this September and was looking for a driver. Manfred went out of his was to help me navi­gate best options based on loca­tion, budget and timing. He phoned other compa­nies, checked train sched­ules and went above and beyond in helping us navi­gate the area. Highly recom­mend. Thank you Manfred.

Chauf­feur at the church wedding cere­mony
We booked Mr. Pitz for our church wedding in July 2019. The commu­ni­ca­tion in advance was excel­lent, focused and very pleasant. Mr. Pitz is cour­teous in person, eloquent and extremely polite, yet never pushy or demanding. We used the service for about 4 hours. He picked up the bride at home (Heidel­berg), drove her to the Chris­tuskirche in Mannheim (with GPS tracking via What­sApp), accom­pa­nied us to the photo shoot at the water tower and then drove us to our loca­tion. Due to the hot temper­a­tures on this Friday (>40°C), he always prepared the wonderful and super well-main­­­tained vehicle a few minutes in advance to coun­teract the external condi­tions with the air condi­tioning. Further­more, we were supplied with cooled water. This is what we really call extremely excel­lent and remark­able service. From our point of view, the costs are super appro­priate for these services and we were happy to support him in his “Robin Hood” prin­ciple. We thank Mr. Pitz very much for the great service and can only recom­mend him to everyone.

First class service! I wish every chauf­feur was as bril­liant as Manfred!!
I cannot recom­mend ‘A Friend in Heidel­berg’ enough! We were enter­taining some of our very best clients over the Austrian Grand Prix and we had some rather compli­cated move­ments throughout the weekend with many last-minute changes. Manfred, with pure class and profes­sion­alism was able to react to these requests with no issue at all. Friendly, atten­tive, and highly reli­able are just a few words that come to mind. I urge you to choose Manfred when consid­ering your holiday, Busi­ness trip or event trav­el­ling solo! You were a real plea­sure to work with!

Profes­sion­ally infor­ma­tive in sublime comfort!
Right from the time I first contacted Manfred some months ago, he has shown such a friendly yet profes­sional level of service as to be quite remark­able. Here­after, when I think of our visit to Heidel­berg, I’m uncer­tain whether my primary thought will be of this extra­or­di­nary place or of the man who brought it all to life for us and did so with every regard to our comfort. His commu­ni­ca­tion skills were excel­lent and he used them to ensure he under­stood our needs, including over­coming some special mobility prob­lems I created for him. My wife and I are truly grateful to Manfred for giving us this wonderful day in Heidel­berg.

I booked Manfred as a surprise for my sister’s wedding and find it hard to find the right words to describe this unique expe­ri­ence with him and his service „a friend in heidel­berg“. The plan­ning in advance went smoothly and without any compli­ca­tions. On the day of the wedding Manfred was avail­able for us the whole day. Early in the morning he picked up the bride and the groom with his beau­tiful, comfort­able, luxury Mercedes S‑Class. My sister and her husband were amazed by the car and Manfred’s friendly and highly profes­sional manner right away and were happy that they could lean back and enjoy their special day without the need of managing how to get from A to B by them­selves. Manfred drove them to the hair­dresser where they got ready and after­wards to the town hall where the cere­mony took place. It was a quite spec­tac­ular perfor­mance when he arrived right in front of the town hall with the beau­tiful deco­rated limou­sine where the wedding guests already waited for the bride and groom. From there he took them to a restau­rant and while we had lunch, he got us tickets for a boat tour, so we didn’t have to take care of this. He was always around for helping us with any unex­pected circum­stances and made the day as comfort­able as possible. Every­body was amazed by his service, even our grand­mothers and other older guests raved about how he drove them to the restau­rant, so they didn’t have to walk or helped them getting over busy streets. Manfred was always in the back­ground managing things so we could enjoy this very special day to the fullest. I could go on like this for hours, but long story short: I can whole­heart­edly recom­mend Manfred and his service for everyone and for any occa­sion. You can be sure that Manfred will always give 200% and will fulfil your wishes and even outpace your expec­ta­tions. For us, he made this big day even more special and all of us were happy that we had the luck to be accom­pa­nied by him with his beau­tiful limou­sine, his exper­tise, his local knowl­edge and his uncon­di­tional help­ful­ness.

A Friend in Heidel­berg offers an extra­or­di­nary expe­ri­ence!!
A friend in Heidel­berg is an excep­tional limou­sine service and the owner and chauf­feur is the consum­mate profes­sional. As a formerly successful busi­nessman working for a company, he intu­itively under­stands the needs of his customers now that he has embarked on his own enter­prise. On a recent busi­ness trip to Heidel­berg, I had the occa­sion to use his services. His kind­ness and caring for his clients’ comfort was more than one could ask. He is punc­tual, well-read and knowl­edge­able in a wide variety of topics, including history, which made the several trips in the area very enjoy­able. When unfore­seen circum­stances changed our schedule, Manfred recog­nized the urgency and readily adjusted. He even accepted a last-minute trans­port to Frank­furt. I take great plea­sure in recom­mending this fine gentleman should anyone require or wish for a limou­sine service and an incom­pa­rable expe­ri­ence.

Manfred took me from Hock­en­heim to Frank­furt airport in time to catch my flight, although I was running late. I owe him. Great service, good commu­ni­ca­tion and an awesome Mercedes S‑Class to go with it! Highly recom­mended.

Best Limo Servicer Ever !!!!
Great service from Manfred, who has his vehicle fully under control, no matter which driving style and speed!! Very relaxing drive from Stuttgart to Frank­furt with a very pleasant conver­sa­tion with Manfred all the way to Frank­furt. I can really recom­mend having the same expe­ri­ence I had with a friend in Heidel­berg.

I used today the services of ‘A Friend in Heidel­berg’ to go to Frank­furt airport. I called this company because the comments/reviews it has received and was certainly not disap­pointed. Manfred (owner and driver) is very profes­sional, drives very well and has a very pleasant conver­sa­tion. He went above and beyond to make sure I was comfort­able and that every­thing I wanted was deliv­ered beyond my expec­ta­tions. Great luxury car and Service. I can’t recom­mend him enough.

We booked Mr. Pitz as our chauf­feur for our wedding and are completely satis­fied! More than that! The orga­ni­za­tion and commu­ni­ca­tion before­hand went wonder­fully – Mr. Pitz was always avail­able for ques­tions. The day before the wedding we received a very profes­sional confir­ma­tion with all the rele­vant details — which prevented any misun­der­stand­ings. The price is totally fair. Every­thing went smoothly on the day itself. He was always on time, waited for us every­where and supported us wher­ever he could! That is true and above-average service, I felt like a princess! Mr. Pitz was discreet, reserved, yet friendly and talk­a­tive — just right for such a day where every­thing should be perfect. (apart from that, the car was really great!) Five stars! Clear recom­men­da­tion! Thank you Mr. Pitz!

We needed ad hoc support because the driver we had actu­ally booked didn’t turn up or cancelled at short notice. Mr. Pitz offered his help without much discus­sion and quoted us an all-inclu­­­sive price in advance, which was actu­ally even lower than his actual rate. He also charged this price without adding anything extra after­wards. It was impor­tant to Mr. Pitz that my boss arrived on time for his appoint­ment, which we managed to do. Thank you once again Mr. Pitz, we will book you again at any time!

Couldn’t do more to help
I booked Manfred to meet me at Frank­furt airport. He is effi­cient and knowl­edge­able and also very friendly. He provided loads of useful infor­ma­tion and took a detour to make sure I was oriented to the city. And then during my visit he was happy to answer text requests for info about Heidel­berg and restau­rant recom­men­da­tions. A true friend in Heidel­berg indeed.

Manfred is the Man!
I was trav­eling on busi­ness to Heidel­berg with a few colleagues when we met Manfred. He gave us rides to and from the work­place for 3 days. He was always on time, deliv­ered us safely, and seemed genuinely happy to visit with us. He gave us restau­rant recom­men­da­tions and talked with us about the area and fun things to do. He even gave us a ride to the airport and we went fast in his amazing car – such fun. I can’t say enough good things about Manfred – he’s the best!

Nice trip!
Perfect trip to the Haupt­bahnhof, Heidel­berg on an early morning on a Monday. Highly recom­mended. Great service.

A friend in Heidel­berg
Manfred was great. It was very much like having a friend show you around. He asked enough ques­tions to know what we might like and made perfect recom­men­da­tions. He went above and beyond to make our time in Heidel­berg and its vicinity memo­rable. He lives his work, and he loves people and it shows. In addi­tion, the car was spot­less, impres­sive, and extremely comfort­able. I can’t recom­mend Manfred and a friend in Heidel­berg enough.

Wonderful car service in Heidel­berg
We had a great expe­ri­ence with Manfred. We used his service for a day trip from Heidel­berg to Stras­bourg. He was very depend­able and helpful as we didn’t have a tour guide. Great person­ality! We would recom­mend and use again!

Outstanding service
I and my family had the oppor­tu­nity and the plea­sure of using the services of A Friend in Heidel­berg a couple of times. Each and every time I could prove his profes­sion­alism and love for what he does. Manfred does his job with so much passion and dedi­ca­tion that gives us a taste of what a friend really means. Thank you Manfred!

Very infor­ma­tive and friendly man
Manfred Pitz is a charming man who is fluent in English. He responded quickly to any ques­tions or needs via email before we arrived in Germany. He is knowl­edge­able about the areas which we want to explore. I would highly recom­mend Manfred. You will be so happy that you engaged with “a friend in Heidel­berg”.

Awesome friend one would prefer
I was on a busi­ness trip and had very less time to look around… And Manfred had been the perfect friend and guide to show me around. Felt like enjoying a new place with old friend. Would highly recom­mend for anybody visiting.

Cross country to Rothen­burg ob der Tauber
I found Manfred online whilst looking for a travel option from Speyer to Rothen­burg. The travel date happened to be our wedding anniver­sary so I asked Manfred if he could pick us up and provide some cake and refresh­ments with a stop off some­where to enjoy. Manfred’s vehicle is impec­cably main­tained and extremely comfort­able, his service and manners match. I consider the service to be great value.

A dream on four wheels
Manfred in the rare person who gets it all right, the perfect close­ness, perfect discre­tion, and humor. We had an amazing dining out and every­thing went absolutely smoothly, thanks to Manfred and the S‑Class. Highly recom­mended!

Great service
Very good service, great vehicle and a nice, educated and always friendly driver. Recom­mend­able.

Excel­lent!
Service of the top class. Mr. M. Pitz made the trip to the Abi Ball an unfor­get­table expe­ri­ence! Thank you!

Fred the man!
Manfred was a great driver to have around! Profes­sional, as well as fun and a real gentleman. Everyone very much enjoyed the expe­ri­ence as well as the amazing car itself!! Would highly recom­mend for what­ever the occa­sion!

Great service
It was a plea­sure to work with Manfred – he was fast to reply and atten­tive to our clients. Next time we have trav­elers coming to Heidel­berg, we will defi­nitely contact him!

Also, from a colleague’s point of view only to recom­mend
We had Mr. Pitz as a colleague to trans­port one of our Munich regular customers in Heidel­berg. From start to finish, the contact and service was highly profes­sional and is defi­nitely to be recom­mended. Thank you very much and hope to see you again soon.

Great Atten­tion to detail
Manfred was a plea­sure to work with throughout the plan­ning stages, through the actual visit, and even after­wards. I’m respon­sible for making all travel arrange­ments for my boss and his other half, and Manfred imme­di­ately struck me as someone I could depend upon with great atten­tion to detail. He certainly did not disap­point, making sure the end result for my boss remained seam­less, even when plans changed at the last minute. I knew I was dealing with a kindred spirit who enjoys going above and beyond. I would highly recom­mend him to anyone (or their Admin­is­trator) who requires a profes­sional, spot­less expe­ri­ence in Germany. Thank you. M. O’Gara – Admin­is­trator to Stew Mills

Fortu­nately, I have found a friend who can help me search for ances­tors
During a Viking River Cruise in early May 2019, we stopped in Heidel­berg. My grand­par­ents were from small towns (Rülzheim and Neustadt), not far away, so I asked Viking to arrange a driver to take my wife and me there. A day before we arrived, they put me in touch with Fred and I imme­di­ately real­ized we had found a gem. In addi­tion to his driving busi­ness, Fred enjoys helping visi­tors research their ances­tors in the area. Right after the call, he was already making contacts in those towns for us. The next day he drove us there and we enjoyed every minute. Fred is very cordial and profes­sional and I highly recom­mend him and his services. I really feel like we have a friend in Heidel­berg now!

Excel­lent personal service
Mr. Pitz is an excep­tion­ally cour­teous service provider. His inter­ac­tion with his customers is very personal and I imme­di­ately estab­lished a rela­tion­ship of trust with him, which is very impor­tant to me. My desti­na­tions are known to him and no expla­na­tion is needed. The equip­ment of the vehicle leaves nothing to be desired. I can only warmly recom­mend a friend in Heidel­berg.

”A friend in Heidel­berg” offers very profes­sional, friendly and comfort­able trans­porta­tion. Manfred helped making our evening special with his luxu­rious car and perfectly friendly manners (extra plus for his excel­lent English). We can highly recom­mend this company for all sorts of personal trans­porta­tions!

On a new year day we arrived to Frank­furt (first trip to Germany with family!) – The new year drive offered by him was excep­tional. It was a great service with ulti­mate profes­sion­alism. He also under­stands the internal client needs completely!

We ordered a chauf­feur service for my daugh­ter’s wedding. Mr. Pitz met all our expec­ta­tions (punc­tu­ality, friend­li­ness, profes­sional and cour­teous manner). I partic­u­larly liked his sense of the special nature of the occa­sion. Also on behalf of the bride and groom, our heart­felt thanks!

Many thanks for the excel­lent service! Mr. Pitz was always very flex­ible and extremely cour­teous to our guests. A clear recom­men­da­tion, the service was above average in every respect, we will gladly come back again.

Manfred was extremely flex­ible, profes­sional, and a great chauf­feur. Would defi­nitely recom­mend and use next time I’m in Heidel­berg.

Very reli­able man and perfect service!

Exceeds every wish for a more than first-class and comfort­able ride.

As the former managing partner of a manage­ment consul­tancy for many years, I have always vehe­mently upheld the prin­ciple of providing the best possible service. I am there­fore well aware of the impor­tance of the following state­ment: The premium chauf­feur and limou­sine service provided by Mr. Manfred Pitz, Heidel­berg, cannot be surpassed. At all times, Mr. Pitz reveals an atti­tude and quality of service that cannot even be remotely expected in this industry. His service is as perfect as the design of his website: always highly empa­thetic and thus antic­i­pating the personal wishes of his customers, both his actions and the way he conducts his conver­sa­tions are well thought-out and expe­ri­enced, impec­cable manners, cordiality and safe driving are a matter of course. This assess­ment is based on two full-day trips in 2018 to neigh­boring coun­tries (together with my wife) and in Germany. I wish Mr. Pitz all the success he deserves for 2019 and lots of fun with his new exclu­sive car.

We booked Mr. Pitz for a special occa­sion for our parents-in-law on 13 December. It was great that this was possible at very short notice. From the very begin­ning it was notice­able how much passion Mr. Pitz puts into this service. This was partic­u­larly evident on the evening in ques­tion. Dressed as desired in the classic chauf­feur outfit with cap and gloves, Mr. Pitz put the icing on the cake for this special occa­sion. All in all, 100% recom­mended without reser­va­tion. Thank you very much.

Great limou­sine service driving us to and from our wedding in Heidel­berg, including nice and fancy extras like white gloves, chauf­feur-hat, and cans at the back of the vehicle. Mr. Pitz is super-friendly and has been a great companion for the time in his vehicle.

A friend in Heidel­berg is the best way to get around in Heidel­berg. The service is excep­tional and there is no better way to travel than in an S‑Class! Manfred is the best!

Many thanks for the first-class limou­sine service at our wedding. We enjoyed every minute of the journey. Highly recom­mended.

Mr. Pitz accom­pa­nied us at our wedding in the most wonderful way. We felt completely at ease at every moment.

A high-quality service with style, profes­sion­alism and heart. Highly recom­mended for all your driving and guiding needs in and around Heidel­berg.

Manfred was great — on time pick-up and delivery to the airport. Much easier than using train or bus, nice car and nice conver­sa­tion. I would defi­nitely recom­mend Manfred anytime.

First class service from a wonderful, first-class guy! What a great after­noon, went above and beyond to show us around Heidel­berg. Highly recom­mend! Thanks Manfred, will defi­nitely see you again.

I am very impressed by the driver. Very friendly and helpful. He was punc­tual and wrote imme­di­ately when I had ques­tions about the journey. Cannot get any better. The four-hour drive felt like four minutes. The Mercedes-Benz S‑Class with massage seats was amazing.

Manfred is a true friend in Heidel­berg! Supe­rior customer service and care. He tailored the rides and stops we made throughout the city to my wishes and was so patient. He even showed me a local coffee shop and helped me buy souvenirs for my chil­dren! Highly recom­mend!

Manfred provides an excel­lent and knowl­edge­able limou­sine service. Highly recom­mended for visi­tors to Heidel­berg.

Thank you very much for the wonderful service you provided for our guests. Everyone was deeply impressed and delighted by your excel­lent ideas, your all-round skills and your always respectful friend­li­ness throughout the tour. You certainly give everyone the wonderful feeling of having A Friend in Heidel­berg. Thank you on behalf of everyone.

I can highly recom­mend “A Friend in Heidel­berg”. Manfred picked me up from Frank­furt Airport after a (over) 20-hour journey from Australia. I was so exhausted but relieved to have a friend (Manfred) waiting for me to help with my luggage and safely take me to my fami­ly’s house. Thanks again Manfred, you were great company on our 2‑hour trip and you were right, we could have talked for another 10.

Ideal service for people that value comfort and their time. We had a perfect ride to the airport accom­pa­nied by fresh coffee and seat massage. The driver Manfred will fulfill any wish you have and get you to your desti­na­tion fast and safe.

It was a pleasant expe­ri­ence to be brought to the airport by such a friendly driver dedi­cated to making the service he provides as enjoy­able as possible for everyone. Very recom­mend­able!!

Manfred Pitz offers a first-class limou­sine service in Heidel­berg, which I am very happy to recom­mend. The nice manner, his atten­tive­ness and profes­sion­alism would also deserve a sixth star! Despite some last-minute changes to my journey, he patiently catered to all my needs and I was able to relax between my appoint­ments during the journey. You can rely on Manfred Pitz. I will defi­nitely contact him again if I am ever in Heidel­berg again.

Manfred was kind, profes­sional and very helpful! My trans­port back from the airport with him was comfort­able, enjoy­able and effi­cient. His friend­li­ness and excel­lent customer service skills will make you feel like you are truly trav­eling with a friend! Highly recom­mend!

“A Friend in Heidel­berg” picked me up after a very stressy day. Every­thing was perfect, I even got a nice hot tomato soup waiting for me in the car (as I had mentioned that I was starving and did not have time for dinner). Manfred, the driver, really seems to be dedi­cated to give that extra personal touch. The car is very spacious and with a big plus for the massage func­tion in the seats! The ride gave a little silver lining to my other­wise bad day, Highly recom­mended.

Top-class limou­sine service that suits our product very well. Our guests are always delighted with Mr. Pitz’s excep­tion­ally atten­tive and approach­able service. We can only recom­mend A Friend in Heidel­berg.

My wife and I would like to thank you very much for your impec­cable chauf­feur service to and from Frank­furt Airport. Your endeavor to create the most pleasant and comfort­able atmos­phere for your passen­gers was clearly conveyed despite your reserved and polite manner. We will be happy to recom­mend you to any of our friends who ask for an excel­lent limou­sine service.

We would like to thank you for the compe­tent and explicit, nice assis­tance during our stay in Heidel­berg and vicinity. The orga­ni­za­tion between the hotel Europäis­cher Hof as well as with the pilot of the airline company was excel­lent.

Let me once more thank you for the excel­lent services you rendered during my latest stay in Speyer on the occa­sion of Federal Chan­cellor Kohl’s funeral cere­mony. In partic­ular, I appre­ci­ated your being informed of the frequently changing weather-related condi­tions and orga­ni­za­tional circum­stances at any given point in time, and you finding the best possible solu­tion for me with great prudence. Commu­ni­ca­tions with my office in Berlin also worked very smoothly. Finally, it deserves mention that I felt very well looked-after bearing in mind your safe and highly profes­sional driving style as well as your unob­tru­sive pres­ence.

I would like to thank Mr. Manfred Pitz for the very reli­able, safe and enter­taining chauf­feur service. The limou­sine was superbly prepared and care­fully equipped by Mr. Pitz. This way I have been able to enjoy the ride and arrived relaxed at the event in the city of Wies­loch. I recom­mend Mr. Pitz without any reser­va­tion.

I would like to thank you for the wonderful way you took care of my guests in Heidel­berg. Mr. Pitz has exceeded my wildest hopes by far. Rarely was I so sure that my clients were in good hands and always felt well informed. From the customer side too, I have only heard enthu­siasm and praise for Mr. Pitz.

Jerry and I really had a wonderful time in fall 2017. It was a trip to remember. I really appre­ciate all you did for us in Heidel­berg. Jerry and I also enjoyed your splendid car and appre­ci­ated what a good chauf­feur you really are. Well, one of the many reasons we wanted you to drive us again in 2018 down in Bavaria is that you are a very good driver with extremely quick reac­tions. It really was a plea­sure when you drove us around. What made it even better is that I enjoyed talking to you and seeing the sights you showed us (like Heidel­berg by night, or the Heidel­berg Castle Gardens, or the Choco­la­­­terie-Café YilliY, or Schwet­zingen Gardens, or Hambach Castle, etc.). I had done a lot of research but there is nothing like having someone who really knows Heidel­berg and its surrounding show you sights that you would miss if you just consulted a tour guide. You really have an artist’s eye for that sort of thing.