Allen’s Book of Mormon
Tours
with Tour Hosts Doug
and Connie Earl
The
Original Book of Mormon tour
16-Day Nephi to Bountiful Tour
February 28 – March 15,
2026
$4,395 per person
double occupancy
Includes all internal air flights.
Does not include international air
flights.
(United States to Guatemala City and Belize
City to the United States)
On this unique, deluxe tour you will follow the
Book of Mormon history from the land of Nephi to the land Bountiful. Places
visited include the proposed sites of Lehi’s landing site, the city of Nephi, the
East Wilderness, the land of Ishmael, the Waters of Mormon, the land of Helam, the
land of Zarahemla, the city of Sidom, the River Sidon, the exciting ruins of
Palenque, a fortified city, the city of Bountiful, and the land Jershon. This
all-inclusive, premium tour is a fantastic mix of archaeology, museums,
exciting places of interest, and is filled throughout with the history of the
Book of Mormon. The spiritual highlight of the Book of Mormon is the Savior’s
visit to the Nephite-Maya people who had gathered themselves together at the
temple in the land Bountiful where they witnessed the fulfillment of the Law of
Moses. From information in the Book of
Mormon, we know that the city of Bountiful was in the land Bountiful and close
to the city of Mulek which was located in the east wilderness of the land of
Zarahemla by the east sea, or the Caribbean Ocean, in northern Belize.
You will visit five LDS Temples, sixteen
archaeological sites and museums, twenty locations associated with the Book of
Mormon, and other places of interest. Call today to book your space on this
deluxe Book of Mormon experience. 1.801.226.5200 or email us at BookOfMormonTours@gmail.com.
Tour Includes: fifteen nights hotel
accommodations, two internal air flights (a $240 value), two or more meals
daily except on the first and last days, first-class bus transportation,
entrance fees and guide service to places listed on the itinerary, taxes and
tips on group items, literature and maps pertaining to your tour, and escorted
by professional tour director Blake Joseph Allen.
A tour deposit of $500 per person is due in
order to reserve your space on the tour. A second payment of $1,000 per person
is due 6 months prior to departure (August 28, 2025) with the final payment due
2 months prior to departure (December 28, 2025). The deposit amount is
non-refundable; however, it may be transferred to another tour if taken within
12 months of the original scheduled tour departure. See terms and conditions
for details. Prices and itineraries are subject to change.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Sat, February 28, Guatemala City
Our flights take us to Guatemala City, the
city of Eternal Spring. Upon arrival we will transfer and check into our
deluxe hotel. (No meals included)
Day 2: Sunday, March 1, Guatemala City
After attending church with the local saints,
we will visit the two LDS temples located in Gautemala City and then
later, we will explore the archaeological zone of Kaminaljuyu, the area
considered by many to have been where Nephi settled in the 6th
century BC (see 2 Nephi 5:5-10). We will discuss Kaminaljuyu’s altar 10,
which displays the date of November 8, 147 BC and may suggest a transfer of
kingship from King Noah to Limhi (see Mosiah 18 & 19). Afterwards we will see the large outdoor relief
map of Guatemala in order to orient ourselves with a geographical overview
of the country in relation to the Book of Mormon. We conclude our day with a
delicious Argentine steak dinner. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 3: Monday, March 2, Guatemala City
Our air flight will take us to the awe-inspiring,
Maya archaeological zone of Tikal, occupied from 600 BC to AD 750. This
dense rain forest is considered by many to be the East Wilderness where the
Nephites, under the direction of the military leader Moroni, built many
fortified cities during the 1st century BC (see Alma 50:7-15). Evidence shows a
strong relationship between Teotihuacan and Tikal at the close of the Book of
Mormon history which resulted in the downfall of the Nephite nation. In the evening,
we will take a return flight to Guatemala City. (Breakfast, Lunch).
Day 4: Tuesday, March 3, Lake Atitlan
This morning, we will check out of our hotel
and visit the National Museum of Archaeology of Guatemala where we will see
many ancient artifacts from several ancient cities. We will then bus to Antigua,
the old Spanish capital of Guatemala. Several buildings date to the 16th
and 17th centuries. We will
visit the jade factory prior to continuing on to Lake Atitlan. En route,
we will pass by the Cakchiquel Maya village of Patzicia, almost entirely
destroyed by the 1976 earthquake. We will recount the courage and faith of the
missionaries and members of the Patzicia stake. We will continue on our trek to
the village of Panajachel, and check into our hotel that is nestled on the
shore of Lake Atitlan. (Breakfast,
Dinner)
Day 5: Wednesday, March 4, Lake Atitlan
Flanked by three dramatic volcanoes, Lake
Atitlan has been a scenic retreat for over 2000 years. It has been proposed
by many LDS scholars as a site for the Waters of Mormon where Alma
organized the church of Christ in the first century BC (see Mosiah chapters 18
and 19). The day will consist of a cruise on the lake to see the area
where an ancient city was covered by water. This city may have been Jerusalem
mentioned in Alma 21:1 or it may have been one of the other cities mentioned in
3 Nephi 9:7. The afternoon will be free for shopping or relaxing or other
available activities. A presentation on the historical literature of the Book
of Mormon will be presented by your tour director in the evening. (Breakfast,
Dinner)
Day 6: Thurs, March 5, Quetzaltenango
After a leisure morning, we will check out of
our hotel and pick up Alma’s trail as we make our way through the wilderness to
the Valley of Alma. Our journey will take us to the second largest city in
Guatemala, Quetzaltenango, and the location of Guatemala’s second
temple which we will see prior to checking into our hotel. (Breakfast,
Dinner)
Day 7: Fri, March 6, Tapachula, Mexico
After checking out of our hotel, we will visit
the village of Almolonga, renowned for its pure water and lush vegetable
gardens, a place that may have been occupied by Alma and his followers
(Mosiah chapters 23 & 24). We will then travel down from the highlands to
the Pacific coast where we will cross the border into Mexico and check
into our hotel in the nearby city of Tapachula. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 8: Sat, March 7, Tuxtla Gutierrez
Today we will visit the archaeological site
of Izapa. While visiting Izapa, we will see Stela 5, the “Tree of Life
Stone”. This engraved stone dating back to 300 BC may depict Lehi’s dream
as recorded in first Nephi. Following our visit of Izapa we will bus along the
Pacific coast passing by the area of the “day and a half’s journey” as
well as the area of Ammonihah as we travel to the Chiapas valley, considered by
many to have been the Land of Zarahemla where the Nephites had their
headquarters for 550 years (Omni 1:13-15 and Mormon 2:28-29). (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 9: Sunday, March 8, Tuxtla Gutierrez
Following church services, we will visit the temple
at Tuxtla Gutierrez and the Regional Museum of Tuxtla Gutierrez that
shows many pre-Classic (Book of Mormon period) artifacts, including an engraved
stone that manifests the early long count date of December 9, 36 B.C. In
the afternoon we will visit the zoo and see many animals native to the state of
Chiapas including the majestic Quetzal bird, the national bird of
Guatemala and the bird used to represent the white god Quetzalcoatl. (See
Helaman chapter 4). (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 10: Monday, March 9, Villahermosa
We will begin our day with a visit to the archaeological
zone of Chiapa de Corzo, a candidate for the City Sidom (See Alma
15:1-8). We will then take a boat ride through the majestic Sumidero Canyon
on the Grijalva River, with walls towering 3000 feet above our heads. The
Grijalva has been proposed as the River Sidon in the Book of
Mormon. We will then travel to the city
of Villahermosa which represents the western edge of the “land among many
waters” described in Mosiah 8:8. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 11: Tuesday, March 10, Palenque
We start our day with a visit to the Villahermosa LDS Temple followed by the
outdoor La Venta Museum, a place
that houses large, engraved stone monuments dating to the Jaredite time
period. We will then bus on to the beautiful Chiapas
mountains which are located in the area of the “land among many waters” described in Mosiah 8:8. Although only
four percent of the population of the country of Mexico live in the State of
Chiapas, over 40% of the wild animals live in the Tehuantepec, Chiapas and
Lacondone mountains. This is reminiscent of the statement in Ether wherein it
states that the “land southward was preserved for a wilderness to get game”
(Ether 10:21). We will visit the majestic
Classic period Maya ruins of Palenque. We will analyze the panel of glyphs
at the Temple of the Cross where we see the glyph that has been translated to mean,
and
it came to pass. Dinner will be provided at the hotel. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 12: Wed, March 11, Explorean
Today we make our way through the area proposed
as the land among many waters. We will
pass by the Usumacinta River, commonly mistaken as the river Sidon in the Book
of Mormon. We will visit the ancient sites of Chicanna as well as the
fortified city of Becan, which is remarkably similar to those
constructed by Captain Moroni in the East Wilderness of the Book of Mormon,
which constructions have been labeled by a leading archaeologist as “the
brainchild of some local innovator.” Tonight, we will stay at the beautiful jungle
resort of the Explorean at Kohunlich, a favorite of everyone. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 13: Thursday, March 12, Explorean
Wake
up to nature at its best in this peaceful jungle setting. The misty dew on the
grass, the sounds of the birds in the trees and the serenity of the eco-resort
setting makes this a day to remember forever. We will travel to Calakmul, the
largest Mayan city found in Mexico to date. There is evidence of uninterrupted
architectural building from 550 BC to AD 900 at Calakmul. The meaning of
Calakmul is “two adjacent pyramids”. They are the highest Mayan pyramids in
Mexico. In fact, at over 150 feet tall, the Great Pyramid is one of the tallest
Maya pyramids ever found. The views from the top are stunning and well
worth the climb. It’s possible to see into Guatemala from the top of the
pyramids and you will likely be able to hear howler monkeys in the distance. It
is a long day, but well worth our time. We will return to the Explorean for the
evening. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 14: Friday, March 13, Chetumal
This morning, we will
visit the archaeological zone of Kohunlich,
which is best known for its Temple of the Masks, an Early Classic pyramid whose
central stairway is flanked by large stucco masks. The temple was built around
AD 500. The giant masks represent the Sun God "Kinich Ahau". The city rose to prominence in the Early
Classic when there were important ties to the cultures of northern Belize.
Afterwards we will go to the archaeological site of Dzibanche, a fertile region where evidence suggests the city Bountiful
may have been located where the Savior visited the Nephites. Dzibanche, meaning “writing on wood,” owes
its name to the fact that Temple number VI had a fairly large lintel made from quebracho wood that bears eight glyphs
dated to AD 618. Dzibanche was a major
site in the Maya area in the Classic Period (AD 300-900). We travel to Chetumal
for the night. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 15: Saturday, March 14, Belize City
This morning, we will cross into the country of
Belize and travel south to the New River.
Traveling up the river by speed
boat is an amazing experience as our guide introduces us to some of the
many species of tropical birds, the beautiful vegetation, and possibly a
crocodile or two. Arriving at Lamanai
we will have a guided tour of the remnants of this ancient Mayan city that may
have been the land of Jershon
mentioned in the Book of Mormon. After enjoying a traditional Belizean lunch,
we will return by boat to Orange Walk and continue on to Belize City for our
final night of the tour. (Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner)
Day 16: Sunday, March 15, Flights Home
Transferring to the Belize City airport, we
will check in for our flights home. Our journey to the Book of Mormon lands has
come to an end, but we will take with us memories that will last a lifetime.
(No meals included)
Included
in the Tour:
● 15 nights in deluxe hotel accommodations
● Two internal air flights, a $240 value
● Two or more full meals daily
● First-class bus transportation
● Entrance fees and guide service to places
listed on the itinerary
● Taxes and tips on group items
● Literature and maps pertaining to your tour
● Escorted by professional tour director, Blake
Joseph Allen.
Not included in the
Tour:
●
International airfare
●
Third meal when not included in the itinerary
●
Additional beverages at group meals
●
All personal expenses, travel, and health insurance
●
Airport and country departure taxes
●
Anything not mentioned in the above “Included” section
Additional
Information:
●
$975 single supplement for hotels
●
3% fee will be added to bookings paid with a
credit card
●
Provided meals are noted at the end of each day.
●
Time will be given for optional third meals or
snacks during the day.
●
Prices and itineraries are subject to change.
