Day 1: Sat, Feb 7, 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, Feb 8, 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, Feb 9, 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, Feb 10, 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, Feb 11, 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, Feb 12, 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, Feb 13, 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, Feb 14, 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, Feb 15, 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, Feb 16, 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, Feb 17, Villahermosa
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 wild and rugged 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 take a two-hour bus ride
to the majestic Classic period Maya ruins of Palenque. We will analyze
the panel of glyphs at the Temple of the Cross which shows the lineage of a 7th
century AD king named Chan Balaam, which dates to a Jaredite king named Kish,
who was born on March 8, 993 BC. We will return to Villahermosa where we will
spend a second night. (Breakfast, Lunch)
Day 12: Wed, Feb 18, Catemaco
This morning, we will check out of our hotel
and visit the outdoor La Venta Museum, a natural environment that houses
large, engraved stone monuments dating to the Jaredite time period. We will also visit the Villahermosa Temple
and then bus along Mexico’s “golden lane” passing by both the “place
where the sea divides the land” (Gulf of Mexico), and the “narrow neck
of land” (Isthmus of Tehuantepec). (See Ether 10:20.) Prior to our arrival
at beautiful Lake Catemaco where we will spend the night, we will pass
by the hill Shim (Cintepec) where Mormon obtained the records for his
history (See Mormon 1:3, 17). (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 13: Thursday, Feb 19, Mexico City
Today is a highlight of the tour. We will check
out of our hotel and visit the hill where leading Latter-day Saint scholars agree
as to the location of the hill Ramah/Cumorah mentioned in the Book of
Mormon (Mormon 6:2,6; Ether 15:11). We
will travel through the area of the waters of Ripliancum (Ether 15:8), a
place that has the same meaning in the Aztec (Nahuatl) language, “exceeding
large waters.” We will drive into the city of Veracruz where we will see
the Veracruz Temple and have dinner prior to flying to Mexico City.
(Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 14: Friday, Feb 20, Mexico City
This morning, we will visit the ancient
ruins of Teotihuacan. Occupied from about 200 BC to AD 900, Teotihuacan was
one of the largest populated cities in the world during its peak. The inspiring
pyramids of the Sun and Moon attract millions of visitors to this most
popular archaeological zone in Mexico. This may have been the great city built
by King Jacob of the Gadianton Robbers (See 3 Nephi 7). We will return to
Mexico City in the afternoon. (Breakfast, Lunch)
Day 15: Saturday, Feb 21, Mexico City
We begin our day by visiting the National
Museum of Anthropology, one of the most spectacular archaeological museums
in the world. Touring the museum will provide us with an excellent review of
our tour and expose us to many beautiful exhibits ranging from ancient pottery
to gold and jade jewelry. Afterward, we will conclude our tour with a visit to the
Mexico City temple prior to our return to our hotel for the last night.
(Breakfast, Lunch)
Day 16: Sunday, Feb 22, Flights Home
Transferring to the Mexico 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
● Three internal air flights, a $480 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.
