January 25 – Guatemala City

Plan for your flight to arrive in Guatemala City in the afternoon or evening of January 25.

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) 

January 26 – Guatemala City

After attending church with the local saints, we will visit the Guatemala LDS temple and then later, the National Museum of Archaeology of Guatemala where we will view and analyze Kaminaljuyu’s stela 10, an altar that dates to 147 BC and may suggest a transfer of kingship from King Noah to Limhi (see Mosiah 18 & 19).  We will then visit the large relief map of Guatemala in order to orient ourselves with the geographical overview of the country in relation to the Book of Mormon. (Breakfast, Dinner) 

January 27 – 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). New evidence shows a strong relationship between Teotihuacan and Tikal at the close of the Book of Mormon history, which could be correlated with the downfall of the Nephite nation. In the evening we will take a return flight to Guatemala City. (Breakfast, Lunch). 

January 28 – Lake Atitlan

This morning we will check out of our hotel and 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 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) 

January 29 – 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) 

January 30 – Quetzaltenango

After a leisure morning, we will check out of our hotel and pick up a trail, proposed as Alma’s trail, as we make our way through the wilderness to a location proposed as the Valley of Alma. Our journey will take us to Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala and the location of the new, second temple in Guatemala which we will see prior to checking into our hotel that overlooks the city square.  (Breakfast, Dinner) 

January 31 – 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) 

February 1 – 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 proposed as  the “day and a half’s journey” as well as the area proposed as 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) 

February 2 – 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) sites and 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 the majestic Quetzal bird, the national bird of Guatemala and the bird used to represent the god Quetzalcoatl.  (Breakfast, Dinner) 

February 3 – 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 may represent the western edge of the “land among many waters” described in Mosiah 8:8. (Breakfast, Dinner) 

February 4 – 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 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, that stretches back to a king born on March 8, 993 BC (and some have proposed connects to the Jaredite king named Kish). We will return to Villahermosa where we will spend the night. (Breakfast, Lunch) 

February 5 – Catemaco

This morning we will check out of our hotel and visit the outdoor La Venta Museum, a place 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 proposed “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 a candidate for the hill Shim (Cintepec) where some scholars suggest that Mormon obtained the records for his history (See Mormon 1:3, 17). (Breakfast, Dinner)

February 6 – Mexico City

Today is a highlight of the tour.  We will check out of our hotel and visit the hill that some Latter-day Saint scholars suggest as 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 proposed as 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) 

February 7 – 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) 

February 8 – 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) 

February 9 – Arrive home with amazing memories!

Plan for your flight to leave Mexico City the morning of February 9.

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) 

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