Day 1: Saturday, October 22, Guatemala City

Our flights take us to Guatemala City, the city of Eternal Spring. You can arrive anytime on this day. Upon arrival we will transfer and check into our deluxe hotel. (No meals included)

Day 2: Sunday, October 23, 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 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 explore the archaeological zone of Kaminaljuyu, a place considered by many to have been settled by Nephi in the 6th century BC (see 2 Nephi 5:5-10). (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 3: Monday, October 24, Guatemala City

An early morning flight (6:30 am) 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 resulted in the downfall of the Nephite nation. In the early evening we will take a return flight to Guatemala City at 7:30 pm. (Breakfast, Lunch).

Day 4: Tuesday, October 25, Lake Atitlan

This morning we will check out of our hotel at 7:00 am and bus to Lake Atitlan (3-1/2 hours).  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 to 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). After a quick check in at our hotel, we will enjoy 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. Upon our return, a presentation on the historical literature of the Book of Mormon will be presented by your tour director. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 5: Wed, October 26, Tapachula, Mexico

After checking out of our hotel, we depart at 7:00 am and we will pick up Alma’s trail as we make our way through the wilderness to the Valley of Alma. Our journey will take us to Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala and the location of the second temple in Guatemala. If time permits, 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. (About 7 hours of travel) (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 6: Thurs, October 27, 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 areas of the cities of Melek and 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 7: Friday, October 28, 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 8: Saturday, October 29, 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 areas of Tehuantepec, Chiapas and Lacondone mountains of Chiapas. 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 time 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 back to a Jaredite king named Kish, who was born on March 8, 993 BC. We will return to Villahermosa where we will spend the night. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 9: Sunday, October 30, Catemaco

This morning we will attend church with a local ward and see the LDS temple. We will then 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 then bus along Mexico’s “golden lane” and visit the site of La Venta referred to as the city of Lib. We will also pass 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 10: Monday, October 31, Veracruz

Today is a highlight of the tour. We will check out of our hotel and visit the hill where leading Latter-day Saint scholars are in agreement 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 spend the night and have the opportunity to see the Veracruz Temple. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 11: Tuesday, November 1, Flights Home

Transferring to the Veracruz 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)

2-day Extension:

A two-day extension is available with this tour. For those who desire, the following can be added to the end of the tour for the cost of $495 per person, double occupancy:

Day 11: Tuesday, November 1, Mexico City

This morning we will take a flight to Mexico City. Upon arrival 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 then return to Mexico City and check into our hotel. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 12: Wed, November 2, Mexico City

Today will visit the Plaza of Three Cultures. The name "Three Cultures" is in recognition of the three periods of Mexican history reflected by buildings in the plaza: pre-Columbian, Spanish colonial, and the independent nation of Mexico. 

The square contains the archaeological site of Tlatelolco and is flanked by the oldest European school of higher learning in the Americas called the College of Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco built in 1536 by friar Juan de Torquemada. We then visit the Shrine of Guadalupe where we will learn about the origin of the Catholic Church in Mexico. We will also see the Mexico City LDS temple. Finally, we will visit 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. We will return to the hotel for the night. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 13: Thu, November 3, Flights Home

Transferring to the Mexico City airport, we will check in for our flights home. (No meals included)