10 Day Land of Nephi Tour
November 20 - 29, 2008
$2,595 per person double occupancy
Does not include international airfare
(United States to Mexico City and Guatemala City to the United States)
Includes three internal air flights, nine nights hotel accommodations, two or more 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, and escorted by professional tour director Blake Joseph Allen.
A tour deposit of $500 per person is due to reserve your space. The balance of the cost of the tour is due by September 20, 2008. The deposit 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.
On this tour you will see the Book of Mormon history come to life as we travel throughout the area proposed as the land of Nephi including the land of First Inheritance and the Tree of Life Stone. You will visit the LDS temples in Mexico City and Guatemala City, seven archaeological sites and museums, ten locations associated with the Book of Mormon and other places of interest.
Itinerary
Day 1: Thursday, November 20, Mexico City
Our flights take us to Mexico City, the largest city in the world. Upon arrival we will transfer and check into our deluxe hotel.
Day 2: Friday, November 21, Tapachula, Chiapas
After checking out of our hotel, 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). If time permits, we will also visit the renowned Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. An evening flight will take us to Tapachula, near the Guatemala border. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 3: Saturday, November 22, Quetzaltenango
We will check out of our hotel and begin the day with a visit to the site of Izapa in the proposed area for the Nephite’s “land of first inheritance.” 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. We will continue to make our way across the border into the Guatemala highlands where our journey will take us to Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala, where we will check into our hotel that overlooks the city square. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 4: Sunday, November 23, Lake Atitlan
Following church services, we will check out of our hotel and 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 continue on our trek to the village of Panajachel, and check into our hotel that is nestled on the shore of Lake Atatlan. A presentation of the historical literature of the Book of Mormon will be presented by your tour director in the evening. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 5: Monday, November 24, 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 to enjoy shopping among the local vendors. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 6: Tuesday, November 25, Antigua
Today we move on to the old Spanish capital of Guatemala, Antigua. 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. Antigua is a delightful, colonial period city, with cobble stone streets and 16th century Catholic churches throughout the city. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 7: Wednesday, November 26, Antigua
An enjoyable day awaits us. We will visit the jade factory and learn about how jade is discovered, processed and made into jewelry. Jade was the preferred precious stone of the Maya. The afternoon will be free to enjoy this colonial city. Several buildings dating to the 16th and 17th centuries, the artisan’s market and a charming town square are some of the things you may wish to see. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 8: Thursday, November 27, Guatemala City
This morning we will bus to Guatemala City and visit the large outdoor relief map of Guatemala and enjoy a geographical review of the country in relation to the Book of Mormon. 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). We will conclude the day with a visit to 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). (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 9: Friday, November 28, 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 resulted in the downfall of the Nephite nation. In the early evening we will take a return flight to Guatemala City. (Breakfast, Lunch).
Day 10: Saturday, November 29, Flights Home
Transferring to the 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.
Prices and itineraries are subject to change.
Book of Mormon Tours
Let the Book of Mormon change your life.....again!
Toll Free (888) 226-5205
Utah County (801) 226-5200
www.bookofmormontours.com