17 Day Nephi to Cumorah Tour
December 27, 2008 – January 12, 2009
$3,895 per person double occupancy
Does not include international airfare
(United States to Guatemala and Mexico City to the United States)
Includes three internal air flights, sixteen 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 commitment fee of $100 per person is due by April 1, 2008. For those who pay by this date, a discount of $50 off of the $3,895 price per person will be given on the final invoice. A tour deposit of $500 per person is due by May 15, 2008. The total payment is due by October 27, 2008. The commitment fee and deposit are non-refundable; however, they may be transferred to another tour if taken within 12 months of the original scheduled tour departure. See terms and conditions for details.
This is our hallmark Book of Mormon Tour. You will cover the Book of Mormon history including the Land of First Inheritance, the land of Nephi, the land of Zarahemla, the land northward, the East Wilderness and concluding at the hill Cumorah where the Book of Mormon comes to an end. We believe there is no better tour on the market. Most tours don’t even go to Chiapas and Veracruz where the most convincing evidence on the Book of Mormon is available. Over 90% of the history in the Book of Mormon has been proposed as having taken place in the areas visited on this all-inclusive deluxe tour. You will visit five LDS Temples, thirteen archaeological sites and museums, and nineteen locations associated with the Book of Mormon. The per diem costs are much less than other tours of this nature. Call today to book your space on this deluxe Book of Mormon experience.
Itinerary
Day 1: Saturday, December 27, 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.
Day 2: Sunday, December 28, Guatemala City
After attending church with the local saints, we will visit 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 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)
Day 3: Monday, December 29, 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 4: Tuesday, December 30, Antigua
For those who desire, we will attend a session at the Guatemala City temple. Afterwards, we will check out of our hotel and 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 then bus to Antigua, the old Spanish capital of Guatemala. Several buildings dating to the 16th and 17th centuries, the jade factory, the artisan’s market and a charming town square are not to be missed during our stay in Antigua. We stay in this charming city tonight. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 5: Wednesday, December 31, Lake Atitlan
This morning we travel 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. The hotel has fun activities and a spectacular New Year’s party planned for you to attend. (Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 6: Thursday, January 1, 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 7: Friday, January 2, Quetzaltenango
After having the morning free, 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 Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala and the location of the newly announced second temple in Guatemala, where we will check into our hotel that overlooks the city square. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 8: Saturday, January 3, Tapachula, Chiapas, 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 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 check into our hotel in the nearby city of Tapachula. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 9: Sunday, January 4, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas
Following church services, we will travel by bus along the Soconusco coastal region as we discuss things such as Lehi’s landing site, a day and a half journey for a Nephite, and the city of Ammonihah and its destruction. We will arrive in 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 10: Monday, January 5, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas
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. 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 white god Quetzalcoatl. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 11: Tuesday, January 6, Villahermosa, Tabasco
This morning we will check out of our hotel and visit the temple at Tuxtla Gutierrez and the Regional Museum of Tuxtla Gutierrez that shows many pre-Classic (Book of Mormon time period) sites and artifacts, including an engraved stone that manifests the early long count date of December 9, 36 B.C. (See Helaman chapter 4). We will then bus to Villahermosa which represents the western edge of the “land among many waters” described in Mosiah 8:8. Upon arrival we will visit the outdoor La Venta Museum, a place that houses large engraved stone monuments dating to the Jaredite time period. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 12: Wednesday, January 7, Villahermosa, Tabasco
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 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 13: Thursday, January 8, Catemaco, Veracruz
Today we will 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 14: Friday, January 9, Veracruz, 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 15: Saturday, January 10, Mexico City, Mexico
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). Returning to Mexico City in the afternoon, we will stop at the Shrine of Guadalupe where we will learn about the origin of the Catholic Church in Mexico. (Breakfast, Lunch)
Day 16: Sunday, January 11, Mexico City
This morning we will attend church and see the LDS temple which has been recently renovated. Afterwards, we will visit see the Mexico City temple which is currently undergoing renovation. We will also visit the downtown center of Mexico City and see the National Palace, National Cathedral and Great Temple of the Aztecs. In the afternoon, 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 our last night. (Breakfast, Lunch)
Day 17: Monday, January 12, 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.
Prices and itineraries are subject to change.
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