8-Day Land of Nephi Tour

                                    $1,925 per person double occupancy
                                            Does not include airfare
                          (United States to Guatemala, Tikal Round Trip,
     Tapachula to Mexico City and Mexico City to the United States)

                                               Departure Dates:
                                                   July 10, 2010
                                                October 30, 2010
                                               February 19, 2011
                                                    July 9, 2011

On this AWE INSPIRING tour to the beautiful country of Guatemala, you will see the Book of Mormon history come to life as we travel through the area proposed in the new second edition of Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon as the land of Nephi where much of the history of the Book of Mormon took place.  You will follow in the footsteps of Alma as he traveled from the land of Nephi to the waters of Mormon and on to the land of Helam. You will visit the LDS temple in Guatemala City and see the progress of the construction on the Quetzaltenango Temple.  The trip includes five archaeological sites and museums, eight locations associated with the Book of Mormon and other places of interest culminating at the site of Izapa where you will see the Tree of Life stone.  Call today to book your space on this deluxe Book of Mormon experience. 1.801.226.5200  or email us  at                         blake@ldstours.com

This DELUXE tour Includes seven nights hotel accommodations, two or more meals daily except on the first and last days, 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 Allen.

The tour deposit is $500 per person. The total payment is due 60 days prior to departure. 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. Prices and itineraries are subject to change.

The price of the tour is $1,925 per person based on double occupancy.  Airfare is extra and is currently around $600-$700 per person for round-trip flights from the USA to Guatemala City and back from Tapachula, Mexico and round-trip flights from Guatemala City to Tikal and back.  Everyone needs a passport.  Please contact us by email at blake@ldstours.com if you need information on obtaining a passport, for help on booking your airline tickets or if you have any other questions.

Itinerary

Day 1: Saturday, 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 provided)

Day 2: Sunday, Guatemala City

Following church services with a local ward, 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 and finally 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, 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 late afternoon we will take a return flight to Guatemala City.  (Breakfast, Lunch).

Day 4: Tuesday, Lake Atitlan

For those that desire, we will attend a session at the Guatemala City Temple.  We will then bus to Antigua, the old Spanish capital of Guatemala, where we will visit the jade factory to see how the intricate jade artifacts are made.  Jade was the most important precious stone to the Maya.  We will continue 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, 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. After lunch, you will have free time in which you may relax, shop or make a visit to a small museum containing pottery recovered from beneath the surface of Lake Atitlan. This pottery is known as the “Miraflores” style which dates to the 1st century BC and comes from Kaminaljuyu. A fireside on the historical literature of the Book of Mormon will be presented by your tour director in the evening. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6: Thursday, Quetzaltenango

Following a leisurely 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 Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala, where we will check into our hotel that overlooks the city square. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 7: Friday, 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 also see the new LDS temple that is being built in Quetzaltenango.  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 8: Saturday, 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.

Provided meals are noted at the end of each day.  Prices and itineraries are subject to change.

The second edition of Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon can help you in preparing for the tour. Once you have made your initial deposit, we will send one complimentary copy of the new edition.

Let the Book of Mormon change your life.....again! ®