Day 1: Saturday, July 21, 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, July 22, 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 altar 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, July 23, 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, July 24, 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, July 25, 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, July 26, 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 stop and see the new Quetzaltenango temple prior to checking into our hotel that overlooks the city square. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 7: Friday, July 27, 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 city of Tapachula. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 8: Saturday, July 28, Tapachula
This morning we will culminate our tour with a 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. Afterwards we will visit the local museum in Tapachula and, if possible, visit the beach near the city to get a feel of what Lehi and his family may have seen as they arrived at the new world. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 9: Sunday, July 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. (No meals provided)
