Church History Tour
Church History Tour
Join John Hilton III & Bountiful Travel on this unforgettable tour to Palmyra, Kirtland, Independence, and Nauvoo. The highlights of the tour are the Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith farm, historic Kirtland village, the Kirtland temple, Independence, Liberty Jail, Far West, historic Nauvoo, and the Nauvoo temple to name a few. You and your family will love John as he takes you to these historic places. We will stay in nice hotels all along the way, eating some of our meals at the hotels. We do meals at the hotels as we have found this to be a great way to allow for group interaction and better, quicker meals.
Day 1 : Fly to Rochester
You will depart this morning for Rochester, New York. Plan to arrive at the hotel before 7:00 pm as you will have a chance to get to know the group and tour director at our meet & greet. Hotel: Hampton Inn and Suites Rochester/Victor Hotel: Hampton Inn and Suites Rochester/Victor
Day 2 : Palmyra - Sacred Grove - Hill Cumorah - Fayette, New York
We will spend the day seeing the sites in Palmyra and Fayette New York. Our stops include the Sacred Grove, the Smith Family Farm, the rebuilt log home where Moroni’s visits took place, the Hill Cumorah, the Grandin Press (where the Book of Mormon was first published), and the Peter Whitmer farm. Meals : Breakfast, Dinner at the hotel. Hotel: Hampton Inn and Suites Rochester/Victor
Day 3 : Harmony, Pennsylvania - Susquehanna River
We will begin the day by attending sacrament meeting. We will then travel to Harmony, PA and the Susquehanna River. Much of the translation of the Book of Mormon took place here. Also, this is where the Priesthood was restored and Joseph and Oliver were baptized. The sites include Joseph and Emma’s home, and the Isaac Hale home. On our way back to the hotel Time permitting, we may have the opportunity to visit the restored home of Joseph Knight in Colesville New York. Hyrum Smith was the branch president of one of the church’s first branches in Colesville. We will then return to hotel. Meals : Breakfast, Dinner. Hotel: Hampton Inn and Suites Rochester/Victor
Day 4 : Niagara Falls
We check out and head toward Kirtland. On our way, we will stop at Niagara Falls, the oldest state park in the USA. We will board the Maid of the Mist boat which passes directly in front of the falls and enters Horseshoe Basin. This is a fun activity you don’t want to miss! After free time for lunch and shopping we travel to Kirtland, OH. Meals : Breakfast, Dinner at the hotel. Hotel : Holiday Inn Mentor
Day 5 : Kirtland
Today we will visit sites in the Kirtland area. The morning will begin with a visit to the Kirtland temple. It was here that the Savior appeared to Joseph and Oliver. Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared and restored the Keys of the Priesthood associated with the temple ordinances. We will visit the historic village of Kirtland, where we will see the LDS Visitor’s Center, the Newell K. Whitney home (where Joseph and Emma lived) and the Newell K. Whitney store (which included the School of the Prophets and where many revelations, including the Word of Wisdom were received). We will also see the reconstructed Kirtland Schoolhouse, the Kirtland Ashery, and a reconstructed water-powered sawmill. Following some free time for lunch, we will visit the Morley Farm where a home was built for Joseph when he moved to Ohio. In the late afternoon, we will also visit the Johnson Farm, where much opposition came to Joseph and where the Church periodical The Evening and Morning Star was published. Meals : Breakfast, Dinner, Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen. Hotel: Holiday Inn Mentor
Day 6 : Kansas City - Independence
This morning we will transfer to the Cleveland airport for a flight to Kansas City. Upon arrival, we will have a bus waiting for us to take us to Independence, where we will visit the LDS Visitors Center near the temple site in Jackson County. we will also visit the Liberty Jail where the Prophet Joseph spent several months while the Saints suffered severe persecution in Missouri. Meals : Breakfast, Lunch. Hotel : Hampton Inn - Liberty
Day 7 : Adam-ondi-Ahman - Far West - Nauvoo
As we travel to Nauvoo we will visit the historic site of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and Far West where the name of the church was revealed. After arriving in Nauvoo we will visit the Joseph Smith homestead; the grave sites of Joseph, Emma, and Hyrum; the Mansion House; and the Red Brick Store. Meals : Breakfast, Dinner. Picnic in Nauvoo Hotel: Inn at Nauvoo
Day 8 : Nauvoo - Carthage
Our day begins with free time to browse through the many restored homes and buildings in Old Nauvoo, including the homes of Brigham Young, John Taylor, Heber C Kimball, Lucy Mack Smith and the Jonathan Browning Gun Shop. This afternoon we will travel the old road to Carthage to view a production of the Life of the Prophet Joseph Smith at the Visitor’s Center. Next, we will tour the jail itself where the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum were martyred. Meals : Breakfast, Dinner at Los Charros . Hotel: Inn at Nauvoo
Day 9 · ✈ Travel · St. Louis Airport - Home
We will check out of our hotels this morning and depart for the St. Louis airport. Meals : breakfast, lunch
What's included
- 8 nights hotel accommodations
- Meals as specified in itinerary
- Deluxe air-conditioned motorcoach transportation
- Taxes on included services
- Internal flight from Cleveland to Kansas City (group flight)
- Meal gratuities
Not included
- Airfare to Rochester and home from St. Louis
- Transportation from the Rochester airport to the Hotel
- Meals not specified in itinerary
- Items of a personal nature
- Trip cancellation and baggage insurance
- Checked baggage fees
- Bus Driver gratuities
- Tips for the LDS tour director are appreciated but not required
- ID / Passport
- Check Your Invoice Names: Please check to see that your names are spelled correctly. Your first and last names must appear as they appear on your passport for International travel and Driver’s License for domestic tours.
- Tips & Gratuities
- Several of you have asked about the tipping for the bus driver and guide. This is done at the end of each leg the tour (anytime during the last day per bus driver). • Driver: A tip is required for the driver and we recommend the amount of $30 per person for the tour, split between 2 drivers. • LDS Guide: We are often asked about tipping the LDS tour director. They greatly appreciate tips. If you feel they did a good job and would like to thank them, this is an appropriate way to do so. As with any service, tipping is at your discretion. $50-$100 per person would be an appropriate tip for extra mile service.
- Physical Requirements
- IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the nature of this tour you must be able to climb stairs and walk unassisted at a moderate pace 3-5 miles per day.
- Cancellation Policy
Land tour deposits are non-refundable. Cruise deposits are refundable with a $50 cancellation penalty. See terms and conditions for more information.
This trip follows our standard physical requirements and cancellation policies — see our Terms & Conditions. Anything specific to this trip is noted above and takes precedence.
| Price per person | |
|---|---|
| Quad occupancy | $2,355 |
| Triple occupancy | $2,450 |
| Double occupancy | $2,630 |
| Single occupancy | $3,360 |
| Can accommodate up to 4 people. Bed and size configurations may vary. | |
Reserve with a $250 deposit per person; final payment due 03/25/2027.
John Hilton III
John Hilton III is a Professor of Religious Education at Brigham Young University. John and his wife Lani have six children. They have lived in Boise, Boston, Miami, Mexico, Jerusalem and China. John has a Masters degree from Harvard and a Ph.D from BYU, both in Education. John has published several books, including Considering the Cross: How Calvary Connects Us with Christ. He is also the author of the video course and podcast "Seeking Jesus." John loves teaching, reading, spending time with his family, doing humanitarian work, snowboarding, and practicing magic tricks.
Full profile ›