Mississippi River United States Tours & Trip Packages

Mississippi River United States Tours & Trips

39 Mississippi River trips. Tours from 21 tour companies. 10 reviews.

25 trips exactly matchall of the the filters you selected.
My selections:
United States
Music Cities USA featuring Memphis & Nashville
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5/5 Excellent
51 reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Visits

Memphis, Nashville

Highlights

  • Step into Southern culture and discover America's Famed Music Cities
  • Experience the Life & Fame of Elvis at Graceland
  • Nothing says Kentucky like Bourbon Tasting Experience
  • Take an inside look at horse culture & Churchill Downs
  • Sway to the Blues and let your soul be moved at the Blues Hall of Fame & Rock and Soul Museum

Themes

50 plus, Cultural, Education / Learning, Festivals & Special Events

What travelers are saying

"We loved this trip. Our guide was excellent. We really enjoyed all the included highlights. Our favorite was Biltmore Estate. It is a must!"

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Steamboat Adventure: Voyage the Length of the Mississippi
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4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Visits

Chester, Madrid, Memphis, New Orleans, St. Louis

Highlights

  • Experience authentic America along the river, from jazz in New Orleans to the boyhood home of Mark Twain in Hannibal, Missouri
  • Learn from top instructors during Road Scholar exclusive lectures on topics including southern culture, the Civil War and steamboat history
  • Explore the site of St
  • Louis's original settlement, Leclede's Landing, with a local expert before visiting the Cathedral Basilica's world-class collection of mosaics

Themes

Education / Learning, High Adventure

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

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New Orleans & Mississippi River Country 2024
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4.2/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate

Highlights

  • You don't just hear music in New Orleans and Louisiana's 'Cajun country'… you feel it
  • indelibly woven into the fabric of life. The strains of every genre you can think of – smoky blues
  • pulsating Caribbean rhythms
  • acoustic
  • country
Show more

Themes

Cultural

What travelers are saying

"Sad to see a once good tour company stumble and fall into mediocrity. That’s Tauck post-Covid. My May 2023 tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley was done on the cheap by Tauck, yet cost me thousands of dollars extra as a solo traveler on a special small-group tour. 

5-star hotels switched to 3 and 4 (without any compensation or explanation)… many more meals “on your own”… lots of “self-guided” tours of museums and chateaux and castles we knew nothing about… airline quality “rubber chicken” dinners, not in hotel restaurants, but in sad and isolated business convention spaces… poorly-trained newer Tour Directors (like the one on this tour) with limited experience traveling outside her tiny Canadian village or dealing with people from diverse backgrounds. She even confessed that this was a second gig job that took her away from her own business back home! You get what Tauck pays for, but unfortunately, not what YOU pay for. 

Speaking to a “Guest Relations” agent was comically pointless. She tried to make everything my fault, which I now understand is par for the course with the “new” post-Covid Tauck. Please reconsider spending huge amounts of your hard-earned money on a tour company that has lost its way and no longer delivers."

Trip dates & details
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New Orleans & Mississippi River Country 2023
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4.2/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate

Highlights

  • You don't just hear music in New Orleans and Louisiana's 'Cajun country'… you feel it
  • indelibly woven into the fabric of life. The strains of every genre you can think of – smoky blues
  • pulsating Caribbean rhythms
  • acoustic
  • country
Show more

Themes

Cultural

What travelers are saying

"Sad to see a once good tour company stumble and fall into mediocrity. That’s Tauck post-Covid. My May 2023 tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley was done on the cheap by Tauck, yet cost me thousands of dollars extra as a solo traveler on a special small-group tour. 

5-star hotels switched to 3 and 4 (without any compensation or explanation)… many more meals “on your own”… lots of “self-guided” tours of museums and chateaux and castles we knew nothing about… airline quality “rubber chicken” dinners, not in hotel restaurants, but in sad and isolated business convention spaces… poorly-trained newer Tour Directors (like the one on this tour) with limited experience traveling outside her tiny Canadian village or dealing with people from diverse backgrounds. She even confessed that this was a second gig job that took her away from her own business back home! You get what Tauck pays for, but unfortunately, not what YOU pay for. 

Speaking to a “Guest Relations” agent was comically pointless. She tried to make everything my fault, which I now understand is par for the course with the “new” post-Covid Tauck. Please reconsider spending huge amounts of your hard-earned money on a tour company that has lost its way and no longer delivers."

Trip dates & details
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Lower Mississippi River Cruise
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5/5 Excellent
37 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Visits

Memphis, New Orleans

Highlights

  • Enjoying the shade of the leafy canopy greet us on arrival and are our guides for the day
  • Visits to its gardens, historic homes, and museums.
  • Explore his eclectic collection of period-specific artwork and one-of-a-kind antiques.
  • Enjoy the warmth of the Mississippi River sun as we cruise from Vicksburg to Memphis.
  • Explore fascinating exhibits such as Elvis’ museum, estate grounds, the jungle and trophy rooms, his gravesite, and much more.

Themes

Cultural

What travelers are saying

"AMERICAN CRUISE LINES STOLE FROM ME I am a dedicated hard working single father of two young daughters and worked for American cruise lines from February-August of 2023 first starting out as an engineer and eventually was asked and promoted to IT dept in May. Was offered a $3000 sign on bonus which i would use to move my daughters and myself from Tampa, Fl to Portland, OR. The company and supervisors knew IT would be a new role and there would be a learning curve for me but given some time i would easily grasp the position but regrettably i caught covid in July and was terminated two weeks later on July 28th after being incredibly ill with covid, but was told i was let go for (loss confidence). I returned to Tampa, FL and when i received my final two-week paycheck and without notice received.35 cents. I was told my sign on bonus was deducted which was 100% wrong the only stipulation for my sign-on bonus was i had to work for at least 30 days which i did. I was using those funds to move my daughters and myself the 3000+ miles from Tampa to Portland. This has been an incredibly costly and frustrating as one could imagine for a single father. American Cruise Lines is a very large and profitable corporation for them to do this to an employee i think is despicable. Date of experience: July 28, 2023"

Trip dates & details
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New Orleans & Mississippi River Country 2022
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.2/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate

Highlights

  • You don't just hear music in New Orleans and Louisiana's 'Cajun country'… you feel it
  • indelibly woven into the fabric of life. The strains of every genre you can think of – smoky blues
  • pulsating Caribbean rhythms
  • acoustic
  • country
Show more

Themes

Cultural

What travelers are saying

"Sad to see a once good tour company stumble and fall into mediocrity. That’s Tauck post-Covid. My May 2023 tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley was done on the cheap by Tauck, yet cost me thousands of dollars extra as a solo traveler on a special small-group tour. 

5-star hotels switched to 3 and 4 (without any compensation or explanation)… many more meals “on your own”… lots of “self-guided” tours of museums and chateaux and castles we knew nothing about… airline quality “rubber chicken” dinners, not in hotel restaurants, but in sad and isolated business convention spaces… poorly-trained newer Tour Directors (like the one on this tour) with limited experience traveling outside her tiny Canadian village or dealing with people from diverse backgrounds. She even confessed that this was a second gig job that took her away from her own business back home! You get what Tauck pays for, but unfortunately, not what YOU pay for. 

Speaking to a “Guest Relations” agent was comically pointless. She tried to make everything my fault, which I now understand is par for the course with the “new” post-Covid Tauck. Please reconsider spending huge amounts of your hard-earned money on a tour company that has lost its way and no longer delivers."

Trip dates & details
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New Orleans & Mississippi River Country 2021
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.2/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate

Highlights

  • You don’t just hear music in New Orleans and Louisiana’s “Cajun country”… you feel it
  • indelibly woven into the fabric of life. The strains of every genre you can think of – smoky blues
  • pulsating Caribbean rhythms
  • acoustic
  • country
Show more

Themes

Cultural

What travelers are saying

"Sad to see a once good tour company stumble and fall into mediocrity. That’s Tauck post-Covid. My May 2023 tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley was done on the cheap by Tauck, yet cost me thousands of dollars extra as a solo traveler on a special small-group tour. 

5-star hotels switched to 3 and 4 (without any compensation or explanation)… many more meals “on your own”… lots of “self-guided” tours of museums and chateaux and castles we knew nothing about… airline quality “rubber chicken” dinners, not in hotel restaurants, but in sad and isolated business convention spaces… poorly-trained newer Tour Directors (like the one on this tour) with limited experience traveling outside her tiny Canadian village or dealing with people from diverse backgrounds. She even confessed that this was a second gig job that took her away from her own business back home! You get what Tauck pays for, but unfortunately, not what YOU pay for. 

Speaking to a “Guest Relations” agent was comically pointless. She tried to make everything my fault, which I now understand is par for the course with the “new” post-Covid Tauck. Please reconsider spending huge amounts of your hard-earned money on a tour company that has lost its way and no longer delivers."

Trip dates & details
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Cumberland River Cruise
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4.6/5 Excellent
37 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Visits

Nashville, St. Louis

Highlights

  • Enjoy a warm welcome at the visitor’s center by tour guides who are eager to share their knowledge.
  • Visiting one the many fine museums, to participating in a hands-on creative workshop at a local art gallery.
  • Visit the studios and galleries of Paducah’s resident artists.
  • See the Sailor Man's likeness in the town's own six-foot-tall bronze metal statue.
  • Visit the Museum of Westward Expansion and discover the lives of the explorers, cowboys and Native Americans who helped forge our nation.

Themes

Cultural, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife

What travelers are saying

"AMERICAN CRUISE LINES STOLE FROM ME I am a dedicated hard working single father of two young daughters and worked for American cruise lines from February-August of 2023 first starting out as an engineer and eventually was asked and promoted to IT dept in May. Was offered a $3000 sign on bonus which i would use to move my daughters and myself from Tampa, Fl to Portland, OR. The company and supervisors knew IT would be a new role and there would be a learning curve for me but given some time i would easily grasp the position but regrettably i caught covid in July and was terminated two weeks later on July 28th after being incredibly ill with covid, but was told i was let go for (loss confidence). I returned to Tampa, FL and when i received my final two-week paycheck and without notice received.35 cents. I was told my sign on bonus was deducted which was 100% wrong the only stipulation for my sign-on bonus was i had to work for at least 30 days which i did. I was using those funds to move my daughters and myself the 3000+ miles from Tampa to Portland. This has been an incredibly costly and frustrating as one could imagine for a single father. American Cruise Lines is a very large and profitable corporation for them to do this to an employee i think is despicable. Date of experience: July 28, 2023"

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More
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Mississippi River Reviews

J

J Lamb

Aug 2023

Written on

Great Itinerary and Value

We loved this trip. Our guide was excellent. We really enjoyed all th...

V

Vic

May 2023

Verified Authentic
This review is by a verified traveler who went on a trip with this operator and wrote the review on Travelstride

Everything was 5 star!

Our room rivaled those my wife and I have enjoyed in many an upscale hotel. The food and table settings were both five-star. The lengthy list of available activit...

M

Marvelous Mississippi

Nov 2022

Written on

This was a 7 day round trip from New Orleans and back.

This was a fabulous trip. The American Symphony is a new ship, beautiful. The sta...

A

American Cruiseline Splendor

Jul 2022

Written on

Had the best time on the MIssissippi River Cruise on American Cruiseline Splendor

We just got off the ship American Cruiseline's Spendor. Waiting at the airport now and cannot wait to write a review. We had so much fun. First of all the crew, d...

L

LCCR

Jun 2022

Written on

Thanksgiving Travel

We wanted a nice relaxing cruise for the holiday, someplace where the temps were moderate for that time of year and somewhere in the US. We chose the American Crui...

Write a Review

Mississippi River Tour Selection Trips

  • Most small ship cruises sail either the lower Mississippi from Memphis to New Orleans, or the upper Mississippi from St. Louis to the Minneapolis area.
  • Some cruises offer shorter alternate routes, such as from Memphis to St. Louis.
  • A cruise aboard an old-fashioned style paddle wheeler – even if it was built just a few years ago – adds an authentic feel to your voyage.
  • Cruise ships that sail the Mississippi range from luxury to budget rates.
  • If choosing a luxury cruise, expect fine food and service and alcohol and shore excursions included in the price.
  • If you’re particularly interested in music, Civil War history, or antebellum architecture, choose a cruise that plies the lower Mississippi.

Additional details

River cruises along the Mississippi are usually history focused. The river held tremendous importance to the formation of the United States, from several different cultural and economical factors.

Mississippi River cruises last anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks. In some cases your Mississippi River cruise will be a portion of a larger trip, rather than the main theme or mode of transport.

What to wear on a Mississippi River cruise

Most Mississippi River Cruises have a down home feel, without sacrificing a few luxury amenities, food and drink quality, or customer service. These kinds of river cruises are not the “dress for dinner” kind of experience, but note that the primary age group will be older, and they may take this approach.

The Weather Along the Mississippi River

The Mississippi River covers a lot of ground, from the hot and humid southern United States to the dryer northern midwest.

Light drizzles are common - but are rarely cold. In fact they will be a welcome respite from the heat! It can get windy along the Mississippi, so if you get cold easily be sure to bring layers.

You may also experience a thunderstorm or two when traveling on a Mississippi River Cruise. These can be spectacular displays, but often happen without a lot of warning.

Other Ways to See the Mississippi

Note that not all Mississippi River tours will be an extended cruise along the river itself. Your tour may include a crossing of the river before continuing on to explore more of the Southern and Eastern United States.

There are also some Mississippi River cruise itineraries that included other rivers. These include the Ohio River - a great choice if you’re looking to experience the vibrant town of Louisville, Kentucky - and the Cumberland River.

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On Travelstride you can find 39 trips to Mississippi River and more than 20,000 trips worldwide ranging from budget to luxury and private guided to group tours and everything in between. Only on Stride can you find and compare expert-planned trips from 1,000+ tour operators, cruise lines and local experts. Read traveler and professional reviews so you can confidently find your perfect trip.

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