A river cruise in the next two weeks to three months.
Every river cruise leaving two weeks to 90 days from now on the Danube, Rhine, Rhône, Seine, Douro, Mississippi, Columbia and Mekong, from every river line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included and refreshed each time you load the page. River ships carry 100 to 190 guests, so close-in space is a handful of staterooms per sailing: call before you book and we confirm the exact cabin, the flights and the hotel night before in one go.
Three rivers to go now
Pick a region and the list below filters to it. Europe is the deepest close-in list; the Mississippi and Mekong follow.
Europe: Danube, Rhine, Seine, Douro
- 7 night Danube from Budapest, Vienna or Passau; Rhine between Amsterdam and Basel
- Seine from Paris, Douro from Porto, Rhône from Lyon and Avignon
- AmaWaterways, Avalon, Viking, Uniworld, Emerald, Scenic, Tauck and CroisiEurope
Best for: first river cruise, wine and castles, couples
Mississippi, Columbia and the U.S. rivers
- Mississippi from New Orleans, Memphis and St. Louis; Columbia and Snake from Portland
- American Cruise Lines paddlewheelers and modern riverboats, Viking Mississippi
- Pre-cruise hotel night and most excursions included
Best for: no-fly cruisers, history and music, retirees
Mekong, Irrawaddy and the Nile
- Mekong between Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap, the Irrawaddy in Myanmar, the Nile from Luxor
- AmaWaterways, Avalon, Emerald, Scenic, Uniworld and Pandaw
- Usually sold with the land stays attached; we price the whole package
Best for: seasoned travelers, temples and markets, winter sun
Last-minute river cruise deals: the cheapest fares first
Every river sailing departing two weeks to 90 days from now, from every river line, sorted from the lowest fare up and priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. Filter by river, line, month and length, then call and we hold the stateroom while we price the flights.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery river sailing leaving in two weeks to 90 days, cheapest first
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Pick your river
Each button filters the list above to one river. The Danube and Rhine carry the most close-in space; the Douro and Seine sell out first.
Who sails the rivers?
Every river line is on the list above. These are the ones with the most departures inside 90 days, with a link to each deals page.
When to go
River seasons are short, so the close-in list swells at the edges of each season and around the Christmas markets.
Last-minute river cruise questions we answer every day
How late can I book a river cruise?
Most river lines take bookings up to a week or two before sailing, and inside their final-payment window the full fare is due when you book. Because the ships carry only 100 to 190 guests, what is left close in is usually a few staterooms in one or two categories, so call first and we tell you exactly which cabins are open.
Are last-minute river cruises cheaper?
Sometimes. River lines would rather sail full, so unsold staterooms are often repriced or bundled with included air a few weeks out. The list above shows what each line is charging today with taxes and port fees included, so you can judge each sailing on its own; flights and the hotel night before are the parts that get dearer as you wait.
Do river cruises include flights?
Many European river fares are sold with air included or at a fixed add-on, and we price it both ways. Close in, the line’s air deal is often cheaper than booking the flights yourself, so ask before you buy your own tickets.
Which river is best for a first river cruise?
The Rhine or the Danube. Both have a sailing most days of the season, the widest choice of lines, and a city or castle at nearly every stop. The Douro and Seine are smaller and sell out earlier, so they are harder to find close in.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, gratuities where not included, drinks packages where not included and optional excursions are extra.
Looking for an ocean cruise instead?
Ocean sailings leaving in the next two weeks to 90 days are on our last-minute cruises page. River and ocean cruises are listed separately so each list stays easy to compare.
Talk to a river cruise specialist
Tell us when you can leave and which river you want, and we check which staterooms are actually open, price the flights and the hotel night before, and hold the cabin while you decide. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.