The Mississippi: New Orleans to Memphis, St. Louis to St. Paul, on America’s river.
A Mississippi river cruise is the easiest way to see the American South and the Midwest without an airport in between: the Lower Mississippi from New Orleans to Memphis through plantation country, Natchez, Vicksburg and the Delta, or the Upper Mississippi from St. Louis to St. Paul past Hannibal, the Quad Cities and the bluffs of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Two lines sail it, American Cruise Lines with its modern riverboats and paddlewheelers and Viking with Viking Mississippi, and both include a hotel night before you board. Every Mississippi sailing is here, with full sorting by month, length and departure city. Call 1-800-444-1560 and a river cruise expert prices the two lines against each other for your dates.
Three ways to sail the Mississippi
Pick a departure and the list below filters to it.
Lower Mississippi: New Orleans to Memphis
- Oak Alley and the plantations, Baton Rouge, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg
- Civil War history, Delta blues and Southern cooking on board
- The most departures and the longest season, March to December
Best for: first Mississippi cruise, history, food and music
Upper Mississippi: St. Louis to St. Paul
- Hannibal and Mark Twain country, the Quad Cities, Dubuque, La Crosse, Red Wing
- Locks, bluffs, eagles and fall color through Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota
- June to October only; the October foliage weeks sell first
Best for: scenery, small river towns, fall color
Complete Mississippi, 2 to 3 weeks
- New Orleans to St. Paul in one trip, about 2,000 river miles
- American Cruise Lines runs it a few times a year; Viking adds 15-day combinations
- The bucket-list version, with every major river town
Best for: retirees with time, repeat river cruisers
Mississippi river cruise deals: every sailing, both lines
Every Mississippi sailing from American Cruise Lines and Viking. Viking fares are priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included; American Cruise Lines fares are by phone, because the line does not publish them online. Sort by month, length and departure city.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Mississippi sailing
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 embarkation city
Each button filters the list above.
Which line for the Mississippi?
Two lines sail the river. Our one-line take on each, with a link to its deals page.
When to go
The Lower Mississippi sails from March to December and the Upper Mississippi from June to October. Match the month to the stretch of river.
Mississippi river cruise questions we answer every day
Where does a Mississippi cruise go?
The Lower Mississippi runs between New Orleans and Memphis: Oak Alley or Nottoway, Baton Rouge, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg and the Delta. The Upper Mississippi runs between St. Louis and St. Paul: Hannibal, the Quad Cities, Dubuque, La Crosse and Red Wing. Complete-river itineraries join the two.
How long is a Mississippi cruise?
7 nights on the water is standard, usually sold as an 8-day trip with a hotel night the evening before. Complete Mississippi itineraries run 15 to 22 days.
Which line should I choose?
American Cruise Lines has the most ships and dates, all-American crews and a paddlewheel option; Viking Mississippi has the newest ship and Viking’s included excursions and Scandinavian style. We price both for your dates and tell you which fits.
Why are American Cruise Lines fares by phone?
The line does not publish fares to booking engines, so our system cannot price them live. Call 1-800-444-1560 and we quote the exact sailing, with taxes and port fees included, while you are on the phone.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price shown includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotel nights where not included, gratuities and optional excursions are extra.
Do you have other American rivers?
Yes: the Columbia and Snake rivers from Portland, and every US river itinerary on our United States river cruises page.
Talk to a Mississippi river cruise specialist
Tell us your dates and which stretch of the river you want, and we price American Cruise Lines and Viking side by side, with taxes and port fees included and the hotel night and flights worked out. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.