No passport, no packing and unpacking, no stress. Just the river, the view, and your people.
River cruising is one of the most relaxing ways to see this country, and American Cruise Lines does it beautifully. These are small ships, usually around 90 to 180 guests, so you're not fighting a crowd of thousands for a spot at the buffet. You unpack once, and every day brings a new little river town, a guided outing, and a sunset from the deck.
The best part? These cruises are about as all-inclusive as it gets. Meals, drinks (yes, including the grown-up ones), at least one guided excursion in every port, a hotel night before you board, and even the tips are covered. See one that calls to you? Tap Plan This Cruise and I'll find the dates, the room, and the flights that work for you.
A little note about solo travel: Prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. If you sail solo in a regular room, the fare is typically 150% of that per-person price, and true single rooms are limited. So grab your sister, your mama, your best friend, or your husband. Traveling as a pair is the better deal.
New Orleans & the Lower Mississippi
Starting at $3,420 per person ·
8 days / 7 nights · round trip from New Orleans
Roll down the Mississippi on a real riverboat, with jazz, beignets, and Creole cooking on both ends of the trip. In between, it's a swamp tour with the gators (my people!), Oak Alley's famous oak-lined drive, and Civil War history at Vicksburg. A perfect first cruise.
Route: New Orleans → Oak Alley → Baton Rouge → Natchez & Vicksburg → St. Francisville → New Orleans
Included outings (examples): Swamp tour · Oak Alley · Vicksburg battlefield · The Myrtles · New Orleans city tour
Add-ons (examples): Cajun cooking class · National WWII Museum · Natchez carriage ride
Included: Stateroom · all meals, snacks, and drinks (cocktails too) · outings in every port · hotel night before you board · port fees and tips
Not included: Airfare (add-on flights available) · travel insurance · add-on outings · personal extras
Upper Mississippi: Missouri, Iowa & Minnesota
Starting at $5,135 per person ·
9 days / 8 nights · St. Louis, MO to St. Paul, MN
The Mississippi most people never see: tall bluffs, bald eagles, and storybook river towns. Visit Mark Twain's Hannibal, add a trip to the real Field of Dreams, and start right here in St. Louis. It sails in reverse too.
Route: St. Louis → Hannibal → Muscatine → Dubuque → Winona → Red Wing → St. Paul
Included outings (examples): Hannibal and Rockcliffe Mansion · Dubuque River Walk · National Eagle Center
Add-ons (examples): Mark Twain Cave and winery · Field of Dreams · paddling Black Bird Slough
Included: Stateroom · all meals, snacks, and drinks (cocktails too) · outings in every port · hotel night before you board · port fees and tips
Not included: Airfare (add-on flights available) · travel insurance · add-on outings · personal extras
Memphis to Nashville
Starting at $5,240 per person ·
9 days / 8 nights · Memphis, TN to Nashville, TN
Blues on one end, country on the other. Start in Memphis, cruise three rivers, and finish with a night at the Grand Ole Opry, included. Elvis fans can add two nights at The Guest House at Graceland before sailing. It sails in reverse too.
Route: Memphis → Paducah → Dover → Clarksville → Nashville
Included outings (examples): National Quilt Museum · Fort Donelson · Johnny Cash Experience · Grand Ole Opry show
Add-ons (examples): Ryman Auditorium · Johnny Cash Museum · Goo Goo candy making · Graceland pre-cruise package
Included: Stateroom · all meals, snacks, and drinks (cocktails too) · outings in every port · hotel night before you board · port fees and tips
Not included: Airfare (add-on flights available) · travel insurance · add-on outings · personal extras
Great Smoky Mountains & the Tennessee River
Starting at $6,120 per person ·
11 days / 10 nights · Knoxville, TN to Huntsville, AL
Mountains and a river cruise in one trip. Spend your first days on land in the Smokies with a Jeep ride through Cades Cove, Clingmans Dome, and Dolly Parton's Stampede, all included. Then board a classic paddlewheeler down the Tennessee River.
Route: Knoxville → Pigeon Forge → Great Smoky Mountains → Fort Southwest Point → Chattanooga → Decatur → Huntsville
Included outings (examples): Dolly Parton's Stampede · Cades Cove · Clingmans Dome with lunch · Chattanooga train ride
Add-ons (examples): Tennessee Aquarium · duck boat tour · U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Included: Stateroom · hotel nights in Knoxville and Pigeon Forge · all meals, snacks, and drinks (cocktails too) · outings in every port · port fees and tips
Not included: Airfare (add-on flights available) · travel insurance · add-on outings · personal extras
Ohio River: Kentucky to Pennsylvania
Starting at $5,315 per person ·
10 days / 9 nights · Louisville, KY to Pittsburgh, PA
Rolling hills, old river towns, and lazy days on the water. Stop in Madison, Cincinnati, and Marietta, and finish in Pittsburgh with the Andy Warhol Museum. Sports fans can add a behind-the-scenes Reds ballpark tour.
Route: Louisville → Madison → Cincinnati → Marietta → Pittsburgh
Included outings (examples): Underground Railroad Freedom Center · The Castle in Marietta · Andy Warhol Museum
Add-ons (examples): Reds ballpark tour · Cincinnati Zoo · jet boat ride in Madison
Included: Stateroom · all meals, snacks, and drinks (cocktails too) · outings in every port · hotel night before you board · port fees and tips
Not included: Airfare (add-on flights available) · travel insurance · add-on outings · personal extras
Arkansas River: Oklahoma & Arkansas
Starting at $5,275 per person ·
9 days / 8 nights · Tulsa, OK to Little Rock, AR
Farmland, forested bluffs, and limestone cliffs, with way fewer tourists than the big-name rivers. Music, Cherokee history, and a trolley through historic Van Buren are included. Perfect for travelers who have "done it all."
Route: Tulsa → Muskogee → Fort Smith & Van Buren → Dardanelle → Little Rock
Included outings (examples): Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame · Cherokee Nation History Experience · Van Buren trolley
Add-ons (examples): Boston Mountains scenic railway · USS Razorback submarine · Big Dam Bridge bike ride
Included: Stateroom · all meals, snacks, and drinks (cocktails too) · outings in every port · hotel night before you board · port fees and tips
Not included: Airfare (add-on flights available) · travel insurance · add-on outings · personal extras
Columbia & Snake Rivers: Pacific Northwest
Starting at $5,470 per person ·
9 days / 8 nights · Portland, OR to Clarkston, WA
Jaw-dropping scenery from start to finish. Follow Lewis and Clark through the Columbia River Gorge, see Multnomah Falls and Mount St. Helens, and end at the doorstep of Hells Canyon. Wine country, giant locks, and even axe throwing if you want it.
Route: Portland → Astoria → Kalama → The Dalles → Pendleton & Richland → Lewiston & Clarkston
Included outings (examples): Multnomah Falls · Columbia River Maritime Museum · Mount St. Helens scenic drive
Add-ons (examples): Cannon Beach · Maryhill Winery tasting · Hells Canyon jet boat · axe throwing
Included: Stateroom · all meals, snacks, and drinks (cocktails too) · outings in every port · hotel night in Portland before you board · port fees and tips
Not included: Airfare (add-on flights available) · travel insurance · add-on outings · personal extras
Hudson River Valley, New York
Starting at $6,210 per person ·
9 days / 8 nights · round trip from Albany, NY
Gilded Age mansions, green hills, and a day in New York City, all on a small ship with just 100 guests. Tour West Point, board the Intrepid in Manhattan, and visit Sleepy Hollow (yes, that one).
Route: Albany → Catskill → West Point → New York City → Sleepy Hollow → Kingston & Hyde Park → Albany
Included outings (examples): West Point · Walkway Over the Hudson · Intrepid Museum · Lyndhurst Mansion
Add-ons (examples): 9/11 Memorial & Museum · Statue of Liberty cruise · FDR's home at Hyde Park
Included: Stateroom · all meals, snacks, and drinks (cocktails too) · outings in every port · hotel night before you board · port fees and tips
Not included: Airfare (add-on flights available) · travel insurance · add-on outings · personal extras
Potomac River & Chesapeake Bay
Starting at $4,925 per person ·
9 days / 8 nights · Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, MD
Some of America's oldest towns, little harbor villages, and plenty of Maryland crab. Walk historic Yorktown, tour the U.S. Naval Academy, and follow the Star-Spangled Banner story in Baltimore. It sails in reverse too.
Route: Washington, D.C. → Williamsburg & Yorktown → Cambridge → St. Michaels → Annapolis → Baltimore
Included outings (examples): Historic Yorktown · Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Experience · U.S. Naval Academy
Add-ons (examples): Colonial Williamsburg · skipjack sailing · National Aquarium
Included: Stateroom · all meals, snacks, and drinks (cocktails too) · outings in every port · port fees and tips
Not included: Airfare (add-on flights available) · travel insurance · add-on outings · optional pre-cruise hotel package · personal extras