Top Mississippi River Budget Tours & Packages In 2025/2026

Our 9 most popular Mississippi River Budget Tours & Packages trips. Compare tour itineraries from 4 tour companies. 0 reviews.

9 Trips match your criteria (1 - 9 shown)

Florida Christmas New Orleans New Year
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.7/5 Excellent
88 reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

  • Wake up to Christmas Day in the beautiful Florida Keys
  • Ring in the New Year partying in New Orleans' French Quarter
  • Spot exotic wildlife on an Everglades swamp airboat ride
  • Unique overnight stay in a chickee cabin in the Everglades
  • Drive the famous Route 1 Overseas Highway to the Florida Keys
Show more

Themes

Nature & Wildlife, National Parks

What travelers are saying

"my 3 favorite holidays where all with Trek America! loved the trips... the groups, the trekleaders and ofcourse the beautiful nature! I can recommend this for everybody!"

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More
Mighty Waters and Quaint River Towns on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.3/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Wheelchair Accessible
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

  • Learn about the early life of Mark Twain during a field trip to his childhood home in Hannibal, and enjoy a riverboat ride along the Mighty Mississippi
  • Sample wurst and wines in the Missouri Rhineland as you gain insight into the heritage of German immigrants who settled in Herman in the 19th century
  • Walk in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as you explore historic St
  • Charles, and take in a lecture on the social interchange between the river towns

Themes

50 Plus, Education / Learning

What travelers are saying

"I enrolled early in the French Art Voyage because of the caliber of the sites visited: no visit to the overly crowded Louvre but rather to Monet’s Giverny and Cezanne’s studio. A preliminary itinerary I just received has no mention of Giverny so I went online to be sure it was still open. It is. I checked Cezanne’s studio and found it closed for renovation. I called Road Scholar to ask why Giverny was canceled and did they mean Cezanne perhaps. A customer service rep was clueless. I spelled Giverny to her twice. She put me on hold for 15 minutes, returned and said someone would contact me. I told her to wait a minute. I had more. Was Cezanne’s studio to be canceled as well.? Five days later I get an email from Judith telling me Giverny was not officially on the itinerary, Cezanne’s studio had to be removed due to renovation and I could not see the Mona Lisa!!! I responded saying I sensed some bait and switch also reminding her I NEVER asked about the Mona Lisa. She replied telling me how to arrange Giverny for myself and reiterating that I could not see the Mona Lisa!!!! I have experienced ageism but not gaslighting like this. I am not an old fool who imagined Giverny on the itinerary. I am not an old fool insisting on a Mona Lisa that was not. Road Scholar has no business marketing to elders with staff like this."

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More
Signature City Memphis: Magic on the Mississippi
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.3/5 Great
100+ reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Very Easy
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

  • Learn the story of Memphis blues and delve into the lives of legends from the “Father of the Blues” W
  • C
  • Handy to “The King” Elvis Presley
  • Study the mighty Mississippi River’s environmental influence
  • Visit the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel to trace events of the movement and Dr
Show more

Themes

50 Plus, Education / Learning

What travelers are saying

"I enrolled early in the French Art Voyage because of the caliber of the sites visited: no visit to the overly crowded Louvre but rather to Monet’s Giverny and Cezanne’s studio. A preliminary itinerary I just received has no mention of Giverny so I went online to be sure it was still open. It is. I checked Cezanne’s studio and found it closed for renovation. I called Road Scholar to ask why Giverny was canceled and did they mean Cezanne perhaps. A customer service rep was clueless. I spelled Giverny to her twice. She put me on hold for 15 minutes, returned and said someone would contact me. I told her to wait a minute. I had more. Was Cezanne’s studio to be canceled as well.? Five days later I get an email from Judith telling me Giverny was not officially on the itinerary, Cezanne’s studio had to be removed due to renovation and I could not see the Mona Lisa!!! I responded saying I sensed some bait and switch also reminding her I NEVER asked about the Mona Lisa. She replied telling me how to arrange Giverny for myself and reiterating that I could not see the Mona Lisa!!!! I have experienced ageism but not gaslighting like this. I am not an old fool who imagined Giverny on the itinerary. I am not an old fool insisting on a Mona Lisa that was not. Road Scholar has no business marketing to elders with staff like this."

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

Want a tailor-made trip instead?

Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:

  • You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
  • Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Design custom trip
On the Road: The Best of the Upper Mississippi River
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.3/5 Great
100+ reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Very Easy
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

  • Exclusive river excursions transport you into special places where big boats cannot go
  • Visit charming little towns among the Upper Miss’ famous bluffs in four states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois
  • Spot bald eagles during a special backwaters excursion in the National Wildlife and Fish Refuge

Themes

50 Plus, Education / Learning

What travelers are saying

"I enrolled early in the French Art Voyage because of the caliber of the sites visited: no visit to the overly crowded Louvre but rather to Monet’s Giverny and Cezanne’s studio. A preliminary itinerary I just received has no mention of Giverny so I went online to be sure it was still open. It is. I checked Cezanne’s studio and found it closed for renovation. I called Road Scholar to ask why Giverny was canceled and did they mean Cezanne perhaps. A customer service rep was clueless. I spelled Giverny to her twice. She put me on hold for 15 minutes, returned and said someone would contact me. I told her to wait a minute. I had more. Was Cezanne’s studio to be canceled as well.? Five days later I get an email from Judith telling me Giverny was not officially on the itinerary, Cezanne’s studio had to be removed due to renovation and I could not see the Mona Lisa!!! I responded saying I sensed some bait and switch also reminding her I NEVER asked about the Mona Lisa. She replied telling me how to arrange Giverny for myself and reiterating that I could not see the Mona Lisa!!!! I have experienced ageism but not gaslighting like this. I am not an old fool who imagined Giverny on the itinerary. I am not an old fool insisting on a Mona Lisa that was not. Road Scholar has no business marketing to elders with staff like this."

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More
Celebrate Christmas in Historic Natchez on the Mississippi
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.3/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Wheelchair Accessible
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

  • Revel in a Natchez Christmas evening filled with gorgeous music, decorations, food and fun
  • Enjoy field trips to lavishly bedecked 19th-century mansions
  • Attend “Chopin and Champagne,” a classical piano concert with complimentary champagne in the historic Joseph Stone House, and the uplifting annual Christmas concert in majestic St
  • Mary Basilica by the award-winning Alcorn State University Concert Choir

Themes

50 Plus, Education / Learning

What travelers are saying

"I enrolled early in the French Art Voyage because of the caliber of the sites visited: no visit to the overly crowded Louvre but rather to Monet’s Giverny and Cezanne’s studio. A preliminary itinerary I just received has no mention of Giverny so I went online to be sure it was still open. It is. I checked Cezanne’s studio and found it closed for renovation. I called Road Scholar to ask why Giverny was canceled and did they mean Cezanne perhaps. A customer service rep was clueless. I spelled Giverny to her twice. She put me on hold for 15 minutes, returned and said someone would contact me. I told her to wait a minute. I had more. Was Cezanne’s studio to be canceled as well.? Five days later I get an email from Judith telling me Giverny was not officially on the itinerary, Cezanne’s studio had to be removed due to renovation and I could not see the Mona Lisa!!! I responded saying I sensed some bait and switch also reminding her I NEVER asked about the Mona Lisa. She replied telling me how to arrange Giverny for myself and reiterating that I could not see the Mona Lisa!!!! I have experienced ageism but not gaslighting like this. I am not an old fool who imagined Giverny on the itinerary. I am not an old fool insisting on a Mona Lisa that was not. Road Scholar has no business marketing to elders with staff like this."

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More
Mighty Mississippi: Bridging America
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.3/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Wheelchair Accessible
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

  • Explore Hannibal, Missouri, and learn how it inspired the work of its most famous son, Mark Twain
  • Learn about the impact that the steamboat had on the development of the United States from a historian
  • Set out into St
  • Paul to discover how the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers helped shape the city’s history

Themes

50 Plus, Education / Learning

What travelers are saying

"I enrolled early in the French Art Voyage because of the caliber of the sites visited: no visit to the overly crowded Louvre but rather to Monet’s Giverny and Cezanne’s studio. A preliminary itinerary I just received has no mention of Giverny so I went online to be sure it was still open. It is. I checked Cezanne’s studio and found it closed for renovation. I called Road Scholar to ask why Giverny was canceled and did they mean Cezanne perhaps. A customer service rep was clueless. I spelled Giverny to her twice. She put me on hold for 15 minutes, returned and said someone would contact me. I told her to wait a minute. I had more. Was Cezanne’s studio to be canceled as well.? Five days later I get an email from Judith telling me Giverny was not officially on the itinerary, Cezanne’s studio had to be removed due to renovation and I could not see the Mona Lisa!!! I responded saying I sensed some bait and switch also reminding her I NEVER asked about the Mona Lisa. She replied telling me how to arrange Giverny for myself and reiterating that I could not see the Mona Lisa!!!! I have experienced ageism but not gaslighting like this. I am not an old fool who imagined Giverny on the itinerary. I am not an old fool insisting on a Mona Lisa that was not. Road Scholar has no business marketing to elders with staff like this."

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More
Steamboat Adventure: Voyage the Length of the Mississippi
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.3/5 Great
100+ reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

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

"I enrolled early in the French Art Voyage because of the caliber of the sites visited: no visit to the overly crowded Louvre but rather to Monet’s Giverny and Cezanne’s studio. A preliminary itinerary I just received has no mention of Giverny so I went online to be sure it was still open. It is. I checked Cezanne’s studio and found it closed for renovation. I called Road Scholar to ask why Giverny was canceled and did they mean Cezanne perhaps. A customer service rep was clueless. I spelled Giverny to her twice. She put me on hold for 15 minutes, returned and said someone would contact me. I told her to wait a minute. I had more. Was Cezanne’s studio to be canceled as well.? Five days later I get an email from Judith telling me Giverny was not officially on the itinerary, Cezanne’s studio had to be removed due to renovation and I could not see the Mona Lisa!!! I responded saying I sensed some bait and switch also reminding her I NEVER asked about the Mona Lisa. She replied telling me how to arrange Giverny for myself and reiterating that I could not see the Mona Lisa!!!! I have experienced ageism but not gaslighting like this. I am not an old fool who imagined Giverny on the itinerary. I am not an old fool insisting on a Mona Lisa that was not. Road Scholar has no business marketing to elders with staff like this."

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More
New Orleans - Memphis - Chicago by Train
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.3/5 Great
7 reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

  • Discover Chicago and Memphis
  • Visit Bass Pro to enjoy 10 aquariums with over 1,800 fish.
  • Explore National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel is a very special experience that takes us through centuries of history.
  • Visit Jackson Square
  • Explore Jean Lafitte National Historical Park

Themes

Cultural, 50 Plus, Train & Rail Journeys, Singles Travel

What travelers are saying

"I recently took a trip to Kenya and I cannot imagine any other tour operator doing a better job. Let's start at the beginning. My flight from the US landed first in London and then a second flight was to have gone to Kenya. The airline nightmare began with AA being two hours late causing me to miss my next flight on British Air. BA had given my flight away before I got off the plan and had no acceptable replacement. I spent three days and nights at Heathrow airport forcing me to miss those days of my tour. I stood in lines hours long at the airport and my second replacement flight never left the ground after being held hostage in the plane for hours. I was ready to go home. My phone would not work much of the time in the airport, but I was finally able to contact Best Singles Travel. They figured out a way to arrange for a driver to meet me at the Nairobi airport three days after my trip began and take me to Samburu, a five hour drive where the group was then located. If it had not been for this effort in figuring out a way for me to meet my group then this trip would have been lost for me. And what a shame that would have been because once I finally arrived it was magical. I saw every animal as well as much of the countryside driving all over even with missing three days. The lodges were picturesque with monkeys playing on expansive grounds, wild birds and animals, beautiful colored geckos, mountains and streams in the background where the sun met a landscape expanding as far as the eye could see producing sunsets like those seen in National Geographics. Oh, did I mention the food? No US chemicals. Just organically grown and delicious. If anyone reading this decides to travel to Kenya then I hope you stop to see David Sheldrick's rescued baby elephants. I am grateful that Best Singles Travel and Patrick, our knowledgeable considerate tour guide, took the time, effort and resources to make the remainder of this trip happen for me because now I cannot imagine having missed it. This trip was organized, included lovely memorable hotels/lodges and attentive to our needs."

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More
Sign in to reveal savings up to $700 per person!