Is there a cruise from Chicago to New Orleans?
Not as a regular, scheduled passenger voyage, as far as we know. The major river cruise lines on the Mississippi build their trips around ports such as New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis and St. Paul. A single sailing that begins in Chicago and ends in New Orleans is not a standard product, so you will not usually find it in a brochure.
That does not mean the idea is out of reach. There are a few ways to get close to it, depending on whether you want a cruise, a river trip on your own boat or a land journey with river stops.
The closest real options
- Upper Mississippi itineraries near Chicago. Some sailings run between St. Louis and Ottawa, Illinois, a town southwest of Chicago, using the Illinois River. These are the nearest thing to a Chicago-area departure, but they head north and west rather than south to New Orleans. Check current availability, because these are offered less often than the main St. Louis to St. Paul routes.
- A Lower Mississippi cruise paired with travel from Chicago. Fly or take the train to Memphis or New Orleans and join a lower-river sailing there. See our overview of Mississippi River cruises from New Orleans.
- The long combined sailing. Some lines run a New Orleans to St. Paul voyage that lasts well over two weeks. It covers both ends of the river but does not go through Chicago. For how long these take, see how long it takes to cruise the Mississippi.
The river route for private boaters
Chicago is connected to the Mississippi by the Illinois Waterway, which leads to the Mississippi north of St. Louis. Private boaters, including those doing the Great Loop, use this route to travel by water from Lake Michigan toward the Gulf. It involves locks, commercial barge traffic and planning for river conditions, so it is not a casual trip. If you are considering it in your own vessel, consult current navigation charts and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for lock information.
Getting between the two cities without a ship
If the goal is simply to travel from Chicago to New Orleans and enjoy the region on the way, a few options are practical:
- Train. Amtrak runs a daily service between the two cities, an overnight trip that takes roughly a day.
- Driving. The drive is long, usually done over two days with a stop in between.
- Flying. A direct flight is much shorter, and you could then add a short river cruise at the other end.
What is the halfway point?
It depends on whether you go by road, rail or river, since the routes differ. By road, the midpoint falls roughly in the area where southern Illinois, western Kentucky and western Tennessee meet, with Memphis a bit past halfway. Treat this as a rough guide, not an exact measurement.
Where to stop between Chicago and New Orleans
Good overnight stops for a road or rail trip include:
- St. Louis, Missouri, with the Gateway Arch and riverfront
- Memphis, Tennessee, for blues music and barbecue
- Natchez or Vicksburg, Mississippi, for historic river towns
- Baton Rouge or the plantation area, just before reaching New Orleans
These are also frequent ports on lower-river cruises, so you can see how a cruise would stack up against doing it on your own.
What is the best month to go to New Orleans?
Many visitors favor the cooler, drier months, roughly from late fall to spring, avoiding the intense heat and humidity of summer. Festival periods, including Mardi Gras, bring large crowds and higher prices. Hurricane season runs from June to November, so build in flexibility if you travel in that window. For river cruise timing, see the best time of year for a Mississippi River cruise.
Are there cruise ships that go out of New Orleans?
Yes. Several ocean cruise lines have sailed from the Port of New Orleans, usually to the Caribbean, and river cruise ships also begin and end trips there. The mix of lines changes over time, so look up current schedules. Our Mississippi River cruises from New Orleans guide explains the difference between the two types.