A private-driver loop along the Great River Road's limestone bluffs, ending in the storybook village of Elsah and the Principia College campus overlook.
What to expect
You're picked up and driven along the Mississippi's dramatic limestone bluffs, stopping at scenic pull-offs most visitors blow past. In Elsah, a National Register village of 19th-century stone cottages, you wander quiet lanes with your guide narrating its river-town history. The route continues past Principia College's striking Bernard Maybeck architecture overlooking the river. It ends with time to browse Elsah's tiny shops before returning to Alton.
Good to know
Book at least 2-3 hours before all-aboard; confirm return timing with the driver directly since Elsah has no public transit back to port.
Sail there
Luxury cruises that call at Alton — book through us, the fare is identical and your concierge stays on your side.