Missouri
5
Day Itinerary •
USA
Five days in Missouri lets you explore the full extraordinary breadth of the Show-Me State, from the Gateway Arch and Soulard Market of St Louis to the legendary Kansas City BBQ scene and jazz heritage, the magnificent Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the extraordinary Ha Ha Tonka castle ruins and the remarkable Current River float country. This route covers the complete Missouri experience. The extraordinary Gateway Arch and Forest Park of St Louis, the finest BBQ in America in Kansas City, the magnificent Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park and Taum Sauk Mountain, the extraordinary Ozark springs and the remarkable historic river towns of Hermann and St Genevieve.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to November
Getting There
Fly into St Louis (STL) or Kansas City (MCI)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout Missouri
Budget Per Day
Approx $100 to $170 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate, some Ozark hiking
DAY 1
ST LOUIS
MORNING
GATEWAY ARCH AND THE ST LOUIS RIVERFRONT
The Gateway Arch is the most extraordinary monument in the Midwest, Eero Saarinen's extraordinary 630-foot stainless steel catenary arch above the Mississippi River giving the finest tram ride to the top in the remarkable egg-shaped capsules with views stretching 30 miles on clear days. The Museum at the Gateway Arch gives the finest westward expansion history in America. The extraordinary Laclede's Landing historic district of 19th-century cobblestone streets by the river is free to explore. Tram approx $16. Drive: 20 min drive
MIDDAY
SOULARD FARMERS MARKET AND THE HISTORIC FRENCH NEIGHBORHOOD
Soulard Market is the most extraordinary public market in Missouri, the oldest farmers market west of the Mississippi River operating since 1779 with its extraordinary Saturday morning of local produce, Cajun-influenced food vendors and the finest Missouri craft products. The extraordinary Soulard neighborhood of French Creole rowhouses, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery tour and the extraordinary Soulard Blues Bar give the finest historic neighborhood experience in St Louis. Soulard free, A-B tour approx $10. Drive: 15 min walk
AFTERNOON
FOREST PARK AND THE ST LOUIS FREE MUSEUMS
Forest Park is the most extraordinary free urban park in America after Central Park, its extraordinary 1,371 acres containing the entirely free St Louis Art Museum with 35,000 works, the St Louis Zoo with over 16,000 animals, the St Louis Science Center and the Missouri History Museum. The extraordinary Jewel Box Art Deco greenhouse and the Grand Basin reflecting pool are unmissable. All four major Forest Park attractions are completely free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Ted Drewes Frozen Custard on Chippewa Street is the finest frozen custard in America, its extraordinary concrete so thick it's served upside down since 1929 on historic Route 66. From approx $5. Open March through December. The most extraordinary sweet treat and the finest hidden Route 66 institution in St Louis.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Winslow's Table, Clayton The finest breakfast near St Louis. Extraordinary local Missouri eggs and strong coffee. | Lunch: Soulard Market food stalls The most extraordinary market lunch in Missouri. Local oysters, Cajun food and Missouri cheese. | Dinner: Pappy's Smokehouse, Midtown The most celebrated BBQ in St Louis. Extraordinary St Louis ribs and smoked turkey.
DAY 2
STE GENEVIEVE AND SOUTHERN MISSOURI
MORNING
STE GENEVIEVE, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY HISTORIC TOWN IN MISSOURI
Ste Genevieve is the most extraordinary historic town in Missouri, founded by French Creole settlers in the 1730s as the oldest permanent European settlement west of the Mississippi River. Its extraordinary collection of vertical-log Creole architecture, including the Bolduc House from 1770, is the finest concentration of French Colonial buildings in North America. The remarkable National Park visitor center gives the finest introduction to Creole Missouri heritage. Historic district free. Drive: 1 hr drive
MIDDAY
JOHNSON'S SHUT-INS STATE PARK, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY SWIMMING HOLE IN MISSOURI
Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park is the most extraordinary natural swimming park in Missouri, its extraordinary volcanic rhyolite shut-ins where the Black River has carved a series of extraordinary chutes, pools and natural water slides through billion-year-old Precambrian rock giving the finest natural water park in the Midwest. The swimming season runs May to October. The extraordinary Taum Sauk Mountain nearby is the highest point in Missouri at 1,772 feet. Park entry $7. Drive: 1.5 hr drive
AFTERNOON
TAUM SAUK MOUNTAIN AND THE OZARK TRAIL
Taum Sauk Mountain State Park gives the highest point in Missouri, its extraordinary summit at 1,772 feet accessible by a 0.25-mile paved trail giving the finest view of the St Francois Mountains. The Mina Sauk Falls Trail gives the most extraordinary 3-mile loop to the finest waterfall in the St Francois Mountains, a 132-foot cascade over ancient rhyolite. The extraordinary Ozark Trail originates at Taum Sauk and gives the finest long-distance hiking in Missouri. Summit and trail free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Elephant Rocks State Park near Graniteville is the finest hidden geological park in Missouri, its extraordinary billion-year-old granite boulders as large as elephants balanced in extraordinary formations accessible by a 1-mile braille trail giving the most extraordinary geological landscape in the state. Free. The most extraordinary hidden gem in the St Francois Mountains.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Anvil Restaurant, Ste Genevieve The finest historic restaurant in Ste Genevieve. Extraordinary local Missouri breakfast in a 1855 building. | Lunch: Old Brick House, Ste Genevieve The oldest restaurant in Missouri since 1820. Extraordinary local Missouri cuisine in the historic Creole town. | Dinner: Arcadia Valley Restaurant, Arcadia Outstanding local Missouri cuisine near Johnson's Shut-Ins. Extraordinary local ingredients.
DAY 3
OZARK RIVERWAYS
MORNING
OZARK NATIONAL SCENIC RIVERWAYS CURRENT RIVER FLOAT TRIP
The Current River through the Ozark National Scenic Riverways is the most extraordinary float river in Missouri, its extraordinary crystal-clear spring-fed water emerging from hundreds of Ozark springs at a constant 58 degrees giving the finest canoe and inner tube experience in the American heartland. The extraordinary Alley Spring, issuing 81 million gallons of turquoise-green water daily from beneath a historic 1894 red grist mill, is the most extraordinary spring scene in Missouri. Float rental approx $25. Drive: 2 hr drive
MIDDAY
HA HA TONKA STATE PARK CASTLE RUINS AND LAKE OF THE OZARKS
Ha Ha Tonka State Park contains the most extraordinary castle ruins in Missouri, its extraordinary 1905 stone castle on a 250-foot bluff above Lake of the Ozarks giving the most dramatic architectural and natural landscape in the state. The extraordinary Natural Bridge, sinkholes, cave and spring at the base of the bluff give the finest geological park in Missouri. The lake view from the castle ruins at sunset is the most extraordinary in the Ozarks. Entry free. Drive: 1.5 hr drive
AFTERNOON
BENNETT SPRING STATE PARK AND OZARK TROUT WATERS
Bennett Spring State Park is the most extraordinary spring park in Missouri, its extraordinary Bennett Spring issuing 100 million gallons of crystal-clear 56-degree water daily into the Niangua River giving the finest trout fishing experience in the Ozarks. The extraordinary turquoise clarity of the spring run and the surrounding cedar glades are unmissable. The Ozark float trip culture of canoes, inner tubes and johnboats on the crystal-clear rivers gives the finest outdoor recreation in Missouri. Entry free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Big Spring in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways near Van Buren is the largest spring in Missouri, issuing an extraordinary 276 million gallons of water daily in a single emergence pool of extraordinary turquoise clarity giving the most extraordinary single spring experience in the Ozarks. Free. The most extraordinary hidden gem in the Ozark Riverways.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Emminence Cafe, Eminence Outstanding Ozark breakfast before the Current River float. Local Missouri eggs and strong coffee. | Lunch: Picnic on the Current River Pack lunch from Eminence. The extraordinary riverside picnic on crystal-clear Ozark waters. | Dinner: Ha Ha Tonka State Park overlook picnic Extraordinary sunset picnic at the castle ruins. Bring your own extraordinary Missouri wine.
DAY 4
KANSAS CITY
MORNING
ARTHUR BRYANT'S AND THE KANSAS CITY BBQ TRAIL
Arthur Bryant's Barbeque is the most legendary BBQ restaurant in America, its extraordinary sauce-slathered beef brisket and burnt ends served since 1908 in a no-frills dining room that has fed presidents and BBQ legends. Arrive before noon. Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que gives the finest Z-Man sandwich in Kansas City, its extraordinary smoked brisket, smoked provolone and onion ring on a Kaiser roll the most extraordinary single BBQ bite in the Midwest. Both approx $15. Drive: 3 hr drive
MIDDAY
18TH AND VINE JAZZ DISTRICT AND AMERICAN JAZZ MUSEUM
18TH AND VINE JAZZ DISTRICT AND AMERICAN JAZZ MUSEUM 1.5 hours The 18th and Vine Historic District is the most extraordinary jazz heritage neighborhood in America, the birthplace of Kansas City jazz where Charlie Parker, Count Basie and Jay McShann developed the swing style that became bebop. The American Jazz Museum gives the finest jazz history in any American museum. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the same building is the most extraordinary sports heritage museum in America. Combined museum entry approx $15. Drive: 15 min drive
AFTERNOON
NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM AND THE COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is the finest free art museum in Missouri, its extraordinary collection of 35,000 works including the finest Asian art collection in the central United States, remarkable Impressionist galleries and the extraordinary Bloch Building by Steven Holl. The Country Club Plaza with its extraordinary 1922 Spanish Renaissance architecture of fountains and tile work is the finest outdoor shopping district in the Midwest. Museum free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Steamboat Arabia Museum in Kansas City is the finest hidden museum in Missouri, its extraordinary 1856 Missouri River steamboat excavated from a cornfield in 1988 with 200 tons of extraordinary frontier merchandise preserved in perfect condition. Entry approx $15. The most extraordinary hidden museum in Kansas City.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Stroud's Restaurant, Kansas City The most legendary pan-fried chicken breakfast in Kansas City since 1933. Extraordinary local Missouri chicken. | Lunch: Arthur Bryant's Barbeque The most legendary BBQ in America. Extraordinary burnt ends and brisket. Arrive before noon. | Dinner: Winsead's, Kansas City The most legendary drive-in in Kansas City since 1940. Extraordinary Steakburger and hand-spun milkshakes.
DAY 5
MISSOURI WINE COUNTRY
MORNING
HERMANN, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY WINE TOWN IN MISSOURI
Hermann is the most extraordinary historic wine town in Missouri, its extraordinary Main Street of 19th-century German immigrant brick buildings overlooking the Missouri River and surrounded by the oldest wine-producing region west of the Ohio River giving the finest wine town experience in the Midwest. Stone Hill Winery, the second largest winery in America in the 1890s, and Adam Puchta Winery, producing wine continuously since 1855, give the finest historic Missouri winery experiences. Tastings approx $10. Drive: 1.5 hr drive
MIDDAY
KATY TRAIL STATE PARK ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER
The Katy Trail is the most extraordinary rail-trail in America, its extraordinary 237-mile converted Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad corridor along the Missouri River bluffs giving the finest cycling trail in the Midwest through the wine country between Hermann and St Charles. The extraordinary Missouri River bluff views from the trail above Hermann, through the Rocheport tunnel and along the river corridor give the finest cycling landscape in Missouri. Trail free, bike rental approx $25. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
AUGUSTA WINE TRAIL AND THE MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY
Augusta is the most extraordinary wine village in Missouri, the first designated American Viticultural Area in the United States, established before California's Napa Valley in 1980. The extraordinary Augusta Winery and Mount Pleasant Estates give the finest wine tasting on the Missouri River bluffs. The extraordinary Femme Osage Creek valley south of Augusta with its remarkable Lewis and Clark heritage and the Daniel Boone Home give the finest historic Missouri River heritage. Tastings approx $8.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Deutschheim State Historic Site in Hermann is the finest hidden historic site in Missouri wine country, its extraordinary 1840s German immigrant stone buildings giving the most extraordinary insight into the Missouri German heritage that created the wine industry along the river. Entry approx $4. The most extraordinary hidden gem in Hermann.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Market on the Square, Hermann The finest breakfast in Hermann. Extraordinary local Missouri pastries and strong coffee before the wine trail. | Lunch: Vintage Restaurant, Hermann Outstanding local Missouri wine country lunch. Extraordinary local produce and Hermann wine list. | Dinner: Rheingarten, Hermann The finest restaurant in Hermann. Extraordinary German-Missouri cuisine and outstanding local wine.
Where To Stay
St Louis, Night 1 The Cheshire or Moonrise Hotel. Approx $120 to $220 per night. Ozarks, Nights 2 to 3 Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park cabins or Eminence cabins. Approx $80 to $150. Kansas City and Hermann, Nights 4 to 5 Crossroads Hotel KC or Hermann Hill Inn. Approx $110 to $200.
Top Tips
1. Book Gateway Arch tram at recreation.gov. The sunset tram gives the most extraordinary view of the Mississippi.
2. Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park is the finest swimming hole in Missouri. Arrive early as it fills by 10am in summer.
3. Current River float trip from Eminence: rent inner tubes for the finest lazy float in the Ozarks. Pack dry bags.
4. Arthur Bryant's burnt ends sell out by 1pm. Joe's Kansas City Z-Man sandwich is the finest BBQ bite in Kansas City.
5. Hermann Oktoberfest in October is the most extraordinary wine festival in Missouri. Book accommodation months ahead.
6. The Katy Trail from Hermann to Jefferson City is the finest cycling day in Missouri. Bike rental at Katy Bike Rental.
Total Budget
$100 to $170/day