Buffalo Trace Tours: Everything You Need to Know

I love Buffalo Trace so much that I was even married there in 2017. The grounds, the products, the staff, and the history make it one of the most unique—and my favorite—distilleries in Kentucky. Buffalo Trace isn’t just a place to sample world-class bourbon; it’s a destination steeped in rich history, vibrant culture, and timeless traditions. From the moment you step onto the grounds, you’re enveloped in the legacy of America’s oldest continuously operating distillery because the Buffalo Trace tours are worth the visit.

Each tour offers a unique experience, showcasing different aspects of the distillation process, from the craftsmanship behind their legendary products to the stories of the people who have shaped the distillery over the centuries. Whether you’re a bourbon aficionado or a curious traveler, this Buffalo Trace tours guide will help you get all the details on each tour so you can choose the one that’s right for you and fully appreciate the heritage of Kentucky’s bourbon country.

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Visiting Buffalo Trace Distillery: The Basics

Hours of Operation: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (mon-sat) & 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (sun)
Number of Tour Options: 5
Price of Tours: $0 – yes, all the tours are completely free!

Buffalo Trace is open every day except major holidays including Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. 

When do tour dates open?

Tours open 8 weeks in advance and are released weekly on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. EST. To book your tour you’ll use their online reservation system available on the Buffalo Trace website.

Tours book up fast, so it’s important to be ready to book your spots as soon as tours open. This is especially true for the more limited tours, like the Hard Hat and Taylor Tour options. But the standard Trace tour also fills up quickly, especially during peak season.

There is a seasonality to the Bourbon Trail with January through early-April being the low season. You’ll find more tour spots available or selling less quickly than other times of the year.

Can’t get a tour booked? You can still do a tasting!

Tastings require no reservations and are available anytime between opening and 30 minutes prior to closing at the Distillery’s gift shop. You tasting always includes standard Buffalo Trace, Weller Special Reserve, Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream and a rotation of other, more premium products. If you’re not a drinker, don’t worry. You can also choose the Freddie’s Root Beer.

Buying Bourbon at Buffalo Trace

Buffalo Trace has a limited number of bottles available on a product availability schedule at the gift shop daily. Consider this like a limited allocation. The distillery includes a webpage dedicated to which products are available at the store each day.

Brands like the standard Buffalo Trace are available daily while the more premium products (Blantons, E.H. Taylor, Weller and Eagle Rare) usually operate on a rotating basis with only one of them available each day until sold out.

If you’re interested in getting a bottle of something unique that you can’t easily find at home get to the distillery gift shop before 9:00 a.m. and wait in line. Bottles can, and often do, sell out quickly.

Buffalo Trace Distillery Tours

Below you’ll find a quick overview of all the distillery tours offered at Buffalo Trace. I’ve highlighted what makes each of these tours unique to help you make the best choice. Be sure to read through the descriptions to help you plan your visit.

The Trace Tour

I’d book it if: You’ve never been to Buffalo Trace.

The standard Trace Tour is the most common tour offered at Buffalo Trace. And if you haven’t visited Buffalo Trace I recommend booking this one. You’ll get a tour of the entire bourbon process, complete with the historic warehouses and bottling facilities.

Tours take about 75 minutes and includes a tasting at the end.
Learn more here

Hard Hat Tour

I’d book it if: You want a more behind-the-scenes look.

I was actually surprised at how much I loved the Hard Hat Tour. What I found most unique about this experience was getting up and close with the work the distillery has to do to keep their historic preservation certificates. On this tour you’ll get to see more of the distillation process, so if you like corn mash it’s for you.

This tour is 90 minutes and includes a tasting at the end.
Learn more here

Old Taylor Tour

I’d book it if: You want a close look at the history of bourbon.

This is one of the newer tours Buffalo Trace is offering and I think it might be one of their best. E.H. Taylor Jr. transformed the distilling industry and made it what it is today. This tour takes you through his old stomping grounds and focuses on Taylor’s desire to transform the industry. This is certainly a more historic tour so I’d only book it if you’ve already experienced the Trace Tour.

This tour is 75 minutes and includes a tasting. It also is not ADA accessible.
Learn more here

Botanical Gardens Tour

I’d book it if: You want something other than bourbon.

The botanical garden tour takes you around the grounds of the historic 1934 Blanton house. The tour is more about Buffalo Trace being a National Historic Landmark more so than the bourbon-making process. But it does include a tasting at the end.

Tour is 75 minutes and includes a tasting. They are only offered on Tuesdays.
Learn more here

National Historic Landmark Tour

Currently Unavailable

The National Historic Landmark Tour is all about the history surrounding the time Albert B. Blanton distilled. The tour largely takes place surrounding 1933-1953 and how it shaped Buffalo Trace’s processes and products today.

Tour is 90 minutes and includes a tasting. Currently this tour is discontinued.
Learn more here

Visiting on a Guided Tour

If you don’t want to visit on your own you can instead join a guided tour from Louisville that includes Buffalo Trace. These tours do all the planning for you, so you can just relax and show up. Just keep in mind these experiences are more expensive than the DIY approach.

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