Ultimate 3-Day Bourbon Trail Itinerary (from a local!)

With so many bourbon distilleries to see on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, it’s certainly hard to fit in as many distillery tours and bourbon tastings as you’d like in just a long weekend. In fact, the Kentucky bourbon trail includes 42 distilleries. That’s why I created this 3-day bourbon trail itinerary.

I grew up in the land of bourbon and I absolutely love sharing my home state with you, too. In fact, I was even married at Buffalo Trace! And because I’ve spent so much time with a local perspective of just how to visit the trail, you’ll find the best guide to make your experience memorable.

Happy travels to Kentucky!

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How to plan a Bourbon Trail trip

Gone are the days when bourbon lovers could just show up at a distillery and join a tour without reservations. Today planning a trip to the Bourbon Trail requires a lot more time and organization. You must book your tickets in advance to secure a tour, which means you need a solid plan of location, timing between tours, and prioritization on which locations you are most interested in so you don’t miss it.

Is a guided tour bus experience for you? Though I believe the DIY approach to the Bourbon Trail is the best way to do it there are companies that offer tour bus experiences that take you from distillery to distillery, and even get your tickets for you. These range is cost from $250-400 per person per day. You can’t customize this experience, so you’ll only be given the tours offered (usually the standard) and limited time at each distillery stop, too.

Most tours open reservations between 2-3 months in advance. Which means you need your itinerary finalized by then, so you know where you want to go, and when. But don’t worry – I’ve helped you plan the ultimate 3-day itinerary to pack it full of unique bourbon trail experiences!

>> Need a list of all the distilleries offering tours and tastings? Use my free interactive map!

Getting around the Bourbon Trail

Unless you opt for a guided tour, the best way to get around distilleries outside of the immediate Louisville area is to rent a car. It’s really the only way to see the distilleries outside of Whiskey Row if you don’t go with a guided tour. Plus, it offers you flexibility in time between your stops, too.

Tastings on the trail are small amounts of bourbon, with strict regulations on the amount of alcohol you can consume. Distilleries are only allowed to offer you 1 3/4 total ounces at a tasting. Still, if you opt to book a rental car for your bourbon trail experience, be sure to select one person as the driver, especially if you plan to enjoy a cocktail at the distillery’s bars.

Pro tip! I book my rental cars with AutoSlash. It’s a free tool that compares all your car rental options to give you the best price.

3-Day Bourbon Trail Itinerary – the ultimate guide!

This 3-day itinerary is designed to be self-guided. With so many great distilleries to choose from, quality eats around the trail, and more, this is the perfect way to visit the bourbon trail and have a well-rounded experience.

Day 1: Arrive in Louisville and enjoy an afternoon tour

There are just a few airports offering direct flights into Louisville but all major carriers do operate. You can often get deals from Thrifty Traveler for cheap cash tickets to Louisville a few times a year but if you have specific travel dates, I recommend monitoring your flights on Google Flights.

For this itinerary, I’d recommend staying in the Louisville area, specifically near Whiskey Row downtown. With such a brief trip it’s important to maximize your time and this will be a great way to do that.

Check out my guide to where to stay on the Kentucky bourbon trail for hotel suggestions!

Save money and time by skipping checking luggage and packing a carry-on backpack for this trip. Book an early morning flight to arrive in Louisville in time to catch the 4:00 distillery tour at Old Forester on Whiskey Row.

The Old Forester tour includes all stages of the bourbon-making process, an excellent bourbon tasting, and products in the gift shop you can’t find anywhere else that are always in stock. It’s a great place to start your time on the trail. Tickets for the Old Forester Tour open three months in advance, so be sure to put it on your calendar to snag your ticket!

Pro Tip! Be sure to buy some modjeskas, a Louisville dessert staple, at the Old Forester gift shop. They are amazing and hard to find anywhere else!

After your tour, get ready to be greeted with many of the wonderful culinary experiences Louisville has to offer with dinner at the Village Anchor. Known for their wide selection of bourbons on the menu and quality southern food, this place is certainly one to try. (I love their fried chicken, chili and hot brown.) You can also try Proof on Main – another great cocktail bar not far from your Old Forester experience.

Day 2: Explore the Urban Bourbon Trail and surrounding area

Start your morning at one of my favorite breakfast spots, The Cafe. While there, you can browse the Louisville Stoneware for a keepsake to bring home, too. This place is usually pretty busy (especially on the weekends) so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get a table and eat. If you’re going full southern their biscuits and gravy are fantastic but I’m a sucker for the huevos rancheros (and their greek salad is an amazing lunch),

After breakfast, head back to Whiskey Row for a morning of new-age bourbon tours. Start your Bourbon Trail experience at Rabbit Hole, one of the most up-and-coming brands. You can book your reservation for Rabbit Hole 8 weeks in advance. I love their gift shop because it has super unique cocktail and bourbon products. So be sure to arrive early to give yourself some time to wander about before your tour starts.

Continue your Louisville bourbon experience by walking just 0.4 miles to Angel’s Envy. Tours open 8 weeks in advance with a variety of unique experiences to choose from. After completing two standard tours up to now, I’d recommend a 12:45 Taste the Finish experience. With bourbons known to excite enthusiasts, Angel’s Envy is a great place to try something different.

Other Bourbon Trail Tours in Louisville

Keep in mind there are plenty of bourbon tour options in Louisville. We’re just hitting the tip of the iceberg (and some of my personal favorites). And with the growth of the Bourbon Trail many distilleries are now opening tasting rooms and experiences downtown if you can’t get to their distillery.

It’s time to head out of Louisville and drive just 30 minutes down the highway to Shelbyville, Kentucky on a little roadtrip. Shelbyville is an up-and-coming bourbon destination (and my hometown). Bulleit recently expanded to this new distilling location that has high-end finishes, good cocktails, and a quality product, too. If the days of the week work consider a cocktail class. Bulleit is known by bartenders as a cocktail-making favorite so why not try your hand at a cocktail class here?

Have a bit more time? If you want to venture further than Shelbyville you can drive another 30 minutes to Frankfort, Kentucky. Here you can visit the famous Buffalo Trace Distillery. They have an amazing free tour but their gift shop is also perfect to snag you a bottle of Buffo Trace or some of their other more hard-to-find products, too.

Want to snag a special bottle at Buffalo Trace? The distillery releases a limited number of bottles of a different hard-to-find brand (Blanton's, Weller, Eagle Rare, EH Taylor, etc.) in the morning each day. The gift shop includes a Product Availability list but the best ways to get one of these bottles is to hear to the distillery before it opens and wait in line.

After your final stop for the day check out the Bell House for dinner, Shelbyville’s fan favorite. You’ll likely need a reservation, especially on the weekend. Be sure to get a Kentucky staple, the Kentucky Hot Brown here. It’s fantastic and will give you a great look at a classic dish in the cutest little pink house.

Day 3: Venture out to Bardstown

Wake up early to drive from Louisville to Bardstown, Kentucky. A quaint town, known for its large amount of major brand and craft distilleries. The drive is only about 50 minutes and pretty scenic. Bardstown has always been the center of the bourbon industry in Kentucky but the recent tourism boom has made is a great place to spend the day, with distilleries putting a lot of time and resources into creating amazing experiences for you.

Start your day at Heaven Hill Distillery at the Do Your Own bourbon experience. This tour gives you the opportunity to taste exclusive products and choose to bottle your own. This experience is super unique and will give you the option to buy a hard-to-find bourbon at the end. Before the tour be sure to give yourself time to explore the new Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, with interactive galleries and a movie theatre.

Heaven Hill has a beautiful cocktail bar upstairs above their galleries, too. Though you’ll having an amazing lunch at our next stop do take a second to peek up there. You’ll find amazing views of the distilleries warehouses and an outdoor deck, too.

Your afternoon in Bardstown

After your Do Your Own class, head down the road (literally) to Bardstown Bourbon Company for lunch. The restaurant offers a wide selection of southern favorites, like chicken and grits and bread pudding. You will need a reservation, so be sure to book one in advance. Bardstown Bourbon Company has some of the most unique operations, with modern facilities and an interesting business model. After lunch explore one of the many unique experiences offered here. I did the rick house thieving tour and it was a great price for the experience offered.

Depending on your schedule, you could visit Willett in Bardstown before heading out of town. A guided tour can be booked 90 days in advance and offers a unique look at a smaller operation with quality product. Willett is a beautiful location with great products, too. You could choose to just complete a tasting here, which you can usually find availability for pretty easily. Their tasting is open-ended, where you can choose which of their products you want to try.

Like Bardstown Bourbon Company, Willett also has a great restaurant. If you pace your visits it’s a fantastic place for cocktail and dessert on their porch.

Other things to do in Bardstown

• Visit the Volstead Bourbon Lounge to find some hidden gems to try
• Take a tour of downtown with this self-guided walking tour
• Find some unique bottles of bourbon at the Blind Pig Bourbon Market
• Visit a show at The Stephen Foster Story

Best places to stay on the bourbon trail

With just a 3-day itinerary, I’d highly recommend staying in Louisville. Here are some hotel recommendations in downtown Louisville to make it easy to get around most of the distilleries included in the itinerary.

My Hotel picks in Louisville

21C Museum Hotel Louisville (my Top Pick!)

Quick Look: Best hotel in Louisville in the perfect location to explore downtown. Unique design with fun elements and a free modern art museum inside.

This is probably my favorite hotel in Louisville but it is also a favorite for many visitors, too. It’s a bit on the higher price for Louisville hotel standards but if you are traveling off-season you can find some amazing deals for less than $150 a night.

The Grady

Quick Look: Upscale hotel in the trendy museum area this hotel is known for its amenities and charm. It’s just a quick block down from the start of Whiskey Row, too.

I love The Grady because of its amazing character and historic charm within the design but it’s also in a great location to walk to the distilleries in downtown, too.

Moxy Louisville

Quick Look: Located just around the corner from Old Forester, this Marriott property is a great place to center yourself on Whiskey Row.

I think Moxy Louisville can be a great option if you want to spend a little less money but still be in Whiskey Row.

Be sure to check out my complete guide to where to stay on the Bourbon Trail for all the best hotel options.

FAQs

More bourbon Trail Tips + inspiration

I hope you have a fantastic trip on the Bourbon Trail! I absolutely love sharing my incredible home state and favorite activity within it with you. If you liked this itinerary and want more helpful tips be sure to check out:

• If you’re looking for somewhere more unique to stay on the trail check out Shelbyville
• Need some other things to do in Kentucky? Find the best day trips here.
• If you have less time, check out my 2-day Bourbon Trail itinerary