Kentucky Derby

Event Dates

Apr 30, 2026 - May 3, 2026

Country

United States of America

Prices Starting at

Coming soon

Buffalo Trace Distillery Tour and Lane’s End Horse Farm Tour

Kentucky is a place of pride and passion. Ask anyone you meet from the Bluegrass, and they’ll probably say something about bourbon, or horses, or college sports. They’d like to think they are the best at all three. So naturally, whenever we bring groups to check Kentucky off their bucket list, we take the time to check out the local scenery and experience the Commonwealth. Bourbon distillery tours and horse farm tours attract visitors year round, and there is no prettier time than the spring.

Let us help with your itinerary in exploring all that Kentucky has to offer. If you are looking to join our May 1 tour, we have a limited number of spots available to book online for $395 per person, which includes the Buffalo Trace distillery tour with tastings, Lane’s End horse farm tour, lunch and roundtrip transportation from Louisville.

Kentucky Derby Tours – Bourbon Distilleries on the Bourbon Trail

Interested in more information about the Kentucky Derby Tours landscape? Most of the bigger tour destinations are outside of Louisville. Bourbon distilleries are primarily south near Bardstown or east near Frankfort. Horse farms are largely found between Lexington and Versailles.

In 1789, Baptist minister Elijah Craig developed bourbon. Since the first barrel, it has helped shape Kentucky, particularly Bardstown. Known as the Bourbon Capital of the World, Bardstown features 11 unique distilleries nearby. The distillery options around Bardstown include Bardstown Bourbon Company, Barton 1792, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Limestone Branch, Log Still Distillery, Lux Row, Maker’s Mark, Old Samuels, Preservation and Willett.

Once you’ve dipped your own bottle in the Maker’s Mark gift shop, head east towards Frankfort, Versailles, Lexington and Horse Country. Now there’s no shortage of distilleries there, too. In fact, if you only have one tour day, we recommend spending it between Frankfort and Lexington for a blended tour of a horse farm and a distillery. The distillery options around Frankfort include Town Branch, Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, Castle & Key, Four Roses, James Pepper Distilling, Jeptha Creed, Whiskey Thief, Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve.

Kentucky Derby Horse Farm Tours

After you have explored the mission-style architecture of Four Roses or the ambiance of Woodford Reserve, you won’t have to look far for a horse farm. It’s here that Poa pratensis, Kentucky bluegrass, thrives in the pastures of the manicured horse farms. Almost 80 percent of Derby-winning horses were born in Kentucky, where a massive layer of limestone has helped make calcium-rich soil perfect for raising strong horses that can withstand the rigors of racing.

And once those thoroughbreds win graded stakes races, they retire to become breeding stallions on Kentucky farms. Don’t miss a chance to check out one of these beautiful stops, and maybe pick some clothes up for your trip to the Kentucky Derby! The top horse farms in the area include Coolmore’s Ashford Stud, WinStar Farm, Jonabell Farm, Taylor Made Farm, Three Chimneys Farm, Claiborne Farm and Lane’s End Farm.

Let Bucket List Events plan your next Kentucky Derby, including a Friday spent in the beautiful countryside of Kentucky, exploring a horse farm and a bourbon distillery. Click here to view our packages for the 2026 Kentucky Derby.

Booking Options & Terms

Book with Confidence Policy included with every package: If the Kentucky Derby is cancelled or postponed, the value of your package is protected and will be automatically applied to the new dates or to the following year, based on your preference. You will also have the opportunity to use these funds as a credit towards any other event that Bucket List Events offers between now and the end of 2025. Don’t wait, our space fills up quickly. Book today with confidence.

Cancellations: Bucket List Events understands that flexibility is the key to planning your travel experiences. Whether life gets in the way and your plans need to change, or if you simply need a flexible payment plan to help you budget your expenses, we keep things flexible with the following cancellation and booking terms.

Cancellation By Customer	Refund Information
Within 48 hours of Booking	Full refund, No questions asked for bookings made prior to 90 days out. (For bookings made within 90 days, this doesn’t apply).
91+ days prior to event date(s)	75% Refund of Monies Paid
0-90 days prior to event date(s)	No Refunds will be given for any reason. No Cancellations Allowed. All sales are final.

For a complete listing of booking terms and conditions, please click here.

The terms Churchill Downs ®, Kentucky Derby ® and Run for the Roses ™ are trademarks of Churchill Downs Incorporated. The use of these terms herein is for factual description purposes only. Bucket List Events is in no way associated with or authorized by Churchill Downs Incorporated. Churchill Downs Incorporated has neither licensed nor endorsed Bucket List Events to sell goods and services in conjunction with the Kentucky Derby!

More Useful Info

Questions?

We may already answered it – so check out our comprehensive FAQ & Tips section. Otherwise, our blog is filled with great posts about the Kentucky Derby! If you have any further questions, our dedicated event experts have been organizing and attending experiences to the World’s biggest events since 2004. There’s no question they cannot answer, so feel free to reach out.

Reviews (12)

Bucket List experience was great on all levels. Our clubhouse seats were perfect and as promised - great view of finish, covered, comfortable. We loved the additional tours at stable and distillery. Transportation was also efficient and easy. But the best part was the service provided by Ben and the team. His ability to troubleshoot, go beyond the call and pivot with weather conditions is second to none. This is my second experience with BL and I will return for other great events.

Our experience with Ben and Bucket List Events at the Kentucky Derby was absolutely amazing! Ben’s attention to detail was commendable. This experience exceeded all of expectations! Everything was planned, well thought out and executed.
We made many friends. Mike was a fabulous tour guide! Fun! Although a Bucket List item- I can’t wait to do it again 😄!

Our Kentucky Derby weekend couldn’t have been more perfect! The accommodations were great, the horse farm and bourbon distillery tours were an absolute blast, and the Barnstable party was one of the best we’ve ever been to. It was a weekend full of fun, laughter, and memories we’ll never forget.

We booked the Kentucky Derby through Ben at Bucket List events this year and had an absolutely amazing time. Everything went flawlessly and smooth from start to finish. Ben and his crew made sure every detail was perfect and that made the Derby for us truly a bucket list event that will never be forgotten.

Very grateful to the Bucket List Events team for helping us craft a wonderful itinerary for the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Despite the ever-changing status of the event given the pandemic, Ben and the team ensured a wonderful and memorable weekend for our group. Looking forward to partnering again on a future event!

It was my first time to go to the Kentucky Derby and it was amazing!! Thank you so much to Ben, who was our coordinator. He answered all our questions and anticipated many of them with great detailed instructions. We did the add on excursion of visiting a horse farm and bourbon distillery and I’m so glad we did. Also, the Barnstable Brown party on Friday night was so fun and derby was perfect!! This was one of the best experiences of my life. It was my first Derby, but definitely not my last!! Make sure you use these guys to plan your trip. It will be first class all the way!!

Our Kentucky Derby experience was perfect. It started with setting up the trip. Brian made it easy and gave many helpful suggestions. Then Ben took over in Louisville. Welcoming us on Thursday and making sure we had everything we needed. Derby Day went off without a hitch. Ben made sure we knew what to expect at the track and later checked on us at our box to assure all was well. We asked for everything when we planned this trip and Bucket List Events delivered. We would not hesitate to use Bucket List Events for any of our adventures.

The guys at Bucket List Events were great. Complete professionals that made the entire experience extremely special. I would 100% use them if I returned to the derby or any other bucket list event I plan in the future.

Perfect trip!!! First time to the Kentucky Derby and it was the best!! Bucket List events made the trip easy and fun. If I could rate over 5 stars. I would. Thank you all at Bucket List Events - especially you Ben! “I’ll be back.”

Our trip to the Kentucky Derby was absolutely incredible, thanks in large part to the expert planning and hospitality of Ben from Bucket List Events. From start to finish, everything was seamless, enjoyable, and memorable. On Friday, we had the pleasure of touring a beautiful horse farm and an iconic Kentucky distillery. The horse farm tour gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the world of thoroughbreds, with knowledgeable guides and a chance to see some truly majestic animals up close. The distillery stop was equally impressive—filled with history, craftsmanship, and, of course, some delicious tastings. Derby Day was the highlight, and our Club Level seats made it an extraordinary experience. The view of the track was fantastic, and the amenities in the Club section made the day comfortable and luxurious. The energy and pageantry of the Derby are unlike anything else, and being able to take it all in from such premium seats made it even more special. Ben was a fantastic host—friendly, organized, and always available to ensure everything ran smoothly. We never had to worry about logistics; we could just relax and enjoy. We can’t recommend Bucket List Events enough for anyone looking to experience the Kentucky Derby in style. This was truly a bucket-list trip come to life!

A big shout out to Bucket List Events. Thank you for guiding us through the ticketing process and securing us fantastic seats for the Derby. You definitely went above and beyond. We had an amazing weekend!