Kentucky's bourbon distilleries are spread across six regions and over 200 miles of countryside. This map shows every distillery — official Kentucky Bourbon Trail® members and the independent craft producers most planning sites leave out — so you can see the full picture before you book.
A two-page PDF map you can print, fold up, and bring with you. Includes a region reference list with locations and a distilleries-visited checklist.
The map above is fully interactive. Click any pin to see the distillery's tour pricing, booking difficulty, and a direct link to a full review where available. Use the region filters in the sidebar to narrow your view — most trips focus on one or two regions because driving between them eats up tasting time.
If you're early in planning, start by picking which region matches your travel style. Louisville is best for first-timers who want walkable Whiskey Row tours. Bardstown is the heart of the trail with the highest distillery density. Frankfort and Versailles offer the most scenic, postcard-perfect tours. Lexington and Lawrenceburg work well as a horse-country basecamp. Northern Kentucky is great for Cincinnati-area travelers, and Western Kentucky is the road less traveled — fewer crowds and more craft producers.
When you're ready to actually build an itinerary, use the Trip Builder — it lets you pick distilleries, see real driving times between them, and build a day-by-day plan you can save.
The Trip Builder turns this map into a personalized itinerary. Pick your distilleries, see driving times, and get smart pairing suggestions based on what's nearby.
Open Trip Builder →Most bourbon trail maps lump everything together, which makes the trail feel intimidating. Once you understand the regions, the planning gets much easier — each region has its own personality, drive times, and best base of operations.
Walkable Whiskey Row plus craft producers in NuLu and Butchertown. Best for first-timers and weekend trips. Hotel options are easy. Heavy hitters include Old Forester, Angel's Envy, Evan Williams, Michter's Fort Nelson, Stitzel-Weller, and Buzzard's Roost.
The "Bourbon Capital of the World" earns the title. Highest distillery density on the trail, including Heaven Hill, Maker's Mark, Jim Beam, Willett, Log Still, and Preservation. Plan two full days here at minimum.
Home to Buffalo Trace — the most iconic distillery on the trail and producer of Pappy Van Winkle, Blanton's, and Eagle Rare — plus the gorgeous restored grounds at Castle & Key, the historic Old Crow ruins at Glenns Creek, and the custom barrel blending experience at J. Mattingly 1845. Compact region you can knock out in a day, but Buffalo Trace tours are the hardest reservation on the trail.
Horse country meets bourbon country. Woodford Reserve is the most scenic distillery on the trail, and Wild Turkey sits on a Kentucky River bluff. Four Roses, Town Branch, and Wilderness Trail round out the region. Lexington's Distillery District is a great urban base.
Just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. New Riff is one of the best craft distilleries in America. Pair it with Boone County, Second Sight Spirits, or take the scenic drive to Augusta or Maysville for Baker-Bird and The Old Pogue. Great for travelers flying into Cincinnati or doing a Northern KY-only weekend.
The road less traveled. Owensboro, Hopkinsville, Land Between the Lakes, and the Pennyrile region. Green River, MB Roland, Casey Jones, Dueling Grounds, and several more reaching all the way to Paducah. Fewer crowds, more conversation with the people actually making the bourbon.
The biggest mistake first-time visitors make is underestimating drive times. Kentucky's bourbon country is rural — beautiful, but slow. Here are realistic drive times between the major hubs:
| From | To | Drive Time | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | Bardstown | ~50 min | 40 mi |
| Louisville | Frankfort | ~55 min | 50 mi |
| Louisville | Lexington | ~75 min | 80 mi |
| Bardstown | Frankfort | ~50 min | 40 mi |
| Bardstown | Lexington (Lawrenceburg) | ~50 min | 40 mi |
| Frankfort | Lexington | ~30 min | 25 mi |
| Lexington | Northern KY (Newport) | ~80 min | 85 mi |
| Louisville | Owensboro (Western KY) | ~1 hr 50 min | 110 mi |
A good rule of thumb: plan no more than three distilleries per day, especially if you're crossing regions. Tours run 60–90 minutes, tastings take time, and you'll want lunch somewhere good. Two distilleries in the morning and one in the afternoon is the sweet spot.
This is where most maps fall short — and where this one differs. There are three categories of Kentucky distilleries you can visit:
The original, KDA-sanctioned trail. Big names with major visitor centers — Maker's Mark, Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, Old Forester, Evan Williams, Angel's Envy, and others. Premium tour experiences, high-quality visitor facilities, and (often) the hardest reservations to land.
Smaller producers, also KDA members, with more intimate experiences. Castle & Key, Willett, Log Still, Preservation, New Riff, Wilderness Trail, MB Roland, Casey Jones, and others. Easier to book, often more memorable, and the tours actually let you talk to the distillers.
Plenty of great Kentucky distilleries are not KDA members for various reasons — and most planning sites pretend they don't exist. They show up on this map because skipping them means missing some genuinely excellent bourbon. If you only follow the official trail, you'll miss them entirely.
The takeaway: there is no single "official" version of the bourbon trail. Build the trip that fits your interests, not the trip a tourism board built for you.
Your home base matters more than people think. Staying in the wrong region can add 90 minutes of driving each day. The short version: stay in Louisville for Whiskey Row trips, Bardstown for the densest bourbon region, and Lexington for horse-country distilleries.
For a deeper breakdown of hotels, B&Bs, and distillery-stay options including a vacation rental in New Hope just a few minutes from Maker's Mark and Log Still, see our complete guide to where to stay on the bourbon trail.
The official Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® combined include around 50 distilleries, though the number changes as new distilleries join and others leave. Counting independent producers not on the official trail, there are 60+ Kentucky distilleries open to visitors. This map covers all of them.
Technically yes, but it would take 10+ days and you'd burn out by day four. Most visitors do one region per trip. A great first visit is three to four days based in Louisville or Bardstown, hitting six to nine distilleries spread across two regions.
Buffalo Trace consistently. Their tours are free, which keeps demand sky-high, and slots open about a month in advance and disappear within hours. Maker's Mark and Angel's Envy can also be tough during peak season. Most craft distilleries are easy to book within a few days of your visit.
Yes — there's no way around it. Distillery tastings add up fast, and Kentucky's rural roads are not forgiving. Either travel with a non-drinking driver, hire a guided tour service, or build your itinerary around walkable regions like Louisville's Whiskey Row or Lexington's Distillery District. See our transportation guide for more options.
October is the peak — fall colors, distillery festivals, and bourbon heritage events. Spring is a quieter alternative with great weather. Summer is hot and crowded. Winter is the easiest time to book hard-to-get tours but some craft distilleries close on Sundays or Mondays. See our month-by-month guide for details.
You've seen the map. Now turn it into an itinerary. The Trip Builder lets you pick your distilleries, see driving times in real time, and save your plan.
Open Trip Builder →