How long does it take to do the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky?

Answered by James Kissner

The Bourbon Trail in Kentucky is a fantastic experience for any whiskey lover. With 37 distilleries to visit, it’s a whiskey enthusiast’s dream come true. However, the question of how long it takes to complete the Bourbon Trail is a difficult one to answer definitively, as it largely depends on how much time you have and how many distilleries you want to visit.

On average, a tour at each distillery lasts about 90 minutes. This includes a guided tour of the facility, learning about the bourbon-making process, and often includes a tasting of their products. Some distilleries may offer longer or shorter tours, so it’s worth checking their websites or calling ahead to get more specific information.

If you’re looking to visit all 37 distilleries on the Bourbon Trail, it would be quite a feat to accomplish in a short amount of time. The distilleries are spread out across the state of Kentucky, so there is some travel time involved between each one. The closest distilleries are as close as eight miles apart, while the farthest ones can be up to 70 miles apart.

To give you an idea of the time commitment involved, let’s say you visit one distillery per day. If each tour lasts 90 minutes, you’re looking at about 1.5 hours per day spent at a distillery. If you visited a distillery every day for 37 days, it would take you just over 5 weeks to complete the Bourbon Trail. However, this assumes that you have the luxury of spending that much time in Kentucky.

If you’re limited on time, you can still have a great experience on the Bourbon Trail by choosing a select number of distilleries to visit. You can prioritize based on your personal preferences or by selecting distilleries that are geographically close to each other to minimize travel time. This way, you can still get a taste of the Kentucky bourbon scene even if you can’t visit every single distillery.

Personally, I have had the pleasure of visiting a handful of distilleries on the Bourbon Trail and found that spending a few days in the area allowed me to visit a good number of them without feeling rushed. It’s important to factor in travel time and any other activities you may want to do in the area, such as exploring nearby towns or visiting other attractions.

The length of time it takes to complete the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky depends on how many distilleries you want to visit and how much time you have available. While it would be quite a feat to visit all 37 distilleries in a short amount of time, prioritizing a select number of distilleries can still provide a memorable bourbon experience.