Day 2: Frankfort

Frankfort is your Day 2 destination, whether you started this three-day itinerary in Covington or Bardstown. Kentucky’s capital city sits on the shores of the Kentucky River between Covington and Bardstown and also midway between Lexington and Louisville. With its natural beauty, social charm, and spirited history, we like to say that Frankfort is “Kentucky Distilled.”

Frankfort is only a 1 hour drive from Bardstown or Covington. Make plans to stay in The Meeting House B&B, a welcoming home with over 180 years of history in the heart of the historic district, or Home2 Suites by Hilton Frankfort, the city’s newest hotel off I-64 and near key points of interest. Or take your pick among our abundant accommodation options.

Noon

Enjoy lunch at Rick’s White Light Diner, a Cajun/Creole eatery featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”; Buddy’s Pizza, Frankfort’s only brick-oven pizzeria; or Gibby’s, a local favorite for ultra-fresh salads, sandwiches, and pasta. 

1:00 pm

Drive 10 minutes to tour Buffalo Trace Distillery, the nation’s longest-running and most award-winning distillery, which produces Buffalo Trace, E.H. Taylor, Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, Van Winkle, among other brands. Seven different tours are offered, all complimentary, and each about an hour long with a tasting.

2:30 PM

Drive 13 minutes to tour Three Boys Farm Distillery, a craft distillery on a 122-acre farm, where owner/distiller Ross Caldwall handcrafts bourbons and whiskies in his barn. At this artisan distillery it’s possible to taste bourbon straight from the barrel and even buy a bottle to fill yourself.

3:45 PM

Love to shop? Stroll historic downtown Frankfort and discover bourbon’s influence on local businesses. Don’t miss: Kentucky Knows, home of Kentucky’s first bourbon barrel coffee plus a range of furniture and housewares crafted from used barrels; Kentucky Gentleman Cigars, which produces hand-rolled cigars using bourbon barrel-aged premium tobaccos from around the world; Poor Richard’s Books, an independent bookseller that has endured for more than 30 years and specializes in Kentucky titles; or Completely Kentucky, that showcases handcrafted works by more than 650 of Kentucky’s best artisans. 

Dig history? Head to the Capital City Museum, which presents over 200 years of both political and personal life in Kentucky, and/or The Kentucky Historical Society’s Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, where exhibits of more than 3,000 items trace 12,000 years of Kentucky’s past. 

5:00 PM

Satisfy your sweet tooth at Rebecca Ruth Candy Tours & Museum where bourbon ball candy began.

5:30 PM

Tap into local craft beer at Sig Luscher Brewery, a heritage brewery originally founded in 1866, and/or West Sixth Farm Brewery, Kentucky’s only farm brewery growing hops and fruit on the property for its brews made on site.

7:00 PM

Enjoy dinner at Serafini, where local ingredients shine across the eclectic menu of dishes from lasagna to fried catfish, or Bourbon On Main, where seasonal ingredients influence the menu and burgers are a perennial favorite.

8:30 PM

Walk for less than 5 minutes to savor a nightcap at Capital Cellars, Frankfort’s only combination restaurant, bar, and wine, beer and spirits retailer.

10:00 PM

Retreat to your accommodations. Count bourbon barrels as you drift off to sleep.

8:30 AM

Treat yourself to breakfast at B’s Bakery, which is known for from-scratch pastries, fresh quiches, and more tasty dishes.

10:00 AM

Drive 15 minutes and tour Castle & Key, a picturesque 133-acre property with more than a century of distilling history inside a castle that once housed the Old Taylor Distillery. Restoration Release Gin and Vodka are available now; the bourbon and rye whiskies are aging. Three different tours are offered, ranging from 45 minutes to 3.5 hours. For this three-day itinerary, we suggest selecting the 45-minute Curated Cocktail Experience—plan on enjoying a longer tour on a future visit to Frankfort!