Safely experience Kentucky Bourbon Country over the holiday. This 3-night itinerary makes planning your getaway easy.

Make the most of Labor Day weekend—the holiday that kicks-off National Bourbon Heritage month and, for the first time, will coincide with the Kentucky Derby—by packing a whole lot of bourbon-related fun into a three-night getaway, September 4-7, 2020! Loaded with authentic bourbon experiences, Covington, Frankfort, and Bardstown are the best answers to the common question of where to stay when exploring Kentucky Bourbon Country. Even during the coronavirus era, you’ll find plenty to do while staying safe.

This flexible itinerary makes planning your getaway easy! Come to Covington first if you’re flying into Kentucky or driving down from points north or east. Make Bardstown your first stop if you’re driving from points south or west. Either way, find fun in Frankfort on Day 2. On Day 3 explore the remaining city. Then loop back home with memories that will last a lifetime…along with a souvenir bottle or more of bourbon that will last as long as you can resist that ultimate pour.

Come to Covington: Day 1 or Day 3

Located in Northern Kentucky at the edge of Bourbon Country on the Ohio River, Covington celebrates bourbon culture with a unique tour, The B-Line. The city offers a mix of venues from boutique distilleries to historic neighborhoods, waterfront dining to nature trails, and so much more. Get here as fast as you can for maximum fun.

Breakfast
Grab a to-go breakfast sandwich, muffin, or specialty item from Coppin’s Restaurant & Bar inside Hotel Covington. Or head to any of the currently open restaurants to satisfy a craving.

Morning Activity
Choose an option—or more than one, time permitting!

1. Visit Boone County Distilling for a tour and tasting. Choose a 15-minute mini-tour or an hour-long grain to glass experience.
2. Tour downtown Covington and surrounding neighborhoods on a self-guided art walk that includes a barrel collection of more than 100 bourbon barrels custom-painted by local artists.
3. Taste local creations like Second Sight Spirits at the new BridgeView Box Park at Newport on the Levee, home to several local shops and eateries with waterfront views.
4. Enjoy panoramic views of both Cincinnati and Covington from Devou Park while hiking or biking trails, playing golf, sipping a drink on the patio, or snapping photos.  If the weather doesn’t cooperate, check out Devou Park’s Behringer-Crawford Museum, which is packed with Kentucky history and artifacts.
5. Hike Riverfront Commons, an 11.5-mile walking and biking path along the Ohio River. 

Lunch
Enjoy lunch on the porch at Tousey House Tavern in historic Burlington, on the patio at Rich’s Proper Food and Drink in downtown Covington, or another cozy spot among the currently open restaurants.

Afternoon Activity
Enjoy one or squeeze as many into your visit as possible!

1. Tour New Riff Distilling in Newport then enjoy a cocktail at its Aquifer Tasting Bar.
2. Sample spirits and soak in the history of 11 generations of moonshiners at the family-owned Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta.
3. Sail the Ohio River with BB Riverboats on an 1.5-hour Historic Cincinnati Sightseeing Cruise.
4. Walk, bike, or drive across the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, which connects Covington, Kentucky to Cincinnati, Ohio. The National Historic Landmark was the engineering prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge.
5. Explore Riverside Drive Historic District, a 13-block historic neighborhood near the confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers, on a self-guided walking tour of diverse architecture styles and statues.

Dinner
Savor local flavor at Bouquet Restaurant in Covington’s Mainstrasse Village, Kitchen 1883 in Boone County, or another option among the many currently open restaurants.

Late Night 
Sip a handcrafted cocktail on the patio at Hotel Covington in the heart of the city, a bourbon flight at Bourbon Haus 1841 in quaint Mainstrasse Village, or take your pick on a drink at Prohibition Bourbon Bar—home to the world’s largest collection of bourbons and rye whiskies!—in Newport’s Historic East Row District.

Stay 
Relax in luxury at Hotel Covington, a modern boutique hotel in the former Coppin’s Department Store. Try glamping in a treehouse at EarthJOY TreeHouse Adventures. Or take your pick among dozens of accommodation options.

Find Frankfort: Day 2

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.” Arrive early to enjoy as much as possible.

Breakfast
Dig into a healthy or decadent meal at Rick’s White Light Diner, a Cajun/Creole eatery featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”; Main Street Diner, a family-owned 1950s-style eatery; B’s Bakery, known for from-scratch pastries and quiches; or another open local restaurant.

Morning Activity 
Enjoy as much fun as time allows!

1. Tour Buffalo Trace, the nation’s longest-running and most award-winning distillery.
2. Explore Josephine Sculpture Park, where works by artists from around the world dot rolling hillsides. 
3. Stroll the Historic Frankfort Walking Tour, a self-guided showcase of 40 distinctive properties.
4. Visit Glenns Creek Distilling, a craft distillery that collected wild yeast from the Old Crow Distillery for its OCD #5 Bourbon, plus makes other bourbons, whiskey and rum. 
5. Tour Liberty Hall Historic Site, a National Historic Landmark with two historic houses and four acres of gardens.  

Lunch
Try The Stave, which is known for its upscale Kentucky fare; Sage Garden Café, where fresh is always in season; Riverboat Grill, where eclectic fare is served on the Kentucky River; or any of Frankfort’s local eateries.

Afternoon Activity 
Do as much as you can! 

1. Visit Three Boys Farm Distillery, a craft distillery on a 122-acre farm. 
2. Ride the nation’s only boat-based bourbon tour with Kentucky River Tours. 
3. Paddle Elkhorn Creek on a canoe, kayak, raft, or stand-up paddleboard from Canoe Kentucky. 
4. Pedal ten miles of singletrack mountain biking trails at Capitol View Park. 
5. Hike or bike nature trails in the 240-acre Cove Spring Park. 
6. Tap into craft beer at Sig Luscher Brewery, a heritage brewery originally founded in 1866, or sip local wine at Prodigy Vineyards, planted on the Peach Family Farm in 1998.

Dinner 
Get dinner at Goodwood Brewing, where bourbon barrels flavor beer and the food menu is eclectic; Bourbon On Main, where burgers are a perennial favorite; or from your pick among local eateries.

Late Night 
Savor a nightcap at Capital Cellars, Frankfort’s only combination restaurant, bar, and wine, beer and spirits retailer. Sip local brews at West Sixth Farm Brewery, where brews are made on site using hops and fruit grown on the property. Or tap into the local scene at The Brick Alley, a neighborhood bar with darts, pool tables, karaoke nights, and live music on weekends.

Stay
Settle into The Meeting House bed and breakfast in the heart of the historic district; Home2 Suites by Hilton Frankfort off I-64; Kentucky River Campground and RV Park among the trees; or another of the city’s abundant accommodation options.