Is a Private Bourbon Tour Worth It Over Driving Yourself?

Quick Facts

• Kentucky law: no driving at 0.08 alcohol concentration or above, or while under the influence of alcohol (KRS 189A.010).
• Time per stop: each distillery tour takes about 1.5 hours, plus travel between stops.
• Drive time example: Maker's Mark to Buffalo Trace is about 1 hour 15 minutes by road.
• Transportation Only: SUV for 1 to 6 guests, $100 an hour. Van for 7 to 14 guests, $150 an hour. 4-hour minimum, plus 6% KY sales tax and a 3% booking fee. Billing runs from the time our vehicle leaves our garage until it returns. Tickets are yours to book.
• Private tour: $275 to $425 per person by group size, plus 6% KY sales tax and a 3% booking fee. Covers everything except lunch and driver gratuity.
• Groups over 14: multiple vehicles, or a contracted bus or motor coach, quoted on the call.

What driving yourself costs

Driving yourself is the cheapest way to see distilleries, and the cost lands in three places. First, one person in the car does not drink. Kentucky law bars driving at a 0.08 alcohol concentration and also bars driving while under the influence, so the law reaches impairment below that number too. Second, you book every ticket yourself, on each distillery's own calendar, and you pay each distillery's own ticket price. Buffalo Trace alone releases dates weekly up to 8 weeks out, and the popular slots go first. Third, you own the routing. Each tour takes about 1.5 hours plus travel, and Maker's Mark to Buffalo Trace is about 1 hour 15 minutes by road, so a route that mixes far-apart names spends its day on the highway. If your group has a willing non-drinker and a short list in one area, self-drive works. Our safe travel tips for bourbon country cover the basics.

The middle option: Transportation Only

Transportation Only puts our private vehicle and driver on the plan you make. The rate is by the hour, not by the head: SUV for 1 to 6 guests, $100 an hour. Van for 7 to 14 guests, $150 an hour. 4-hour minimum, plus 6% KY sales tax and a 3% booking fee. Billing runs from the time our vehicle leaves our garage until it returns. The 4-hour minimum in an SUV is $400 before tax and the fee, about $67 a person across six guests. What you give up is the planning. On a Transportation Only booking, the distillery tickets are yours to book, and the hours, the stops and the lunch plan are yours to set. It fits groups who already hold their reservations, or who want breweries, wineries or horse farms in the mix, which sit outside a bourbon tour day. Our fleet lists what each vehicle holds, and private bourbon tour transportation explains how the vehicles and drivers run.

When a full private tour is worth it

A full private tour is worth it when you want every decision handled and everyone tasting. The rate covers distillery tickets, tasting fees, trip planning by a Bourbon Experience Coordinator, the private vehicle with a professional guide who drives the tour, and a confirmed lunch reservation, so the only costs left with you are lunch, driver gratuity and any bottle you buy. The per-person figure falls as the group grows: $425 each for two guests, $325 for six, $275 for ten or more, plus 6% KY sales tax and a 3% booking fee. A group of six is $1,950 before tax and the fee. We book every ticket once your tour is confirmed, against your actual dates, and if a distillery closes unexpectedly we reroute to something equally strong without losing the day. Custom tours typically run three stops, and we can add or subtract on your planning call. Bourbon tour costs by group size prints the full sheet, and what every private tour includes lists the inclusions.

What we tell guests who ask

We ask three questions. Does everyone want to taste? Do you already hold your distillery reservations? Is your list inside one driving cluster? If someone is happy not to drink, your list is short and the stops sit close together, drive yourself and save the money. If everyone wants to taste but you have booked your own tickets, take Transportation Only and keep your plan. If you want Buffalo Trace, Maker's Mark or anything else with tight availability, and you would rather not chase release days, book the private tour and let us hold the calendar. Groups over 14 use multiple vehicles or a contracted bus or motor coach, quoted on the call. Most private days start with pickup in Louisville, Bardstown or Lexington; see private bourbon tours from Louisville. For how a private day compares with a shared group tour, see private vs group bourbon tours.

Frequently asked questions