Kentucky Derby Transportation
Updated October 2026 · BourbonTown Tours
BourbonTown Tours does not run Derby tours. On Derby, our vehicles are hired to get your group to and from Churchill Downs in Louisville, which hosts the race on the first Saturday in May. Every vehicle carries one booked group. Derby transportation is priced per vehicle, not per head, and any party of up to 14 guests can take the van at the van rate. Book 4 to 6 months ahead.
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Quick Facts
- Book Derby transportation 4 to 6 months before the race.
- Derby bookings are priced by the vehicle, and the figures print on our cost page.
- Any party of up to 14 guests can book the van at the van rate for Derby.
- On race day, we drive your group to Churchill Downs and bring everyone back. Distillery days fit the week before or after Derby.
- For Derby transportation, pickup is at the guest's hotel or door in Louisville, Bardstown or Lexington.
Derby transportation books 4 to 6 months ahead
Send us your Derby dates 4 to 6 months before the first Saturday in May. Only Bourbon Festival week in mid-September asks for more notice than that, and how far ahead every month books is set out in full on our planning guide.
Vehicles fill early that week, so an early request holds the SUV or the van your group needs. If you also want a distillery day the week before or after Derby, we build it as a normal custom tour, and if Buffalo Trace is on that list, reach out at least 10 weeks ahead.
Your room is the other early decision. Hotels fill during Derby week, and where to stay in bourbon country covers where to base yourself. Tell us where you are staying when you send your dates, so the pickup is built into the plan from the start.
Derby transportation is priced per vehicle
Derby rates are set by the vehicle rather than by the number of guests riding in it, and the figures appear on one page only: the full guide to bourbon tour costs. Two vehicles sit on the Derby rate card, the SUV for 1 to 6 guests and the passenger van for up to 14. Tax and gratuity are already inside those figures. The 3% booking fee sits on top of them, because the booking fee applies to every sale.
The van rule is different for Derby. Other bookings follow the seat range the fleet list gives each van, for example Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van 7 to 14 guests. For Derby, any party of up to 14 can book the van at the van rate, so a group of four does not need to meet a headcount to ride in it. Our fleet and what each vehicle seats has the detail. Groups over 14 travel in multiple vehicles or a bus or motor coach we contract.
How race day runs
On Derby, the job is transportation: we pick your group up, drive everyone to Churchill Downs and bring the group back after the races. Our bourbon tour planning guide explains how to fit a distillery day into the same trip.
From Louisville, Bardstown is about 50 minutes away and the Frankfort and Versailles cluster about 60 minutes, and our distillery tours by cluster shows what a day in each one looks like. Traffic builds around Churchill Downs that week, so we set downtown Louisville pickups earlier to get your group to the track on time.
Churchill Downs dates the Mint Julep as the Derby's official drink to 1938, and what to mix with bourbon has the track's recipe. Our Woodford Reserve distillery guide covers a visit to that distillery, and Keeneland race days with a distillery morning cover Lexington's April and October meets.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should we book Kentucky Derby transportation?
Four to six months ahead of the race. Vehicles fill early that week, and among the dates we book only Bourbon Festival week in mid-September needs more notice. If your group adds a distillery day the week before or after Derby and Buffalo Trace is on the list, that window also clears the 10 weeks Buffalo Trace needs.
How much does Kentucky Derby transportation cost?
Derby transportation has its own rates, set per vehicle, and they print only on our Kentucky bourbon tour cost page. The rate card has two vehicles, an SUV for 1 to 6 guests and a van for up to 14. The Derby figures include tax and gratuity, and the 3% booking fee also applies.
Can a small group book the van for Derby?
Yes. Any party of up to 14 guests can book the van at the van rate for Derby, and the usual van headcount on our fleet and seating page does not apply to Derby van bookings. A group of two or four can take it. Groups over 14 travel in multiple vehicles or a bus or motor coach we contract.
Do you run distillery tours on Derby day?
No. BourbonTown Tours does not run Derby tours. On Derby, our vehicles are hired to get your group to and from Churchill Downs. A distillery day fits the week before or after Derby as a normal custom tour, and our guide to planning a Kentucky bourbon trip shows how to place one in the same trip.
Which distilleries can we reach from Louisville the week before or after Derby?
From Louisville, Heaven Hill and Willett in the Bardstown cluster are about 50 minutes away, Buffalo Trace and Woodford Reserve in the Frankfort and Versailles cluster about 60, and Angel's Envy, Rabbit Hole and Old Forester sit downtown. Custom tours typically run three stops, and we can add or subtract on your planning call. Tell us your race dates, and we build the distillery day around them.
Where does Derby transportation pick up?
We pick up at the guest's hotel or door in Louisville, Bardstown or Lexington. During Derby week, pickups in downtown Louisville are set earlier, because traffic builds around Churchill Downs and the earlier time gets your group to the track on time. Airport pickup can be arranged as well, so mention your flight when you send us your Derby dates.
Send us your Derby dates
Tell us which Derby days you need a vehicle for, how many are in your group, and where you are staying. A deposit reserves your date. Your quote includes the full details. We reply the same day between 8 AM and 8 PM Eastern. Requests after 8 PM get a reply the next morning.