Louisville in 5 days

Bourbon, the Derby and Southern hospitality on the Ohio River. Best time to visit: April-June, September-October. Average daily budget: $130 to $250 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Downtown / Whiskey Row, Restored 19th-century warehouses now housing distilleries, the Slugger Museum and hotels.

Morning: Walk the Urban Bourbon Trail. Eight-plus distilleries and tasting rooms downtown, doable on foot in a single afternoon.

Afternoon: Explore Downtown / Whiskey Row, Restored 19th-century warehouses now housing distilleries, the Slugger Museum and hotels.

Evening: Tour Churchill Downs and the Derby Museum. Track walk, backside tour and 360-degree Derby film, open year-round.

Eat: Hot brown, the city's signature dish

Day 2, Iconic sights

Base: NuLu (East Market), Boutiques, galleries and the city's most interesting restaurants in old storefronts.

Morning: Visit the Louisville Slugger Museum. Watch bats being turned on lathes and leave with a mini bat.

Afternoon: Explore NuLu (East Market), Boutiques, galleries and the city's most interesting restaurants in old storefronts.

Evening: Cross the Big Four Bridge. A converted railway bridge, now a pedestrian span over the Ohio River to Indiana.

Eat: Burgoo stew and beer cheese with pretzels

Day 3, Local neighbourhoods

Base: The Highlands, Bardstown Road's mile of dive bars, record shops, patios and late-night food.

Morning: Eat a hot brown. The open-faced turkey and Mornay dish invented at the Brown Hotel in 1926.

Afternoon: Explore The Highlands, Bardstown Road's mile of dive bars, record shops, patios and late-night food.

Evening: The Conrad-Caldwell House in Old Louisville, a Richardsonian Romanesque mansion open for tours.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Bourbon flights and Old Fashioneds on Whiskey Row

Day 4, Day trip or nature

Base: Old Louisville, The largest Victorian preservation district in the US, all turrets and stained glass.

Morning: Waverly Hills Sanatorium ghost tours in the hills southwest of town.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Old Louisville, The largest Victorian preservation district in the US, all turrets and stained glass.

Evening: Louisville Mega Cavern, a former limestone mine with zip lines and bike trails underground.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Derby pie and Kentucky country ham

Day 5, Slow finish

Base: Downtown / Whiskey Row, Restored 19th-century warehouses now housing distilleries, the Slugger Museum and hotels.

Morning: Butchertown Grocery's rooftop and the neighbourhood's remaining 19th-century meat-packing streets.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Downtown / Whiskey Row, Restored 19th-century warehouses now housing distilleries, the Slugger Museum and hotels.

Evening: Dinner at Hot brown, the city's signature dish, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Downtown / Whiskey Row.

Eat: Hot brown, the city's signature dish

Hidden gems

The Conrad-Caldwell House in Old Louisville, a Richardsonian Romanesque mansion open for tours.
Waverly Hills Sanatorium ghost tours in the hills southwest of town.
Louisville Mega Cavern, a former limestone mine with zip lines and bike trails underground.
Butchertown Grocery's rooftop and the neighbourhood's remaining 19th-century meat-packing streets.

Getting around

Downtown, NuLu and Whiskey Row are walkable and connected by short rideshares of $8 to $12. The Highlands is a 10-minute drive or a bus ride down Bardstown Road. For the Kentucky Bourbon Trail beyond the city, book a guided tour or hire a driver rather than driving yourself. Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is 15 minutes south, about $20 to $30 by rideshare.

Safety

Downtown, NuLu, the Highlands and Old Louisville's main streets are fine day and evening, though downtown thins out on weeknights after 10pm. West Louisville has higher crime and little for visitors. Derby week transforms prices and crowds citywide, and bourbon pours are generous, so plan transport before the first tasting.

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