The Perfect Louisville Bachelorette Party Itinerary
Thinking about Louisville for an epic bachelorette party? We’ve got you covered! Bourbon City is the perfect place to celebrate your upcoming big day. Full of Southern charm, city vibes at a fraction of the cost (ahem: Nashville is just 3 hours but about 3x the price of Louisville), and more than 15 bourbon distilleries and tasting rooms within just a couple of miles of downtown.
But we’re more than just bourbon, y’all. Being a spirit destination also means we’re a cocktail destination – the drinks here are next level good and the bars stay open until 4am. And, Louisville is one of the best food and culinary destinations in the country! We’ve also got plenty of arts, culture, and fun surprises – and all this and more is on this perfect Louisville bachelorette party itinerary.
Speaking of food and cocktails, no bachelorette itinerary is complete without a food & drink tour with us, Louisville Food Tours! We have 8 award-winning tours that run 6 days a week, and offer customized packages just for bachelor & bachelorette parties which include a special gift for the bride and small gifts for the entire bridal party! Check availability & pricing or learn more.
The Perfect Louisville Bachelorette Party Itinerary
While there are so many amazing, fun, and memorable things to do in Louisville, we have narrowed down the best things to do and put it in a convenient itinerary! We will tell you where to eat, drink, party, and sleep – we’ve thought of everything!
Most of the things you’ll be doing are located in NuLu, Highlands, and downtown. We want to keep your travels small, and your fun big, so you can concentrate on having a good time without having to take any long drives or ride shares!
Louisville Bachelorette Party Itinerary: Friday
Start your Louisville Bachelorette Party Itinerary on a Friday afternoon, perfect for a three-day-weekend of fun!
Grab Lunch
Start your party with lunch at Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar, located on historic Whiskey Row in downtown. As you can see from the name, they have everything from ribs, brisket, and pulled pork to some of the freshest oysters you’ll find.
Since this is on Whiskey Row, you better believe their Bourbon is on the menu, from the “Greatest Old Fashion” to a slew of Bourbon flights.
Visit a Bourbon Distillery
Next up is a bourbon distillery tour and tasting, which as well know is a MUST for any visit to Louisville, especially a Bachelorette party!
There are plenty of distilleries and tasting rooms conveniently located along and near Whiskey Row, like Old Forester, Michters, or Bardstown Bourbon.
Old Forester is my personal favorite as a bourbon nerd, because you get to see the process of the barrels being built (ahem: read – hot barrel coopers doing manual labor) and even press a button that sends a huge fireball down into the barrel to toast it. Plus, you know, the bourbon is great.
For something unique, check out the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. The one-hour Traditional Tour & Tasting is immersive with beautiful sets, a detailed explanation of the distilling process, and the most beautiful tasting rooms I’ve ever seen!
With over 15 distilleries and tasting rooms sprinkled throughout Louisville (mainly downtown and in NuLu) you can’t go wrong. And if you’re not a group of seasoned bourbon aficionados, you really don’t need to spend a whole day visiting bourbon distilleries – really, one will suffice. Just be sure to make your reservations early, because distillery tours fill up WAY in advance.
That said, if you do want a taste of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, you’ll want to set an entire day aside. Each distillery takes a long way to get to (but you’ll enjoy views of the rolling Kentucky hills.) To make logistics easiest, I recommend booking it through a highly rated tour company, like this one!
Take an Evening Food Tour
One of the best ways to have food, drinks, and compelling storytelling combined is to take an evening tour with Louisville Food Tours! There are two fantastic tours to pick from:
- Phantoms Of Prohibition: Ghosts, Cocktails, & Bites Tour: Venture out and explore the hidden stories of Louisville’s haunted past! As you eat and drink your way down Whiskey Row, you’ll meet the resident ghosts of Louisville’s historic downtown, trace the footsteps of bourbon magnates and mobsters, see Al Capone’s secret getaway, uncover the Louisville origins of the Great Gatsby, discover hidden speakeasies, and learn the shocking truth about Prohibition. Dress up in your best roaring ’20’s attire and serve flapper realness – you’re going back in time to the Jazz Age!
- Beyond the Barrel Bourbon & Food Tour in NuLu: Uncover the secrets of Kentucky bourbon on the world’s only walking bourbon food tour. As the sun sets over the vibrant NuLu neighborhood, you’ll visit award-winning restaurants, hidden speakeasies, rooftop terraces, and cozy tasting rooms. Unlock bourbon’s versatility and depth through paired bites, pours, and cocktails at some of the most celebrated places in town, including restaurants by Michelin Star and James Beard winning Chefs.
Both tours are also available to book as a private bachelorette tour, which upgrades your experience with a complimentary take-home gift and a free drink for the bride to be! To learn more and book a private tour, click the big button below:
Go Out Dancing & Drinking
After your tour you’ll be fed, feeling good, and hopefully ready for some more good times (or at least a night cap!). Here a couple great ways to end your evening:
- Whiskey Row: Along this lively stretch of West Main street, you’ll find a packed block of lively bars and restaurants slinging shots and playing music on multiple floors – all ready to welcome your bridal party with open arms and plenty of drinks. Start the night with a round at Patrick O’Sheas, head to the Main Stage or Balcony Bar at Goodwood Brewing next door to vibe to some live music, then bounce to wherever beckons you next.
- Fourth Street Live!: Fourth Street Live! Is the ultimate bachelorette party destination, with bars like the dueling piano bar Howl at the Moon or the cowboy-themed bar PBR, where you’re sure to be plied with plenty of free shots, and Tengo Sed Cantina, a tequila bar on the upper level where things are said to get pretty rowdy. Fourth Street Live also has plenty of live concerts on the weekend and the Louisville Comedy Club if you’re looking for some laughs!
- Play Dance Bar: Located a short Lyft/Uber ride away from downtown in Butchertown, Play is Louisville’s premier gay dance club, and it’s no surprise plenty of bachelorette parties end up here to see a fantastic drag show and dance! Play is clean, classy, and, dare I say it, sassy. Their cast of “Playmates” is fantastic, and on certain nights you’ll find your favorite RuPaul’s Drag Race queens performing. They have two shows on Wednesday-Sunday at 9pm and 11pm, and an additional show at 1am on Friday and Saturday.
- NuLu: A night out in NuLu is one of the easiest ways to enjoy partying in the city since the neighborhood is so small and walkable! NuLu is about a 15 minute walk from Whiskey Row, or a short Uber/Lyft ride. Check out Galaxie for dancing and the “best margaritas”, Norae Bar for public and private karaoke booths, and Hotel Genevieve rooftop bar for sweeping views of the city (and amazing cocktails). You can spend the whole night just wandering the 3-4 blocks of NuLu and stopping into wherever you feel like!
Louisville Bachelorette Party Itinerary: Saturday
There is more fun to be had on your full day of your bachelorette weekend!
Get Brunch at Proof
If you want a fancy dinner at one of the most unique restaurants in town, Proof on Main is located in Louisville’s famous 21C Museum Hotel.
This quirky restaurant and hotel is redecorated regularly with new art, making the restaurant is a museum in its own right.
Oh, and the food is tres magnifique. You’ll find brunch options like the Proof breakfast sandwich, avocado toast, fried chicken biscuit and biscuits and gravy. Mix these with a mimosa or two, and you have the best brunch in the city!
Take a photo with Louisville’s statue of David
Ahem: it’s time to address the giant unclothed man in the room. Yes, I am talking about the GIANT, GOLD Statue of David smack dab in the middle of downtown Louisville.
Specifically, right in front of 21C Museum Hotel, where you’ll be having brunch this morning. How convenient!
It’s big. It’s bold. It’s anatomically correct. It’s the perfect spot to unleash your Bachelorette team on an absolutely ridiculous photoshoot. We just love art, y’all, that’s all.
Spend a day at Churchill Downs
Every year on the first Saturday in May, Louisville’s famous racetrack is home to the Kentucky Derby, the biggest horseracing event in the world! But May is also the most expensive and busiest time of the year to visit Louisville, so we don’t blame you if you’re not coming that week.
Luckily races happen daily from mid-April all the way through the fall, so when in town, you’ve got the perfect excuse to dress up like an old-school Southern Belle and spend an afternoon betting on the ponies and drinking Mint Juleps.
If you need a little primer on how exactly to bet, check out this betting guide and we’ll show you the way. But let’s be honest: the real fun is getting dressed up and day-drinking.
Afterward, take a break and get dolled up for a night out!
Get Dinner in NuLu
Hopefully, you’ve had a good time at the track and built up an appetite! We’ve got a few suggestions on where to eat.
- bar Vetti makes homemade modern Italian takes, like the orecchiette pasta made with Jake’s sausage – only the best sausage in Kentucky. The sausage is made out of a gas station outside in Bardstown and its f*cking stupendous. Also they always have a seasonal salad and it’s always the best salad I’ve ever had, so don’t skip your greens!
- High Stakes: Located on top of a fancy Hilton hotel, High Stakes is a gorgeous contemporary rooftop restaurant that not only has great views of the city (read: perfect for photos!) but excellent food as well! Now, everything here is goot, but make sure you save room for the “Old Fashioned” Bread Pudding. It’s made with whiskey, orange, a hefty helping of Luxardo cherries and vanilla ice cream and is warm and a bit crispy on the edges. It’s hands down the best bread pudding in the world (and a featured dish on our bourbon food tour!)
- Byrdie’s: This French bistro blends French cuisine with southern fare and is the brain child of James Beard-nominated Chef Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo, the husband-wife duo behind Chicago’s MICHELIN-starred restaurant Esmé. One can’t-miss item on the menu is the Duck on the Orange, an Old Fashioned made with orange and duck fat (and another feature on the bourbon food tour!)
Grab a Night Cap
Here are a few night cap ideas to enjoy after your dinner:
- The Last Refuge: The “High Church of Bourbon” in NuLu is, quite literally, an upscale bourbon bar in an old church. Home to one of the largest collections of bourbon in the world, it’s a sight to behold – and the bourbon wall will take your breath away! Finding the restaurant/bar is easy: just look for the enormous mural of Bob Dylan – it’s his restaurant. Make a reservation for this one, or plan for a bit of a wait. (Psst: this stop is also on our Beyond the Barrel Bourbon Food Tour.)
- Bar Genevieve: Boasting one of the most beautiful views of downtown Louisville, the food, vibes and drinks in this rooftop bar are equally as immaculate. Plan to arrive around sunset to take in the stunning views. Also, good news for the last-minute planners: you don’t need to worry about a reservation here!
- Hell or High Water: A quick Lyft ride away back in downtown, this beautiful speakeasy is located underneath Whiskey Row, and immediately transports you back to the roaring 20s. If you did our Phantoms Of Prohibition: Ghosts, Cocktails, & Bites Tour, you may want to skip this one, but if not, you’ll need to make a reservation. All of their drinks are incredible, but we recommend the Calling Card No 1., their signature bourbon drink. P.S. Be sure to check out their cheeky wallpaper!
Louisville Bachelorette Party Itinerary: Sunday
Time for one last hurrah for your bachelorette weekend! Since you’ll probably be slightly hungover from Friday and Saturday, you’ll sleep in, have a late brunch or brunch picnic, and spend a relaxing day getting pampered at the pool and spa.
Grab Brunch or Do a Chill Picnic
- Le Moo Drag Brunch: By night, Le Moo is one of Louisville’s most luxurious steakhouses, with gold and blue velvet accents But on Sundays, things get a little less fancy-fine-dining and a little more mimosas-and-fun with Le Moo’s iconic drag brunches! Enjoy delicious buffet-style food while a rotating cast of fabulous Queens like Dusty Ray Bottoms keeps you laughing. Just be sure to make reservations well in advance, and bring cash to tip the performers!
- Picnic with Lou Piquenique: Ever wanted to plan a picnic for you and your friends, but like, a really swanky one? Lou Piquenique has you covered! This company will set up a picnic for you and your bachelorette party that looks straight out of a magazine – fancy blankets and pillows, candles, and of course, a beautiful charcuterie spread! They have so many options to customize your picnic, so check them out!
Rooftop Pool & spa Day
Head to Mokara Spa at Omni to engage full bridal pampering mode.
At the Omni Hotel in downtown Louisville, you’ll spend a day of sunbathing and swimming at the Omni’s rooftop pool. Enjoy sweeping views of the skyline, a menu you can order drinks and food from, and the shade of a private cabana (book in advance).
If you’re not staying at the Omni, your ticket to the exclusive rooftop pool is included with a visit to Mokara spa. Mokara is the best spa in Louisville (in our pampered opinions) and offers everything from therapeutic massages and rejuvenating facials to detoxifying body treatments and nail services.
It’s got all the boujie, fancy, relaxing elements I look for in a good spa, like the world’s plushiest robes (which ACTUALLY fit my plus-size body comfortably – a rarity for most spas), incredibly soft private relaxation chairs to soak into before and after your services, and delicious, refreshing complimentary drinks and food.
It’s the perfect way to unwind and refuel after a fun but *ahem* intoxicating bachelorette weekend in Louisville!
Places to Stay for a Louisville Bachelorette Party
The best Louisville bachelorette weekend starts with the best place to stay, and we highly recommend booking a spot in Nulu or The Highlands.
In Nulu, you’ll be walking distance from the city’s best restaurants and boutiques while the Highlands offers slightly more culture and affordability. Either way, most of the activities on this itinerary are in these areas!
- Hotel Genevieve: Looking for a bit of mid-century modern aesthetic? Nulu’s Hotel Genevieve is the hottest boutique hotel in the coolest neighborhood, with an incredible French restaurant downstairs founded by a Michelin-starred chef (a stop on our bourbon food tour), a monochromatic coffee shop and market, a secret speakeasy, and a rooftop bar that has sweeping views of the city.
- The Grady Hotel: This boutique hotel is right on Museum Row in the heart of downtown – and it’s gorgeous! The lounge is themed like the bourbon bar/library you’ve always wanted in your own personal mansion, the rooms are incredibly modern and chic, and if you like, your windows can look out on the historic facades of Museum Row or the beautiful Ohio River. Breakfast is included, and you can grab (bourbon) cocktails and bites at the delicious on-site restaurant (which is also a stop on our Legends of Louisville food tour).
- Omni Hotel: This hotel is right in downtown, close to NuLu and the distilleries. It also is home to Mokara Spa at Omni, a stunning rooftop pool, a local market with shops and restaurants, a bourbon tasting room, and a speakeasy – plus some of the nicest rooms in town. Omni Hotels are known for their luxury and theming the rooms to the city they are in, so you can expect excellent service and Bourbon-themes accommodations. (Psst: we stop at the speakeasy on our Phantoms of Prohibition tour.)
- Myriad Hotel: The Myriad Hotel is a stylish, somewhat retro, and somehow still unpretentious boutique in The Highlands. They’ve got a fun lobby bar that masquerades as a coffee shop by day, one of the best hotel pools in the city, and a restaurant run by a James Beard-nominated chef. Plus, there’s a large family-style suite and another room with the world’s comfiest bunk beds perfect for you bachelorette getaway!
- Bungalou: Need your own space? Check out The Bungalou, a private residence in The Highlands that sleeps up to 14. Tucked behind one of Louisville’s best bourbon bars, Neat, on Bardstown Road, you’ll also have access to a 3,000 square foot private gameyard. Plus, you can mix and match your selection of suites– or book the entire property– and stay within your budget.
- Highlands House: This Four Bedroom House is perfect for groups as it accommodates up to 12 people. It’s nestled in the very nice Cherokee Triangle area near some of the best Highlands nightlife. You’ll be able to eat, and drink, and walk to all kinds of things from this location– or stay home and enjoy the large deck and grill.
Louisville Bachelorette Party Itinerary Synopsis
Here’s an easy synopsis of our Louisville Bachelorette Party Itinerary!
Friday
- Lunch at Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar.
- Do a bourbon tasting experience on Whiskey Row at Old Forester, Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, or Bardstown Bourbon Company
- Take an evening food & cocktail tour (choose from the Phantoms Of Prohibition: Ghosts, Cocktails, & Bites Tour or Beyond the Barrel Bourbon Food Tour in NuLu)
- Go out drinking and dancing on Whiskey Row, at Play Dance Bar, Fourth Street Live! or in NuLu
Saturday
- Brunch at Proof on Main
- Photo op with the Statue of David
- Go to Churchill Downs for a day of horse racing
- Take a break / get dolled up for a night out
- Get dinner and drinks at bar Vetti, High Stakes, or Byrdie’s
- Get a night cap at Bar Genevieve, The Last Refuge, or Hell or High Water
Sunday
- Drag brunch at Le Moo or Picnic with Lou Piquenique
- Get a spa treatment at Mokara Spa at Omni
- Relax at the rooftop pool
- Pack up to leave!
Are you ready for your Bachelorette Party in Louisville? Leave any questions below!
About Louisville Food Tours: We are a locally-owned small business running award-winning walking tours in Louisville, Kentucky.
Hope to see you on a tour soon,
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