You’re Not Near the Bourbon Trail. You’re in the Middle of It.
Most bourbon travelers book a hotel in Lexington and drive out to the distilleries — then drive all the way back, every night. The Woodford Hotel sits in downtown Versailles, in the geographic heart of Central Kentucky’s distilling country. From our front door, the most storied names in bourbon aren’t an hour away. They’re minutes away — in nearly every direction.
That central position is the whole point. Stay here and you spend your days tasting, not commuting.
Drive Times to the Distilleries
Drive times below are measured from The Woodford Hotel, 112 N Main Street, Versailles, KY. Always confirm tour times and reservations directly with each distillery before you go.
| Distillery | Drive Time | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Woodford Reserve | ~14 min | Versailles (Woodford Co.) |
| Bluegrass Distillers | ~15 min | Woodford Co. |
| Glenns Creek Distilling | ~17 min | Glenns Creek |
| Buffalo Trace | 18 min | Frankfort |
| Four Roses | ~18 min | Lawrenceburg |
| Castle & Key | ~20 min | Frankfort |
| Wild Turkey | ~21 min | Lawrenceburg |
| Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. | ~22 min | Frankfort |
| James E. Pepper / Lexington Distillery District | ~22 min | Lexington |
| Three Boys Farm Distillery | ~25 min | Frankfort area |
| Hartfield & Co. | ~30 min | Paris |
The Trail, From Your Front Door
38.0532° N / 84.7299° W · 14 distilleries within ~30 min · drive times from 112 N Main St, Versailles
Drive times are approximate from the hotel. Confirm each distillery’s visiting details directly before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · © CARTO.
Why “Central” Beats “Nearby”
A hotel that’s near one distillery still leaves you backtracking across the region to reach the rest. From a central basecamp, you start your day in the middle of the map and loop outward — Frankfort one morning, Lawrenceburg the next, the Lexington Distillery District after that — without burning an hour of daylight driving each way.
Fewer miles between pours. Shorter trips back to a comfortable room. More time on the experiences you came for.
Plan Your Bourbon Trail Route from Versailles
Use the interactive map on this page as your trip planner. Every pin is a working distillery within about 30 minutes of the hotel, with drive times measured from our front door at 112 N Main Street. Because Versailles sits in the middle of the region, the smart way to tour is in day loops — one compact cluster per day, back to downtown Versailles each evening.
A Simple Three-Day Loop Plan
Day 1 — Woodford County: Start at Woodford Reserve (~14 min), our namesake and the closest major distillery, then Bluegrass Distillers (~15 min). Spend the evening exploring historic downtown Versailles on foot.
Day 2 — The Frankfort loop: Buffalo Trace (18 min) in the morning, Castle & Key (~20 min) in the afternoon. Two of the most storied campuses in bourbon, twenty minutes apart.
Day 3 — The Lawrenceburg loop: Four Roses (~18 min) and Wild Turkey (~21 min), or swap in the Lexington Distillery District (~22 min) if you want an urban finish.
Book distillery tours ahead — the popular tastings sell out, especially on weekends and during Keeneland race meets. If you would rather not drive between pours, we can help arrange a guided bourbon experience with transportation for your group.
Make The Woodford Hotel Your Basecamp
The Woodford Hotel is a restored landmark in the center of historic downtown Versailles, with eight suites named for the bourbons that built this region — Woodford Reserve, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, E.H. Taylor, Buffalo Trace, Blanton’s, Old Crow, and the Pappy Suite. It’s a fitting home base for a trip spent tracing those names back to the source.
When you’d rather not drive between tastings, we can help arrange a guided bourbon experience and transportation so your whole group can relax and enjoy the day.
Distillery Trip FAQs
How far is The Woodford Hotel from Woodford Reserve?
About a 14-minute drive. Woodford Reserve is in our own Woodford County — the closest major distillery to the hotel, and our namesake.
Which distilleries are closest to the hotel?
Woodford Reserve (~14 min), Bluegrass Distillers (~15 min), and Glenns Creek Distilling (~17 min) are the nearest, with Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Castle & Key, and Wild Turkey all roughly 18–21 minutes away.
Is the hotel on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail?
The Woodford Hotel sits in the center of Central Kentucky’s distilling region, within a short drive of both Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Craft Tour distilleries. We make an ideal basecamp for touring them.
Can I walk to the distilleries?
No — the distilleries are a short drive from downtown Versailles, not a walk. That’s actually the advantage: from our central location, every one of them is a quick, easy drive.
Do I need a car, or can you help with transportation?
You’ll want transportation for distillery days. If you’d prefer not to drive, we can help arrange a guided tour and a driver so everyone can enjoy the experience.
Planning a barrel pick? Make The Woodford Hotel your headquarters — gather your group in our private event space before the pick, and toast the barrel here after.