Bluegrass Country & the Smoky Mountains featuring Louisville, Lexington, Gatlinburg & Asheville

Your tour starts in Louisville, Kentucky, famous for Thoroughbreds, Bourbon and baseball. Settle in for a 2-night stay at your hotel, ideally situated in downtown Louisville.

Enjoy a visit to Churchill Downs, the Thoroughbred racetrack famous for hosting the pinnacle of all horse races: the Kentucky Derby. Then, tour the Kentucky Derby Museum and learn about the legendary history of the “Sport of Kings.” Enjoy a walking tour of Old Louisville, a historic neighborhood of Victorian mansions. Later, head to “Museum Row” where it’s your choice! Visit the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory for an All-Star baseball experience -OR- explore the Frazier Kentucky History Museum, and its Spirit of Kentucky exhibit, the official start of the Bourbon Trail. Tonight, join your fellow travelers at a local restaurant for a welcome dinner.

Visit Buffalo Trace, the oldest continuously operating Bourbon distillery in America. Learn about the subtle craft, meet some of the people who make it all happen, and taste some of the home-grown spirit. Stop in the quaint, historic town of Midway. Then, it’s off to explore Kentucky’s horse country. Learn about the area from a local guide and take in the rolling bluegrass pastureland and the horse farms that dot the landscape. Hear about time-honored traditions during visits to private horse farms before settling into Lexington for your two-night stay.

Travel to Berea, the historic college town known as the Folk Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky. Meet a few artisans while they demonstrate their craft. Then, explore musical artifacts and memorabilia during a visit to the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame. Tonight, take in the tastes of Kentucky at a local restaurant.

This morning, learn about contemporary art and the American Studio Glass movement with a visit to Kentucky’s GLASS National Art Museum, displaying the works of prominent glass artists. Afterward, travel through Daniel Boone National Forest, named for the larger-than-life American pioneer who once blazed a trail across these rugged and wild lands, which extend across the western plateau region of the Appalachian Mountains. Arrive in the lively mountain town, Gatlinburg, gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and your home for a two-night stay. The rest of the day is yours! Perhaps you will go to Dollywood,* Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountains theme park, or enjoy time in downtown Gatlinburg.

With a local guide, explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park (UNESCO) – the United States’ most visited national park. Stop at various lookouts on your way to Newfound Gap, which boasts views of both Tennessee and North Carolina. Enjoy your picnic lunch at a scenic location before continuing through the park to Cherokee and spend time at Qualla, the oldest Native American arts cooperative. Learn about traditional crafts and customs. Afterwards, tour the Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery with a tasting before enjoying an evening at leisure.

This morning, depart for Asheville, North Carolina, your Blue Ridge Mountains home for two nights. The afternoon and evening are yours to explore a city known for craft breweries, chocolate, and farm to table cuisine.

Back in 1895, George Vanderbilt II decided to build himself a “little mountain escape” in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The result was the impressive and decadent grandeur of the Biltmore Estate. Today, tour the sprawling mansion and the manicured grounds. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Today your tour comes to an end. As you venture home, take the spirit and the warmth of America’s Southeast with you.