We celebrated my husband's 90th birthday with a Kentucky River Tour, along with our daughter, who was visiting from Denver, CO, with her teenage daughter. Our daughter had spent part of her growing-up years here in Frankfort, where my husband and I have lived for 50+ years. She enjoys introducing her Colorado daughter to the beautifully forested, living beauty of Kentucky's natural world. Before departing the dock, we enjoyed browsing in the gift shop, with a great assortment of caps, tee shirts, memorabilia, and some Ale8! Upon boarding the boat, the crew offered a bourbon service that would rival most any local selection. We all enjoyed lovely bourbon refreshments! Together with visitors from Tennessee and other nearby states, we learned some Kentucky River geography and history, along with equine, bourbon, and horse racing history. The captain was skillful and knowledgeable, as she cruised the riverboat on the sunny Sunday afternoon. The tour guide was a true font of history with amusing anecdotes of his personal career in the bourbon industry and his overall knowledge of the Commonwealth. Treat yourself, your family and your friends to an altogether enjoyable, educational, and Kentucky-based adventure-- spend some time on the riverboat! You'll be glad you did! Date of experience: July 2026 read more

We enjoyed the relaxing and informative cruise on the Kentucky River. Daryl, our tour guide, shared interesting stories about the River, Kentucky history and bourbon making. He was friendly, engaging and humorous. The round trip ride lasted about 90 minutes. The boat was very nice with bench seating and the ride was smooth. We sat upstairs in the open air to enjoy to scenery. A bar tender will take drink orders and deliver beverages to your seats. Drink prices are reasonable. Drinks can also be ordered and purchased on line. (I think snacks were also available). We booked our cruise several months in advance with tour and tasting tickets at Buffalo Trace Distillery. Two members of our party backed out and we were able to cancel their reservations (thankfully) the week before and get a refund. We started with our visit to Buffalo Trace. We arrived about an hour early so we could shop at the distillery and we were glad we did because we did not have time to shop after the tasting and getting to the boat. The tight timeline between the tasting and the boat departure was the only downside to the trip. I recommend the cruise, but plan on going at least an hour early to the distillery to shop. read more

See all

The dock was within walking distance of where we stayed and just moments from downtown. Right on time, easy to find and quick to board. The weather was enjoyable in late September and the shaded top deck had 360° views. The crew were friendly and attentive, the boat clean and in good shape. There is a drink menu available online, the prices were reasonable and the selection extensive. Nathan was our guide and we recommend them. They were knowledgeable and got a few laughs out of us. The sites seen along the way were lovely and some only accessible by boat. Passing under the bridges and by nature was made more fun knowing their history, we also saw the effects of the recent flood. We didn't see the distillery, but that might have been a different tour, different season or a result of the flood, but we got to see the singing bridge, which we were told would be deconstructed in time. We had a great time aboard the Kentucky River Boat and would return. Be sure to tip your tour guide as ours added to the experience! read more

Kentucky River Tours - On the Kentucky River on the top deck, passing some docked boats. - Boat Tours Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

See all

What an amazing experience! After 19 distilleries in 5 days, this wife was ready for something a little more low key and to learn about the history and to see the world of bourbon from this angle. Thank you to the owners of Kentucky River Tours for helping to make my husband's 50th birthday celebration that much more special. Keep up the excellent work! read more

Kentucky River Tours - Boat Tours Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

This was our last stop before leaving Frankfort and our first day on the bourbon trail. It was a great tour from a great family run business. We got a smooth ride (it had rained and the river had a good amount of debris) and so much history! We learned about Kentucky and its historical figures, about bourbon, and about the river. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and engaging. We got local soda, water, and chocolate. Highly recommend! read more

See all

Great experience with a lovely crew. We did the River Bourbon History Tour, sitting on the lower deck. It was nicely enclosed but with fresh air coming in from the open doors on the bow and stern. This was very good since it did rain a little and gave us more shelter. The tour guide was narrating from the upper deck and at times it was a little challenging to hear but overall, a great tour. You can even purchase soft drinks, beer, and bourbons during the tour. Two heads at the stern on the lower deck also. There is a cafe at the dock open at various times if you wish to remain and enjoy the river atmosphere. The whole experience is very relaxing, and we highly enjoyed it! Tip: for mobility challenges, the lower deck is fine. Be warned that getting down to the boat dock requires steps and a steep ramp. read more

This group is professional, informative, and a great deal of fun. We sampled 2 bourbons and 2 ryes, learned a great deal of history, and had a blast. This will definitely be on our agenda again next time we visit. read more

Kentucky River Tours - The tasting board - Boat Tours Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

See all

No better way to relax!! Over an hour on the river with the best guide/captain on the entire Kentucky River. Do not miss it! read more

See all

Outstanding history lesson! Fascinating stories abound, and our captain / Colonel was a fantastic story teller. Five stars!

Excellent tour. The guide is very knowledgeable and easy to talk with. He was funny and provided very useful information in Kentucky, Frankfort and bourbon. Biggest complaint is you can't see everything on the River but definitely not their fault do to the trees on the river. read more

Absolutely fantastic tour! We had a really great time, the tour guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. We went through the lock on the dam, which was so cool! Highly recommend, 10/10! read more

I cannot say enough good things about this tour. Captain Allison and Captain Nathan were fantastic. So knowledgeable about bourbon and the Kentucky River. Not only did they talk bourbon, but they also talked wildlife and history of Frankfort. We had an absolutely perfect day on the river. Lasted longer than expected. I could have stayed all day. Picked us up at Buffalo Trace and then took us back for a private tour ran by Buffalo Trace. Great social distancing measures taken on the boat. I will recommend the Lock/Dam tour to anyone. read more

Kentucky River Tours - Buffalo Trace Distillery from the KY River - Boat Tours Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

See all

Beautiful day, informative tour, and like most great attractions, you end in the gift shop....at Buffalo Trace ;) Book it when here. Family operation and they make sure you are comfortable and informed. Don't miss out on the Bourbon Ball...yum read more

Kentucky River Tours - Captain getting ready to launch us. - Boat Tours Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

We loved our trip with Allison and Nathan. They were great hosts, sharing their love of the river, bourbon, and the history of the area. We thought going through the lock and spending some time outside exploring Frankfort. Thanks for a great time! read more

We went on the Ky Bourbon River Tour with our 14 yo grand son, Captain Nathan did an excellent job! He is very knowledgeable of the area and great historian . I like how he personalized the trip adding Rebecca Ruth's candies and local Ale/ or water , very personal touch. He never let the downpour of rain in the middle of our tour frustrate him , he was prepared with towels and / or rain ponchos for us. Never missed a beat! Great tour! read more

This was a very nice tour. There was only one other couple other than my husband and myself (it was on a Monday) So it was nice and quiet. The boat captain was very informative and we just simply enjoyed our hour long trip. Thank you! read more

Visiting my son and DIL who just moved to the area and booked this for something to do. It was a nice tour down the river. The Captain was awesome, made it super fun and his knowledge of local history very interesting. Highly recommend! read more

Relaxing and interesting tour on a beautiful stretch of the Kentucky River. Captain Nathan shared lots of great stories about Frankfort and the area. Really fun way to see parts of town you'd miss on the road. Very convenient pick up and drop off at Buffalo Trace. read more

This is a must tour when you're in the area. Captain's Allison and Nathan are both knowledgeable and great hosts as they take you on an enjoyable ride on the river and point out information. Plus going through the locks is a unique experience. Having water and soda available was a nice touch. Everyone on board had a great time. We will definitely return when back in the area. read more

We did the Dam & Locks History tour, and were joined by one other family. Because of the small number of passengers, the tour felt very personable and the husband-and-wife captains were able to answer everyone's questions. We loved the additional background information that was shared about the history of bourbon in this area. One of the best parts of the tour was the informal chatting at the end, when one of the captains recommended a distillery (Glenns Greek Distillery, which was fabulous!) and a local restaurant for dinner (Bourbon on Main, another fabulous recommendation!). This husband-and-wife team of captains was amazing - we would absolutely do another tour if we're ever in the area again! read more

My family had a wonderful time cruising the Kentucky River with Captains Nathan and Allison! They are so fun and full of knowledge and historical info!! We love to take our guests on a ride and explore Frankfort, too! Lunch at the Riverboat Grill was great, sitting right on the water! A fun outing for family or friends!! You will not be disappointed!!! read more

This is a lovely and fun tour! My family grew up in Kentucky and were looking for something different to do to celebrate a birthday. This was perfect! Captain Nathan is knowledgeable, friendly and entertaining. I highly recommend! read more

Alison and Nathan were fabulous tour guides. So knowledgeable about both the river and bourbon. They did a great job of communicating with me and helping with logistics. Highly recommend read more

We had a great time on the Bourbon Pompeii tour. Captains Allison and Nathan were very hospitable and knowledgeable! They worked with the weather and gave us a really enjoyable tour. read more

GO ON THIS TOUR!! I couldn't find the place, the captain personally called me, entertained the other guests, waited for me, directed me again and when I finally made it was I ever glad I was persistent. I love boats and I love Bourbon and this was the perfect combination. We rode down the Kentucky River with our Captain giving us a great history of the town of Frankfort, the houses, the river, the politics, flooding and I could go on. He stopped when we asked questions and knew the answer and made it more of a conversation, like we were old friends. Our stop at Bourbon on Main was amazing and the owner treated us the same, like old friends, and tell me what you want to know. The captain extended our tour to make up for my mistake!!!! What a great company!!! What a great tour and what great knowledge! The 3-hours was perfect, the bourbon was excellent and the company was even better. What a great day!!! read more