11:00 AM · 45 min
Arrive at SDF and ride downtown
Drop bags and start Derby week early
Kentucky Derby 2027 (153rd) and Kentucky Oaks
Kentucky Derby weekend
Oaks Day, Derby Day and a bourbon Sunday in Louisville
⏳ In 6 months · May 1, 2027 Remind me
- The plan: Apr 29 – May 24 days around Kentucky Derby 2027 (153rd) and Kentucky Oaks
- Louisville21 places · Couple
- Facts checked Oct 31, 20265 sources, listed below
Watch the Kentucky Oaks and Derby at Churchill Downs, sample bourbon on Whiskey Row and in local distilleries, and finish with the original Hot Brown at The Brown Hotel.
Day 1 is on us
4 days · 21 stops
What it's like in AprilApril in Louisville: highs around 20°C (67°F), lows near 8°C (47°F), with about 12 rainy days. Pack a light jacket and an umbrella.
Day 1 · Thu, Apr 29 · Free
Arrival, Derby Museum and Whiskey Row
Airport transfer, burgers, Derby film, then old-town walk.
Photo: Mark LoGiurato / Google12:30 PM · 1 h
Mussel & Burger Bar
Bar & grillBourbon-barrel burgers and mussels, casual, convenient to Churchill Downs
4.6(4,406)Google$$
32 min
Photo: Rosa Nardo / Google2:30 PM · 2 h
Kentucky Derby Museum
MuseumThe 360-degree film sets up Derby weekend perfectly
4.7(5,726)Google$$
33 min
Photo: Alex Giles / Google5:03 PM · 1 h 15 min
Whiskey Row
Tourist attractionLouisville's 19th-century bourbon corridor, golden in late light
4.6(148)Googlefree
22 min
Photo: Corey Blaske / Google7:30 PM · 1 h 30 min
La Bodeguita De Mima
Cuban restaurantLively garden patio in NuLu; the perfect warm-up
4.8(4,706)Google$$
The rest of the plan
16 stops
Day 2 · Fri, Apr 30
Oaks Day at Churchill Downs
6 stops · Churchill Downs, Downtown
Day 3 · Sat, May 1
Derby Day at the track
5 stops · Churchill Downs, Downtown
Day 4 · Sun, May 2
Hot Brown, bats and bourbon
5 stops · Downtown, Whiskey Row
Get all 4 days
Everything below Day 1, plus offline maps and free updates until May 1.
- 4-day Derby weekend plan
- Oaks Day and Derby Day at Churchill Downs
- Bag policy and getting to the track
- Offline maps in the app
Apple Pay · Google Pay · card 7-day refund
Give it as a giftGood to know
- KentuckyDerby.com lists the 153rd Kentucky Derby for May 1, 2027, and its page title gives Oaks and Derby as April 30 and May 1, 2027.kentuckyderby.com · checked Oct 31, 2026
- The 2026 Derby Day (May 2) gates opened at 9 a.m. ET with a main post time of 6:57 p.m. ET, and Oaks Day (May 1, 2026) gates opened at 11 a.m. ET; 2027 times are not posted.kentuckyderby.com · checked Oct 31, 2026
- For Derby week 2026 Churchill Downs allowed one bag per guest no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches, with clear plastic bags or containers for food and sealed clear water bottles (two 24 oz limit).kentuckyderby.com · checked Oct 31, 2026
- Churchill Downs says food and drink are allowed in the infield on Oaks and Derby days only within the bag limits.kentuckyderby.com · checked Oct 31, 2026
- The Louisville airport code is SDF and its current name is Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.flylouisville.com · checked Oct 31, 2026
Guides for this trip
- Kentucky Derby 2027: A First-Timer's Guide to Oaks Day, Derby Day and LouisvilleWhich day to pick, the bag rules, what to wear, how to reach Churchill Downs, and how to spend the rest of…
- Experience gifts for him: six trips built around one big thingSix trip plans for a man who'd rather do than own: Derby weekend, Ryder Cup, Iceland, balloons, Japan and the…
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