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Check out these must-visit travel destinations for an enchanting Kentucky getaway

Stories by Lexington Herald-Leader journalists, with AI summarization

The following stories feature Kentucky destinations that balance history, food, outdoor adventure and affordability.

You can stay in a popular treehouse set in the Daniel Boone National Forest. This retreat lets guests relax close to hiking trails and forest views.

Kentucky’s bourbon tradition lives strong through journeys to distilleries in towns like Bardstown and Lexington. You can stop by tasting rooms, see historic taverns, or join guided tours that share bourbon’s story.

Some travel to the Ashland-Huntington metro area, where museums and historic walking tours attract history fans.

In Bardstown, you can ride the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train or walk the cobblestone streets among Federal-style buildings and bourbon warehouses.

Autumn colors are on display near Lookout Point at Natural Bridge State Resort Park in Slade on Monday. Fall foliage in Kentucky is nearing its peak and is expected to do so by Oct. 30, according to the Smoky Mountains annual fall foliage prediction map, which sources its data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The map can be accessed online at https://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/.

NO. 1: THIS KENTUCKY TOWN OFFERS SOME OF THE BEST FALL FOLIAGE IN THE US, COUNTRY LIVING SAYS

The city earned a spot among the magazine’s top 55 picks. | Published November 6, 2023 | Read Full Story by Matt DiSanto

Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown is a six-room historic inn on Bardstown’s Courthouse Square.

NO. 2: THIS SMALL KENTUCKY BOURBON TOWN WAS NAMED AMONG THE TOP 20 ‘MOST BEAUTIFUL’ IN THE US

It’s one of the oldest communities in the commonwealth. | Published February 26, 2023 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

Residential neighborhood speed limit sign

NO. 3: METRO AREA ALONG KENTUCKY BORDER NAMED THE THIRD ‘BEST AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE’ IN US

The average annual salary for the area is $45,520, according to U.S. News & World Report. | Published May 23, 2023 | Read Full Story by Lindsay Smith

The dining area of the Keeneland Clubhouse can be transformed into a wedding venue space, overlooking the saddling paddock.

NO. 4: THINKING OF GETTING MARRIED IN LEXINGTON? JUST SAY ‘I DO’ TO ONE OF THESE VENUES

This guide will help you if you’re thinking intimate or large wedding. | Published August 31, 2023 | Read Full Story by Hannah Stanley

Owner and tour guide of the Bites of the Bluegrass tours, Erin Goins, gives participants a walking food and history tour of downtown Lexington, Ky, on Thursday, March 21, 2024. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 5: THESE FOODIE WALKING TOURS WILL GIVE YOU THE TRUE FLAVOR OF LEXINGTON, BLUEGRASS

You’ll get some boozy Kentucky history with your cocktails and charcuterie. | Published April 15, 2024 | Read Full Story by Patti Nickell

The Lion’s Lair is located in Stanton, Kentucky. Photos courtesy of the Airbnb community.

NO. 6: A TREEHOUSE RETREAT IS KENTUCKY’S MOST WISH-LISTED AIRBNB STAY. TAKE A LOOK INSIDE

The listing offers views of Red River Gorge, and it’s just steps away from some prime hiking in Daniel Boone National Forest. | Published July 26, 2024 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley is photographed in Building C at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Ky., on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Buffalo Trace is completing a 10-year, $1.2 billion expansion that has increased capacity from 200,000 barrels a year to more than 500,000. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 7: 3 ICONIC KENTUCKY BOURBON DISTILLERIES THAT SHOULD BE ON YOUR JOY RIDE BUCKET LIST

From horses to world-class views, there are many highlights on the winding byways from Lexington to distilleries on the bourbon trail. Here are some not to miss. | Published March 25, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton Patti Nickell

A set of small-batch distilled Kentucky bourbon sets on one of many RD1 Distillery at The Commons bars before the official May 14th grand opening on May 13, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 8: NEW BOURBON TASTING ROOM, DISTILLERY IN LEXINGTON JOINS THE BOURBON TRAIL

University of Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops is a shareholder in RD1 Spirits, a Lexington-based, bourbon brand with an emphasis on its barrel wood finishings. | Published May 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Piper Hansen

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.