Take a leisurely stroll through the historic Highlands, a neighborhood brimming with tree-lined avenues, Victorian mansions, and quirky charm. This scenic walking tour pairs delicious local food with captivating stories of Louisville’s rich and colorful past.
As you explore Louisville’s oldest and most storied streets, you’ll taste dishes inspired by Kentucky’s culinary heritage at visit locally owned and beloved spots, including a cozy Irish pub and a farm-to-table restaurant showcasing seasonal produce. You’ll also…
Elevate your experience with 4 rare, premium bourbon pours during your tour! To add to your tour, please select during checkout.
This tour can be booked as a family-friendly private tour for all ages. Children 2 and under are free, and the route is stroller friendly. Please get in touch to book at [email protected]
This tour can be booked as a private, dog-friendly experience. You and your pup will enjoy outdoor patios at each stop and a special visit to a “Little Dog Free Library.” Your furry friend will even get to sample treats from a special doggy menu—because they deserve a food tour too! For more details or to book a dog-friendly tour, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
Our tours run rain or shine, so we recommend checking the forecast and dressing accordingly. However, in cases of severe or unsafe weather, we prioritize your safety. If a tour is canceled due to weather, we will provide a full refund or credit. Because Louisville’s weather can change quickly, decisions regarding cancellations, rescheduling, or delays are made a few hours before the tour. If adjustments are necessary, we will contact all guests as soon as possible with updates.
Please be aware that our tours cover the history of Louisville and Kentucky, which includes unsavory and complex subjects that some guests may find uncomfortable. As company policy, we do not tolerate racist, sexist, or homophobic commentary on our tours. We reserve the right to ask any guest making our guides or guests uncomfortable to leave without receiving a refund.
If at any point during a tour, a guest is found to be excessively intoxicated or engaging in disruptive behavior due to alcohol consumption, our tour guide may discontinue serving them alcoholic beverages OR discontinue their participation in the tour, at their discretion. This decision is made to safeguard the well-being of all guests and to maintain the quality of the tour experience. The intoxicated guest and their party may be asked to arrange safe transportation home and will not receive a refund. We encourage responsible consumption of alcohol during our tours and appreciate your cooperation in creating a positive and safe environment for all.
You’ll be eating quite a bit – please arrive hungry! In total, you’ll be eating 4 delicious items. You will be full by the end of the tour, so plan to skip dinner or eat something light.
In addition to the food, you will be tasting both bourbon and beer.
Yes! Even without drinking, you’ll have a great time, eat plenty of delicious food, have a few mocktails, admire beautiful scenery, and enjoy fascinating stories about Louisville’s history.
This tour ends about a block away from where it begins, and our tour guide will make sure you know exactly where to go to get back to your car.
This tour is offered between March and November, when the trees lining the wide avenues will be full of beautiful foliage.
In our opinion, the neighborhood is most stunning in April and May when spring flowers and trees are in full bloom, showering the streets with pink crab-apple, Southern magnolia and white dogwood blossoms amidst the azaleas and daffodils.
Our second choice is September until mid November, when fall foliage is peaking – the fall colors are STUNNING in this area!
In summer, the neighborhood turns a vibrant green, scented with blooming roses, sweet lilac and oak-leaf hydrangea.
If you’re after more beautiful outdoor scenery, make sure to bookend your tour with a walk through the arboretum at Cave Hill Cemetery, or a nature stroll through the gorgeous trails of Cherokee Park (both under 5 minutes away from the tour’s start and end point).
While our tour passes by Cave Hill Cemetery, stops at the entrance, and will discuss the legacies of these two Kentucky icons, we will not actually be going inside the cemetery to visit the gravesites. The cemetery is one of the largest in the country – visiting each site would take as long as the total amount of walking on the tour!
We do highly encourage all of our guests to plan to take a walk or drive through the cemetery before or after their tour. You can use this map to locate the graves of these 2 legends and many other important figures from Kentucky’s past.
Prohibition Craft Spirits is a new distillery located just down the street from our tour. The distillery is about a 15 minute walk down Baxter Avenue. You can book a Prohibition-themed tour of the distillery and visit the speakeasy. Since this is a newer distillery, there are usually available tour slots even for last-minute bookings.
Both tours share similarities: they explore Louisville’s history through its cuisine, focusing on the unique stories of their respective neighborhoods. Each features historic landmarks, beloved local eateries, and a vibrant atmosphere with colorful murals and diverse, locally owned businesses.
One key difference is the scenery and thematic focus. The Highlands tour offers lush, green scenery with tree-lined streets and stunning Victorian homes, while the NuLu tour highlights a more industrial, urban vibe. Additionally, the Highlands tour places greater emphasis on architecture and the neighborhood’s historic charm.
Another distinction is the audience. The NuLu tour is all-ages and family-friendly, while the Highlands tour is exclusively for guests 21 and older (unless booked as a private tour). For pet lovers, the Highlands tour can also be booked as a private dog-friendly experience.
When it comes to food, the NuLu tour includes more stops for smaller bites, while the Highlands tour features fewer stops with larger portions. Both tours provide a satisfying amount of food, but the Highlands tour also includes more alcoholic beverages, perfect for those wanting to sample Louisville’s drink culture.
There is a paid parking lot behind Epiphany Bar, where your tour will end. There is also ample free start parking in the surrounding neighborhood. We recommend parking on side streets such as Highlands or Morton, and NOT parking on busy Baxter Ave.
This experience is not booked with Maple Hill Manor. For any questions, reach out to this vendor directly.
