3 Tips for Enjoying a Staycation Along the Kentucky River

A staycation doesn't have to mean staying home and hoping you feel rested by Monday. It means getting away from the house without leaving your city or fleeing the state altogether. 

If you live in Frankfort or nearby, it’s easy to take the Kentucky River for granted—but this gorgeous natural area offers enough to fill a full weekend without ever packing a suitcase for a flight or fighting airport traffic.

Here are three ways to build a staycation that feels like a real getaway, with local ideas you can put together in a single afternoon.

1. Get Out In Nature

Spending time in a natural area is a great way to start your staycation. Popular options include hiking the Red River Gorge or Natural Bridge, visiting local green spaces like the Arboretum or Raven Run in Lexington or taking on any of our goegeous natural trails. 

2. Book a Tour That Matches Your Mood

Of course, we also recommend a Kentucky River Tour—our river cruises are some of the most popular outdoor activities in Kentucky. Choose a tour that matches your interests.

• The 1.5-hour Bourbon History Tour—our flagship cruise—covers six nearby distilleries, Lock and Dam No. 4, the Leestown Settlement, and other landmarks along the Kentucky River. Wildlife sightings may include bald eagles, blue herons, river otters, and white-tailed deer.
• For a more involved Bourbon Trail® experience, the four-hour Old Taylor Tour combines a river cruise and barbecue lunch with a Buffalo Trace Distillery tour and tasting.
• The Sunset Cruise takes a quieter approach, with less narration and more time to enjoy downtown Frankfort, river wildlife, drinks, and occasionally live music.
• History-focused visitors can also choose the 1.5- to two-hour Kentucky River History Tour.
• The Kentucky Heritage Tour is a full-day outing that combines the river with bourbon, barbecue, local candy, and a thoroughbred farm.

3. Make Time to Eat

No staycation along the Kentucky River is complete without a stop at one of our fine dining establishments. We can recommend several local eats, just to name a few, but of course we have to recommend our riverside restaurant and drinks spot, The River House, the floating restaurant at 101 Riverboat Landing in Frankfort.

It's one of the only restaurants actually built on the river, and the menu leans into laid-back riverside food: hot and cold sandwiches, pretzels with beer cheese, charcuterie boards, and milkshakes and floats for dessert. The craft cocktail bar rounds things out with handmade drinks, straight pours of Kentucky bourbon, local beer, and wine by the glass.

The River House is open every day except Tuesdays and Thursdays from May through October, so it's worth checking the schedule before you plan your visit.

Plan Your Kentucky River Staycation with Kentucky River Tours

Whether you're searching for vacation ideas in Kentucky or just a quick escape near home, the Kentucky River has you covered.

Between a river tour, an afternoon at The River House, and a night at one of our overnight rentals, a Kentucky River staycation can fill an entire weekend without a single hour of highway driving.

Browse our full tour calendar and book your spot, or reach out to plan a custom visit around your schedule.  We're open seasonally from April 15 through the fall, so start planning your Frankfort staycation today.