Experience the 2026 Kentucky Derby like an INSIDER!
Louisville, Kentucky is Home to America’s most prestigious and celebrated annual horse race! Often called the "Run for the Roses" or the "Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports," the Kentucky Derby is held every year on the first Saturday in May at the historic Churchill Downs racetrack. People voyage from all over the globe to be a part of this spectacular event! Its host city of Louisville is a vibrant bourbon hub known as "Bourbon City.” Louisville offers a unique and immersive bourbon culture like no other! Downtown Louisville is home to the Bourbon Trail, Whiskey Row, and numerous distilleries and tasting rooms. During your stay, you can look forward to bourbon-infused dining, specialty cocktails, and learning all about the city’s deep connection to bourbon history and production. Together, the Kentucky Derby and the exciting city of Louisville offer a grand new adventure!
Derby Insider Tours. Experience the Kentucky Derby like an INSIDER! We offer “total package” tours that include everything needed to make your trip to the Derby a complete success! From your 3-night Marriott hotel stay in the heart of Louisville’s Bourbon District, to your reserved seats at the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, your complete food and beverage package (includes alcohol) for each day at the races, private transportation to and from, and events like our welcome party, morning mimosa station and bourbon tasting experience - your trip to the Kentucky Derby will be one for the history books!
Upgrade to a 4-night stay and enjoy an exciting Day of Tours! For guests wishing to expand their time in Louisville, and explore the city and its Bourbon roots, enjoy a hosted day of tours including a visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum for a Factory Tour and Specialty Bourbon Experience (the city’s only custom bourbon experience that teaches you how to blend your own bourbon recipe), a visit to Jim Beam Distillery for a Tour and Whiskey Tasting plus Lunch on property, and finally a visit to Stitzel-Weller Distillery (where Pappy Van Winkle was originally distilled) for a Bourbon and Chocolate Tasting.
Insider Packages for the 2026 Derby. Our 2026 tour takes place April 30th - May 3rd or 4th, 2026. Choose a 3 or 4 night stay. Book a package today and get ready for the ultimate Kentucky Derby adventure!
We take care of all the details so you don't have to! Just show up, enjoy the show and create memories that will last a lifetime! Experience this bucket list adventure along with the sites, the music, the decadent cuisine, the southern hospitality - and do it all in style and at a great value with Insider Tours!
what’s included in my 2026 derby package?
3-Night Packages Include All Items Below:
3-Night Stay Dates are April 30 – May 3, 2026
3 Nights Hotel Stay at Springhill Suites by Marriott, located in the heart of Downtown Louisville. This ideal Bourbon District location is just 1 block’s walk to Whiskey Row, where all the best restaurants, pubs, shops, & many distilleries & tasting rooms are located. Short walking distance to Fourth Street Live as well! A perfect home base for your Kentucky Derby stay!
Reserved Seats for the Kentucky Oaks (Friday). The Kentucky Oaks is a prestigious Grade I stakes horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbred fillies (female horses), held annually at Churchill Downs the day before the Kentucky Derby. It is tradition to wear pink, cocktails are pink – everything is pink! It is one of the most attended horse races in America, second only to the Kentucky Derby. A super fun day of races preceding the Derby!
Reserved Seats for the 142nd Kentucky Derby (Saturday). This is what it’s all about, ladies & gentlemen: the biggest race of the year & you are SO THERE! Get ready for the "Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" and an incredible day of action & fun at Churchill Downs!
Both Days at Churchill Downs include an unlimited food & drink package, including elevated cuisine & alcoholic beverages. We’ll cheers to that!
Private Transportation to & from Churchill Downs on Oaks & Derby Days.
Welcome Party with complimentary specialty cocktails, passed hors d’oeuvres, & live music.
Complimentary Bourbon Tasting after the Oaks Day Race (Friday).
Complimentary Mimosa Bar the morning of Oaks Day (Friday) & Derby Day (Saturday).
Daily Breakfast Buffet is included in your package.
Welcome Goody Basket packed with Race Day Essentials, including a specialty laser-engraved bottle of Woodford Reserve’s Distiller Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 152nd Derby Edition, the official 2026 Kentucky Derby poster, snacks, drinks & more (one basket per room).
Insider Guides present 24/7, at the hotel & all events, making sure you’re having the time of your life every second of the way!
View Package Pricing Here
4-Night Packages Include All Items Below:
4-Night Stay Dates are April 30 – May 4, 2026
All Items in the 3-Night Package, plus:
1 Additional Night Stay at Springhill Suites by Marriott, includes Breakfast Buffet.
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Tour.
Louisville Slugger Bourbon Experience – Partake in Louisville's only custom bourbon experience, a 45-minute class that teaches you how to blend your own bourbon recipe. Optionally purchase a bottle of your custom bourbon recipe & have it blended on-site.
Jim Beam Distillery Tour & Whiskey Tasting.
Lunch is served at Jim Beam Distillery’s Restaurant, the Kitchen Table.
Bourbon & Chocolate Tasting Experience at Stitzel-Weller Distillery (where Pappy Van Winkle was originally distilled).
Private Transportation & Insider Guides present at all events to lead the way.
Ticket Details! Info on Your Kentucky Derby & Oaks Reserved Seats:
Your Reserved Seating for Oaks and Derby will be located in the Starting Gate Courtyard at Churchill Downs. Seats are uncovered. Seats in the Starting Gate Courtyard provide an exceptional experience focused on the exciting moments at the start of the race, plus the homestretch dash, combined with premium, all-inclusive food, drink & amenities. Seating for Insider Tours Guests will be in Sections 121 - 127 in the Starting Gate Courtyard.
Key Benefits Include:
Prime Starting Line Views: Enjoy an unparalleled, “front-row” view of the horses as they are loaded into the gate & break at the start of the race.
Trackside Location: This area is located directly next to the dirt & turf racetracks & overlooks the beginning of the homestretch, ensuring a close-up, "courtside” experience.
Horses Pass You Twice: Experience both the excitement of the start of the race & the homestretch portion of the race. The horses pass by the Starting Gate Courtyard seats twice for double the excitement & double the fun!
Comfortable Seating: Relax in new, comfortable padded fold-down stadium-style seating that provides spectacular views of the racetrack.
Elevated Social Atmosphere: The area features an updated and upscale ambiance, designed for socializing & enjoying the day's events in a modern setting with premium finishes.
All-Inclusive Food and Beverage: Your ticket includes an all-inclusive menu of food (including a Chef's Table buffet in some adjacent pavilion areas) & a wide selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Facility Access: Ticket holders have access to the first-floor frontside & paddock viewing areas of the facility.
** Please note: Seating is uncovered. To upgrade to a covered seating option, please inquire for pricing.
Derby Fun Facts & Traditions:
The Race: The Derby is a Grade I stakes race for top three-year-old Thoroughbreds, run at a distance of 1 and 1/4 miles. The field is limited to 20 horses, which qualify through a points system in a series of preparatory races.
"Run for the Roses": The winning horse is draped in a spectacular blanket of over 400 red roses, a tradition that began officially in the 1930’s.
Fashion and Atmosphere: The event is a grand cultural and social spectacle known for its unique style. On race day, women typically wear large, ornate hats - every hat is unique and each hat is more grand than the next! Men typically wear colorful suits and bow ties. The atmosphere is electric, a lively mix of high fashion with an abundance of fancy food and drink, exciting race moments, and celebrity sightings!
Traditions: In addition to race day fashion, a few other long-standing traditions include mint juleps and the singing of Stephen Foster's song "My Old Kentucky Home" as the horses parade to the starting gate.
Triple Crown: The Kentucky Derby is followed by the Preakness Stakes and then the Belmont Stakes. A horse must win all three races in the same year to achieve the prestigious Triple Crown title.
The trademarks Kentucky Derby®, Kentucky Oaks®, Churchill Downs®, “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports®” and “Run for the Roses®” belong to Churchill Downs Incorporated. Their usage here is solely for description purposes only. Festival Insider Tours and Derby Insider Tours is not affiliated with, endorsed by or associated with Churchill Downs Incorporated in any capacity. Churchill Downs Incorporated has not granted Insider Tours licensing or authorization to sell products or services related to the Kentucky Derby. For official Kentucky Derby ticket information, please visit www.kentuckyderby.com.
