Tauck World DiscoveryDiscover Our JourneysWhy Travel With TauckPlanning Your Trip Ask and Share
Journey Finder

Search by Destination:

 
Search by Travel Type:
Kentucky Derby
2009 Itinerary featuring 5 days from $4,590        Event  
Ask & Share

Request a Brochure - Join our mailing list to receive our free full-color brochures by mail.

E-Newsletter - Register for our e-newsletter and get the latest news and offers from Tauck delivered by e-mail.


Share your favorite travel photos taken while traveling on a Tauck vacation, and enter them in our photo contest for a chance to win travel vouchers for Tauck World Discovery.

It's off to the races with Tauck on April 29, 2009 for the 135th Kentucky Derby and our premier Run for the Roses event, featuring 5 days of blue ribbon excitement, Tauck Style – with everything included in the cost! Join us as we go inside Kentucky's Bluegrass horse country for first-hand discoveries of the privileged world of thoroughbred racing. Enjoy in-depth sightseeing, exclusive Tauck soirees, nightly entertainment, and VIP treatment leading up to the 135th running of the world's most exciting two-minute horse race, the Kentucky Derby. Enjoy exclusive Derby Day privileges including a private hospitality marquee with open bar and dining throughout the day, Tauck's exclusive pari-mutuel betting windows, and reserved seating along Churchill Downs' first turn as Tauck puts you in the winner's seat at the Kentucky Derby!
Need To KnowSimilar Journeys
Print friendly versionPrinter Icon

Day 1 – Welcome to Kentucky

Event begins: 7:00 PM at Griffin Gate Marriott Resort, Lexington, Kentucky. Your blue ribbon treatment begins upon your arrival in Kentucky's Bluegrass country; a transfer is included from Lexington's Blue Grass Airport to Griffin Gate Marriott Resort. Settle in to your resort and join us tonight for your first taste of our Kentucky Derby festivities, Tauck Style, at a welcome reception and dinner featuring entertainment by Kentucky humorist and storyteller Carl Hurley!
Meals: Dinner
Lodging: Griffin Gate Marriott Resort, Lexington, Kentucky

Day 2 – The secrets of Bluegrass country
Wet your whistle for some genuine Kentucky spirits on a memorable visit to Maker's Mark, the only operating distillery in America designated a National Historic Landmark; see the time-honored process of creating handmade sour mash whisky during a tour, followed by a tasting and barbecue lunch with entertainment on the great lawn. Then discover the essence of another kind of Kentucky spirit as you travel back in time to a historic mansion in My Old Kentucky Home State Park, where in 1853 Stephen Collins Foster penned the lyrics to what would later become Kentucky's nostalgic state song. You're in for a real treat tonight during a special evening at Keene Barn, overlooking the rolling pastures and stone fences of the famous horse racing and auction complex, Keeneland. Enjoy dinner and entertainment by Bluegrass band Highway 41.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Griffin Gate Marriott Resort, Lexington, Kentucky

Day 3 – The excitement builds at the Kentucky Oaks or a horse farm
A choice of activities today (which must be made at time of booking) includes attending the 135th running of the Kentucky Oaks – the sister race of the Kentucky Derby for 3-year-old fillies, known as the "Run for the Lilies" – or visiting one of Lexington's private horse farms for an insider's look at the world of thoroughbred horses. Tonight, everyone spends a fabulous evening at the 1,200-acre Kentucky Horse Park, where dinner and live entertainment combines with fascinating insights on the history of horses to introduce you to the Parade of Breeds and best-in-class traditions of Kentucky's horse country.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Griffin Gate Marriott Resort, Lexington, Kentucky

Day 4 – See the Run for the Roses – the 135th Kentucky Derby!
It's off to the races after breakfast today, when Tauck takes you to Churchill Downs to experience the first jewel in the "Triple Crown" of thoroughbred horse racing – the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby – in person! As you visit the legendary grounds of Churchill Downs, you'll see for yourself why this historic racetrack is an integral part of the thoroughbred racing industry. As a VIP guest, you can spend Derby Day in Tauck's exclusive, air-conditioned hospitality marquee, where a buffet of fine regional cuisine, open bar, closed circuit transmission of the races, and private pari-mutuel betting windows cater to you in legendary Tauck Style. And you can watch all the action from Tauck's reserved seating along the First Turn, for premier viewing of this world-famous race. Your unforgettable Derby Day concludes with a light dinner back at the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort tonight.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Griffin Gate Marriott Resort, Lexington, Kentucky

Day 5 – Journey home
Event ends: Lexington, Kentucky. Tauck's premier Kentucky Derby event ends today, but your memories are sure to linger long after you return home. Check out of the hotel by 12 noon; a transfer is included from the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort to Lexington's Blue Grass Airport. Allow a minimum of two hours for flight check in.
Meals: Breakfast

Space is limited on this exclusive event;

reserve your place in the winner's circle today!



Click here to  chat online with a member of  our Reservations Staff

Check Available Dates
2008 Prices
Tauck Value
Book This Journey
Overnight Accommodations
Image gallery
Discuss This Journey
Email A Friend
Print Version
Tour Options
Extend This Journey
TauckAir
View Reading List
Tauck Travel Protection

Request A BrochureContact Us