Kentucky is best known for horses, bourbon, fried chicken and bluegrass music. Lexington is the horse-breeding centre and many of its surrounding farms welcome visitors on free tours. Louisville boasts the famous Kentucky Derby, along with historic buildings, top arts venues and steamboat trips. Other attractions include: the Patton Museum at Fort Knox; the pioneer settlement, Homeplace 1850s, at Kentucky Lake, one of the largest man-made lakes in the USA; the Daniel Boone National Forest; and Bardstown, the ‘bourbon capital of the world’. Berea is the ‘crafts capital’ of the State.

Kentucky is mostly rural with many regions steeped in U.S. political, military and industrial history. Natural areas pervade this state, which contains 49 state parks, 114 miles of wild and scenic rivers and many navigable lakes. Kentucky can be separated into four region with distinct characteristics and attractions. Eastern Kentucky contains the Appalachian Mountains and the most significant amount of public lands in the state. The Daniel Boone National Forest encompasses nearly 530,000 acres through the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Other natural areas in the region include Jefferson National Forest and Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, both on the Virginia border, and Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, which is shared with eastern Tennessee.

Kentucky supports a large variety of water sports on its large lakes and wide rivers. Visitors and locals alike can enjoy canoeing, kayaking, boating, water skiing, swimming and fishing. Private and public administered campgrounds provide accommodations throughout the state.