My wife and I booked a 2-day private tour of various horse farms near Lexington, KY. The tour well exceeded our expectations! Our tour guide, Mike, was absolutely great - very knowledgeable and accommodating! The itinerary was well put together and we had a great and very memorable 2 days. Each farm we visited was very welcoming and we saw many, many beautiful champion thoroughbreds.
We choose an all day tour, we visited
Buffalo Trace Distillery, Glen Willis historic home for lunch and Town Branch Distillery
along the way our awesome tour guide Mike provided us with facts about the beautiful Kentucky horse farms, country-side and Kentucky history.
RALPH M., OCTOBER 2019
KAREN E., OCTOBER 2019
On a vacation road trip that included Lexington Kentucky and we reviewed the many tours available. So glad we chose Mike Sweetman who was gracious and very informative. We thoroughly enjoyed the walkabout the thoroughbred horse farm, very hands on and informative. Mike took us on a tour of many interesting points of interest in and around Lexington then on to the Col. Jas Pepper Distillery. Again an informative and hands on tour. We three ladies from Windsor were so glad.
4 of us were lucky to have Mike Sweetman all to ourselves at the last minute for a tour of several horse farms, Keeneland Race Course, and surrounding Lexington. Mike had so much info to share about the race horses, mares, foals, barns, births, etc that we could have gone all day listening to his engaging conversation. We were able to coax mares and foals to the fence for a hands on experience and feed carrots to several horses at the end of the day. The day was a fantastic finale to our stay in Lexington. All of us highly recommend using Mike during your visit. We plan on returning next spring when racing starts and will call him again. Fun, fun, fun.
EL M., SEPTEMBER 2019
D.L., SEPTEMBER 2019
We traveled to Kentucky for Breyerfest in July. We scheduled a thoroughbred horse farms tour for my family of 4, which included two little ones 6 and 8 years old. I have to admit, it was the BEST part of our trip! Mike was punctual and a great host. He was so knowledgeable about the area, the thoroughbred breed, and the history of thoroughbreds and Kentucky. He was very easy to talk to and graciously answered all of our many questions. We got to meet some amazing (and famous) horses up close and personal and see some famous horse farms. I would highly recommend Mike as part of anyone's trip to Kentucky.
We have taken many tours but this is by far one of the best! Mike Sweetman was so knowledgeable and such a great guy. He pointed out so many things I don't think all guides would have done. The track was great and to see the horses in training was quite the treat! The farms were beautiful and the horses amazing! I highly recommend Mike Sweetman and the tour!
SARATEXAS, JUNE 2019
RACHEL V., JULY 2019
Personable, relaxed, informative and most importantly molded my tour to fit my needs. Very considerate which made for a pleasant and easy day.
MARJORIE T, WASHINGTON STATE, SEPT 2020
Mike is an absolutely wonderful tour guide. He worked with me to put together a perfect and balanced 3 day itinerary. He is knowledgeable on a wide variety of topics as well as very friendly and kind. I would highly recommend booking a tour with Mike for your time in Central Kentucky.
KATIE, SOUTH DAKOTA, APRIL 2021
Mike is an amazing guide. His genuine love for Lexington is contagious. Mike asked about our interests, activity level, etc and based our itinerary around that i formation. He sent our action packed itinerary in advance so we were able to pack accordingly. He is so kind, professional and accommodating. We learned so much about bourbon, horses and Lexington's history that we are looking forward to visiting again! Mike is a fantastic ambassador for Lexington! Thank you, Mike!
NANCY, CHICAGO, MAY 2021
Mike made our tour of Lexington a magical fun filled day! We got a perfect mix of history, horse racing, bourbon, dining, and downtown Lexington. Mike made us feel right at home at Keeneland racetrack and amazed us with all of his racing knowledge. We loved visiting the foals and chatting with their owner. The distilleries chosen were so fun to visit, and we loved finding my husbands favorite bourbon that he hadn't seen in 40 years! Mike went out of his way to make each experience special.
Mike did an amazing job creating a tour for our family that was perfect for my daughter who just moved to Lexington to attend UK. We saw horses and then had an awesome lunch and he drove us around Lexington answering questions, giving us some history, and helping her get her bearings. It was helpful, fun, and very relaxing. Mike has great connections and endless knowledge. We ate at several of his suggested restaurants while in Lexington, he never steered us wrong!
CHARLON, DETROIT, MAY 2021
JANE, HOUSTON, JUNE 2021
Working with Mike was a first for us domestically. This was a very positive experience. Actually, even more so. The night before our tour I came down with food poisoning. At around 7:00 AM in the morning we decided to reach out to Mike to inform him we should probably cancel. Things did work out and we spend a fantastic 7 hours together. Mike was incredibly accommodating. Five stars is too low of a rating. Thank you Mike!!!
Mike was a great tour guide. He took time to explain many of the places that we visited, giving some background history. He styled our tour based on what was on our list of things we wanted to see, and threw in a few unexpected spots. Kind, courteous, and knowledgeable! I highly recommended him for those who want to experience the Lexington area. I would definitely hire him again! Thanks Mike for your southern hospitality!
MIKE, COLORADO, JUNE 2021
GINGER, OHIO, JULY 2021
Mike Sweetman did an amazing job creating the perfect day to celebrate my husband's birthday. It was a last minute trip,on a holiday no less, when I contacted Mike to create a tour that encompassed horses, bourbon, good food and anything else "Lexitonian". His initial itinerary was perfect and it was executed perfectly as well. Mike is a lovely conversationalist, knowledgeable, prompt, excellent at pre trip communication and a very safe driver. We loved our day and our guide.
Mike was knowledgeable, flexible, organized, and most of all, fun! With a little guidance from us, he set up a tour that had all the ingredients! It was precisely organized but we never felt rushed. We saw things that we never would have thought of seeking, and on the final trip back to the hotel, we started planning our next visit! Mike is your guy!
PETER AND BARB W. OHIO, AUG 9, 2022
CATHY G, CHICAGO, ILÂ JULY 2022
We cannot say enough good things about our fantastic day with Mike S. He delivered on everything! He understood our high level of interest in horses and the racing industry. He was cheerful and positive when our tour needed to be adjusted at the last minute. Mike is knowledgeable about the history of the Lexington area, has good relations with the farm staff , is very courteous and an excellent driver! We can hardly wait to come back for another tour with him.
Mike, thank you for the wonderful tour yesterday. It met all of our expectations. We really enjoyed the pace and timing of the day. It not only provided us with a full day of touring and great information, but also with relaxation. we appreciate your offer of guidance while we are in Kentucky. Best wishes, Barry
BARRY S OCT 29, 2022
JAN AND AMY M, SEPT. 15, 2022
A huge thank you to Mike. He delivered, on all that he promised. He picked up my wife and myself at your hotel, on time in a nice clean car. Off we went to our bourbon places for distillery tours. Then Churchill Downs and a nice lunch place, in between. Thank you Mike for making our trip to Louisville, a place we never had visited before, so memorable. Marc & Nita
MARC AND NITAÂ M, NEW YORK, NY OCT 25, 2022
Mike is an exceptional guide with extraordinary local knowledge. Our entire group of 14 had a wonderful experience in the Ky bourbon and horse farm world. His suggestions were spot on and truly ideal for us. Just a totally fantastic trip. I speak for our entire group when I highly recommend him for any Ky trip. We all have a new best friend. Thanks Mike for all the hard work behind the scenes that filled us all with memories to last a lifetime. Rated 5 stars only because we couldn't give him more.
GARRY AND RENE, COLORADO, OCT 20,2022
Great tour! We learned quite a bit about Kentucky horses, history, and hooch. Mike is a very informative tour guide. We enjoyed our tour with him so much, we're already thinking of another tour with him. We highly recommend this tour.
MARY ANN S. OCTOBER 2023
Mike Sweetman owns sweetmantours.com in Kentucky !This weekend I was honored to be included on one of his tours thru Kentucky and it was by far the best tour I’ve been on !we ate amazing food from local Kentucky caters, and a formal dinner at Proof on Main with a whiskey tasting! We drank amazing bourbon and cocktails, got to have some very special private tours of bourbon distilleries big and small, we got up close to beautiful thoroughbred horses ! Mike is a book of knowledge when it comes to Kentucky and what she has to offer ! I saw and learned so much ! Yesterday was one of the best mini vacations I have had in forever ! And what an ending at one of my favorite places , Buffalotracedistillery getting private tour from the incredible Freddie Johnson !I just love Freddie ! Everyone on the tour were so wonderful! I now have a bunch of new friends from all over the country ! If you are looking to have an mini vacation or just a day out in beautiful Kentucky, contact Sweetmantours.com ! Mike will take care of everything! I can't wait to take another tour this fall when the leaves are changing! MOLLY W CINCINNATI OH JULY 2023
The entire experience has been brilliant! Mike is fantastic. We had limited time and asked him to organise a 1day tour of Bardstown distilleries and boy did he nail it. From the moment he picked us up, it was clear his sole focus was to ensure we had the best experience and he didn't disappoint. Mike was prompt, great company, informative, superb car and even sent us a video of our day (we had no idea). If you want a great guide, look no further - we call him Magic Mike in our house.
KERRIE M ENGLAND, JUNE 2023
I can't say enough good things about our guide, Mike Sweetman on May 18, 2023. I had carefully planned a full, interesting day for him to guide me and my sons, but I had no idea how the day would exceed all my expectations, much of it due to Mike. His experience, professionalism, perfect understanding of what I was, hoping for, And great sense of humor. All made the magic happen. I have a great imagination, but I cannot imagine a more spectacular 80th birthday among the beautiful Kentucky thoroughbreds.
VICKI K, MAY 2023
Mike Sweetman is the only resource you need for an amazing trip in the Bluegrass
KIM B. COLORADO MAY 2023
Mike was a wonderful guide. Tour was informative, educational and entertaining. Mike was very eager to please and did everything to make sure we enjoyed our tour.
ANITA R. JULY 2023
Mike provided a great overview of the history, relevance and architecture of the City Lexington. He then took us out exploring the Bluegrass horse country. This was truly spectacular and special seeing the young colts who had been fathered by Triple Crown winners. A visit to the beautiful Keeneland race track made us want to come back for the next racing season.
We ended on a high note with a tour of a historic Bourbon distiller. Just a fabulous day that all should experience.
GEOFFREY SWETT JUNE, 2023
I I echo some of my fellow travelers' comments when I say "WOW! WOW! WOW!"! We did not expect such an amazing memento of our tour with you.
"Our group of 8 recently engaged Mike Sweetman for a two day tour of horse and bourbon sites in the Lexington-Louisville-Bardstown area. Mike came highly recommended by a tour guide we had used previously, and he did not disappoint! From the beautiful start to the tour at Buck Pond Horse Farm to tours at six different distilleries and lunch at another (followed by a visit to historic Talbot's Tavern), Mike went above and beyond to make sure we saw everything we wanted and more. He was so knowledgeable about all things horses and bourbon! And such a nice person...a true Kentucky gentleman in all respects! Our tour vehicle was first rate and MIke made sure it was accessible for all tour participants. You cannot go wrong with Mike Sweetman as your tour guide to see Kentucky horses and bourbon distilleries...a great combination! And let me put in a plug also for the Rose Hill Inn in Versailles as a great place to stay during your tour....a beautiful old historic home run by the nicest mother daughter team..Robin and Rachel. MIke can help get you connected. Happy travels"
BRIAN AND SHELLY K. MAY 2024