Immersion Trips

Kentucky

About Kentucky

From Urban River Towns to Hill Country

Come experience Kentucky with us! From the bustling urban streets of Louisville, to the quiet country towns of eastern Kentucky, you can experience it all with our new Kentucky immersion trip.

The vast difference within a 3-hour travel from the city to the country, was seen through the landscapes and the culture. Kentucky is beautiful. Even though I only knew one person, the team welcomed me with open arms. What an awesome experience!

Anne

from Connecticut

Explore the Vastness of the Bluegrass

During this unique experience you will spend 3 nights at our urban retreat center in Louisville and 3 nights at our Appalachian retreat center in Auxier. At both locations you will get to participate in service projects lending a hand to our neighbors.

In each location, you will have the opportunity to learn about the history and the cultures that have helped shape Kentucky and make it the beautiful and diverse place it is today. In Louisville, we can introduce you to places like the Muhammad Ali Center, Churchill Downs, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, Urban Bourbon Trail, Waterfront Park, among other classic cultural attractions. In Auxier, we can include a trip to Red River Gorge, ride bikes or walk a portion of the Dawkins Line Rail Trail, or learn to clog and hear live music at the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum,

This trip is ideal for a group of adults looking for a unique trip experience that includes fun and giving back. We can also work with your group to customize the cultural experiences to fit your specific interests.

How It Works

If you are interested in joining a trip or scheduling a trip for your group, please contact our office.
After your trip is scheduled, we will keep in touch with you regarding pre-trip planning, payment, required forms, packing lists, etc.
We can accommodate groups of up to 10 for this experience.
The housing is located on-site and owned by Hand in Hand. In Louisville, the retreat center is located on the 2nd floor of our main office in the Portland neighborhood, approximately 5 minutes from I-64. In eastern Kentucky, the Auxier Center, a former school and renovated building, is located in the town of Auxier. Each location is unique in their own accommodations – one is a former historic home with bunk beds, a full kitchen, community bath, and lounge space. The other is the former town school with dorm-style bunk rooms, private rooms available, private bathrooms, lounge space, and a sprawling front porch. Each location has WiFi, heating and A/C, hot and cold running water.
We will help arrange your airline travel. The cost includes airfare from anywhere in the U.S.
Breakfast and lunch are provided daily. All trips include a team building dinner activity in Louisville, and two home-cooked dinners in Appalachia. All additional dinners are the responsibility of the group. Water is provided on the worksite and in our retreat center. We cannot always accommodate specific dietary restrictions.
We provide all building materials and tools needed for the project your group works on during the trip. No skills are necessary to participate. We can always find meaningful work for any skill level.
For each group, we will will work with you to specifically choose the best cultural experiences for your trip. For groups with adults over 21, we can set up a bourbon distillery tour. We can give you many options for each location so that you have opportunities to engage and learn with community members and learn all about the history and culture of Kentucky.
The charitable donation for a 6-night experience is $1,500. This covers the cost of building materials, travel expenses, accommodation, most meals, museum/tour fees and other costs related to your stay in Kentucky. **Some of the activities may have an additional cost that the group will be responsible to cover.**

Kentucky Retreat Centers

Other Destinations

We’ve been sending folks into communities around the globe for over twenty years. Our work focuses on providing quality education, safe housing and health care to those who need it most.

Ready to Lend a Hand?

Our immersion trip programs are all part of an experience you won’t forget.

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