2027 bachelor party guide
How to plan a Kansas City bachelor weekend the groom will remember: breweries, distilleries and barbecue with a story behind them, a 2-day plan with times, where to stay and what it really costs per person.
Updated By the Barley Bus team, who run private bachelor party tours in Kansas City
Short on time
If you only have one weekend, do these.
Beer
Four taprooms where the room is half the fun.
Southwest Boulevard
Started in 1989 by John McDonald, a carpenter whose trip to France turned into a brewery back home. Visitors use the Madison Avenue entrance; the Beer Hall is upstairs.
2534 Madison Ave, Kansas City, MO 64108
West Bottoms
Opened in 2016 in part of the old Golden Ox space, and kept the mahogany paneling and stained-glass ceiling over the bar.
1600 Gennessee St #100, Kansas City, MO 64102
East Crossroads
Brewery and kitchen whose bar was built from reclaimed 1930s wood salvaged from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
1740 Holmes St, Kansas City, MO 64108
Waldo
German-style beer brewed in Kansas City since 2014, served in a Bierhalle and Biergarten with communal tables.
310 W 79th St, Kansas City, MO 64114
Whiskey
Kansas City has been making whiskey since before Prohibition.
East Bottoms
Jacob Rieger's whiskey business dates to 1887. Prohibition shut it down, and it came back in 2014. (It's pronounced REE-gur.)
2700 Guinotte Ave, Kansas City, MO 64120
Crossroads
Named for Kansas City political boss Tom Pendergast; open to the public since 2016, with a restaurant and tasting room.
1701 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64108
West Bottoms
A newer whiskey company, started in 2021, inspired by the old industrial neighborhood around it.
1321 West 13th Street, Unit HT, Kansas City, MO
Our guides choose the stops for each tour and confirm them the week of your date, so we don't promise specific venues in advance.
Barbecue
Call ahead before you bring a big group.
Brooklyn Avenue
George Gates opened his first restaurant, at 19th & Vine, in 1946. At this Brooklyn Avenue location, listen for the quick “Hi, may I help you?” the moment you walk in.
1221 Brooklyn Ave, Kansas City, MO 64127
Kansas City, Kansas
Opened inside a working gas station in 1996. Ask about the Z-Man and how the sandwich got its name.
3002 W 47th Ave, Kansas City, KS 66103
Midtown
The original Q39, opened in 2014, where competition barbecue became a restaurant.
1000 West 39th Street, Kansas City, MO 64111
Brewery and distillery tours are 21+ with a valid ID, checked at boarding. The BBQ tour is open to all ages.
Base camp
Pick the district first. It decides how much you walk and how much you ride.
An eight-block downtown entertainment district with more than 50 bars, restaurants and shops, centered on the covered KC Live! block.
Pick it if nightlife is the priority.
Boutique shops, independent restaurants, studios and galleries in former warehouses. On First Fridays, more than 70 stay open late.
Pick it for brunch, murals and cocktail bars.
A historic open-air shopping and dining district: 15 blocks of Spanish-inspired architecture and dozens of fountains.
Pick it for shopping, patios and a quieter night.
One of Kansas City's oldest neighborhoods, dating to the 1800s, and today one of its busiest dining and nightlife districts.
Pick it for late nights and bar hopping.
Just south of the Missouri River and home to City Market, a farmers market with more than 140 stalls.
Pick it for loft rentals and a market morning.
Our bus picks your group up at your door. Pickup is included within 20 miles of downtown Kansas City; 20 to 35 miles adds a flat $150, shown before you pay.
Steal this plan
Suggested times. Swap anything you like.
Budget
Our prices are exactly what checkout charges. Hotels, dinners and drinks out vary.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Private brewery, or brewery & distillery, tour (3 stops with tastings) | $99 a person |
| Private BBQ tour | $125 a person |
| Gratuity on private tours and rentals, added at checkout | 10% |
| Or rent just the bus (14 passengers, Monday to Thursday) | $150 an hour |
| Same bus, Friday to Sunday (4-hour minimum; some Saturday start times need 6) | $175 an hour |
| Holiday season, November 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027: same bus, first 3 hours (each extra hour $225) | $850 Sun–Thu, $1,050 Fri–Sat |
Example: 10 guys on a $99 brewery tour is $990, plus a 10% gratuity of $99, for $1,089 total. Private tours are priced for at least 10 guests on the 14-passenger bus.
Book 16 or more days out and a $200 non-refundable deposit holds your date. Closer than that, you pay in full when you book.
Getting around
Both ways: a private bus for just your group, bring your own drinks (no glass) and pickup at your door. Saturdays book 1 to 2 months out in peak season, so lock yours in early.
Pick a date, group size and tour. See your price in seconds.
Good to know
Pick one big shared activity and build the weekend around it: a private brewery or brewery & distillery tour ($99 a person, 3 stops with tastings), a private BBQ tour ($125 a person) or a private bus for your own route, then end the night in Power & Light or Westport.
A private guided tour with tastings at 3 stops is $99 a person ($125 for BBQ), plus a 10% gratuity. Renting just the bus is $150 an hour Monday to Thursday or $175 an hour Friday to Sunday on the 14-passenger bus, plus a 10% gratuity, with a 4-hour minimum (6 hours for some Saturday start times). From November 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027, rentals are priced differently: the first 3 hours are $850 (14-passenger) or $1,000 (20-passenger) Sunday to Thursday, or $1,050 or $1,250 Friday and Saturday, then $225 or $250 for each extra hour, plus a 10% gratuity (3-hour minimum; some Saturday start times need 6).
Saturdays book 1 to 2 months out in peak season, so lock yours in early. Book 16 or more days out and a $200 non-refundable deposit holds your date. Closer than that, you pay in full when you book.
Yes. Bring your own drinks and snacks on the bus. No glass, please.
Brewery and distillery tours are 21+ with a valid ID, checked at boarding. The BBQ tour is open to all ages. On a bus rental, alcohol is allowed only if everyone aboard is 21+.
Our guides choose the stops for each tour and confirm them the week of your date, so we don't promise specific venues in advance. The places below are Kansas City spots with a story worth knowing, not a promised route.
Barley Bus prices and rules come straight from our booking system. The stories come from the research our guides use on the bus, and every outside business links to its own website; hours and menus change, so confirm with them before you go. These are places in Kansas City, not a promised tour route. Last checked November 12, 2026. Photos are from Barley Bus tours.
