Whisky Travel: Festivals From Tasmania to Singapore

Global Whisky Festivals for Travelers

If whisky is your reason to travel, these festivals are where planning a trip actually makes sense. Each one combines strong pours, a clear sense of place, and enough structure to build a trip around…not just attend and leave.

When your “souvenir” is another bottle for the shelf, whisky festivals are a solid opportunity to score that once-in-a-lifetime bottle. Festivals are part tasting, part cultural immersion, and part global hunt for pours you’ll be bragging about for months.

If whisky travel is your thing beyond festivals, I’ve pulled together distillery regions, tasting-focused trips, and event-based itineraries in my Whiskey Travel Hub.

And if you also dabble in wine? I’ve got you covered with my Wine Festivals Guide, too.

But today, we're talking drams.

If you live for whisky travel, here are four whisky events worth every mile. Together, these festivals represent the best of whisky travel across four continents…from small-batch island distilleries to global showcase events in major cities.

Tasmanian Whisky Week (Australia): A Must-Do Whisky Travel Experience

This festival is best for travelers who want access to small-batch distilleries, limited releases, and a whisky scene that still feels personal and uncrowded.

📅 When: August

🌍 Where: Tasmania, Australia

✈️ How to Get There: Fly into Hobart, then rent a car for a distillery road trip across the island.

Whisky fans used to think of Australia as a curiosity. Now? Tasmania is racking up awards and respect worldwide. Brands like Sullivans Cove, Lark, and Hellyers Road have put the island firmly on the whisky map.

During Tasmanian Whisky Week, distilleries open their doors for tastings, rare pours, and behind-the-scenes tours. The big finale to this whisky travel dream is the Spirit Showcase in Hobart. Pair these pours with rugged landscapes, fresh seafood, and crisp coastal air, and this whisky week becomes a whisky trip to remember.

From the rugged coastlines of Tasmania, let’s head to Europe where whisky travel takes a more alpine twist.

Swiss Whisky Festival (Switzerland): Europe’s High-Precision Whisky Gathering

This festival is ideal for travelers who like their whisky experiences well-organized, international, and paired with efficient transport and polished surroundings.

📅 When: October

🌍 Where: Baden, Switzerland

✈️ How to Get There: Fly into Zurich, then hop a 20-minute train to Baden

Switzerland may be better known for chocolate and punctual trains, but step into the Swiss Whisky Festival and you’ll forget the clichés. Think over 150 distilleries and 1,000+ whiskies under one roof. For anyone serious about whisky travel in Europe, it’s like Disneyland for us dram-chasers, but with more kilts and definitely fewer kids.

Everything runs with Swiss precision: no elbowing at the bar, no stingy pours, and distillers who actually have time to geek out with you. And when you finally need a break? You’re five minutes away from molten cheese and alpine views. Try topping that.

Of course, no whisky travel list would be complete without Paris, where the global stage meets a glass in hand.

Whisky Live Paris (France): Whisky With a Side of Style

This festival suits travelers who want serious whisky tastings balanced with great food, walkable neighborhoods, and the ability to turn the event into a long weekend in Paris.

📅 When: September

🌍 Where: La Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris

✈️ How to Get There: Fly into Paris, stay central, and hop the Metro

Whisky Live Paris is the catwalk of whisky travel. New releases strut out like models, collectors elbow each other for unicorn bottles, and Cocktail Street is basically Fashion Week for cocktails (minus the resting scotch face).

The flex? Easy…You’re sipping rare drams IN PARIS!! Croissant in one hand, Glencairn in the other, and Bordeaux waiting for the nightcap. If bragging rights came bottled, this would be it.

And if you’re ready to swap croissants for cocktails, whisky travel takes a sleek, futuristic turn in Singapore.

Whisky Live Singapore (Asia): A Global Whisky Showcase in One City

This festival is best for travelers who want broad international exposure, premium masterclasses, and a whisky experience layered into a modern, food-driven city.

📅 When: November

🌍 Where: Singapore

✈️ How to Get There: Changi Airport has direct flights from just about everywhere

Southeast Asia’s biggest whisky bash, Whisky Live Singapore is part festival, part cocktail playground. You’ll taste big-name drams alongside quirky indie bottlers, then wander over to Cocktail Street for creations that prove whisky isn’t just neat or on the rocks.

What sets this festival apart? It’s intentionally more VIP and intimate than some of the mega-shows. Which means bigger pours, more one-on-one time with master distillers, and a pace that lets you actually savor instead of sprint. It’s whisky discovery, minus the chaos.

And when you step outside? Singapore itself turns your trip into a city adventure: rooftop bars, hawker food stalls, and futuristic gardens that make “just one more pour” the least interesting thing about your night.

✨ Festivals are fun.

🌟Festivals with VIP access, secret drams, and a custom itinerary? Even better. Let’s make it happen ➡️ book your consultation.

📒How to Plan A Whisky Festival Trip

Pace the experience:

Long tastings reward slow schedules. Build in rest, real meals, and flexible afternoons.

Choose the right base:

Stay near transport lines or walkable neighborhoods so evenings stay easy and unhurried.

Book early:

Masterclasses and limited tastings sell out first, especially at international events.

🥃 The Bragging Rights: Why Whisky Festivals Make the Trip

Anyone can book a distillery tour. But saying you flew to Tasmania for Whisky Week, tracked down rare pours in Switzerland, sipped at Cocktail Street in Paris, or clinked glasses in Singapore? That’s next-level.

These are the whisky travel moments that make colleagues pause mid-sip at happy hour and say, ‘Wait, you did what?’

📥 Don’t Miss The Sip Sheet

Want more insider tips on whisky events, distillery visits, and sip-worthy travel ideas? Subscribe to The Sip Sheet, my monthly newsletter with the kind of whisky travel insights I don’t always post publicly.

Festivals are just one way to plan a trip around a great pour. My Whiskey Travel Hub brings together whisky regions, distillery visits, and trip ideas designed for travelers who like their itineraries sip-worthy.

PS: If summer wine festivals are more your vibe, I’ve rounded up the best ones (with travel tips, too). Catch the wine festival post here.

✈️ Ready to Book Your Whisky Pilgrimage?

If you’re already picturing yourself at one of these festivals, let’s make it happen. I’ll handle the logistics, from VIP festival access to boutique stays nearby, so you can focus on raising your glass. Schedule a consultation today.

Because you deserve more than just “a nice little trip.”