Julie United States 11 Comments

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville makes the perfect weekend getaway. There is something here for everyone, whether you are a foodie, a family, a beer aficionado, or an outdoor adventurer. In this guide, we cover the best things to do in Asheville, organized by travel style. 

Best Things to Do in Asheville

The Biltmore Estate

The Biltmore Estate draws thousands of visitors per year. A trip to Asheville would not be complete without a visit to the Biltmore Estate.

Biltmore

The Biltmore Estate was built over one hundred years ago by George Washington Vanderbilt. The mansion is the largest privately owned home in the United States. It sits on a huge estate, 11 square miles in size (8,000 acres), just outside of Asheville.

There is a lot to do here, enough that you could actually spend an entire day at the Biltmore. Tour the 250 room chateau, go shopping at the Antler Hill Village, and go wine tasting at the Biltmore winery. There is an Outdoor Adventure Center, offering activities like horseback riding, biking, and carriage rides. Or, dine at one of several restaurants on the property. There are even hotels so you can spend the night right on the Biltmore property.

Biltmore Estate

If you plan on visiting the chateau, strolling through the botanical gardens, and wine tasting at Antler Village, expect your visit to last between two to four hours.

Ticket prices range from $70 to $350 for adults, depending on the day and season you visit. 

Go early or go late. To avoid the worst of the crowds, especially during weekends and peak season days, arrive right at opening time or late in the day. I made a huge mistake, arriving one hour past opening. It took one hour to inch my way from the main entrance to a parking lot, in a long line of cars. And, of course, the chateau was packed with people. Not the best experience.

Tim met me in Asheville a few days later and he toured the Biltmore at the very end of the day. Tim drove right in and while walking through the chateau he almost felt like he had the place to himself. He loved it.

If you go early, head straight to the chateau, tour the mansion and the gardens, and then move on to Antler Village and any other activities you have planned for the day.

One of the best times to visit the Biltmore is during November and December. This is the Biltmore’s “most magical season.” The entire chateau is filled with Christmas trees and kids are lined up to see Santa.

Biltmore at Christmas

To purchase tickets in advance and learn more about the Biltmore, visit the official Biltmore Estate website.

If you want to read an excellent post about how to plan your visit, check out How to Make the Most of Your Visit to the Biltmore Estate by Amanda Williams from A Dangerous Business.

Explore the Outdoors

Go for a scenic drive, strap on your hiking shoes and hit the trails, take in the view from Chimney Rock, or have a picnic alongside one of the many waterfalls in the area.

Asheville is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In as little as ten minutes, you can be on the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the best roads in the US for a scenic drive.

Just a short drive from town are other outdoor hotspots, such as Pisgah National Forest, DuPont State Forest, and Lake Lure. One hour to the west is the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway

What Kind of Traveler Are You?

Asheville for Foodies

In Asheville, farm to table dining is the rage. The countryside around Asheville is filled with farms. From these farms come the ingredients featured in many restaurants’ menus, and you can also shop for these same ingredients at the local farmer’s markets.

Restaurants in Asheville

There are lots of great restaurants to try in downtown Asheville. Here are a few of our favorites.

Curate. This was our favorite spot in town. It was so good that we ate here twice. Curate is a Spanish tapas restaurant with dishes that rival the quality of food we had in Spain.

Curate Asheville

 

Corner Kitchen. This busy restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is located in the Biltmore Village. The Obamas ate here in 2010.

Corner Kitchen Asheville

 

Biscuit Head. One of the best spots in town for breakfast and brunch. Huge biscuits are served with all kinds of creative toppings. Expect to wait in line during peak hours.

Biscuit Head Asheville

Other notable restaurants include Bouchon, Nine Mile, Tupelo Honey, and the White Duck Taco Shop.

For dessert, head over to the French Broad Chocolate Lounge.

Go Cheese Tasting on the WNC Cheese Trail

There are eleven cheese makers producing craft cheese on the WNC Cheese Trail. One of the most popular is Looking Glass Creamery, a cheesemaker that sells their cheeses to Williams Sonoma. They also have a wonderful mix of associate members such as restaurants and shops. Learn more here.

Asheville For Outdoor Lovers

Craggy Gardens

Go for a scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craggy Gardens. The view from the Craggy Pinnacle Summit is one of the best in the area. Park at the Craggy Dome Overlook and hike 1.4 miles round trip to this viewpoint for 360° views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Craggy Gardens

Blue Ridge Mountains

I do not recommend the nearby hike to the Craggy Gardens picnic area. It’s not nearly as scenic as the view from Craggy Pinnacle.

Chimney Rock

This is a very popular spot to visit, located 25 miles (45 minutes) east of Asheville. Chimney Rock is a granite monolith, a recognizable icon of the area.

During my visit, I was not able to visit Chimney Rock. It closed the week before when rain showers washed away a portion of the parking lot.

DuPont State Forest

This recreational area is located south of Asheville and contains over 10,000 acres of forest, hiking trails, and waterfalls. It is also famous for being a Hunger Games filming location. Both Triple Falls and Bridal Veil Falls were featured in the movie series.

Looking Glass Rock

Looking Glass Rock is an almost completely bare monolith that rises up from the forested, rolling hills along the Blue Ridge Parkway. To get to the top it’s a strenuous hike, 6.5 miles round trip and takes 4 to 5 hours. Click here to learn more about the hike.

Looking Glass Rock

Go for Scenic Drive

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs for 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina. From Asheville, you can explore the southern part of the Parkway, driving to numerous overlooks and short hiking trails.

Route 276 through Mt. Pisgah National Forest also makes a great drive. Wind among forests and waterfalls just 40 minutes from Asheville.

The French Broad River

During the summer months, go tubing, kayaking, bellyaking, or paddleboarding on the French Broad River.

Explore the Waterfalls around Asheville

There are dozens of waterfalls to visit near Asheville. Some are located right off of main roads and others are just a short hike through the woods. Catawba Falls, Looking Glass Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls are some of the most popular waterfalls to visit.

Catawba Falls Asheville

Looking Glass Falls

Go Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains

In about one hour you can drive from Asheville to the Great Smoky Mountains. Take in the view from Newfound Gap or Clingman’s Dome or hike one of the many trails here. We hiked the Alum Cave Trail to Mt. LeConte, one of the most popular hikes in the park.

Hiking Great Smoky Mountains

Asheville for Families

Keep the kids happy with these family friendly activities.

Pinball Museum

Play over 75 pinball and classic video games at the most fun-filled museum in Asheville.

Slide Down a Waterfall

Sliding Rock Falls is a 60-foot water slide that ends in a pool of water. Younger kids can slide down with an adult.

Sliding Rock Falls

Asheville Drum Circle

Every Friday night, musicians and people of all ages gather in Pritchard Park for music and dancing.

Christmas at the Biltmore

Say hello to Santa Claus and count the Christmas trees at the Biltmore Estate.

Asheville for Beer Lovers

Asheville calls itself “Beer City USA” and has more breweries per capita than any other US city. Go in search of the perfect craft beer at one of many nearby breweries.

Some of the most popular breweries are:

Want to get some exercise with your beer? Consider the Pubcycle, a 13-person bicycle/pub contraption that you and your newest friends can pedal around downtown Asheville.

Asheville for Shoppers

Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center

This art center sells high quality Appalachian art: pottery, jewelry, wood work, quilts and more. Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway, combine a visit here with a scenic drive.

Folk Art Center

Lexington Glassworks

Go for the live glass blowing demonstrations, taproom, and the gift shop.

Biltmore Village

This small, outdoor village features some popular chain stores as well as boutique shopping.

Downtown Asheville Arts District

Located in the heart of Asheville are more than 25 galleries featuring boutique shops filled with antiques, crafts, photography, and folk art.

Downtown Asheville

Best Time to go to Asheville

Asheville is glorious in autumn. Fall color is at its peak from mid to late October. Late spring can also be a great time to visit, when wildflowers and rhododendrons bloom.

Where to Stay

LUXURY: The Omni Grove Park Inn. This historic hotel is one of the most popular places to stay in Asheville. With luxurious guest rooms, a golf course, restaurants, a spa, and a sports complex, you may never want to leave.

MID-RANGE: Hotel Indigo in Downtown Asheville. Located just a few blocks from downtown Asheville, Hotel Indigo features large, updated rooms and excellent service.

BUDGET: The Scenic Hotel at Biltmore Village. It’s nothing fancy but it’s new, clean, and quiet. This is where we stayed. It’s within walking distance of the Biltmore Village but to get anywhere else in town you will need to drive or use Uber.


Are you planning a weekend getaway to Asheville? If you have any questions or suggestions, comment below!

More Information for Your Trip to Asheville

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK: Learn how to spend a weekend at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our Weekend Getaway Guide to Gatlinburg and Great Smoky Mountains. Don’t miss our Guide to Hiking Mt. LeConte if you are looking for a great hike to do.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: For recommendations on what to do in Nashville, check out our articles Best Things to Do in Nashville and Best Eats in Nashville. And for full details on Bluebird Cafe, read our article How to Visit Bluebird Cafe.

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA: Learn about the top experiences in our article Best Things to Do in Savannah, Georgia. We cover the top places to eat in our Savannah Restaurant Guide. Savannah also makes a great place to work remotely.

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL: Pick out which distilleries to visit in our article Best Distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. For information on how to plan your visit, don’t miss our Guide to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Itinerary.

 

Are you planning a trip to the United States? Read all of our articles about the USA in our United States Travel Guide. And for more information about North Carolina, take a look at our North Carolina Travel Guide.

 

Asheville North Carolina Weekend Travel

 

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Comments 11

  1. Avatar for Daphne
    Daphne

    Thanks for this post! We live a 3 hour drive from Asheville and followed your guide to experience the beautiful blue ridge parkway in the fall. Did you think the Biltmore estate was worth the entrance fee? We had every inteniton of going but couldn’t get over the $130 per person sticker price on the day we were in town. We were hoping to drive around the outskirts of it to see bits and pieces for free, but they’ve designed their roads very well to prevent that, hah! I’m still trying to wrap my head around paying 3-5x the entrance fee to Westminster Abbey (way more history) to just go see someone’s mansion… is it worth the splurge?

    PS, if you’re ever in Asheville again, you’ll have to consider Sunny Point Cafe! We still think about the chicken and waffles we had there (fried chicken, pimento cheese, jalapeno jam, and bacon).

    1. Avatar for Julie Post
      Author
      Julie

      Hello Daphne. Thanks for writing in. If tickets are $130 on the day that you will be in Asheville, I don’t think it’s worth it to visit the Biltmore. It’s beautiful inside, but you’re right, compared to many churches and palaces in Europe, this does not even come close and it’s 4 times more expensive. If you really want to see it, you could return in the winter (about this time right now) because the prices are the cheapest (but they still start at $69). $69 is worth it if you plan to spend a nice chunk of the day here, but then again, the gardens won’t be very pretty and that’s a big thing to see. I also saw your comment about the newsletter sign up and we will look into that. Thanks for letting us know! If you have problems, or for some reason aren’t signed up, comment here again and we will see what we can do. Cheers, Julie

  2. Avatar for Michelle
    Michelle

    I love your blog! I would love to hear your suggestions for a road trip itinerary linking up some of the east coast national parks (excluding Maine and Florida).

    1. Avatar for Julie Post
      Author
      Julie

      That’s a great idea and on my to-do list. Within this next week, I plan to write a post about USA road trips across the country, and I will have a quick overview on how to plan a national park trip on the east coast. Cheers, Julie

  3. Avatar for Jonathan Cobb
    Jonathan Cobb

    Ashville is a wonderful place to visit, just don’t waste your time on the grossly overpriced Biltmore House. Plenty of places to see that won’t gouge you…

    1. Avatar for Delma Collins
      1. Avatar for Julie Post
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    2. Avatar for Chris Ann
      Chris Ann

      Depends on what you like best. Loads of gorgeous nature for free, of course. But if you’re a history buff, the Biltmore Estate is a unique experience and time capsule. It takes a lot of $$$ to maintain the Biltmore. I’ve been there several times, and loved it . Happy to contribute towards maintaining it for future generations.

  4. Avatar for harriet
  5. Avatar for Soo A Cha
    Soo A Cha

    You should also check out Maxpatch. It’s close to Asheville but more close to the border of TN. It’s a beautiful hike and a great place to relax. I highly recommend that! Plus your family will hike part of the Appalachian Trail so that’s always a plus!

    1. Avatar for Julie Post
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