North Carolina, United States

Asheville

Spend 2 days: Biltmore, the River Arts District and downtown food, plus Parkway drives to Craggy Gardens and Mount Pisgah. Mountain city with Biltmore in Christmas dress; 3 nights. Below: 4 sights, 1 activity and 2 outdoor spots, plus how Asheville fits into a longer trip.

Plan Asheville with friends Browse 17 places

Asheville, North Carolina, United States

Places: 17
Curated routes: 2
Best season: May – Oct
Warmest month: July
Coolest month: January
Wettest month: July

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Asheville

17 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

4 sights worth building a day around across Parkway MP 384, Biltmore Village and Biltmore Estate. 2 of them are free.

Photo: Richard S · Google
See
Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center
Parkway headquarters with a film, interactive map and ranger info.
Tip Check road closures here before heading up.
- Parkway MP 384
- Free
- 45 min
- Morning
Photo: Blake Lewis · CC BY-SA 2.0
See
Biltmore Estate
Vanderbilt mansion with gardens, winery and miles of grounds.
Tip Buy house tickets ahead; plan a full day.
- Biltmore Village
- $$$$
- 5 hr
- Weekday
Photo: daveynin · CC BY 2.0
See
Christmas at Biltmore
George Vanderbilt's 250-room chateau decorated with dozens of trees, including a 35-foot Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall.
Tip Candlelight Evenings add live music and firelight; buy tickets ahead.
- Biltmore Estate
- $$$
- 4 hr
- Evening
Photo: Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0
See
National Gingerbread House Competition
Hundreds of gingerbread houses from bakers across the country, displayed through the Omni Grove Park Inn each holiday season.
Tip Weekday mornings are calmest.
- Grove Park
- Free
- 75 min
- Weekday morning

Do

1 activity for when the group wants to do more than look in Bent Creek.

Do
Winter Lights
Walking trail of lit gardens and light displays at the North Carolina Arboretum, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Tip Dress warmly; it is noticeably colder than downtown.
- Bent Creek
- $$
- 1.5 hr
- After dark

Outdoors

2 outdoor spots for fresh air across Parkway MP 364 and Parkway MP 407. All 2 are free to visit.

Photo: Jom Roedema · Google
Outdoors
Craggy Gardens
Rhododendron-covered balds with a short trail to a summit shelter.
Tip Rhododendrons peak in mid-June.
- Parkway MP 364
- Free
- 60 min
- June
Photo: Thomson200 · CC0
Outdoors
Mount Pisgah
1.6-mile hike to a summit with a broadcast tower and wide views.
Tip Combine with Looking Glass Rock overlook nearby.
- Parkway MP 407
- Free
- 2 hr
- Sunset

Eat

Where we would book a table in Asheville across Downtown and River Arts District.

Photo: Cúrate Bar de Tapas · Google
Eat
Curaté
Chef Katie Button's Spanish tapas bar downtown.
Tip Book well ahead; bar seats open some walk-ins.
- Downtown
- $$$
- 1.5 hr
- Dinner
Photo: 12 Bones Smokehouse · Google
Eat
12 Bones Smokehouse
Barbecue joint in the River Arts District, lunch only.
Tip Weekdays only; come early before sides sell out.
- River Arts District
- $$
- 60 min
- Weekday lunch

Drink

Our picks for a drink in Asheville across River Arts District, Mills River and Biltmore Estate.

Photo: Marc Czarnecki · Google
Drink
Wedge Brewing Co.
River Arts District brewery with an outdoor yard and food trucks.
Tip Pairs with an afternoon gallery walk.
- River Arts District
- $$
- 75 min
- Late afternoon
Photo: David Herpy · Google
Drink
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Mills River
Big brewery with tours, a taproom restaurant and lawn music.
Tip Book the brewery tour in advance.
- Mills River
- $$
- 2 hr
- Afternoon
Drink
Antler Hill Village
Biltmore's village of shops, restaurants and the Biltmore Winery, which offers tastings in the old dairy barn.
Tip Tastings are included with estate admission.
- Biltmore Estate
- $$
- 1.5 hr
- Afternoon

Shop

Markets and shops worth the detour across Parkway MP 382, Downtown and River Arts District.

Photo: Z Sch · Google
Shop
Folk Art Center
Southern Highland Craft Guild gallery with Appalachian crafts and demonstrations.
Tip Free; check the daily demonstration schedule.
- Parkway MP 382
- $
- 60 min
- Morning
Photo: Warren LeMay from Cincinnati, OH, United States · CC0
Shop
Grove Arcade
Restored 1929 market building with local shops and cafés.
Tip Good base for a downtown walk.
- Downtown
- $$
- 45 min
- Afternoon
Photo: Jonathan Geiger · CC BY 2.0
Shop
River Arts District
Old warehouses along the French Broad River turned into working studios where you can buy straight from the artists.
- River Arts District
- $
- 2.5 hr
- Afternoon

Stay

2 places to stay we would book across Grove Park and Biltmore Estate.

Photo: Brian Gratwicke · CC BY 2.0
Stay
Omni Grove Park Inn
1913 granite-boulder lodge on Sunset Mountain with huge stone fireplaces in the Great Hall and long views over Asheville.
- Grove Park
- $$$$
Stay
The Inn on Biltmore Estate
Hotel on the Biltmore grounds above Antler Hill Village, with a stay that includes estate admission.
- Biltmore Estate
- $$$$

How to fit Asheville into a trip

Asheville shows up on 2 of our curated routes, so you can work it into more than one kind of trip.

Stop 2 of 3
Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive
Mountain overlooks, music & small-town stops
Trip length
6 days
Best season
May – Oct
Pace
easy
- Before: Shenandoah
- Next: Cherokee
See the full itinerary
Stop 1 of 2
Asheville, Blowing Rock & Boone
Biltmore at Christmas, then snowy High Country
Trip length
5 days
Best season
Late Nov – Dec
Pace
easy
- Next: Blowing Rock
See the full itinerary

Getting here and onward

Asheville to CherokeeCherokee is about 71 km / 44 mi away in a straight line
Asheville to Blowing RockBlowing Rock is about 99 km / 62 mi away in a straight line
Shenandoah to AshevilleShenandoah is about 456 km / 284 mi away in a straight line

Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.

Asheville month by month

Average daily highs run from 7°C / 44°F in January to 29°C / 84°F in July. July is the wettest month, with about 135 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Asheville weather and the best time to visit →

Near Asheville

8 other destinations from our guides within about 300 km (186 mi), measured in a straight line.

Asheville questions, answered

How many days do you need in Asheville?

Our route notes suggest 2 days or 3 nights in Asheville. On our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route it is stop 2 of 3 in a 6-day trip. The listed visit times for our 17 places add up to roughly 27 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Asheville best known for?

Spend 2 days: Biltmore, the River Arts District and downtown food, plus Parkway drives to Craggy Gardens and Mount Pisgah. Standouts on our list: Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (Parkway headquarters with a film, interactive map and ranger info); Biltmore Estate (Vanderbilt mansion with gardens, winery and miles of grounds); Christmas at Biltmore (George Vanderbilt's 250-room chateau decorated with dozens of trees, including a 35-foot Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall).

When is the best time to visit Asheville?

Our routes through Asheville are best May – Oct or Late Nov – Dec. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (29°C / 84°F), the coolest in January (7°C / 44°F) and the most rain in July (about 135 mm).

What are the best things to do in Asheville?

Start with Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, Craggy Gardens, Biltmore Estate, Mount Pisgah and Christmas at Biltmore. Our guide lists 17 places in all, from 4 sights, 1 activity, 2 outdoor spots, 2 places to eat, 3 bars & cafés, 3 shops and 2 places to stay.

Where should a group eat in Asheville?

Our picks: Curaté (Downtown); 12 Bones Smokehouse (River Arts District). Book well ahead; bar seats open some walk-ins (Curaté).

What is near Asheville?

The closest destinations in our guides are Cherokee (about 71 km / 44 mi), Blowing Rock (about 99 km / 62 mi) and Townsend (about 109 km / 68 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Asheville with your crew

Open the Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 17 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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Plan around Asheville

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