Get the app
Asheville, Blowing Rock & Boone route inspiration

Asheville, Blowing Rock & Boone

Biltmore at Christmas, then snowy High Country

Get TripsCircle

5 days through Asheville, Blowing Rock.

Asheville, Blowing Rock & Boone is a 5-day curated route with 2 destinations and 18 places to eat, see, and do. Preview stops and timing, then plan it in TripsCircle.

  1. 1
    Asheville on the Asheville, Blowing Rock & Boone route

    Destination 01

    Asheville

    9 places

    Mountain city with Biltmore in Christmas dress; 3 nights.

    • Christmas at Biltmore near AshevillePhoto: daveynin · CC BY 2.0

      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.

      SeeBiltmore Estate$$$4 hrEvening

    • 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.

      DrinkBiltmore Estate$$1.5 hrAfternoon
    • National Gingerbread House Competition near AshevillePhoto: Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0

      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.

      SeeGrove ParkFree75 minWeekday morning

    • 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.

      DoBent Creek$$1.5 hrAfter dark
    • Grove Arcade near AshevillePhoto: Jane023 · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Grove Arcade

      1929 Tudor Gothic arcade building downtown, now filled with shops, galleries and restaurants under one roof.

      ShopDowntown$$60 minAfternoon
    • River Arts District near AshevillePhoto: Jonathan Geiger · CC BY 2.0

      River Arts District

      Old warehouses along the French Broad River turned into working studios where you can buy straight from the artists.

      ShopRiver Arts District$2.5 hrAfternoon

    • Curate

      Spanish tapas bar on Biltmore Avenue run by chef Katie Button, with jamon, croquetas and a long sherry list.

      Tip Book ahead or sit at the bar overlooking the kitchen.

      EatDowntown$$$1.5 hrDinner
    • Omni Grove Park Inn near AshevillePhoto: Brian Gratwicke · CC BY 2.0

      Omni Grove Park Inn

      1913 granite-boulder lodge on Sunset Mountain with huge stone fireplaces in the Great Hall and long views over Asheville.

      StayGrove Park$$$$

    • The Inn on Biltmore Estate

      Hotel on the Biltmore grounds above Antler Hill Village, with a stay that includes estate admission.

      StayBiltmore Estate$$$$
  2. 2
    Blowing Rock on the Asheville, Blowing Rock & Boone route

    Destination 02

    Blowing Rock

    9 places

    High Country village near Boone; 2 nights for snow, skiing and Tweetsie.

    • Tweetsie Christmas near Blowing RockPhoto: ET&WNC12 · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Tweetsie Christmas

      Tweetsie Railroad's steam train runs through lit woods on December evenings, with a decorated Main Street and Santa.

      Tip Tickets are timed; book a train after dark.

      Do$$$3 hrAfter dark
    • Mile High Swinging Bridge near Blowing RockPhoto: Thomson200 · CC0

      Mile High Swinging Bridge

      Suspension footbridge between two peaks on Grandfather Mountain, with views across the Blue Ridge.

      Tip Grandfather Mountain closes for ice and high wind; check the morning status before driving up.

      OutdoorsGrandfather Mountain$$3 hrClear morning
    • Moses H. Cone Memorial Park near Blowing RockPhoto: Leslie Anne Perry · CC0

      Moses H. Cone Memorial Park

      Former estate on the Blue Ridge Parkway with 25 miles of carriage roads for winter walks and snowshoeing around Flat Top Manor.

      Tip When the Parkway is closed, walk in from the Blowing Rock side on the carriage roads.

      OutdoorsFree2 hrAfter fresh snow
    • Sugar Mountain Resort near Blowing RockPhoto: Mark Clifton · CC BY-SA 2.0

      Sugar Mountain Resort

      North Carolina's largest ski area, with 21 slopes, a tubing park and an outdoor skating rink at the base.

      Tip Night skiing runs most evenings in season.

      DoSugar Mountain$$$5 hrWeekday

    • Appalachian Ski Mountain

      Small family ski area between Blowing Rock and Boone with a ski school, terrain park and an outdoor ice rink.

      Tip It hosts a New Year's Eve celebration with fireworks over the slopes.

      Do$$$4 hr

    • Mast General Store

      Old-fashioned general store on King Street in Boone, with barrels of candy, outdoor gear and mountain-made goods.

      Tip The original 1880s store is 20 minutes away in Valle Crucis.

      ShopDowntown Boone$60 min

    • Dan'l Boone Inn

      Family-style restaurant in an old Boone hospital building, serving fried chicken, country ham and biscuits since 1959.

      Tip No reservations; go early on weekends.

      EatDowntown Boone$$75 minDinner

    • The Speckled Trout

      Main Street restaurant and bottle shop in Blowing Rock serving local trout and Southern plates.

      EatDowntown Blowing Rock$$75 min
    • Green Park Inn near Blowing RockPhoto: G Keith Hall · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Green Park Inn

      Victorian resort hotel from 1891 at the south end of Blowing Rock, straddling the Eastern Continental Divide.

      Stay$$$

The moments that shape this trip.

Planning Asheville, Blowing Rock & Boone.

Begin with three nights in Asheville: Christmas at Biltmore, with decorated rooms by day and candlelit evenings in America's largest house, then the gingerbread houses in the lobby of the Omni Grove Park Inn and the Winter Lights trail at the North Carolina Arboretum. Eat tapas at Curate and wander the Grove Arcade and River Arts District. Drive about two hours northeast into the High Country around Blowing Rock and Boone, where the snow is more reliable. Ski or tube at Sugar Mountain or Appalachian Ski Mountain, cross the Mile High Swinging Bridge on Grandfather Mountain, ride Tweetsie's lit-up Christmas train and walk the carriage roads at Moses Cone.

Good for Couples and families who want a grand Christmas house, a historic lodge and a few days of snow in the mountains.

When to go

Christmas at Biltmore runs from early November to early January, with Candlelight Evenings on most nights. The Grove Park Inn displays the National Gingerbread House Competition entries from mid-November to early January, and the Arboretum's Winter Lights runs from mid-November through December. Ski areas around Boone usually open from late November to early December on man-made snow, with natural snowfall most likely from late December. Tweetsie Christmas runs on weekend evenings from late November through December.

Getting around

Fly into Asheville (AVL) or Charlotte (CLT). Asheville to Blowing Rock is about 2 hours via I-40 and US 221 or US 321; the Blue Ridge Parkway is often closed in winter, so don't plan the drive on it. Carry chains or use all-wheel drive in the High Country after snow, and check Grandfather Mountain's opening on the day, since it closes for ice.

Tips for your crew

  • Book Biltmore Candlelight Evening tickets early; December weekends sell out.
  • See the gingerbread houses on a weekday; weekend parking at the Grove Park Inn fills quickly for non-guests.
  • Buy a choose-and-cut Fraser fir at one of the tree farms between Boone and Banner Elk; many will net and tie it to your roof.

More routes with a similar spirit.

View all 135 routes →
Get TripsCircle