One Fantastic Weekend in Asheville Itinerary

Weekend In Asheville Itinerary

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Best Time To Visit Asheville

Asheville is undoubtedly a year-round destination, but when planning your itinerary, spring and fall are considered the best times to visit!

The temperatures are mild, and if you visit in the fall, you’ll get to see the leaves change colors!

Summer is also a great time to visit Asheville, and the summer months are among the most popular!

And don’t let that elevation fool you—even during the summer, it can still get hot and humid in the city, but with a short drive to the mountains, you’ll find cooler temps and reprieve from the heat.

We visited Asheville twice, once in October and the second time in July, and loved it.

How To Get To Asheville And Around Asheville

Getting to Asheville is easy, especially if you are flying. Book your tickets for Asheville Regional Airport, located just 15 minutes south of downtown Asheville.

If you need a larger airport, airports like Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, NC (124 miles away) or Greenville/Spartanburg Airport in South Carolina (78 miles away) are additional airports you can consider flying into.

Regardless of where you fly into, you’ll need to rent a car to get you to and around Asheville and, most importantly, drive the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway.

Best Places To Stay in Asheville

When looking to stay in Asheville, you can’t beat staying downtown!

Downtown Asheville is centrally located to must-see sights and attractions and near some of the best restaurants in the city. It is a great place to book an accommodation to use as your home base for your Asheville itinerary.

Elevation Lofts Hotel and Aloft Asheville Downtown offer modern, spacious floor plans with city views in a can’t-beat central location. And specifically, Aloft Asheville Downtown has an onsite swimming pool and bar.

For places like Haywood Park Hotel and Foundry Hotel, you can expect complimentary breakfasts, fitness centers, and a bar. Not to mention, Haywood Park Hotel, offers free champagne to guests upon arrival and the Historic Trolley departs and returns to the front of the hotel.

If you are looking for something a little quieter, but close to Asheville, check out some nearby cabin options such as Pisgah View Mountain Retreat, Sunrise Cottage, or Zurich Swiss Mountain Chalet.

To see the latest availability and pricing, check out additional accommodation options right here!

Asheville Itinerary Day 1: Explore Downtown Asheville

Alrighty! Day one of your weekend in Asheville itinerary and what better way to start your day than grabbing some breakfast at Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen or Sunny Point Cafe?

Tupelo Honey and Sunny Point Cafe are Asheville staples for breakfast and brunch. With elevated Southern comfort food, it’s no wonder there is always a wait at each eatery.

With full bellies, let’s explore the city of Asheville, shall we?!

How does a walking tour sound?

1. Take An Asheville City Walking Tour

We love a walking tour! Seriously, we love one.

It’s a great way to experience a city and learn a little bit about its past and present.

A walking tour like the Asheville Insider Guided Walking Tour takes participants to some of the must-see sights in downtown Asheville, such as Pack Square, Grove Arcade, and Pritchard Park.

The tour starts at 10:00 AM and lasts a little under 2 hours, leaving you plenty of time in the afternoon to continue exploring Asheville.

Alternatively, if walking for 1 hour and 45 minutes sounds like a little too much, you can cruise through town on the hop-on-hop-off trolley tour.

If you opt to visit all the stops, this can be an all-day trolley tour, so you may need to rearrange some of the things we suggest seeing and doing on Day 1 and Day 3 of this Asheville itinerary to make it work.

But you do you and what is best for your travel style, interests, and, of course, pace 🙂

PRO TIP: Since your Walking Tour will end near Asheville Pinball Museum, you could add this as one more stop before you head to lunch! The Pinball Museum is a place where you can play antique pinball machines. This is an excellent option if the weather is a little lousy one day, too!

2. Wander Around The River Arts District (RAD)

After your walking tour has ended, plan to head to River Arts District (RAD) for lunch and to check out the more artistic side of Asheville.

The River Arts District is situated along the French Broad River. This eclectic neighborhood includes former warehouses turned into glass-blowing studios, pottery studios, and art galleries.

For lunch, plan to swing in Baby Bull or White Duck Taco. And if you’re looking for a little pick-me-up, Ultra Coffee Bar is great!

3. Try The Many Asheville Breweries In South Slope

In case you didn’t know, Ashville is the city with the most breweries per capita in America. Crazy, right?!

Oh, and Asheville is home to some of the best breweries in the country!

Craft beer drinkers, do we have your attention?!

Within the city limits of Asheville, there are around 30-ish breweries to try. Yes, 30.

So, how do you know which breweries to try in Asheville? It’s easy: Head to South Slope.

South Slope is a district in Asheville that is home to LOADS of Asheville Breweries, and most are all within walking distance from each other.

Some of our favorite Asheville Breweries you should definitely add to your list to try are:

Wicked Weed
Twin Leaf Brewery
Burial Brewery
The Funkatorium
DSSOLVR
Hi-Wire Brewing

You can spend your evening into the night sampling different brews and enjoying your night walking from brewery to brewery!

Alternatively, you can book a spot on the Electric Bike Brewery Crawl, where you’ll cycle to five of Asheville’s most popular microbreweries!

PRO TIP: If you happen to be in Asheville on a Friday night, head to the Drum Circle! Every Friday night, the rounded outdoor amphitheater of Pritchard Park hosts a Drum Circle, a free concert event where local drummers come together to play in harmony.

Asheville Itinerary Day 2: Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest

Ready for day 2 of your Asheville itinerary?

After a whirlwind day exploring downtown Asheville, it’s time to get out of the city and into some of the most scenic sections of North Carolina.

It’s time to road trip a portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway!

What’s the Blue Ridge Parkway you ask? Well, let us tell you!

The Blue Ridge Parkway is America’s longest linear park, running for 469.1 miles from Virginia through North Carolina. It’ll take visitors past scenic overlooks, waterfalls, epic hiking trails, and, of course, national forests and mountain views.

Now, you won’t be able to drive the whole thing on this trip, but you’ll definitely see some of the highlights!

Check out our Three-Day Blue Ridge Parkway Itinerary right here!

PRO TIP: For this day, it’s best to pack a lunch, snacks, and things to drink. There is not a whole lot of food options along this section of Blue Ridge Parkway, so please come prepared!

Chase Waterfalls at Linville Falls and Crabtree Falls

Your first stop on the Blue Ridge Parkway is two of the best waterfalls: Linville Falls and Crabtree Falls.

Both are located northeast of Asheville, a few hours’ drive away.

Linville Falls will be your first stop, which also happens to be a further stop away from Asheville. We’re taking you to the furthest point first, so you can drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway on your way back to Asheville.

PRO TIP: Blue Ridge Parkway can have potential road closures throughout the year due to construction or weather. Prior to road-tripping on the Blue Ridge Parkway, check the latest road closures so you can plan accordingly if needed.

1. Linville Falls

To get to Linville Falls, plan to skip driving the Blue Ridge Parkway there, as you’ll be driving it on the way back! It’ll get you to the Falls quicker 🙂

From Asheville, Linville Falls is a little over one hour’s drive—2 hours on the Blue Ridge Parkway—hence why we recommend you skip driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway there.

Once at the Linville Falls Visitor Center, you have two hiking trails to choose from:

Erwin’s View Trail: 1.7 miles
Plunge Basin: 1.8 miles

The easier of the two, Erwin’s View Trail, offers four viewpoints to see Linville Falls, whereas Plunge Basin offers two.

Of the two trails, Plunge Basin was definitely our favorite!

2. Crabtree Falls

Leaving Linville Falls, drive south on the Blue Ridge Parkway for 21 miles (around 40 minutes) until you reach Crabtree Falls.

Once in the parking lot, you’ll need to hike a 2.5-mile loop trail through the woods to reach the gorgeous, cascading 60-ft waterfall.

While the loop is 2.5 miles, you’ll only have to hike 0.9 miles to reach Crabtree Falls.

This waterfall is beautiful and unlike Linville Falls, you can get up close and personal with this waterfall!

NAVIGATION TIP: We ran into a snafu when getting to Crabtree Falls. There are two Crabtree Falls on Google Maps. One takes you nowhere but the side of the road, and the other takes you to Crabtree Falls. Make sure your GPS navigation is taking you to Crabtree Falls by Crabtree Campground.

3. Stand At The Tallest Point in North Carolina, Mount Mitchell

Once you’ve had your fill of Crabtree Falls, get back on the Blue Ridge Parkway and drive 30 minutes to reach the summit of Mount Mitchell.

What’s so special about Mount Mitchell? Standing at 6,684 feet, Mount Mitchell is the tallest point not only in North Carolina but it’s the tallest point east of the Mississippi River!

So the panoramic views from the top are spectacular (on a clear day)!

To reach the Summit of Mount Mitchell, you should plan to drive to the summit parking lot (it’s free).

From here, you’ll walk a short, paved 1/4-mile to the summit observation deck. Once at the observation deck, you’ll have breathtaking views of the Carolinas below!

Also, if you’re feeling up for it, you can hike two trails from the Mount Mitchell parking lot

Deep Gap Trail: An 8.6-mile out-and-back trail. Since it’s out and back, you don’t have to hike the full 8.6 miles. Simply hike as long as you want and turn back at any time. We hiked to Mount Craig rather than hiking the full 8.6 miles and loved it!
Balsam Nature Trail: This is a short 0.9 mile stroll through a scenic forest.

4. Enjoy Sunset At Craggy Pinnacle

The last stop on your Asheville Itinerary for day two and it’s a good one!

At this point of the day, it should be late afternoon or close to sunset, making this last stop perfect, especially if you can catch the sunset here!

From Mount Mitchell, Craggy Pinnacle is about a 15-minute drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Once in the parking lot, you can hike 0.5 miles to the summit of Craggy Pinnacle, where you’ll be greeted with exceptional views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the area’s swooping valleys.

It’s absolutely magnificent and a popular spot to watch the sunset near Asheville!

Get our list of the best views and overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway!

5. Grab Dinner in Asheville

After a busy day exploring the scenic side of North Carolina, plan to head back to Asheville for a bite to eat or to a brewery you loved or still need to try.

Either way, plan to end your night with some good food!

PRO TIP: Another fun option to consider is exploring Asheville’s spookier side with a nighttime Haunted Asheville tour!

Asheville Itinerary Day 3: Go Hiking & Visit The Biltmore

Morning Hike at Black Balsam Knob

You’ve had a busy two days, so if you feel up for a morning hike, Black Balsam Knob is hard to beat!

If you’d rather have a slow, relaxed morning, plan to spend it in Asheville, grabbing some breakfast and coffee.

For those wanting to hike, Black Balsam Knob trailhead is located a little over an hour south of Asheville.

This hike is one of the best hikes in the area, and if you choose to hike it, you’ll soon see why!

This 1.5-mile out-and-back trail will start you off hiking through balsam fir trees until you eventually come to a ridgeline where you’ll hike over a grassy-covered 6,000 ft. mountain with 360-degree views.

Black Balsam Knob Hike in North Carolina

Explore The Biltmore Estate & It’s Winery

The Biltmore Estate, built by George Vanderbilt, is America’s Largest Home.

Sitting on 8,000 acres, The Biltmore is still the largest privately owned house in the United States and one of the best examples of a Gilded Age mansion.

To visit The Biltmore, you’ll need to purchase tickets to enter the grounds.

Once there, you can take a tour of the property, have lunch at Stable Cafe or Cedric’s Tavern, take a stroll through the Biltmore’s gardens and Conservatory, and taste wine at Biltmore Winery or take a Biltmore Winery Tour.

You can easily spend several hours enjoying the property, which happened to put Asheville on the map when it opened in 1895.

The Biltmore in Asheville, NC — Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Drinks and Dinner at Omni Grove Park Inn

Built in 1913, Omni Grove Park Inn is not only one of (if not thee) more luxurious places to stay in Asheville but it has also been ranked on a list of the world’s best spas.

It’s a beautiful, historic hotel, and outside its renowned spa, Omni Grove has one of the best patios to enjoy sunset drinks and dinner.

Talk about a perfect way to end your Asheville itinerary – Having amazing food and drinks as the sunsets over the Blue Ridge Mountains and Asheville.

Just be sure to make reservations well ahead of time!

Have More Time For Your Asheville Itinerary?

If you have more time in Asheville, below are some great alternatives or additions to our above recommendations.

Spend Time on The French Board River

The French Board is the river that runs through Asheville. If you visit Asheville in the summer, you’ll find loads of tourists and locals alike enjoying its cool waters!

From paddleboarding through Asheville’s River Arts District to whitewater rafting and kayaking trips, there are a handful of ways to get out on the water in Asheville!

Oh, and for you craft beer lovers, you’ll definitely want to check out the floating bar crawl 🙂

Go Horseback Riding In The Blue Ridge Mountains

For those who want to spend as much time in the mountains as possible, then a horseback ride through the Blue Ridge Mountains may be up your alley!

Plus, if you’re tired of walking from all the other activities, a ride on horse back through pine forests for a few hours sounds like a great way to enjoy the outdoors to us!

Take A Day Trip To Lake Lure & Chimney Rock

For you 1987 Dirty Dancing movie fans, the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area should not be missed!

Located around 45 minutes to 1 hour outside of Asheville, Camp Chimney Rock’s cabins, dining hall and gymnasium were used in the film. Not to mention, folks who want to stay overnight at Lake Lure can check in to the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, where Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey stayed during filming.

For those who don’t really care about Dirty Dacning, Lake Lure and Chimney Rock are still wonderful places to visit. You can kayak or take a boat ride on Lake Lure or opt to hike the 499-steps to the top of Chimney Rock!

Best Places To Eat in Asheville

Asheville has some amazing places to eat! Be it lunch or dinner, you’re bound to find an amazing meal. Some of our favorite as well as top-rated Asheville restaurants are listed just below:

WANT MORE INFORMATION?!

Best Blue Ridge Parkway Views and Overlooks

Three-Day Blue Ridge Parkway Itinerary

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For more travel tips, guides, and awesome travel shots, be sure to poke around our site and follow us on Instagram @wanderingstus, Pinterest, and Facebook. Oh, if you have any questions, let us know in the comment section. We’re happy to answer. Or, leave us a positive note!

Happy Travels,

– Lauren & Jesse Stuart (The Stu’s)