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January 11, 2022

14 Fun Things To Do In Asheville, North Carolina

One of the coolest small cities on the East Coast, Asheville has a relaxed boho vibe that I love! It’s weird and that’s just the way locals want to keep it. The city has a backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains and an insane number of craft breweries. Asheville is a refreshingly unique combination of hipster meets outdoor enthusiasts. With so many options the question is, what should you do when you visit Asheville?

Table Of Contents: 14 Fun Things To Do In Asheville
 [show]
  • The Basics: 
    • Where Is Asheville, North Carolina?:
    • How Do I Get There?:
      • Air: 
      • Roadtrip: 
    • Where Should I Stay?: 
      • Luxury Hotels: 
        • The Omni Grove Park Inn 
        • Village Inn At Biltmore Estates
      • Boutique Hotels: 
        • Windsor Boutique Hotel 
        • The Foundry Hotel Asheville
      • Budget Friendly Hotels: 
        • Hotel Indigo 
        • Brookstone Lodge
      • Airbnb Cabins: 
      • Dreamy Stays: 
      • Dog Friendly Airbnbs: 
  • 14 Fun Things To Do In Asheville

The Basics: 

Where Is Asheville, North Carolina?:

Asheville is a city in western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s known for a vibrant arts scene and historic architecture. 

How Do I Get There?:

Air: 

The closest airport to Asheville is actually in the city,  Asheville (AVL). However, there are better options for getting to Asheville, and flying into smaller airports is really expensive.

Charlotte is the largest airport and will have much cheaper fares but will have about a 3 hour drive each way. 

Roadtrip: 

Asheville is a great roadtrip destination and this is how I got to Asheville for my weekend trip. I always prefer to roadtrip because it’s generally cheaper. This wonderfully weird city is centrally located for most of the East Coast. 

For More Ideas On What To Do In Asheville Check Out: How To Spend 3 Days In Asheville, NC

14 Fun Things To Do In Asheville

1. Drink Some Craft Brew

Known as “beer city USA,” Asheville has a staggering 30 craft breweries within the city, and about 60 additional breweries nearby. No matter what kind of beer you like Asheville has a brew for you. Here are a few brewery suggestions:

  • Wicked Weed – Dog Friendly
  • Catawba Brewing Company – Dog Friendly 
  • Sierra Nevada 
  • Urban Orchard Cider 
  • Bhramari Brewing Company – Dog Friendly 

2. Stroll River Arts District

Haywood Road

Visit the River Arts District to browse work from 200 local artists. You can check out anything from painting and photography exhibits to handmade jewelry and pottery. The River Arts District is where you will find all of those awesome murals. Asheville is a very art-focused city and River District only adds to the charm.  Just walk down Haywood Road you will find everything from layered mountains, Sloth From The Goonies to Dolly Parton.

3. Marvel At The Biltmore Estate 

1 Lodge St, Asheville, NC 28803

No visit to Asheville would be complete without a visit to the famous Biltmore Estate. George Vanderbilt’s enormous 100 year old property is something you need to see. The mansion is around 178,926 sq ft and sits on about 8,000 acres. With over 200 rooms, beautiful gardens, and exhibits to explore you should plan to be here for at least a few hours.

Asheville

It’s recommended that you purchase tickets before you visit, and I recommend getting them earlier in the day so that you have a chance to explore afterward. Or later in the day so that you can experience sunset during your visit. 

There are several options for visiting Biltmore Estates – 

  • Gardens & Grounds Admission – $55 – this gives you access to everything but the house including the vineyard. 
  • Enhanced Experience – $76-$96 (depending on the day) – this gives you access to house & gardens, an audio guide, and complimentary wine tasting. 
  • Exclusive Experience – $284-$304 (depending on the day) – you get access to the house & gardens, a small group tour led by an expert guide, complimentary parking, and complimentary wine tasting. 
  • You can purchase tickets HERE

4. Take A Drive On The Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most scenic drives in the United States. You’ll get awe inspiring views around each turn. The entire route stretches about 469 miles from North Carolina to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Asheville makes a great base for exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Check Out: One Day At Shenandoah National Park, 11 Fun Dog Friendly Adventures At Shenandoah

5. Hike At Least One Trail

This area of the Blue Ridge Mountains has some pretty epic hiking trails, and its even got a section of the Appalachian Trail. You can summit Mt. Pisgah in an easy 1.2 miles or try these hikes for some beautiful views –

Craggy Gardens Trail 
  • Drive Time: 24 mins from downtown 
  • Distance: 1.9 miles 
  • Rating: Moderate 
  • Elevation Gain: 574 ft 
  • Dog Friendly 
Lookout Trail 
  • Drive Time: 24 mins from downtown 
  • Distance: 1.5 miles 
  • Rating: Moderate 
  • Elevation Gain: 626 ft 
  • Dog Friendly

6. Check Out The North Carolina Arboretum

100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806

If you love flowers you don’t want to miss the North Carolina Arboretum. Featuring over 65 acres of cultivated garden, the arboretum also has 10 miles of hiking trails. The center offers guided tours and geocaching, and they’ve got a ton of special events each year.

7. Take A Ghost Tour

Asheville has quite a super natural history, and the best way to learn more about it is by taking a ghost tour. The city is unquestionably haunted and there are many options in terms of tours. I chose to do my ghost tour with Haunted Asheville and took the Classic Walking Tour, you can book that HERE. Tad was my tour guide and he was awesome! He was entertaining and I loved all of the folklore and legend elements in his tour. It was a very cool way to spend a night in Asheville. 

8. Shop And Then Shop Some More

Asheville has some truly great shopping. They’ve got everything and that makes shopping here so much fun! Here are some of my favorites:

Can’t Miss Shops: 

  • L.O.F.T.
  • Embellish Asheville (I got a beautiful bracelet here)
  • Honeypot 
  • Charmed Asheville 
  • Battery Park Book Exchange 
  • Grove Arcade

9. Explore The Foodie Scene

Asheville is a foodie city and the food here is some of the best I’ve had in awhile. Whether you wan to indulge in southern favorites or visit a dessert bar for some cocktails and sweets, you just can’t go wrong here. Here are some suggestions:

Head To Tupelo Honey Cafe For Breakfast – 
12 College St, Asheville, NC 28801
Asheville

I highly recommend the Mac-N-Cheese Waffles with Asheville Hot Fried Chicken. Yes, it’s as good as it sounds! The ​​Wildflower Moscow Mule was also delicious. You can find the menu HERE, and reservations are highly recommended.

Treats Yourself To French Broad Chocolate Lounge –
10 S Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801

French Broad Chocolate Lounge is one of those places that you smell before you even enter. They have a delicious array of sweet treats to choose from and they even have dessert flights. The cookies are amazing and everything delicious but if it’s warm during your visit, I recommend skipping the chai latte. 

Grab Lunch At Buxton Hall Barbecue – 
32 Banks Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

Buxton Hall BBQ features pasture-raised pigs from local farmers and a full bar. Hailed as the best BBQ place in Asheville, this place has a cult-like following. Not only is the food amazing but it’s got a great atmosphere and a cool history. The building housed a roller skating rink in the 1930s and you’ll notice the floors are still the original maple from the rink. Very cool. 

Have Some More Sweet Treats At Crave – 
41 N Lexington Ave Suite# 100, Asheville, NC 28801
Asheville

Check out Crave Dessert Bar and sit outside on the patio in the warmer months. Crave ended up being a really nice surprise. I had a drink and some of the girls in my group ordered a hookah. I recommend the Ricky Bobby – it’s essentially an Old Fashioned with a peachy twist. This is a great way to relax and unwind after a day of shopping and checking out Asheville. 

10. Chase Some Waterfalls

There are a lot of waterfall hikes around Asheville, thanks the to perfect conditions created by the Blue Ridge Mountains. If you drive about 40 miles to Brevard (mile post 417 on the Blue Ridge Parkway) you can easily see multiple waterfalls in one day. Here are a few suggested hikes:

Looking Glass Falls
  • Drive Time: 45 mins from downtown
  • Distance: .3 Miles
  • Rating: Easy
  • Elevation Gain: 36 ft
  • Dog Friendly
Skinny Dip Falls
  • Drive Time: 56 mins from downtown
  • Distance: 1 Mile
  • Rating: Easy
  • Elevation Gain: 200 ft
  • Dog Friendly
Catawba Falls 
  • Drive Time: 34 mins from downtown 
  • Distance: 2.3 miles 
  • Rating: Moderate 
  • Elevation Gain: 341 ft 
  • Dog Friendly 
Crabtree Falls 
  • Drive Time: 1 hour from downtown 
  • Distance: 2.6 miles
  • Rating: Moderate 
  • Elevation Gain: 577 ft 
  • Dog Friendly 

11. Watch A Sunrise Or Sunset

Sunrises and sunsets with these gorgeous mountains as the backdrop are really something to see. Sunsets in the mountains are something special, and if you follow me on Instagram, you know I live for them! Here are some of the best places to enjoy a sunrise or sunset in Asheville:

Top Places For Sunrise: 
  • Mount Mitchell 
  • Craggy Pinnacle 
  • French Broad River 
  • Lake Lure
Asheville
Some Of The Best Sunset Locations: 
  • Biltmore Estates 
  • Craggy Gardens 
  • Max Patch (I want to go here so badly and missed it)
  • Montford Rooftop Bar 
  • Anywhere On The Blue Ridge Parkway

12. Check Out The Western North Carolina (WNC) Nature Center

75 Gashes Creek Rd, Asheville, NC 28805

The 42 acre facility is dedicated to education the public about western North Carolina’s wildlife. This is both kid and adult friendly. Outdoor exhibits house Appalachian predators such as foxes, bob cats, coyotes, grey wolves, and the critically endangered red wolf.

13. Explore Pisgah National Forest

Pisgah National Forest

Covering over 500,000 acres and housing some pretty epic geological landmarks, Pisgah National Forest is a great way to explore in western North Carolina. Table Rock, the Chimneys, and Linville Gorge are some of the highlights of this national forest. You can also try horseback riding, fishing, cycling, and hiking here. The trails at Pisgah are dog friendly making this a great adventure for you and your dogs.

14. Have Fun At The Pinball Museum

1 Battle Square Ste 1b, Asheville, NC 28801

Marvel at 45 vintage pinball machines and a bonus: you get to play all of them too! This nostalgic museum allows free play once you enter, for a flat admission fee of $15. It can become crowded and for this reason, they offer a waiting list service. That’s right, you can explore downtown until it’s your turn for some pinball fun!

Staying In Asheville

Luxury Hotels 

The Omni Grove Park Inn 
290 Macon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804
  • (800) 438-5800
  • Cost: $$$
  • Find Out More HERE
Village Inn At Biltmore Estates
1 Antler Hill Rd, Asheville, NC 28803
  • (800) 411-3812Cost: $$$
  • Find Out More HERE

Boutique Hotels

Windsor Boutique Hotel 
36 Broadway St, Asheville, NC 28801
  • (844) 494-6376
  • Cost: $$$
  • Find Out More HERE
The Foundry Hotel Asheville
51 S Market St, Asheville, NC 28801
  • (828) 552-8545
  • Cost: $$
  • Find Out More HERE

Budget Friendly Hotels

Hotel Indigo 
151 Haywood St, Asheville, NC 28801
  • (828) 239-0239
  • Cost: $$
  • Find Out More HERE
Brookstone Lodge
4 Roberts Rd, Asheville, NC 28803
  • (828) 398-5888
  • Cost: $

Airbnb Cabins

I stayed at this one…Tango Lookout Lodge. The views were absolutely stunning and the cabin itself was great! 

Tatanka Lodge

High Top Cabin

Dreamy Stays

Asheville Glamping – offering domes, vintage airstreams, yurts, and more this place looks amazing! Bonus: some of them are dog friendly! 

Dog Friendly Airbnbs

Little Blue Cottage

The Cabin In Grove Park

Biltmore Hideaway

Asheville Tips

  • There is a city sponsored drum circle every Friday night from 6-10 pm in Pritchard Park.
  • Asheville is absolutely stunning in the fall and has amazing foliage or during the spring when the wild flowers are in full bloom.
  • Expect crowds at the Biltmore not matter what time of year you are visiting.
  • Asheville is very dog friendly and it’s a great place to adventure with your pup!

Asheville is a great city to visit at any time of the year and the list barely scratches to service of all the amazing things that the city has to offer! Have you been to Asheville? What was your favorite?

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Posted In: Southern Travel, Travel Guides, United States · Tagged: Asheville, Blue Ridge Parkway, National Parks, North Carolina, Pisgah National Forest

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Hi! I'm Vanessa, a 30 something, sunset chasing traveler. I'm here to inspire you to travel wherever, whenever, and with whoever you can. My Huskies, Loki and Freya are usually along for the ride. I have a soul that likes to wander, a desire to experience the unknown, and a curiousity to discover things off the beaten path. I hope you'll stick around for awhile!

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Shouting 🎉CONGRATULATIONS🎉 to Maine’s newe Shouting 🎉CONGRATULATIONS🎉 to Maine’s newest registered sea kayak guide @that_nomad_brian!

So proud of you 🍻 Cheers to an amazing summer 💚
Some sunsets don’t ask to be photographed—they Some sunsets don’t ask to be photographed—they just ask you to sit still.

I watched this one as we were slowly driving through Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains. No filter, no big moment—just colors slowly bleeding across the sky. 

Just being here, in the hush of it all, was enough.

If you’ve been rushing lately (same), maybe this is your sign to find a sunset, breathe a little slower, and remember how much beauty lives in the in-between.

🌞 Save this for the next time you need a golden hour pause.

💬 What’s a place that made you fall in love with being still?
Happy Birthday to my favorite stone-cold weirdo, r Happy Birthday to my favorite stone-cold weirdo, road trip captain, and the only person I’d want to accidentally take the wrong exit with—every single time. 🚐💛🎉

“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness” - That sums it up pretty well 😘

Thank you for being unapologetically you — for swearing at the GPS like it’s gaslighting us, for jamming to 90s bangers like we’re headlining, and for always saying yes to detours, dog cuddles, and my sudden need to pull over and stare at wildlife like it’s a religious experience.

You’re the calm to my chaos, and the reason life on the road feels like home no matter where we park it. 

Here’s to another year of chasing sunsets, collecting weird stories, and romantic dinners cooked three feet apart in a rolling metal box. 

Happy Birthday!!!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

((Yes our birthdays are 5 days apart))
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RV life: 10% national parks, 90% trying to remember where we parked the snacks.

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I know a place… Where the ground bubbles.
Wher I know a place…
Where the ground bubbles.
Where the air smells like rotten eggs but somehow still feels holy.
Where traffic jams are caused by bison with absolutely zero respect for your schedule.

Where you look around and think: Are we still on Earth?
And your soul says: Yup. But the cool part.

This place cracked open my sense of wonder and reminded me that magic doesn’t need permission, it just shows up in boiling puddles, neon pools, and elk bugles echoing through the mist.

I know a place. And now you do too. 
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