How to Spend One Perfect Weekend in Asheville, North Carolina

One of the best destinations to visit in North Carolina is Asheville. It sits nestled into the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers endless hiking opportunities, stunning views along the Blue Ridge Parkway, tons of art galleries and murals in the River Arts District, and a thriving craft beer and foodie scene.  With so much to do, you’ll need to use your time wisely. Here’s how to plan one perfect weekend in Asheville.

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Friday: Get Acquainted with Asheville

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Today’s the day! Plan to arrive in Asheville as early as work will allow you to so that you can maximize your weekend exploring the Asheville area. Whether you are flying or driving to the area, you’ll want to have a car at your disposal. This will allow you to not only see the highlights in the city but also in the surrounding areas.

Check into Your Hotel

Upon arrival, head straight to your accommodations and get settled in. Before heading out for the evening, check the weather as the temperature may change drastically in the mountains!

Recommended Hotels in Asheville

Since you will have a car, you have greater options in where you stay. Of course, if you’re big into visiting the breweries in the area, stay close to downtown to make it a cheap Uber!

• The Omni Grove Park Inn: One of the most famous hotels in the Asheville area, the historic Omni Grove Park Inn is the ideal home-base for your perfect weekend in Asheville. You’ll have fabulous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains while being only 2.3 miles from downtown. Check rates for the Omni Grove Park Inn now.

• The Inn on Biltmore Estate: Spend your weekend on the grounds of the Biltmore Estate with all the perks you might expect at this prime location. The Inn on Biltmore Estate is the perfect location for a romantic weekend away. Check rates for the Inn on Biltmore Estate now.

• Kimpton – Hotel Arras: Walk out your front door into the heart of Asheville. You’ll find dozens of amazing restuarants and craft breweries within steps of your room. The Kimpton – Hotel Arras is perfect for those who want to be in the center of it all! Check rates for the Kimpton – Hotel Arras now.

• Clarion Inn Biltmore Village: This budget friendly hotel is perfect for those closely counting their pennies. At the Clarion Inn Biltmore Village you’ll have a clean and comfortable room that won’t strain your budget, and it is within close proximity to downtown. Check rates for Clarion Inn Biltmore Village now.

Head Out to a Wonderful Dinner

The restaurants in Asheville are as some would say “legendary”. You’ll find a wide variety of cuisines and even more variety in atmosphere. Unfortunately, something that many places have in common are waits. If you have a chance, make a reservation in advance, otherwise just plan to find a restaurant before you become hangry.

Some of the best restaurant options for dinner in Asheville are Curate Tapas Bar, a hip Spanish inspired eatery in a former 1927 bus depot, Posana Restaurant, offering locally-sourced contemporary American cuisine , Chestnuts, with its New American dishes, and Bouchon, which offers locally-sourced French comfort food.

Visit a Brewery or Two

After dinner, it’s time to hit up some of the breweries! Asheville has over 30 breweries with 48 in the greater Asheville area. This means you will be busy tasting all the beer you can stomach. If you’re looking for quantity (and quality) of breweries within walking distance of one another, head to the South Slope area of downtown Asheville. Here you’ll find plenty of breweries to choose from for the evening.

Don’t miss the ever-popular Burial Beer Co., which is one of the best themed craft breweries in the area, or the Funkatorium by Wicked Weed which offers sour and funky beers. Need more options? Try Green Man Brewing, Twin Leaf Brewery, Asheville Brewing Company, Hi-Wire Brewing, Catawba Brewing, and more – all within a few blocks of each other! No matter what style of beer you like, there are plenty of options available.

Just remember not to have too much beer to where your morning will be rough. You have a big day ahead!

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Saturday: Explore the Mountains

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Your only complete day in Asheville comes with big responsibilities to explore the area – near and far! Because of this, you will be setting out to some of the further reaches of the area to explore the beautiful mountainous scenery that Asheville is famous for.

Start Your Day Early with a Quick Breakfast

With a busy day ahead, you’ll want to grab a quick breakfast. Fortunately, there are plenty of great options in the area. Head to West Asheville on your way into the mountains. Try the famous made-to-order Hole Doughnuts, the delicious locally-sourced breakfast tacos of Taco Billy, the creative coffee options from bohemian vibe BattleCat Coffee Bar, or the fresh naturally leavened baked goods of Owl Bakery.

Head into the Mountains to Explore

Whether you’re into hiking or more of a drive and enjoy the scenery type, you’ll still find plenty to keep you entertained.

Best Options for Outdoor Lovers

While there are a lot of great hiking options in the Asheville area, including short hikes, longer day hikes, and even multi-day hiking options (Hello Appalachian Trail!), you’ll want to focus on a few of the shorter options to really see as much as possible. Here are some of the best options in the area:

• Crabtree Falls Trail: Hike the 2.5 mile loop trail to visit the stunning Crabtree Falls.
• Craggy Gardens Trail: Find amazing mountain views on this short 1.9 mile trail.
• Dupont State Forest: Decide to hike under 1 mile or up to 5 miles to visit Hooker Falls, Triple Falls, and/or High Falls.
• Catawba Falls: Hike this easy 2.3 mile out and back trail to visit the stunning Catawba Falls.
• Sliding Rock: Slide down a 60 foot natural water slide that ends in an 8 foot deep pool of water.

Learn what to pack for a day hike with the Essential Hiking Packing List.

Best Driving and Roadside Sightseeing Options

If you’re more of a scenery from the road type of mountain-lover, don’t worry. You can explore the Blue Ridge Parkway and all of its fabulous overlooks. You will wind through the mountains and learn why they are considered the Blue Ridge (Hint… the trees release isoprene into the atmosphere to create the color.) Don’t miss some of these road-side attractions:

• Blue Ridge Parkway: Drive and stop at the scenic overlooks.
• Mount Mitchell State Park: Drive (or hike) to the summit of Mount Mitchell – the highest point east of the Mississippi.
• Looking Glass Falls: View a 60ft waterfall in Pisgah National Forest along the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway.
• Chimney Rock State Park: Take an elevator up to the top of Chimney Rock (or hike it) to experience it in all of its glory!
• Dry Falls: Admire a 75ft waterfall located in Nantahala National Forest, and as a bonus, you can walk behind it! Stop by neighboring Bridal Veil Falls while you’re there.

Reward Yourself with Delicious Dinner & Beer

Whether you have dinner back in Asheville or find someplace to eat along the way as you make your way back into town, you will have plenty of great options! Depending where your day has taken you, you may want to try and hit some of the larger, more famous breweries in the area including Sierra Nevada, with its impressive campus, or river-front New Belgium.

Or, one of the best ways to see the area is to appetizer and beer hop your way around town. You will certainly not be disappointed in what you eat or drink!

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Sunday: Take in the Culture

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With just one more day to complete the perfect weekend in Asheville, you still have a lot on your plate!

Enjoy a Leisurely Brunch

After your busy Saturday, you’ll want to have a leisurely morning. Head to one of the many amazing breakfast places in downtown Asheville for brunch. Try Tupelo Honey for made-from-scratch Southern comfort food, Biscuit Head for a variety of dishes made with oversized biscuits, or Louisiana inspired cuisine at Mayfel’s, complete with beignets!

If you encounter a wait, which you likely will, take the time to walk through picturesque downtown Asheville!

Peruse the River Arts District

After brunch, walk off some of that delicious food by admiring all of the art studios, galleries, and murals of the River Arts District. You’ll find lots of options to explore with multi-media art from hundreds of artists. See live glass blowing demonstrations and artists hard at work throwing pottery, making jewelry, painting, and more. Most places open at 11am making it the perfect time to tour as many as possible.

Visit the Biltmore Estate

One of the main attractions and a great way to finish up a perfect weekend in Asheville, is a tour of the Biltmore Estate. Built by George Vanderbuilt, the Biltmore is the largest home in America with 250-rooms and 175,000 square feet sitting on over 8,000 acres. You’ll not only get to tour the beautiful home, which will take right around two hours for a self-guided tour, but you’ll also want to explore the extensive gardens.

Purchase your tickets ahead of time to not only secure your ticket but also to get a discount on your admission.

Stop by the Biltmore Winery

As a bonus, your daytime admission to the Biltmore includes a complimentary wine tasting at the Biltmore Winery in Antler Hill Village, adjacent to the Biltmore Estate. It’s the ideal way to wind down your weekend. Complete your winery visit with a cheese plate or delectable chocolate truffles, or stop at one of the many restaurants in Antler Hill Village before you head out of Asheville.

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Explore Other Parts of North Carolina

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Spending this amazing weekend in Asheville gives you a taste of the beauty and culture that North Carolina contains, but its far from a comprehensive view! From the mountains to the beaches, North Carolina contains a little bit of something for everyone. Continue exploring this stunning state with a visit to Raleigh or by exploring the Outer Banks.

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