Wondering what to do in Asheville, North Carolina? Look no further than this Asheville itinerary and travel guide. We spent 3 and a half days here, which was the perfect amount of time to see the town. Well known for their breweries, the Biltmore Estate and the Blue Ridge Mountains — Asheville has a little bit of the city and outdoors making it perfect for every type of vacationer.
Asheville had been on my list of places to visit for awhile and the beauty of it has still not left me. We decided to road trip there on a whim and could not recommend it enough. With a queue full of podcasts and a car fully loaded, B and I drove our way from Iowa all the way down to North Carolina. This travel guide to Asheville will help you decide where to stay and what to do when there.
Disclosure: please keep in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. However, I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases.
double d’s coffee & desserts
Since we arrived later in the afternoon, we wanted to check out the town before dinner. We stumbled upon the cutest little coffee spot known as Double D’s. It’s a coffee shop in a double decker bus. The inside is complete with booth seating upstairs and down. You can choose to sit in one of the cute booths or on their outdoor patio. I am still dreaming about their lavender latte.
rhubarb
One of the best meals we had was at Rhubarb. I can’t tell you to visit Asheville without bringing up this restaurant. They had the best service and the food was SO good. Depending on the time you visit, you can sit outside and may even hear some live music playing close by.
DAY 1
early girl eatery
On your first full day in Asheville, head to Early Girl Eatery for breakfast. There are a couple of locations but we tried the one off of Haywood on our way to the Blue Ridge Mountains. They have one of the best Buddha bowls I’ve ever had and their portions are huge so come hungry.
blue ridge mountain parkway
If you’ve heard of Asheville, you’ve heard of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The mountain range runs right through the town and gives off a blue haze, hence the name. The Blue Ridge view is one of the best parts of visiting and a must on any Asheville travel guide or itinerary. Drive the windy roads up the parkway. It’ll lead you to the top with plenty of lookouts along the way. Be sure to get out at a few stops and take in the beauty. Check out my travel guide to hiking Asheville below!
If you want a full day guide to the waterfalls in Blue Ridge Mountains, you can book a tour here!
skinny dip falls
If you are looking for a morning full of hiking, Blue Ridge will offer up plenty of hiking trails even for a beginner. Skinny Dip Falls is about a half mile hike making it perfect for those who don’t like a long walk. The waterfall offers a pretty great view, but most come for time to relax in the water. There are plenty of options along the water for you to cool off in while offering privacy.
graveyard fields
After hiking Skinny Dip, travel a bit further up to Graveyard Fields. The trail will take you along a meadow where you’ll run into another waterfall.
BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE & CHAMPAGNE BAR
After hiking all day, it’s time to rest up for dinner and enjoy some of what Asheville is known for, beer and drinks. To do just that, head to Battery Park Book Exchange.
Please tell me what is better than books and champagne? Honestly, this was my dream spot. Not to mention, the service was so great that we didn’t want to leave. I recommend sitting outside and enjoying a champagne flight. Later, head in to find a new book to bring back home.
montford rooftop bar
Next up on your night on the town is at The Montford. Not only does Asheville offer some scenic mountains, but some of the best views come from their many rooftop bars. You can even choose to do a rooftop tour. The first on our very own rooftop tour was at the Montford. It was nice, but not great. The real view is at Capella on 9.
capella on 9
I love this place. Let me say that again. I loooove this place. The views. The drinks. It doesn’t get much better than this rooftop bar. I can’t tell you how many sangria’s (perfect for a summer afternoon) I enjoyed — too many! We loved it so much we went back a second time before leaving. This is a must in Asheville. Even if you aren’t one to drink, the view is hard to beat. Every Asheville rooftop travel guide and itinerary will boast about this bar!
limone’S
Head to Limone’s for a good margarita and some Mexican cuisine. Make sure to start with the ceviche sampler!
DAY 2
shoji spa
Since B and I visited over our first anniversary, I wanted to do something that was memorable for us. We found just that at Shoji spa and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Asheville. It was one of the coolest experiences. Located in the middle of the woods, it’s one of the only Japanese spa’s on the east coast. What makes the spa unique is their outdoor salt water tubs that you soak in before your massage. It was the perfect morning spent on our first anniversary.
omni grove park inn
After a morning at the spa, head to the Omni Grove Park Inn for the night. If we had to do one thing over again, it would be staying at the Omni Grove. You can check their availability here.
We chose to stay in town at The Foundry and we loved it. But after visiting the Omni dinner, I could see why it’s well known for famous visitors dating back to the 1900’s when Thomas Edison and Henry Ford used to visit. These days, it’s seen the likes of Michael Jordan and J. Lo. After visiting for dinner, I knew my Asheville travel guide had to include it!
To book a stay at the Foundry or Omni Grove Park Inn, check their availability using the search engine below!
Grab drinks at The Edison before heading to dinner. You can sit out on the terrace at their gorgeous mountain view or enjoy inside at their spacious indoor seating. Better yet, you can take your drink to go and walk around the building. This place has it all.
We ate at the Sunset Terrace for dinner and caught what it’s known for, the beautiful sunset. Not only was our waiter one of the best I’ve ever had, the food and drinks were amazing. Even if you don’t stay for dinner, you cant miss putting the Omni on your Asheville itinerary.
DAY 3
zip-line tour
If you have time, zip-lining through the Blue Ridge Mountains is an unbelievable thrill and one I wasn’t expecting. I’m not huge on zip lines, but this was something B wanted to do. I typically don’t think they’re fun as you really just sit down and zip through some woods? No, thanks. But, the Mountain Top tour through Navitat Canopy Adventures changed my mind on that and I’m glad we added it to our Asheville itinerary. Each zip offers some of the best views of the Blue Ridge and they boast about having some of the highest and fastest zip-lines. If you’re looking for a one of a kind adventure, this is what I would recommend.
After returning from zip-lining, we got ready to head to Biltmore! This is one of the few occasions that I wish we had more time to spend so we didn’t have to squeeze it all in one day. If you travel to Asheville and zip-lining isn’t your thing, you can also look into doing a horseback tour guide.
biltmore estate
Okay I’m not going to lie, the Biltmore Estate is magical and a history buff’s dream. It was and still is, for living relatives, the home of the Vanderbilt’s. There is so much to see here so be sure to plan a few hours to tour the estate. And, don’t forget to get your tickets ahead of time.
If you’re visiting in the summer, don’t miss the sunflower field on your way out and stop at the winery for a drink or two!
curate
When I researched Asheville, pretty much all recommendations lead me to Curate. There is a reason for this. If you’re questioning where to eat for dinner, don’t hesitate to make a reservation here. It’s tapas plates, which if you’re anything like B then you hate these type of restaurants. Unlike most tapas style though, Curate left us feeling full without having to buy 20 small plates. Great service. Great drinks. Great food. You won’t regret getting the paella. It even passed B’s stamp of approval.
After dinner, head out to some of the breweries that Asheville is known for. I am not much of a beer drinker so I left the recommendations on these to B. His favorites are noted below.
CATAWBA BREWING
Asheville gets the nickname Beer City, USA for a reason — they have the most breweries per capita and it shows. You can even center your whole Asheville itinerary around just brewery hopping! The South Slope is where you will find the breweries and where most people spend their afternoons sipping their way through various beers. Our favorite was Catawba. This spot came recommended by a lot of the locals. B’s recommendation: White Zombie
WICKED WEED BREWEING
Wicked Weed was another local and tourist favorite. Be sure to grab a reservation, though. We tried to visit the first night and there was a wait list just for a reservation.
hi-wire brewing
For those who are looking for a no frills, low-key beer spot then head to Hi-Wire. B found one of his favorite beers here. For those who are staying away from gluten, they have a gluten-free option that isn’t a cider! B’s recommendation: Mosaic IPA
Breweries, history and mountains. You can’t ask for a better mini vacation and this Asheville itinerary can fulfill it. I hope your time in the little mountain town is just as joyful and adventurous as our’s!
happy travels, liz stanford
SHOP THE POST
