Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville has to survive ane of the coolest pocket-size cities on the East Coast, amongst a relaxed bohemian vibe together with adventurous spirit. Here are some fun things to make there!
Located inwards North Carolina’s scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville has a unique mix of hipster java shops, award-winning restaurants, outdoor activities, together with to a greater extent than breweries per capita than anywhere else inwards the US.
After hearing virtually Asheville for years, whether from friends, or the Obama’s visiting on vacation — it was fourth dimension to larn what all the fuss was about.
There are many quirky, unique, unusual, together with hush-hush spots to uncovering inwards Asheville!
Asheville rated the #1 US move goal past times Lonely Planet, together with for some argue everyone thinks Asheville is super cool.
After 4 days visiting Asheville amongst my married adult woman Anna inwards partnership amongst Explore Asheville Tourism, I totally acquire it now. We had a fantastic time!
In this brusk move guide, I wanted to recommend a few fun together with unusual things to make inwards Asheville, no thing what sort of materials you’re into.
Asheville Highlights Map
How To Use This Map
Above you’ll uncovering a map of highlights inwards Asheville, North Carolina. Click on the top left of the map to uncovering dissever layers mark a route or points of interest. You tin shroud together with demo different layers, or click icons on the map to meet the names of places I cite inwards this move guide. “Star” the map to salve it to your ain Google Maps, or opened upwards the map inwards a novel window for a larger version. Enjoy!
Best Things To Do In Asheville 2019
1. Check Out Asheville’s Street Art
Asheville is known for its fine art scene, together with you’ll speedily empathize why. There’s fun street fine art all over the place, similar colorful murals painted on the side of buildings & nether bridges, depicting the city’s history.
My favorite was in all probability “Chicken Alley” past times Molly Must, which yous tin uncovering on Carolina Lane & Woodfin Street. Two giant chickens ticker over the alley, a identify that used to characteristic actual chickens inwards the past.
Right downward the street from Chicken Alley you’ll meet some “tiny houses” built into a brick wall. I also recommend stopping past times the Flat Iron Sculpture downtown, created past times local creative somebody Reed Todd.
One of the best ways to sense the urban marrow fully is past times exploring on foot. With virtually 87,000 residents, Asheville isn’t huge. But it’s non likewise pocket-size either.
2. Drink Some Craft Beer!
Asheville is known every bit “Beer City USA”. Because amongst 26 different arts and crafts breweries inwards the city, together with some other lx nearby, beer lovers won’t desire to leave.
Some of the most pop inwards town are Green Man, Catawba, Wicked Weed, together with Lexington Avenue Brewery.
About 100 local beers tin survive enjoyed inwards Asheville, together with each brewery has its ain unique character. From potent hoppy IPAs to black stouts, to fruity raspberry ales, you’re saltation to uncovering something you’ll love.
On top of the incredible beer scene, the urban marrow is also “steeped” inwards tea culture.
Check out Dobra Tea, afternoon tea at Biltmore, together with The Herbiary.
3. Float The French Broad River
The French Broad River winds its means past times Asheville, providing a natural infinite for all kinds of outdoor activities & adventures.
You receive got your obvious river sports similar whitewater kayaking together with inner-tube floating, but at that topographic point are some lesser-known activities hither too, similar “bellyaking” together with whitewater SUP.
Bellyaking was genuinely invented inwards Asheville — it’s a confront starting fourth dimension kayak-type ride using special “paddle gloves” to maneuver through the rapids.
I decided to endeavor some whitewater SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding) for the starting fourth dimension time amongst Wai Mauna SUP Tours. I brutal a few times, but it was even hence fun!
4. Visit The River Arts District
In the 1980s artists began transforming a bunch of old industrial buildings on the French Broad River into studio space.
Now the populace tin see these studios every bit utilization of “the RAD” Rivers Arts District together with browse works from 200 local artists.
They receive got epitome exhibits, photography galleries, jewelry making, all kinds of different art.
The 2nd Sabbatum of each calendar month hosts fine art workshops, vino tasting, alive music, together with more. You tin acquire around using a complimentary trolley that stops at different venues.
5. Farm To Table Dining
Asheville is habitation to over 250 restaurants, many serving locally produced meats together with veggies spell supporting North Carolina’s farmers. They’ve been doing “farm to table” long earlier it became a cliche.
We plainly couldn’t endeavor every eating seat inwards town amongst only 4 days, but my favorite places to consume inwards Asheville were The Marketplace together with Salsas.
French Broad Chocolates is an ice-cream lover’s dream too. The draw of piece of employment exterior is long, but there’s a argue for that.
The chocolate ice-cream floats are sooooo good! It was worth the wait.
6. The Biltmore Estate
The historic Biltmore Estate is ane of the most often suggested places to see inwards Asheville. George Vanderbilt’s gigantic, hundred-year-old holding is quite busy all yr long.
George, an heir to the Vanderbilt railroad fortune, brutal inwards honey amongst North Carolina together with began edifice his holding past times tardily 1889. He decided to create a dream habitation surrounded past times natural forests together with productive farms.
This 178,926 foursquare pes mansion sits on 8000 acres, amongst over 250 rooms, together with is America’s largest home. The Biltmore holds regular exhibitions too. Tickets cost $70 for adults together with $35 for kids amongst a complimentary sound guide.
George Vanderbilt amassed a library of to a greater extent than than 22,000 books — including over 3,000 he read himself. Gazing at the wall of books inwards his library was fascinating.
7. Wild Foraging Tours
I’ve never been wild mushroom picking before, hence nosotros signed upwards for a foraging tour amongst a fellowship called No Taste Like Home.
After beingness equipped amongst baskets, harvesting knives, together with newspaper bags, nosotros headed into the enchanting North Carolina forest. I was completely surprised at how many things yous could eat, together with how goodness they tasted!
We collected Day Lily flowers, Chanterelle mushrooms, Stinging Nettle, Sassafras leaves, together with foreign mushrooms called Hairy Rubber Cups. While non pop inwards the US, they are apparently a delicacy inwards Malaysia.
After, yous tin convey your “catch” to local restaurants inwards Asheville similar The Marketplace, where chefs railroad train your dinner using the wild ingredients.
8. Street Busker Entertainment
You tin banking concern jibe out some of the many fun (sometimes strange) street buskers inwards Downtown Asheville too. There are solo performances amongst guitars, violins, drums, together with keyboards, or fifty-fifty total bands.
Busking is when yous play music or set on a performance of some sort inwards public, hoping to brand a fiddling coin inwards tips.
People clothing inwards costumes or volition brand upwards a personal poesy form for yous on the street. Don’t forget to acquire out a tip if yous bask the show! Asheville wouldn’t survive the same without these guys.
9. Catch H5N1 Live Music Show
Asheville is habitation to many pocket-size lounges, clubs, together with breweries featuring alive rock, jazz, together with bluegrass music. Many don’t accuse a encompass either.
There are enough of larger venues too, similar the Asheville Music Hall, Orange Peel, together with Salvage Station. If yous desire to meet who’s playing when, the urban marrow has a Calendar of Events page that lists all the details.
Pack Square Park is some other selection for watching alive music, similar Shindig on the Green outdoor concerts every summer.
Oh, together with if you’re visiting on a Fri night, brand certain to banking concern jibe out the public drum circle inwards Pritchard Park that starts around 5pm together with attracts a huge grouping of drummers together with dancers.
10. Drive The Blue Ridge Parkway
Nestled betwixt the Great Smoky Mountains together with the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville offers year-round access to hiking trails together with exhilarating views along the famous Blue Ridge Parkway.
The consummate route stretches 469 miles from North Carolina to Virginia together with is habitation to a broad make of various plants together with animals. It’s technically utilization of the National Park System.
Asheville was a perfect base of operations for exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway, together with nosotros spent a total 24-hour interval cruising its winding pavement. Stopping occasionally at mount lookouts together with for brusk hikes to admire the area’s nature.
11. Hiking The Blue Ridge Mountains
While you’re driving along the parkway, brand certain to halt together with make a flake of hiking!
Along amongst hundreds of hiking trails, the parkway includes sections of the Appalachian Trail — ane of America’s classic long-distance hikes that stretch from Georgia to Maine.
One of the to a greater extent than pop hikes upwards hither is to the summit of Mt. Pisgah. The 1.2 mile (1.85 km) hike takes most people virtually 45 minutes from the trailhead [MAP].
From the top, at that topographic point is a large observation deck overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains that’s totally worth the climb.
12. Relax At Shoji Spa
If yous desire to boot dorsum together with bask some placidity time, caput into the hills only exterior Asheville for a soak inwards the Japanese-style Shoji Spa.
Each spa invitee books their ain individual salt-water hot tub looking out into the forest. You tin also asking tea service, different kinds of massage, addition there’s a sauna too.
13. Pisgah National Forest
Located only South West of Asheville, solely 30-45 minutes away, you’ll uncovering Pisgah National Forest.
It’s considered the birthplace of modern forestry inwards America, together with habitation to the country’s first forestry school.
Driving through Pisgah on Route 276 is a fun fiddling route trip consummate amongst waterfalls, white H2O rapids, hiking trails, together with camping ground opportunities.
We stopped past times ii different waterfalls. The starting fourth dimension is called Looking Glass Falls. Located correct off the side of the road, it’s super slow to reach, together with a dainty identify to cool off inwards the summertime heat.
The 2nd is Sliding Rock Falls — basically, a huge natural waterslide made of smoothen stone. H5N1 quick ride downward the 60-foot flat, sloping boulder volition definitely wake yous upwards due to the chilly 50-degree water!
14. Go Fly Fishing
The Blue Ridge together with Smoky Mountains that surroundings Asheville North Carolina receive got some fantabulous wing angling for those who are into the sport.
The Nantahala together with Pisgah National Forests are where most fishermen caput for their create total of Rainbow, Brown, together with Brook Trout angling opportunities.
The Davidson River is ane pop surface area for fly-fishing, but if yous desire something fifty-fifty closer, The French Broad River that runs through the urban marrow is also good.
15. Visit Some Asheville Museums
Looking to larn to a greater extent than virtually Asheville’s history? Why non halt past times ane of the many museums that telephone phone the urban marrow home!
You’ve got your to a greater extent than traditional museums similar the Asheville Art Museum together with the Asheville Museum of Science.
Or, yous tin maintain it weird, every bit Asheville locals similar to, together with halt past times the Asheville Pinball Museum together with endeavor playing all their retro pinball together with arcade games.
Another selection is the Asheville Mystery Museum, to larn virtually the black side of the city, every bit good every bit the paranormal phenomena that’s been recorded here.
16. Join H5N1 LaZoom Bus Tour
I didn’t know what the hell this was when it drove by. H5N1 huge regal political party double-decker without windows, together with a human being dressed every bit a nun riding an 8-foot tall bicycle?
Welcome to LaZoom Comedy Tours! This Asheville establishment takes visitors all over the city, sharing a mixture of history amongst a large dose of fun.
The tour guides are dressed upwards every bit crazy characters, together with yous won’t acquire out without lots of laughing!
17. Take H5N1 Walking Tour
Asheville’s famously creative (and slightly eccentric) locals contribute to a lively downtown dissimilar whatever other inwards the United States.
Asheville is a pocket-size city, together with the downtown area, inwards particular, is easily walkable, amongst a charm all its own.
You tin sense an intoxicating drum circle, store at vintage boutiques, sit down downward to an amazing locally-grown meal, together with admire cool street fine art all inwards the same day.
The urban marrow has a few self-guided walking tours for exploring the city, ane is called the Urban Trail, the other is the Architecture Trail.
18. North Carolina Arboretum
Love flowers? Make certain to swing past times the North Carolina Arboretum to banking concern jibe out their beautiful gardens.
Located inwards the Appalachian Mountains only S of Asheville, they receive got acres of cultivated gardens together with groomed hiking/biking trails featuring some really botanically-diverse plants.
There’s also a Bonsai Exhibition Garden if you’re into the fine art of Bonsai tree cultivation.
19. Ghost Hunting Adventures
Did yous know Asheville has quite a supernatural history? There are ghosts all over this city! If you’re a fan of the supernatural, I highly recommend a ghost tour amongst Haunted Asheville.
You’ll see all the city’s most haunted spots, together with larn virtually why they are haunted. Tours start at 8pm. Tickets are $23 for adults together with $15 for children 9-14. Under 8 years old together with you’re free!
20. Omni Grove Park Inn
Built past times ane of Asheville’s famous residents, the Grove Park Inn is a beautiful 100-year-old hotel located on top of a hill. It’s the nicest hotel inwards the city.
We spent ane nighttime here, together with spell beautiful, it also felt a flake similar nosotros were staying inwards the hotel from The Shinning! The hotel does, inwards fact, receive got a resident ghost called “The Pink Lady”.
Even if yous don’t remain at the hotel, they receive got an awesome spa together with restaurant that anyone tin enjoy.
21. Shopping At The Grove Arcade
Opened inwards 1929 past times E.W. Grove, the Grove Arcade was built to celebrate the urban marrow of Asheville. It every bit a rich history, cool architecture, together with eclectic mix of shops together with restaurants for residents together with visitors.
Stop past times the Battery Park Book Exchange together with Champagne Bar to make a fiddling reading spell sipping a fine wine. Or caput over to Nutz About Fudge to endeavor some of the best-tasting fudge inwards Asheville!
During WWII, the Grove Arcade was taken over past times the the States Government but eventually given (leased) dorsum to the urban marrow of Asheville inwards 1997 to go a marketplace again.
Where To Stay In Asheville
While nosotros were inwards Asheville, nosotros stayed at the beautiful Abbington Green B&B, every bit good every bit the historic Omni Grove Park Inn. Here are some other suggestions for places to remain inwards Asheville North Carolina:
Best Accommodation In Asheville
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Asheville Travel Tips & Advice
- There’s a fun populace drum circle every Fri nighttime betwixt 6pm – 10pm inwards Pritchard Park, where people of all ages bring together inwards to trip the low-cal fantastic toe to the music.
- Asheville has a beautiful array of wildflowers that bloom betwixt Apr together with June. Keep your optic out for trillium, lady slippers, wild ginger, eve primrose, mount laurel, rhododendron, together with many more.
- The best fourth dimension to see Asheville is during the autumn leaf flavor (October), every bit trees & mountains are incredibly colorful. Summers are commonly pretty busy likewise together with acquire the best weather.
- Parts of the Appalachian Trail overstep through this region. For a gustation of this famous 2,180 mile trek, endeavor hiking the Max Patch Mountain trail for peachy views.
- The Biltmore Estate is Asheville’s most pop attraction, hence it tin acquire quite crowded. Go super early on for awesome photos together with less people.
Enjoy Your Trip To Asheville NC!
Asheville North Carolina has a fiddling something for everyone. You tin bask scenic mount vistas, fun alive music, locally produced nutrient together with beer, a vibrant arts scene, addition hiking together with other outdoor peril activities.
I receive got to say it has go ane of my novel favorite mount towns inwards the United States, together with an fantabulous weekend opor-garai destination.
Who knows, yous may never desire to acquire out this city! ★
Bonus Travel Video! Things To Do In Asheville
(Click to ticker Things To Do In Asheville – North Carolina on YouTube)
Packing Guide
Check out my travel gear guide to assist yous start packing for your trip. Pick upwards a move backpack, photographic idiot box camera gear, together with other useful move accessories.
Book Your Flight
Find inexpensive flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to uncovering deals on airlines. Also brand certain to read how I uncovering the cheapest flights.
Rent H5N1 Car
Discover Car Hire is a peachy site for comparison automobile prices to uncovering the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.
Book Accommodation
Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read to a greater extent than virtually how I volume inexpensive hotels online.
Protect Your Trip
Don’t forget move insurance! I’m a large fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read to a greater extent than virtually why yous should e'er comport move insurance.
Recommended Guidebook: Asheville & Great Smokey Mountains
Suggested Reading: Only In Asheville: An Eclectic History
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- How To Choose H5N1 Travel Backpack
Any questions virtually traveling to Asheville, NC? Do yous receive got whatever other suggestions? Drop me a message inwards the comments below!
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