Asheville · North Carolina, USA
Things to Do in Asheville: Tours, Tickets & Day Trips
The best things to do in Asheville, ranked by real traveller reviews: tour America’s largest home at the Biltmore Estate, drive the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craggy Gardens and Mount Mitchell, hike to the waterfalls of Pisgah and DuPont, cycle downtown on an e-bike, take a ghost walk or the LaZoom comedy bus and work through the breweries of the South Slope. Compare tours, tickets and day trips side by side — most with free cancellation.
151 experiences Free cancellation Top-rated tours Instant booking
Sunset tours in Asheville
Departures that are under way when the sun sets in the coming weeks — start times checked against the local sunset.
Good for families in Asheville
Children can join from a young age and pay less than adults — taken from each operator’s price list.
Browse
Explore Asheville by interest
Whatever brings you to Asheville — world-class museums, the river, or a long lunch — start with the experiences travellers love most.
What to see
Top attractions in Asheville
The landmarks that define the city — and the tickets and tours that get you in, often skipping the line.
Biltmore Estate
Vanderbilt château.
15 toursView tours
Blue Ridge Parkway
Scenic drive.
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Craft Breweries
Beer City USA.
15 toursView tours
Great Smokies
National park.
15 toursView tours
Waterfalls
Mountain cascades.
10 toursView tours
Downtown
Art Deco & galleries.
10 toursView tours
Autumn Ridges
Fall foliage.
15 toursView tours
Biltmore Gardens
Estate grounds.
15 toursView tours
City awayBiltmore Estate
Vanderbilt château.
from $89View trips
Region awayBlue Ridge Parkway
Scenic drive.
from $66View trips
1 hr awayGreat Smokies
National park.
from $61View trips
Region awayWaterfalls
Mountain cascades.
from $55View trips
City awayBreweries
Craft beer tour.
from $45View trips
City awayDowntown
Arts & history.
from $35View trips
Practical guide
Know before you go
Short, straight answers to the questions every Asheville visitor asks before booking.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)
Spectacular foliage — the peak season.
Spring (Mar–May)
Blooming gardens and mild days.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Warm and green, cooler than the lowlands.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Cool and quiet, festive at the Biltmore.
For foliage
Mid-to-late October on the Parkway.
Best overall
Autumn for colour, spring for gardens.
One day
The Biltmore and downtown.
Two days
Add the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Three days
Add the Smokies and waterfalls.
For the Biltmore
Half a day for the house and gardens.
For the mountains
A day on the Parkway or in the Smokies.
For beer
An evening brewery tour.
On foot
Downtown is compact and walkable.
By car
A car is best for the Parkway and Smokies.
Tours & transfers
Tours reach the Biltmore and the mountains.
Brewery shuttles
Tours drive you between breweries.
Where to stay
Stay downtown or near the Biltmore.
US dollar
The US uses the dollar; cards widely accepted.
Biltmore
Book estate tickets ahead, especially in autumn.
Blue Ridge Parkway
Go early on autumn weekends to beat traffic.
Breweries
Join a tour so you don’t have to drive.
Great Smokies
Bring layers — mountain weather changes fast.
Waterfalls
Wear grippy shoes for wet trails.
Mountain roads
Drive carefully on winding routes.
Biltmore tours
Estate tours fill up — book ahead.
Parkway tours
Autumn drives fill up — reserve early.
Brewery tours
Beer tours fill up — book ahead.
Smokies tours
Park tours fill up — reserve early.
Waterfall tours
Hiking tours fill up — book ahead.
Autumn peak
Foliage season is busiest — book well ahead.
Biltmore tour
Around $89–150 for a Biltmore Estate tour.
Parkway tour
About $66–120 for a Blue Ridge Parkway tour.
Brewery tour
Roughly $45–80 for a brewery tour.
Smokies tour
Around $61–120 for a Great Smokies tour.
Waterfall tour
About $55–100 for a waterfall hiking tour.
How to save
Join group tours to save over private ones.
When to visit
Asheville through the seasons
What's best, how busy it gets, and one booking tip for each time of year.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)
Sep–Nov
- Best for
- Fall foliage.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Peak.
Spring (Mar–May)
Mar–May
- Best for
- Gardens.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Lovely.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Jun–Aug
- Best for
- Mountains.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Warm.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Dec–Feb
- Best for
- Biltmore holidays.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Cool.
People also ask
Asheville travel FAQ
What are the top 10 things to do in Asheville?
Ranked by traveller reviews: 1) the Asheville night-time ghost walk, 2) the historic downtown e-bike tour, 3) the Blue Ridge Parkway and waterfall hiking tour, 4) the hop-on-hop-off trolley, 5) the LaZoom comedy sightseeing bus, 6) the South Slope brewery walking tour, 7) the Biltmore Estate and gardens, 8) the River Arts District studios and murals, 9) whitewater rafting on the French Broad River and 10) the Gorge zipline canopy tour in Saluda.
How many days do you need in Asheville?
Plan three days. Day one: the Biltmore Estate — book the earliest house entry, then the gardens, the winery tasting and Antler Hill Village. Day two: the Blue Ridge Parkway north to Craggy Gardens and Mount Mitchell, or south to Looking Glass Falls and Sliding Rock. Day three: downtown’s Art Deco architecture and shops, the River Arts District, a brewery tour and the ghost walk or LaZoom after dark. A fourth day allows Chimney Rock or the Smokies.
What to do in Asheville for free?
The Blue Ridge Parkway itself, with the Folk Art Center, the Craggy Gardens rhododendron trail (peak mid-June) and the summit of Mount Mitchell; Looking Glass Falls beside the road in Pisgah National Forest; downtown’s Urban Trail and the Grove Arcade; the River Arts District galleries; the Friday drum circle in Pritchard Park; the Basilica of St. Lawrence; the Botanical Gardens at Asheville; and the lobby and sunset terrace of the Omni Grove Park Inn.
What are the best day trips from Asheville?
The Blue Ridge Parkway to Mount Mitchell (one hour) or Graveyard Fields and Devil’s Courthouse (one hour); the waterfalls of Pisgah National Forest — Looking Glass Falls and Sliding Rock (45 minutes) — and DuPont State Forest (one hour); Chimney Rock and Lake Lure (45 minutes); the Great Smoky Mountains and Cherokee (90 minutes); Grandfather Mountain and Linville Falls (90 minutes); Hot Springs (one hour) and the town of Black Mountain (20 minutes). Guided Parkway hiking tours cost about $112–150.
What to do in Asheville at night?
The Friday-night drum circle in Pritchard Park, a ghost walk or the LaZoom comedy ghost bus, the breweries of the South Slope (Burial, Wicked Weed, Hi-Wire) and Highland’s rooftop, live music at the Orange Peel and the Grey Eagle, rooftop cocktails at the Sky Bar and Capella on 9, the Sunset Terrace at the Grove Park Inn, and Asheville Pinball Museum. In summer there are outdoor concerts at Salvage Station and Rabbit Rabbit.
What is there to do in Asheville in winter?
Christmas at Biltmore, with candlelight evenings in the decorated house, runs from early November to early January and is the most popular time of year on the estate; the North Carolina Arboretum’s Winter Lights and the Grove Park Inn’s gingerbread-house display join it. Breweries, restaurants and the River Arts District are cosy year-round; high sections of the Parkway close after snow, but Cataloochee and Beech Mountain ski areas are one to two hours away.
What are the best things to do in Asheville with kids?
The WNC Nature Center’s bears and wolves, the Biltmore’s gardens and Antler Hill farmyard, Sliding Rock’s natural waterslide in summer, tubing on the French Broad, the Asheville Pinball Museum, Chimney Rock’s elevator and waterfall trail, Grandfather Mountain’s mile-high swinging bridge, the LaZoom kids’ comedy tour, the drum circle and the miniature train at the Asheville Museum of Science.
When is the best time to visit Asheville?
October, when the Blue Ridge colour peaks in the middle of the month, and May to June, for waterfalls, rhododendrons and mild days. Summer is busy and warm but rarely hot at altitude. Winter is quiet apart from Christmas at Biltmore, with occasional snow and Parkway closures.
Is the Biltmore Estate worth it?
Yes — the 250-room house, Frederick Law Olmsted’s gardens, the winery and the 8,000-acre grounds make it the most visited attraction in North Carolina, and a full day is easily spent. Tickets are expensive, so buy in advance online for the lowest price, book the first house entry of the morning and add the rooftop or behind-the-scenes tour if you love architecture.
151 Asheville experiencesfrom $45 · free cancellation
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