Charlotte · North Carolina · United States
Things to Do in Charlotte: Tours, Tickets & Day Trips
The best things to do in Charlotte, ranked by real traveller reviews: tour Uptown’s history on an open-air cart, race a simulator at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, raft and zipline at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, ride the coasters at Carowinds, walk the South End Rail Trail and NoDa’s breweries and take a ghost tour of the Queen City. Compare tours, tickets and day trips side by side — most with free cancellation.
113 experiences Free cancellation Top-rated tours Instant booking
Sunset tours in Charlotte
Departures that are under way when the sun sets in the coming weeks — start times checked against the local sunset.
Good for families in Charlotte
Children can join from a young age and pay less than adults — taken from each operator’s price list.
Browse
Explore Charlotte by interest
Whatever brings you to Charlotte — world-class museums, the river, or a long lunch — start with the experiences travellers love most.
What to see
Top attractions in Charlotte
The landmarks that define the city — and the tickets and tours that get you in, often skipping the line.
Uptown Skyline
The Queen City.
10 toursView tours
History & Haunts
Ghostly legends.
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Open-Air Tour
Breeze & photos.
10 toursView tours
Trolley Pub
Pedal & sip.
10 toursView tours
Museum of Illusions
Trick your eyes.
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Comedy Bus
Laughs on wheels.
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Private Tour
On your terms.
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Charlotte
North Carolina.
15 toursView tours
Uptown awayCity Tour
The Queen City.
from $39View trips
Old city awayHistory & Haunts
Ghostly legends.
from $27View trips
Charlotte awayOpen-Air Tour
Breeze & photos.
from $29View trips
Breweries awayTrolley Pub
Pedal & sip.
from $39View trips
Uptown awayMuseum of Illusions
Trick your eyes.
from $33View trips
Charlotte awayComedy Bus
Laughs on wheels.
from $45View trips
Practical guide
Know before you go
Short, straight answers to the questions every Charlotte visitor asks before booking.
Spring (Mar–May)
Warm, blooming and comfortable.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Hot and humid — busy with events.
Peak
Spring and autumn draw the biggest crowds.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)
Crisp air and fall colour.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Cool and mild, rarely snowy.
Best overall
April to May and September to October.
One day
A city tour and the Museum of Illusions.
Two days
Add a ghost walk and a brewery crawl.
Three+ days
Add day trips and more neighbourhoods.
For sightseeing
An open-air city tour.
For beer
A trolley pub crawl.
For families
The Museum of Illusions.
By light rail
The LYNX Blue Line links Uptown and South End.
On foot
Uptown and South End are walkable.
By tour
City and open-air tours cover the highlights.
By car
A car helps for outer neighbourhoods.
Where to stay
Stay in Uptown or trendy South End.
US dollar
Charlotte uses the US dollar; cards are accepted everywhere.
City tours
Open-air carts are best in mild weather.
Ghost walks
Book an evening slot for the full effect.
Breweries
South End and NoDa have taprooms side by side.
Illusions
Buy timed tickets to skip the wait.
Light rail
Ride the Blue Line between Uptown and South End.
Combos
Some tours pair sightseeing with a brewery stop.
City tours
Small-group carts fill up — book ahead.
Trolley pub
Group crawls fill up — reserve early.
Ghost walks
Evening tours fill up — book ahead.
Illusions
Weekend tickets sell out — reserve early.
Comedy tours
Popular runs fill up — book ahead.
Peak seasons
Spring and autumn are busiest — book far ahead.
City tour
From about $39 for a guided city tour.
Ghost walk
Around $27 for a history-and-haunts walk.
Open-air tour
About $29 for an open-air minibus tour.
Trolley pub
Roughly $39 for a trolley pub crawl.
Illusions
From $33 for Museum of Illusions entry.
How to save
Join group city tours and ride the light rail between districts.
When to visit
Charlotte through the seasons
What's best, how busy it gets, and one booking tip for each time of year.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Dec–Feb
- Best for
- Cool & mild.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Quiet.
Spring (Mar–May)
Mar–May
- Best for
- Blooming.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Best.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Jun–Aug
- Best for
- Events.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Humid.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)
Sep–Nov
- Best for
- Fall colour.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Great.
People also ask
Charlotte travel FAQ
What are the top 10 things to do in Charlotte?
Ranked by traveller reviews: 1) the Southern Charm historical city cart tour of Uptown, 2) the Segway tour of the historic neighbourhoods, 3) the comedy history bus tour, 4) the Carolina History and Haunts ghost walk, 5) the NASCAR Hall of Fame, 6) the U.S. National Whitewater Center, 7) Carowinds amusement park, 8) the Trolley Pub pedal tour, 9) Discovery Place Science and 10) the breweries of NoDa and South End along the Rail Trail.
How many days do you need in Charlotte?
Plan one to two days. Day one: a cart or walking tour of Uptown, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Mint Museum or Bechtler, Romare Bearden Park and a South End brewery crawl. Day two: rafting or ziplining at the Whitewater Center, Carowinds in season, Lake Norman, or the Charlotte Motor Speedway tour in Concord. With a third day, drive to Crowders Mountain, Chimney Rock or Asheville.
What to do in Charlotte for free?
Walk the Rail Trail through South End’s murals and breweries, watch the fountains in Romare Bearden Park, spend an afternoon in Freedom Park, hike the free trails at the Whitewater Center, tour the Billy Graham Library, take kids to ImaginOn, browse Optimist Hall and Camp North End, join NoDa’s First Friday gallery crawl, and time your visit for the free concerts at Truist Field and the Uptown skyline lit at night from the Rail Trail bridges.
What are the best day trips from Charlotte?
Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills (25 minutes), Lake Norman for boating and the Lazy 5 Ranch (35 minutes), Crowders Mountain State Park for a summit hike (40 minutes), Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden (35 minutes), Winston-Salem’s Old Salem (90 minutes), Chimney Rock and Lake Lure (two hours), and Asheville with the Biltmore Estate and the Blue Ridge Parkway (two hours).
What to do in Charlotte at night?
Take the ghost walk or the haunted golf-cart tour, join the Trolley Pub, catch live music at the Neighborhood Theatre or the Evening Muse in NoDa, hop the breweries of South End (Sycamore, Wooden Robot), see a Hornets game at the Spectrum Center or a Panthers game at Bank of America Stadium, watch the Knights at Truist Field with the skyline behind, or head to the rooftop bars of Uptown such as Merchant & Trade and Fahrenheit.
What is there to do in Charlotte in winter?
Winter is mild (highs in the 50s°F). Carowinds runs WinterFest with lights and skating from late November to early January, the Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts one of the country’s largest drive-through light shows, the Whitewater Center opens an ice rink, and the Panthers play through January. Indoors there are the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Discovery Place, the Mint Museum and the Billy Graham Library.
What are the best things to do in Charlotte with kids?
Discovery Place Science, Carowinds (with Camp Snoopy for younger children), the Whitewater Center’s rafting, ropes courses and ziplines, the NASCAR Hall of Fame racing simulators, SEA LIFE aquarium in Concord, Freedom Park’s playgrounds, the free ImaginOn children’s library, the Charlotte Knights baseball games and the Lazy 5 Ranch drive-through safari at Lake Norman.
When is the best time to visit Charlotte?
April to May and September to October, with warm days, blooming dogwoods in spring and mountain colour in autumn. May brings the Coca-Cola 600 race weekend. Summer is hot and humid but Carowinds and the Whitewater Center are in full swing; winter is mild and quiet.
Is the NASCAR Hall of Fame worth visiting?
Yes — even for non-fans, the Glory Road ramp of historic cars, the pit-crew challenge and the racing simulators make it the most engaging attraction in Uptown, and it takes about two hours. Pair it with a Charlotte Motor Speedway tour in Concord if you want to see the track itself.
113 Charlotte experiencesfrom $27 · free cancellation
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