How to Spend a Weird Weekend in Asheville, North Carolina
When I first moved to Georgia, I heard about Asheville a lot. It seemed like the hidden gem that everyone in the South loved to visit. I finally spent 3 days in Asheville, so I got a good taste of what’s doable if you’re only visiting Asheville for the weekend.
Asheville is known for its vibrant food and craft brewery scene and the iconic Biltmore Mansion, which I’ll dive into in a bit. It’s also situated in the mountains, on the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a scenic drive that passes through Virginia and North Carolina. It’s hailed as the weird city and is the perfect destination if you’re looking for somewhere unique that you can see in a weekend.
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I know, you’re busy! That’s why I’ve compiled this itinerary into a handy dandy downloadable version. It’s totally free, just tell me where to send it.
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How to Get to Asheville
Asheville is located on the western end of North Carolina, only 3.5 hours from Atlanta, 2 hours from Charlotte, and 4 hours from Nashville if you’re driving.
It’s a great road trip stop as well. If you need to fly into Asheville, the local airport is AVL and often has fares around $100 to and from cities around the US.
Getting around Asheville
Public Transportation
Asheville has a reliable bus system called ART (Asheville Rides Transit). You can easily get around most of Asheville using the bus system including to and from the AVL airport via S3 route and all over downtown.
Some of downtown Asheville is a fare free zone, so don’t hesitate to use the buses there. See the map for the exact boundary.
One thing to note is that although the bus system can take you near the Biltmore Estate, the estate is so massive, that you really need a car or ride share to get you to the attractions inside and around the property. The actual estate is 3 miles from the front gate and the winery is 3 miles from the estate. The grounds are HUGE.
Bus fares are $1.00 each way, but you can get ticket booklets with 11 rides for $9. Again, because part of downtown is a fare free zone, make sure you actually need to pay before you purchase ride booklets ahead of time.
When in doubt, you can always use ride shares. Typical fares are $15, while fares to and from the airport are $35.
Rental Cars
If you want the freedom to come and go as you please, a rental car is always a great option. Rental cars in Asheville cost $50 per day on the low end. If you are under 25 years old, you’ll likely need to pay an additional daily fee. If you’re on a tight budget, consider only renting a car for the day you may need it.
Where to Stay in Asheville, NC
If you’re looking for a unique stay, you can actually stay at the Biltmore Estate.
They have a couple options:
- The Inn – $199+ per night
- Village Hotel – $145+ per night
- The Residences – $109+ per night
Asheville is a mountain town so there are some great lodges and cabins like The Omni Grove Park Inn for $230+ per night.
For budget travelers, you can find chain hotels for as little as $55 per night like the Country Inn & Suites or for a little closer to $80 a night, the Holiday Inn.
We stayed in an Airbnb farther from town because we were actually visiting so T could take a test, so we needed it to be extra quiet and restful.
How much does a weekend in Asheville cost?
Expected cost of a weekend getaway to Asheville
$445
for one person for one weekend
$200 – hotel
$110 – food/beer
$95 – activities
$40 – parking
Weekend in Asheville Itinerary Map
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Day 1 (Friday)
Assuming you arrive in Asheville on Friday afternoon, you’ll first want to check in to your hotel, drop off your stuff, and gear up for your first taste of Asheville.
Dinner and Dessert at Local Favorites
For dinner, pop in to White Duck Taco Shop, a local favorite fusion taco spot that has taco creations like BBQ pulled pork or bahn mi tacos. There are a couple locations, but I recommend the location on Miami Cir. so that you can stop at Baked Pie Company down the road for dessert.
The thing to try is their pie flight where for about $15, you can choose 3 pie flavors to try with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Their shop is also super cute and vintage with old TVs and picture-perfect furniture. Highly recommend, especially for my foodies.
Delightfully weird evening entertainment
Make your way downtown because every Friday in Pritchard Park, there is a local drum circle around 5pm. Locals from around Asheville bring their own drums, set up on the stairs of the park, and start playing together. People dance and clap along.
It’s seriously such a whacky and fun experience! Only in Asheville!
Explore the craft brewery scene
Asheville is home to over 70 breweries in the surrounding area so you definitely want to include visiting some on your trip to Asheville.
Some of the biggest names are Hi Wire, Wicked Weed, and even Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has a HUGE taproom in Asheville. But there are truly so many more. You can honestly walk around downtown, especially south of Patton Ave, and you’ll stumble on a bunch. If you keep walking south you’ll hit the South Slope Brewing District where a bunch are clustered.
As a non-drinker, I liked Wicked Weed because they had food too and free pretzels!
There is also a White Duck Taco Shop on Broadway in downtown if you want to skip the dessert and go straight for the breweries.
Day 2
Breakfast is our jam
Good morning! Today is your only full day in Asheville so we’re making the most of it!
Let’s start at one of the most iconic breakfast spots in the city, Biscuit Head. I recommend getting there when they open because, especially on Saturdays, there will be a crowd.
Biscuit Head is known for their namesake (biscuits). What I loved most about them wasn’t their biscuits, it was their extensive jam/jelly bar. They had flavors like sweet potato chai, peach rosemary, apple pie, sour cherry, blueberry jalapeno, banana buffalo, and more! They also have many traditional flavors like strawberry if you aren’t feeling as adventurous.
While you can get biscuit sandwiches, I recommend at least getting one biscuit on the side so you can try some of their incredible jams.
Visiting the Biltmore Estate
Today will be dedicated to the biggest to-do in Asheville, the Biltmore Estate. This is the largest home in America, but it’s so much more than a house. On the estate, you’ll explore gardens, a conservatory, winery, shops, exhibits, and farmland.
Admission may seem hefty at $90+ per person, but the Biltmore is truly an all-day affair with much to do. I do recommend getting tickets in advance as they can sell out, especially in the summer months and for the holidays. And, ticket price scales with a crowd calendar and can be up to $145 per person.
Tickets come with parking, wine tasting, audio guide for the home, and access to the gardens and Village, which has shops, food, and exhibits.
A couple tips on visiting the Biltmore Estate:
- plan to arrive to Biltmore early to beat crowds
- reserve your wine tasting as soon as you arrive at Biltmore
- there are free shuttles to take you to/from the parking lots and the home
- if visiting during summer months, walk the gardens first thing in the morning before it gets too hot
The Biltmore was the family home of the Vanderbilt family so the tour will allow to explore their lavish lifestyle. You’ll see their art, furniture, and clothes all reminiscent of their wealth.
The audio guide will take you through various rooms of the house where you’ll see extravagant rooms like the 7 story high dining room, a beautiful foyer with a glass ceiling, and truly magical library with floors of books, cozy reading chairs, and rolling ladders.
It’s a bit overwhelming for us regular folk, but interesting to learn about. I really enjoyed the basement where they had a pool, gym, and bowling alley. The pool was nice and creepy because a) it was drained and b) it had ropes hanging off the railings, which were used to help people stay afloat that couldn’t swim…it just looked very ominous in a drained pool.
The gardens and conservatory were my favorite part of the estate, although it’s no secret that I love a good botanic garden.
When we visited, the conservatory had an eco-friendly model train exhibit with replica structures of the Biltmore Estate buildings made from plants displayed throughout. Model trains traveled on tracks made of sticks/natural materials all over the conservatory and in and out of some of the little buildings. It was very impressive!
The other gardens included a rose garden, Italian garden, and terraces overlooking the surrounding mountains.
There are some shops at the Biltmore adjacent to the home including a candy shop and general souvenirs, where you’ll find exclusive memorabilia like blankets, postcards, and even Loungefly bags.
Once you have your fair share of this area of the Estate, it’s time to head in your vehicle and make your way to Antler Hill Village.
This is where your wine tasting will be and it’s a great spot for lunch as well. We grabbed some BBQ from a food truck on site and treated ourselves to the most delicious vanilla soft serve ice cream made from their own on-site creamery.
Make sure to stop in the exhibit here called The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad, which features some of their personal art collection, antiques, and treasures.
Antler Hill Village also has the Farmyard, which is fun for kids especially as they can meet farm animals and watch farm activities like goat milking, goat brushing, and hoof trimming. Kids or not, this can be a fun activity if you need some animal therapy.
Be sure to also visit Antler Hill Barn, where you’ll learn about the Biltmore Dairy and their livestock. Depending on the season, they have craftsman demonstrations as well, such as blacksmiths or woodworkers.
Down time before evening activities
Once you’ve had your fill of the Biltmore, I recommend heading back to your lodging to freshen up for the evening, if you like.
If you’d rather press on with more activities, I’d make your back downtown and browse the many art galleries. Asheville is hailed as a “weird” city…no seriously, their tagline is Keep Asheville Weird. But weird, lends to a lot of art and naturally lots of art galleries. Who knows, you might just find something to bring home!
Branch out for dinner
When you’re ready for dinner, downtown Asheville has many great restaurants to try beyond typical American food. We had burritos at Sonora Cocina Mexicana and they were so flavorful! But I also really wanted to try Chai Pani, an Indian street food spot – they have a sister restaurant in Ponce City Market in Atlanta that I love!
If you’re looking for a yummy vegan-friendly spot, I can’t recommend Rosetta’s Kitchen enough! They have vegan soul food like collard kale. My absolute favorite was their peanut butter tofu 🤤 AND they have a kombucha bar!
Play your heart out at the Asheville Pinball Museum
Finally, I hope you ate well and got your energy up because there’s one final item on the agenda and that’s the Asheville Pinball Museum.
This was hands down my favorite thing we did in Asheville, probably because I’m forever a kid at heart (I also loved the pinball museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee).
For $17 per person, it’s all you can play! They have over 60+ games including historic pinball machines and classic arcade games. The pinball machines also have a little museum labels that detail the name of the game, its year, and some info about it.
Not only can you play pinball games from the 1950s, but you can learn a bit about the game too.
The Pinball Museum has snacks and drinks, including beer, so settle in and get gaming!
Day 3
No breakfast left behind
You know we can’t possibly start without breakfast, my most favorite meal! For your final half day in Asheville, let’s go with Early Girl Eatery. Another local favorite, this breakfast restaurant has the most incredible biscuit French toast! I am always on the hunt for the best breakfast spots (like the Arcade in Memphis), so this was a WIN.
They have a couple locations, but to get you close to the next activity, the Hendersonville Road location is closest.
A free(ish) visit to the North Carolina Arboretum
Like I said, I love a good garden and the North Carolina Arboretum is the one thing that I 100% would have done if I had more time. It has a bunch of highly-rated reviews, so I feel pretty good recommending it to you even though I didn’t have a chance to visit.
The arboretum has 65 acres of gardens including a Bonzai garden (cool!), art and science exhibits, and 10+ miles of hiking!
Admission is free, but parking is $20 per vehicle. You can save on the parking with a AAA membership or local library pass. Alternatively, I recommend driving a bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s truly one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the US, particularly during fall.
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More time in the South? Check out these posts:
- Guide to Land of Oz (just 2 hours from Asheville)
- Day trips from Raleigh, NC
- Ultimate Georgia bucket list (100+ things to do)
- New Orleans 3 or 4 day itinerary
- First-timer’s food guide to New Orleans
- Weekend in Memphis itinerary
- The most incredible foodie cities in the South
- Fun (and inexpensive) things to do in Chattanooga, TN
- The most fun things to do in Jekyll Island, GA
- Weekend guide to Helen, GA
- How to spend a trip to Johnson City, TN
- The best hotel in Nashville: Conrad
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Oh my gosh, the pie flights! They look delicious. We visited the area a number of years ago for Fall break, and I was in heaven. Such a beautiful part of the world.
My kind of flight! So yummy. It really is such a gorgeous part of the US!
Ohhh I would love to explore the Biltmore one day! Sounds like there’s a lot to do there.
It is indeed a beautiful place with lots to do!
Asheville is one of the places we have been dying to go, but have yet to make it too. This post is so helpful. Can’t wait to check out all these spots one day!
I hope you get a chance to visit Jenn, it’s such a great city!
Asheville seems like a lovely place for a weekend getaway! The Biltmore Estate looks amazing, I would love to visit.
It really is the perfect weekend getaway spot with so much to do!
I can’t believe that I have yet to visit Ashville. I need to change that, especially after reading this post. That pie alone looks worth the trip. LOL!
The food truly is worth the trip alone! I hope you make it to Asheville one day Michelle!
It’s been almost thirty years since I v visited here…I have always wanted to go back at Christmas time. Hopefully Ii can someday. Meanwhile, thanks for the walk down memory lane.
Christmas and New Years always look like such a blast at Biltmore!
The only time I have been there was at Christmas and it was epically beautiful. I really desire to go in spring and see the rose garden in bloom!
It’s so interesting to hear about your perspective as a former Asheville resident. There’s definitely a bittersweet feeling among locals about the city’s changes over the years. While the new development brings more job opportunities and tourism, it can feel like Asheville is losing some of its original quirks. Do you feel the same? I wonder if the city can keep its unique character while balancing growth. I’d love to know—do you miss any particular spots in Asheville or have advice for those of us staying?
For some reason I can not locate the download for the Ashville Info…Can you send?