Unearth The Voyage
Asheville sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, offering a unique mix of outdoor adventure, craft beer culture, and vibrant art scenes. Whether you’re exploring historic estates, hiking mountain trails, or hopping between award-winning breweries, this mountain city has something for everyone. From riverside studios to sunset views over the Appalachians, Asheville combines natural beauty with creative energy in ways few other cities can match.
1. Tour Biltmore Estate: America’s Largest Home
George Vanderbilt’s 250-room mansion stands as the largest privately owned home in America, sprawling across 8,000 acres just south of downtown. Built in the French chateau style, the estate offers a glimpse into Gilded Age luxury with its grand halls, art collections, and ornate architecture.
Formal and informal gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted surround the house, featuring seasonal blooms, fountains, and walking paths. Miles of trails connect visitors to the French Broad River, Deer Park, and a peaceful lagoon perfect for exploration.
The on-site Biltmore Winery ranks among the most visited wineries in the country, offering tastings and special wine experiences right on the estate grounds.
2. Brewery-Hop Through the South Slope Brewing District
A four-time winner of the Beer City USA poll, Asheville’s beer scene centers on South Slope, a walkable neighborhood packed with breweries, taprooms, and cideries. Just south of downtown, this district has become a pilgrimage site for craft beer lovers nationwide.
Within a few blocks, you’ll discover Burial Beer Co.’s original location, Wicked Weed’s Funkatorium (the East Coast’s first sour beer taproom), and Hi-Wire Brewing’s South Slope spot. Local favorites mix with food trucks and casual eateries, creating a lively atmosphere.
The compact layout makes self-guided brewery crawls easy and fun, letting you sample everything from IPAs to experimental sours without needing a car.
3. Sip Riverside at New Belgium Brewing
New Belgium’s Asheville location sits along the French Broad River, connecting the River Arts District and West Asheville neighborhoods. The riverside Liquid Center tasting room at 21 Craven Street offers rotating beer lineups and outdoor seating with peaceful water views.
Brewery tours can be booked in advance, taking visitors through the production process and ending with tastings of New Belgium’s signature and seasonal brews. The facility represents part of Asheville’s broader beer boom that has given the city one of the highest brewery densities in the United States.
Combining a riverside beer with a stroll through nearby artist studios makes for a perfect Asheville afternoon.
4. Take a Destination Brewery Tour at Sierra Nevada (Mills River)
Located in Mills River just outside Asheville, Sierra Nevada’s East Coast brewery has become a must-visit for beer travelers. Interactive tours cover everything from hop handling to brewing science, concluding with tastings of their famous beers and special releases.
Beyond the production facility, visitors can explore beautifully landscaped grounds and an estate garden, grab a pint in the spacious taproom, or enjoy a meal at the on-site restaurant featuring local ingredients. The setting feels more like a resort than a factory.
Because of its popularity as a destination brewery, reservations for tours are strongly recommended, especially during peak tourist seasons in spring and fall.
5. Wander Asheville’s River Arts District (RAD)
Starting in the 1980s, former industrial buildings along the French Broad River transformed into hundreds of artist studios and galleries. This organic creative community became known as the River Arts District, or RAD, attracting visitors who wanted to watch artists at work and purchase directly from creators.
Hurricane Helene flooded the district in 2024, damaging roughly 80% of buildings. By 2025, a strong recovery was underway, with many studios, galleries, restaurants, and breweries reopening alongside new businesses moving into the neighborhood.
Today’s visitors can stroll through former warehouses packed with working studios, support rebuilding artists, and stop at nearby breweries and cafes throughout this resilient creative corridor.
6. Dive Into Downtown Murals & the South Slope Mural Trail
Asheville boasts a remarkable concentration of outdoor murals, especially downtown and throughout South Slope. Dedicated walking tours like the Asheville Murals Walking Tour and Mountain Mural Tours guide small groups through hidden and famous walls, sharing stories about artists and neighborhood history behind each piece.
The South Slope Mural Trail offers a self-guided route created in partnership with Explore Asheville and local organizations to showcase the district’s growing street art scene. You can follow the trail at your own pace with a map or app.
Pairing mural exploration with a South Slope beer crawl creates an ideal afternoon combining art, culture, and craft beverages in one walkable area.
7. Explore the Asheville Art Museum
On Pack Square in downtown’s heart, the Asheville Art Museum focuses on 20th and 21st century American art, with particular emphasis on Western North Carolina artists and their work. The collection celebrates regional creativity while connecting it to broader national movements.
After reopening in a dramatically expanded space in 2019, the museum became both a cultural and architectural anchor for downtown. Changing exhibitions rotate alongside the permanent collection, with educational programs serving residents and visitors alike.
Visiting the museum pairs perfectly with exploring Pack Square’s surrounding galleries, indie shops, and cafes, all within easy walking distance for a full cultural day downtown.
8. Walk the Asheville Urban Trail
This 1.7-mile self-guided walking route weaves through downtown using 30 sculptural stations to tell Asheville’s story. Each marker highlights different aspects of the city’s history, architecture, and notable residents, creating an outdoor museum experience.
Trail markers and public art pieces celebrate everything from Art Deco building facades to literary heritage, making it an excellent introduction to both Asheville’s past and its creative present. The route is free and can be completed at your own pace.
Dogs on leash are welcome along the trail, making it a family-friendly and pet-friendly way to learn about the city while getting some exercise and fresh mountain air.
9. Road-Trip and Hike Along the Blue Ridge Parkway (Craggy Gardens & Craggy Pinnacle)
The Blue Ridge Parkway skirts Asheville, offering classic mountain overlooks and hiking trails within an easy drive of downtown. Craggy Gardens and Craggy Pinnacle, located around milepost 364 roughly 40 minutes from the city, feature short routes with rhododendron tunnels, seasonal wildflowers, and expansive ridge-top views.
A 26-mile stretch between Asheville and Craggy Gardens, damaged by Hurricane Helene, reopened in September 2025, restoring more than 100 continuous driveable miles around the city. Some picnic areas and trails may still see intermittent closures.
Because of frequent weather-related closures in this mountain region, travelers should always check current National Park Service Parkway alerts before heading out.
10. Stand on the Highest Peak East of the Mississippi at Mount Mitchell
Mount Mitchell State Park, roughly 30 to 40 miles northeast of Asheville, protects the 6,684-foot summit of Mount Mitchell. This peak holds the title of highest point east of the Mississippi River and the tallest in the entire Appalachian Mountain range.
A paved path from the upper parking area leads to an observation deck offering 360-degree views on clear days. Several short summit-area trails wind through rare high-elevation spruce-fir forest, with longer routes connecting to the Black Mountain range.
This straightforward big view excursion from Asheville pairs beautifully with a scenic Blue Ridge Parkway drive, creating a memorable mountain day trip for visitors and locals alike.
11. Chase Waterfalls in Pisgah National Forest (Looking Glass Falls)
Pisgah National Forest, southwest of Asheville, is famous for its stunning waterfalls. Looking Glass Falls near Brevard off U.S. 276 stands out as one of the most popular, featuring a roughly 60-foot roadside cascade with an accessible top viewing deck and a short stairway leading closer to the base.
Because it sits right beside the road, Looking Glass Falls is considered an easy access stop that can be combined with nearby attractions like Sliding Rock and Moore Cove Falls along the same scenic highway.
The Forest Service reminds visitors not to park in the road when lots are full, and warning signs note there’s no lifeguard on duty at the waterfall’s base pool.
12. Stroll the Gardens and Trails at the North Carolina Arboretum
Just south of Asheville, the North Carolina Arboretum combines public gardens with forested trails in a beautiful Southern Appalachian setting. Acres of cultivated gardens feature regionally diverse plants, themed garden spaces, and seasonal exhibits that change throughout the year.
More than 10 miles of hiking and biking trails connect to the surrounding Bent Creek Experimental Forest, offering everything from easy strolls to longer woodland adventures. The trails showcase native plants and mountain ecosystems up close.
A parking fee (or membership) replaces traditional admission charges, making the Arboretum an excellent value for a half-day outdoors close to the city with gardens and trails for all ages.
13. Float or Paddle the French Broad River
One of the world’s oldest rivers, the French Broad runs right through Asheville and has become a major recreation corridor. Outfitters like French Broad Outfitters and Zen Tubing offer tubing, kayak, canoe, and stand-up paddleboard trips, including routes passing the Biltmore Estate or River Arts District.
After Hurricane Helene, Explore Asheville’s 2025 river guide notes that much of the French Broad River is open for paddling, strolling, tubing, and soaking up summer sunshine. Conditions can still change, so checking current flow, closures, and shuttle operations remains important.
This is one of the most relaxed ways to appreciate Asheville’s mountains and riverside neighborhoods in a single outing.
14. Catch Sunset Views at the Omni Grove Park Inn
Perched above Asheville, the historic Omni Grove Park Inn opened in 1913 and is known for its impressive stone facade and sweeping Blue Ridge Mountain views. The landmark resort has welcomed guests for over a century with its rustic elegance and mountain setting.
Even if you’re not staying overnight, you can book a table at the award-winning Sunset Terrace restaurant, which sits on the outdoor terrace of the original inn. Wine Spectator has repeatedly recognized the restaurant, which is specifically promoted for its steaks, seafood, and iconic mountain views.
Southern Living consistently highlights the Grove Park Inn as one of the top resorts in the South, reinforcing its status as a bucket list sunset spot in Asheville.
