Asheville, North Carolina is a dining destination, beer lovers hot spot, hiker’s paradise, and quiet retreat. Nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, there is a quaint town filled with charming shops, hiking trails galore, winding rivers, and beer – lots of beer.
This city exceeded my expectations and if you love barbecue and days spent relaxing at breweries after a day on the trail, then this city is great for a long weekend getaway. Here’s your ultimate long weekend guide to Asheville.
Table of Contents
- When to Travel to Asheville
- Transportation in Asheville
- Asheville’s Best Places to Stay
- Asheville’s Best Breweries
- Asheville’s Best Places to Eat
- Favorite Hikes Near Asheville
- Top Sights in Asheville
- 4-Day Asheville Itinerary
When to Travel to Asheville
Asheville is a year round destination. We’ve taken a few trips to Asheville in the middle of winter and late summer. Visiting during summer is great if your focus is outdoor activities – hiking, kayaking, biking, and outdoor concerts.
If you prefer fewer crowds and cheaper rates, traveling during winter was a great experience for us. While we expected a winter wonderland in January, we were greeted with 60 degrees and sunshine.
Transportation in Asheville
I highly recommend renting a car when visiting Asheville. It is the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to explore the town and surrounding mountain area. Ubers/Lyfts/Taxis can add up, and we experienced that some drivers won’t pick you up if you aren’t downtown. The Asheville airport is small, so make your car reservations in advance.
Asheville’s Best Places to Stay
For each of our visits, we’ve stayed at house rentals found through Airbnb and VRBO. There are some great hotel and B&B options too.
- Best budget-friendly Airbnb – Imaginarium (To access the room, you have to go up a flight of stairs.)
- The Residences at Biltmore
- Hotel Indigo Asheville
- Omni Grove Park Inn
- The Black Walnut Bed and Breakfast Inn
Asheville’s Best Breweries
- Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria
- Brouwerïj Cursus Keme
- Burial Brewery
- Ecusta Brewery
- Ginger’s Revenge
- Greenman Brewery
- Hillman Beer
- New Belgium Brewery
- Oskar Blues Brewery
- Sierra Nevada Brewery (Tip: Book a Sierra Nevada Brewery tour months in advance – they fill up fast.)
- Wicked Weed Brewery
- Zillicoach Beer Co.
Asheville’s Best Places to Eat
- Buxton Hall BBQ
- Biscuit Head
- Curate
- Hole Doughnuts
- Rhubarb
Favorite Hikes Near Asheville
This area is a hiker’s paradise. We opted for some easier hikes during our trip. For more hiking inspiration, check out Asheville Trail’s recommendations.
- Looking Glass Falls
- Cat Gap Loop Trail
- Sliding Rock Falls
Top Sights in Asheville
- Biltmore Estate
- Drive Blue Ridge Parkway
- The North Carolina Arboretum
- Level 256 Classic Arcade Bar
4-Day Asheville Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival & Sightseeing Downtown
Sights to See: Downtown Asheville
Where to Eat: Buxton Hall BBQ
Where to Drink: Greenman Brewery, Burial Brewery, Wicked Weed Brewery, Antidote
Arrival day. The Asheville airport is easy to navigate and we were quickly able to get our car. The airport sits about 20 minutes outside the city, so you have two options: (1) You can head out of town for a hike or (2) head downtown for a drink and get the party started.
Our flight landed in the late afternoon, and we opted to head downtown and tap into the local breweries. We stopped at Greenman Brewery first to get a pint and toast to our trip.
Next, explore downtown and check out the shops, and then make your way to dinner at Buxton Barbeque. It has some of the best barbecue I’ve ever had (and I grew up around some good, smoked BBQ). Paired with a casual, industrial ambience, hot sauce bar and strong cocktails, this was our favorite restaurant from the trip.
Our craving for after-dinner drinks and dessert brought us to Burial Brewing, where the Skillet Stout caught my eye. And, with the homemade donut hole they place on top, it won my heart.
We topped off the evening at Antidote, where the speakeasy feel charmed us right away. We opted for old fashions and finished the evening on the rooftop to enjoy the city views.
Day 2: Driving Blue Ridge Parkway, Hiking & Brewery Day
Sights to See: Looking Glass Falls, Cat Gap Loop Trail, Drive Blue Ridge Parkway, Sliding Rock Falls
Where to Eat: Biscuit Head, Curate, Oskar Blues Brewery, Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria
Where to Drink: Oskar Blues Brewery, Ecusta Brewery
Start your day by waking up early and making your first stop at Biscuit Head. The biscuits are worth the hype and going early (and off season like we did) helped us avoid a long line (locals shared that the line can go around the building sometimes!).
After carb-loading, make your way out to Brevard to explore trails and see Looking Glass Falls. The waterfall is easy to spot, and if you get there early enough, you can park alongside the steps to the entrance. The steps down are short and easy, bringing you to the perfect photo-op of the waterfall.
The Asheville area has a variety of hikes, and we opted to do Cat Gap Loop Trail for the day from a local’s recommendation. With this trail, you decide the difficulty level. We enjoyed crossing over waterways and taking the challenging hike to the top.
After you have your fill on the trail, head to Ecusta Brewery and Oskar Blues Brewery for pints and snacks. We made our way back to downtown Asheville for the evening with tapas at Curate and late night brews and bites at Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria.
Day 3: Sightseeing & Brewery Hopping
Sights to See: The North Carolina Arboretum or Biltmore Estate
Where to Eat: Hole Doughnuts, Hillman Beer, Zillicoach Beer Co., Rhubarb
Where to Drink: Brouwerïj Cursus Keme, Hillman Beer, Archetype Brewery, Ginger’s Revenge, Zillicoah Beer Co.
Holy moley. You need to start your morning at Hole Doughnuts. Fresh and made to order, these doughnuts are so good, we came back here twice during our visit.
For our sightseeing day, we were between seeing North Carolina Arboretum or Biltmore Estate. If you time it right, you could fit both, but we didn’t want a rushed reschedule. Choosing between which sight to experience may depend on the time of year as well – winter isn’t the best time to experience the arboretum whereas Biltmore is known for its extravagant holiday displays.
We opted to check out the North Carolina Arboretum. With trails, art installations and gardens throughout, it’s filled with beautiful sights to take in. You could even explore the trails and have a picnic on the grounds too.
After walking off the donuts, we headed out to experience more breweries. Our first stop was Brouwerïj Cursus Keme. The secluded spot, great beers and incredible industrial craftsmanship in the building made it a great spot to relax.
Next, we stopped for more brews and lunch at Hillman Beer. We sat outside and had one of the best Reubens to enjoy the day along the creek.
Detour Idea: Whenever we travel, we commemorate the trip with a souvenir. This time, we decided to pick up a new vinyl from Harvest Records to add to our collection.
Next stop, make your way to Archetype Brewery before heading across town to Ginger’s Revenge for, yes, you guessed it, more beer. We were able to fit in one more stop at Zillicoach Beer Co., which sits alongside a river with fire pits, friendly locals, great beer and a taco truck. This spot became one of our favorites in Asheville. It’s not the most glamorous spot, but it’s the kind of brewery where the locals go and you can sit back and watch the sunset against the mountains.
Finally, we ended the evening with a reservation at Rhubarb. Treat yourself to this restaurant if you can. The cocktails, charcuterie, farm fresh cuisine and cozy atmosphere made it a phenomenal dinner.
Day 4: Downtown, Breweries & Departure
Sights to See: Downtown Asheville
Where to Eat: Tupelo Honey, Sierra Nevada Brewery
Where to Drink: Sierra Nevada Brewery, New Belgium Brewery
Our flight was scheduled in the evening, so we took our time to enjoy our last day in Asheville.
First, start your morning at Tupelo Honey. This is where you should start your day with homemade biscuits and the Smokey Mountain whiskey cocktail. Why? Because it’s the last day of your vacation and you deserve it.
Depending on when you wrap up breakfast, explore a bit more of downtown’s shops. Next, make your way to New Belgium Brewery for a flight. The brewery sits alongside the river, and if you like to bike, check out the French Broad River Greenway bike path.
Last, but not least, Sierra Nevada Brewery was the grand finale of our trip. Located conveniently next to the airport, we took our time to have dinner and tap into their brews.
Travel Tip: Sierra Nevada Brewery tours book up months in advance. Make your reservations early if you can.
The brewery is massive and gives you the opportunity to do a self-tour. We took our pints and explored the grounds until it was time to head to the airport. Not a bad way to end the trip.
Enjoy your trip! If you have any questions, comment below and I’ll help you plan your adventure.
Stay Wild,
B
