Day One | Friday Afternoon and Evening

So, you had a pretty long drive, but you’re finally in Asheville. You’ve checked into your hotel, Airbnb, cabin, or campsite. You need some fresh air and to stretch your legs.

Afternoon: Outdoors

You’ve still got a few hours of daylight to work with, so you probably need to stick around the city. 

Hiking: For hikers, Craggy Pinnacle and Gardens are about thirty minutes from downtown. You’re going to get some great views on the Blue Ridge Parkway and on your hike. You can stick around and watch the sunset. If you’re lucky, you can see the Charlotte Uptown Skyline from here. 

Mountain Biking: You’ve got more than enough time to shred the jump lines at Kolo Bike Park or the Riveter. 

Water: If you’re an angler, there are countless creeks and rivers to wade in close to the city. You may also have time for a quick float in a tube or paddle in a kayak on the French Broad. 

Other Outdoors

• Ziplining at The Adventure Center of Asheville or Navitat Canopy Adventures in Brevard
• Disc Golf at Richmond Hill Disc Golf Course, Sandhill Disc Golf Course, or Highland Brewing Disc Golf Course
• Biking or walking the French Broad River or the Greenway Wilma Dykeman Greenway in the RAD
• Climbing at the climbing gym at the Riveter (we’ll call this the indoor version of outdoor activities - a good option if the weather’s not cooperating or if you’re daylight is limited)

Evening: Dinner

You’ve worked up an appetite, so you’re probably thinking about dinner. It might be a good night for BBQ. Some of your options include:

• 12 Bones: Locations in the River Arts District and South Asheville
• Luella’s Bar-B-Que: Locations in South Asheville and North Asheville
• Buxton Hall Barbecue: Located in the South Slope area adjacent to Catawba Brewing. Buxton Hall has eastern North Carolina-style barbeque, amazing sides, and cocktails.

After Dinner: Nightlife

You might have time after dinner to catch a show at the Grey Eagle, Asheville Music Hall, Isis Music Hall, Thomas Wolfe, or Rabbit Rabbit. Grab a drink at a rooftop bar, then head over to Off The Wagon Dueling Piano Bar for a nightcap and memorable experience. 

Day Two | Saturday

You’re on vacation, so you can sleep in a little, but today is going to be a big day of getting in as much Asheville as you can. 

Morning: Coffee, Breakfast, Something Else

Start With Coffee: Asheville’s coffee scene is on its way to rivaling the beer scene:

• Summit Coffee | RAD and Downtown
• Farewell Coffee | South Slope
• Trade and Lord | Downtown
• Rowan Coffee | Downtown
• High Five Coffee | Multiple Locations

Breakfast: You’ve got some options for breakfast:

• Biscuit Head
• Tupelo Honey Cafe
• Sunny Point Cafe
• Two Girls Eatery

Afternoon: Lunch and Getting Outdoors

You’re fueled by a good breakfast; now it’s time to experience the great outdoors. Lunch may depend on where you are. Brevard, Weaverville, Sylva, Cherokee, Black Mountain, Mars Hill, and all the towns that are close to trails and outdoor options have amazing food. 

Hiking: If you have a little more time to go hiking, the world is really your oyster here. The options are almost impossible to narrow down, so we’ll break them down by area:

• Blue Ridge Parkway North: Linville Falls, Crabtree Falls, Craggy, trails around Mount Mitchell, and the Linville Gorge are all options in this direction. If the weather’s right, you can get in the water at Linville or Craggy. 

• Blue Ridge Parkway South: Mount Pisgah, Balsam Knob, and countless other big view-type trails are in this direction on the Parkway. The drive itself is part of the experience. 

• Big Ivy/Coleman Boundary: For a wilderness hiking experience, the Big Ivy/Coleman Boundary area near Barnardsville transports you to another world of rhododendrons, hidden waterfalls, and essentially District 12 of the Hunger Games!

• Pisgah National Forest/Brevard: The land of waterfalls, Transylvania County has swimming holes and galore. Turtleback Falls, Sliding Rock, Looking Glass Falls, Rainbow Falls, Skinny Dip Falls, and the list goes on and on and on. The Art Loeb Trail is a hike that will test your skills and endurance but reward you with unmatched beauty. 

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park: A bit more of a drive; you obviously can’t go wrong with a day spent in GSMNP. Plus, you might see the East Coast’s only elk herd.

Mountain Biking: Get ready to shred some of the best mountain biking you’ll find on the East Coast:

• Bent Creek: We dare you to find a better in-town mountain biking (and hiking and horseback riding) trail system than Bent Greek. Greens Lick is famous for a reason. Plus, you have a decent chance of seeing a black bear here. 

• Ride Kanuga: Do laps and earn dinner at Ride Kanuga. Even if you rent an E-Bike, you’re still going to burn some calories.  

• Pisgah National Forest: The options in Pisah are endless. If you have just one day, you might go to Pisgah Forest, stop at The Hub or Sycamore Cycles, and park at the visitor’s center or near Davidson River Campground. From there, you can ride up and shred down Avery Creek, Bennett Gap, or some combination of the Black Mountain trails (Upper Upper, Upper, Middle, and Lower). 

• Berm Park and Chestnut Mountain: A collaboration between the city of Canton and YouTuber Seth’s Bike Hacks (Berm Peak), you can do 1,000 laps at Berm Park and explore the ever-expanding backcountry trails at Chestnut Mountain. Hit up Philly Italian Pastas & Subs for a huge sub, and cold beer halfway through your run, then go back for more. 

• Ride Rock Creek: The area’s newest bike park, and only true downhill park, you can do laps via shuttle here. 

• Other Very Honorable Mentions: Fire Mountain in Cherokee, Kitsuma, Heartbreak Ridge, and the Gateway trails in Old Fort, Tsali in Bryson City, Kolo Bike Park in Asheville, The Riveter in Mills River (near Sierra Nevada Brewing), Big Ivy near Barnardsville, Buffalo Creek near Black Mountain, and so much more. 

Watersports: If the water is more your speed, you have many options for whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, tubing, swimming, fly fishing, and more. 

Skiing, Snowboarding, and Tubing: If you’re here during winter, you can hit the slopes at Wolf Laurel (near Mars Hill), Cataloochee Ski Area (Maggie Valley), and Sapphire Valley (Cashiers). 

Other Outdoor Activities: We’ve mentioned disc golf and ziplining above. World-class rock climbing is available with options like Looking Glass Wall, Curtis Creek, and more. People love to just drive the Parkway in either direction and just get out at the overlooks to explore. 

Evening: Dinner (and a Show)

You’ve worked up an appetite for sure. If you’re looking for a big dinner, you’ve come to the right city. Here are some options in no particular order:

• Asheville Pizza and Brewing
• Pack’s Tavern
• White Duck Taco 
• Papa’s and Beer 
• Nine Mile
• Rocky’s Hot Chicken
• Tupelo Honey Cafe
• So much more. Seriously, there’s so much food here. 

After Dinner: Nightlife

Brewery Tour

Have you really been in Asheville for 24 hours and not hit up a brewery? Let’s fix that on Saturday evening. We couldn’t possibly name all your options, so let’s break down some neighborhoods and mention a few stops:

• South Slope: Also known as stumble block, this area is home to some heavy hitters like Hi-Wire, Burial, Catawba, Green Man, and more. You’ve also got Vortex Doughnuts down here. 

• West Asheville: Home to Archetype, One World, Oyster House, and UpCountry Brewing Company. You’ve also got The Whale which, while not a brewery, has an amazing selection of craft beer from all over the world. 

• Downtown: There are so many options downtown, like Wicked Weed, Asheville Brewing, White Labs, DSSOLVR, Highland’s tap room, and more. 

• The River: In and around the River Arts District and up toward north Asheville, you have the Wedge, Zillicoah Beer Co, Outsider, and, of course, New Belgium. 

Off The Wagon Dueling Piano Bar

Asheville is home to one of the few Dueling Piano Bars in existence. What is a dueling piano bar? It’s an all-request show, rocking good time, with great drinks, amazing service, and out-of-this-world musicianship!

All your favorite songs from when you first cranked up the stereo in your car and sang at the top of your lungs – just ask, and you might be amazed at many they know. Never taking themselves too seriously, they are all too happy to poke fun at themselves, the songs they sing, and even the audience. It’s a rock-and-roll, sing-along, total party atmosphere.

You can’t miss Off The Wagon.

Day Three | Sunday

This may be your last day in town, but there’s a lot more to do in Asheville.

Morning: Breakfast/Brunch, River Arts District

It’s morning on your last day in Asheville. You can get coffee and eat wherever you didn’t eat yesterday. After breakfast and coffee, head down to the River Arts District, where you’ll find some of the literally best art in the world. 

Afternoon: Lunch and Getting Outdoors Again

If you still have some time, grab a taco from White Duck and head outside to experience what you may have missed on Saturday. Depending on what direction you’re heading home, you might go to one of the highest places on the East Coast:

• Mount Micthell | 6,684′ of elevation | On the way back toward Raleigh, Charlotte, and down east. 
• Clingmans Dome | 6,643′ of elevation | On the way back toward Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Tennessee
• Mount Pisgah | 5,721′ of elevation | On the way back to Greenville, Columbia, and Atlanta

This guide is a jumping-off point to enjoy as much of Asheville as possible during a single weekend, but honestly, you’re going to be planning your next trip before you even get home. Come back and see our awesome city again and again, and we hope to see you at Off The Wagon every time you visit the area!