Asheville Tours &
Things to Do
Discover the best Asheville tours and things to do in the Blue Ridge Mountains: tour America’s largest home at the Biltmore Estate, drive the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, hop the city’s celebrated craft breweries, chase waterfalls in the Great Smoky Mountains, and explore a lively downtown of art and history. Compare top-rated experiences and plan the perfect trip.
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Explore Asheville by interest
Whatever brings you to Asheville — world-class museums, the river, or a long lunch — start with the experiences travellers love most.
Top attractions in Asheville
The landmarks that define the city — and the tickets and tours that get you in, often skipping the line.
Biltmore Estate
Vanderbilt château.
Blue Ridge Parkway
Scenic drive.
Craft Breweries
Beer City USA.
Great Smokies
National park.
Waterfalls
Mountain cascades.
Downtown
Art Deco & galleries.
Autumn Ridges
Fall foliage.
Biltmore Gardens
Estate grounds.
City awayBiltmore Estate
Vanderbilt château.
Region awayBlue Ridge Parkway
Scenic drive.
1 hr awayGreat Smokies
National park.
Region awayWaterfalls
Mountain cascades.
City awayBreweries
Craft beer tour.
City awayDowntown
Arts & history.
Know before you go
Short, straight answers to the questions every Asheville visitor asks before booking.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)
Spectacular foliage — the peak season.
Spring (Mar–May)
Blooming gardens and mild days.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Warm and green, cooler than the lowlands.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Cool and quiet, festive at the Biltmore.
For foliage
Mid-to-late October on the Parkway.
Best overall
Autumn for colour, spring for gardens.
One day
The Biltmore and downtown.
Two days
Add the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Three days
Add the Smokies and waterfalls.
For the Biltmore
Half a day for the house and gardens.
For the mountains
A day on the Parkway or in the Smokies.
For beer
An evening brewery tour.
On foot
Downtown is compact and walkable.
By car
A car is best for the Parkway and Smokies.
Tours & transfers
Tours reach the Biltmore and the mountains.
Brewery shuttles
Tours drive you between breweries.
Where to stay
Stay downtown or near the Biltmore.
US dollar
The US uses the dollar; cards widely accepted.
Biltmore
Book estate tickets ahead, especially in autumn.
Blue Ridge Parkway
Go early on autumn weekends to beat traffic.
Breweries
Join a tour so you don’t have to drive.
Great Smokies
Bring layers — mountain weather changes fast.
Waterfalls
Wear grippy shoes for wet trails.
Mountain roads
Drive carefully on winding routes.
Biltmore tours
Estate tours fill up — book ahead.
Parkway tours
Autumn drives fill up — reserve early.
Brewery tours
Beer tours fill up — book ahead.
Smokies tours
Park tours fill up — reserve early.
Waterfall tours
Hiking tours fill up — book ahead.
Autumn peak
Foliage season is busiest — book well ahead.
Biltmore tour
Around $89–150 for a Biltmore Estate tour.
Parkway tour
About $66–120 for a Blue Ridge Parkway tour.
Brewery tour
Roughly $45–80 for a brewery tour.
Smokies tour
Around $61–120 for a Great Smokies tour.
Waterfall tour
About $55–100 for a waterfall hiking tour.
How to save
Join group tours to save over private ones.
Asheville through the seasons
What's best, how busy it gets, and one booking tip for each time of year.
- Best for
- Fall foliage.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Peak.
- Best for
- Gardens.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Lovely.
- Best for
- Mountains.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Warm.
- Best for
- Biltmore holidays.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Cool.