When you’re in town for the DIY Tourism Marketing Workshop, you’re going to want to make some time to explore everything Asheville has to offer.
Starting in Asheville’s vibrant downtown area and expanding to every corner of our city and beyond, you’ll find award-winning restaurants, incredible art galleries, spectacular mountain hikes and waterfalls, and some of the best beer you’ve ever tasted.
These are a few of our favorite things to do in Asheville, North Carolina.
Asheville Attractions
BILTMORE
Feel like royalty for a day at this 1895 French Renaissance castle built by George W. Vanderbilt. Explore the 8,000-acre estate, including the 250-room Biltmore House, 75 acres of beautiful gardens, the nation’s most-visited winery, shopping, dining, four-star accommodations, hiking trails, and more for a bucket list vacation to remember for a lifetime.
SOUTH SLOPE
This area a little south of downtown is lovingly called Asheville’s brewery district, and rightly so—you can sample and taste brews from more than eight breweries in the area. There are also spectacular places to grab a coffee, like Vortex Donuts, grab a bite, like Bear’s Smokehouse, and grab some dessert, like Sunshine Sammies.
ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM
Check out the many galleries of 20th- and 21st-century American art in the sleek $24 million state-of-the-art building, which added 70% more gallery space and can now host major traveling exhibitions from nationally recognized museums.
ORANGE PEEL / RABBIT RABBIT
The Orange Peel is a downtown Asheville live music club (101 Biltmore Avenue) with state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment rarely found in a club of its size. Rabbit Rabbit is a new outdoor music venue collaborating with Asheville Brewing Company and the Orange Peel, offering a fun outdoor gathering space for various events.
Asheville Recreation & Nature
RIVER TUBING ON THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER
Take a break from the hustle and bustle of downtown to experience one of the best ways to spend the day in Asheville—tubing down the French Broad River. French Broad Outfitters is our top pick for tube rentals and shuttles in town, but Zen Tubing also offers great tubing packages. Make sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen!
CRAGGY PINNACLE
This short, mile-high hike offers huge rewards. It’s only a 1.4-mile round-trip hike to the top of the 5,892-ft. summit, Craggy Pinnacle at Craggy Gardens. The exceptional panoramic 360-degree views are hard to beat in Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The hiking trail goes through tunnels of rhododendrons, gnarled sweet birch trees, and wildflowers.
NC ARBORETUM
Surrounded by the botanically diverse Southern Appalachian Mountains, the NC Arboretum is one of America’s most beautiful natural garden settings. The 434-acre campus in Pisgah National Forest is ideal for a sensory-rich stroll or hike while admiring and learning about our natural wonders.
WNC NATURE CENTER
See wildlife up close just a few miles from downtown Asheville! The Western North Carolina Nature Center is a 42-acre wildlife park that provides a home for injured, orphaned, and imprinted animals that cannot survive independently.
Asheville Food & Drink
CÚRATE
A downtown Asheville staple for over a decade, Cúrate can’t seem to keep its name out of the limelight. A celebration of authentic Spanish cuisine, Cúrate won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality this year. If you can get a reservation, we highly recommend not missing this gem!
HIGHLAND BREWING
Highland Brewing is one of the South’s oldest and largest craft brewers—and Asheville’s first craft brewery—a favorite you can’t miss. Their big tasting room is open daily with 15 or so of their brews on tap. They have plenty of free parking, and it’s a quick 5-mile trip from downtown. Take a brewery tour, check out a free live concert, hang out on their rooftop, or play volleyball with friends. There’s something for everyone here!
12 BONES SMOKEHOUSE
Enjoy the Southern style, slow-smoked barbecue, and scratch-made sides while they last. Take a trip to South Asheville to their newer location, which doubles as a brewery.
Our Team Recommends
RESTAURANTS
- Chai Pani is a powerhouse restaurant that brings chaat and Indian street food to Asheville in a funky, laid-back space.
- All Day Darling is a popular neighborhood restaurant and cafe located outside Asheville. It serves an all-day menu of market-focused food.
- Nine Mile is a Caribbean-inspired, vegetarian-friendly restaurant and bar with three locations in Asheville.
VEGETARIAN/VEGAN RESTAURANTS
- Rosetta’s Kitchen has been serving delicious vegan soul food in downtown Asheville for over 20 years, and it’s a must-visit.
- Laughing Seed Café is a funky, no-frills cafe and bar serving organic, locally sourced international vegetarian and vegan fare.
- Plant has been voted the best vegetarian restaurant in Asheville, as well as the healthiest bite, greenest restaurant, best service, and among the most romantic places to dine.
BREWERIES, CIDERIES, AND WINERIES
- Ginger’s Revenge is one of only a handful of companies in the U.S. dedicated to reviving alcoholic ginger beer, and the flavors they concoct are out of this world.
- One World Brewing is hidden away in an alley in downtown Asheville. It is a cozy, speakeasy-style space where you can play darts and drink great craft beer.
- Urban Orchard Cider flips everything you’ve ever thought about alcoholic cider and astounds you with some cider flavors you’d have to taste to believe.
Want to experience all that Asheville has to offer but don’t have a ticket for the DIY Tourism Marketing Conference yet? Buy one today.