Last Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, which meant both Kevin and I got Monday off of work. Asheville is the perfect distance from Atlanta for a quick road trip — it’s only about 3.5 hours away. We had some time to waste while we waited on two members of our group to land at the Greenville airport, so we enjoyed a nice Friday evening exploring downtown Greenville. We highly recommend stopping in Greenville for dinner and drinks if you’re looking to break up the drive and spend some extra time on the road. Read our post on A Day in Greenville here.
We’ve put together the guide for a long weekend trip to Asheville. Be sure to let us know if you head that way anytime soon!
Staying in Asheville
If you’re visiting Asheville, you’ll likely need to find somewhere to stay for your weekend. This can be quite daunting with many hotels inside the city being pricey and with the strict Airbnb regulations (i.e. — Listings must not be entire homes, etc.) in the city. Our biggest tip for visiting Asheville is to start looking for lodging well in advance, especially if you have a larger group. Our other tip is to be flexible. Sometimes it may be necessary to stay a bit outside of the city, but we’ve found it to be quite pleasant and relaxing.
Rental Options
We recommend a rental property as the most economical way to stay in Asheville. A rental is also a great option for larger parties and many have spacious common areas and patios, along with activities like board games and hot tubs included on the property. AirBnB and VRBO both have great options for both small and large groups. Some of our favorite listings are below:
- AirBnB 1 mile from Downtown — We stayed at this exact house for MLK weekend and loved it. It was super spacious for 6 people and it was a super inexpensive Uber into Downtown. I’d highly recommend this space!
- Charming VRBO built in 1915 — This space is a bit dated, but it’s super close to Downtown (a 7 minute Uber!).
- Large cabin nestled in the mountains — This gorgeous mountain home sleeps 12. It’s just 3 miles from Downtown and has plenty of rooms, bathrooms and even a hot tub. We stayed here for a weekend in December 2018 and had a wonderful experience.
Hotel Options
If you’re looking to be in the heart of the city and walking distance from all of the shops and restaurants, you’ll likely have to stay in a hotel. Some of our favorite hotels in the city are below:
Not in Downtown, but a lovely experience nearby:
Eating Out in Asheville
Asheville’s food scene is quite unbelievable. We got the perfect taste of it through Asheville Food Tours. Asheville Food Tours offers a variety of different tours at different times of day. We took a Saturday brunch tour,
led by Stu Helm, a local writer and food blogger. Through the tour, we were able to try 7 bites from 7 different restaurants. At each stop, we got to meet the chef/owner and learn more about their restaurant and specialties. Before leaving the tour, we got a “dining passport” to be used within 5 days of the tour, which got us discounts at local shops and restaurants. We highly recommend booking a tour through Asheville Food Tours to taste the best of Asheville!
To help make our restaurant recommendations easier to choose from, we’ve broken them down by meal. We found that most Asheville restaurants take reservations, so be sure to call and make reservations to avoid long wait times during peak hours! If you’re looking for a more in-depth description of our recommended restaurants with price ranges and locations, be sure to read our post titled A Foodie’s Guide to Asheville.
Breakfast
- Underground Cafe
- Trade and Lore
- Over Easy Cafe
- Hole Doughnuts
- Dobra Tea
Brunch and Lunch
- Bhramari Brewhouse
- Biscuithead
- The Blackbird
- Underground Cafe
- Green Sage Cafe
- White Duck Taco Shop
- Buxton Hall
- Chai Pani
Dinner
- Strada Italiano
- Mojo Kitchen & Lounge
- Nightbell
- AUX Bar
- The Rhu
- Twisted Laurel
- Pack’s Tavern
- The Lobster Trap
- Limones Restaurant
- Salsa’s
- Curate
- Bouchon
Dessert
- Chocolate Fetish
- French Broad Chocolate Lounge
- Double D’s Coffee & Desserts
Drinking in Asheville
Beer
- Wicked Weed Brewing Pub
- Asheville Brewing Company
- The Funkatorium
- Burial Beer Co
- Green Man Brewery
- New Belgium Brewing Company
- Catawba Brewing Company
- Hi-Wire Brewing Company
- Twin Leave Brewery
Be sure to check out our post called Asheville for Beer Lovers if you’re looking for more detailed information on each brewery.
Cocktails
- Thirsty Mon
- Noble Kava
- Jack of the Wood
- Sante Wine Bar & Tap Room
- Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge
- Storm Rhum Bar & Bistro
Shopping in Asheville
- Bette Boutique
- Duncan & York
- Southern Highland Craft Guild
- East Fork Pottery
- North Carolina Glass Center
- Tops for Shoes
- Grove Arcade
- Bee Charmer
- Captain’s Bookshelf
Sightseeing in Asheville
- Grove Park Inn
- The Biltmore Estate
- Pisgah and Nantahala Forests
- Botanical Gardens of Asheville
- River Arts District
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