Have an upcoming weekend free and looking for an excuse to go to Asheville, NC on a getaway? I’ve put together the perfect 48 hour Asheville itinerary to help plan your trip!

John and I love to travel in North Carolina, where we can get a quick weekend getaway. One of our favorite locations is Asheville, where we can take our dogs with us most of the places we go! Asheville has so much to offer. Everything from fun historical spots, to outdoor activities, to great food and drink! It’s a great place to visit, especially if you’re there around Christmas, and has things that will appeal to everyone!

Catawba Falls the perfect easy waterfall hike for an Asheville itinerary

There is truly something for everyone during a visit and we’ve fallen in love with Asheville and know we will be back for more. Below you’ll find what I would do with just 48 hours in Asheville and the Asheville itinerary we follow every time we have a weekend in the Mountains! (I have an entire highlight on my instagram @itsAAAllgood for even more pictures!)

The Ultimate 48 Hour Asheville Itinerary

The Perfect Weekend Asheville Itinerary: Day 1

9:00am- Start with a good Breakfast

Start your trip off right by heading to one of our favorite breakfast places in Asheville, Mayfels! They have a southern inspired brunch that is absolutely delicious, as well as Cajun dinner and cocktails. If you’re looking for you’re basic southern breakfast this is certainly the place to go!

The wait can be a little long on the weekend so plan to get there early and wait for a bit. Your stomach will thank you.

10:00am- Hike to a Waterfall

There are so many places to hike around Asheville, but waterfall hikes are some of our favorites! The perfect Asheville itinerary has to include a great waterfall! I’ve included two of our favorites depending on how long you want to spend hiking and how strenuous you want to be. Both hikes are relatively easy and have lots of places to stop and get your feet wet!

Catawba Falls

Catawba Falls is a 2.7 mile round trip hike, short easy hike with a big reward! It crosses past an Old Fort, over many bridges, past many swimming holes and pools, before ending at the base of a large 150ft waterfall. There are a couple of places that require crossing streams, especially if there has been a recent rain, so be sure to bring shoes that can get a bit wet if needed. The hike is about 30 min from Asheville, but on the way to Asheville if you’re traveling from Raleigh.

DuPont National Forest

If you’d something a little more strenuous or a bit longer, DuPont National Forest is home to some amazing waterfalls! Our favorite is a 4 mile loop that covers three separate waterfalls; Triple Falls, High Falls and Hooker Falls. They are about 50 minutes from Asheville, but well worth the drive. Many of the waterfalls on this hike are just overlooks, but have trailheads that you can hike down to the waterfall base itself, meaning you could really spend all day hiking these falls if you’re in town longer. There are also many area’s that cross streams that you can swim in if you’d like. We even saw people with tubes one summer!

Triple falls an easy asheville waterfall hike perfect for an asheville itinerary

Butterflies at Triple Falls an Easy Waterfall Hike

Perfect Waterfall Hike in Asheville Triple Falls the perfect Asheville Itinerary

Personally, we like to start our hike at the Hooker Falls Access. Hooker Falls is the smallest of the three falls, but I like to park here because it offers a great place to swim after your hike and you’ll be close to your car!

Pro Tip: Parking here also means that you’ll start the trail going uphill and then head downhill on the way back after you’ve visited Triple Falls and High Falls. Triple Falls is my favorite of the three and offers the most impressive waterfall views!

A map of triple falls hike in Asheville, NC

1:00pm- Visit a Brewery on South Slope for Lunch

It would be hard to write an Asheville Itinerary without including craft beer since Asheville is called “Beer City USA”. Since there are so many great Asheville Breweries it was hard to just pick one, so I wrote a whole post that sums up our favorite breweries in Asheville that are also dog friendly!

Catawaba Brewery Asheville South Slope Dog Friendly

7:00pm – Dinner Decisions

Asheville has so many great dining options. I’ve left you with a couple of great choices depending on the type of mood that you’re in! You can get dressed up for a night on the town or keep it low key and dine with your pups!

The Chestnut

End the first day of your Asheville getaway by dining at one of our favorite spots, Chestnut. This centrally located downtown restaurant has great food as well as an excellent drink menu!

We can highly recommend the mussels and a she crab soup! A reservation here is highly recommended- but can be easily made on their website and on open table.

Asheville Brewing Company

If you’re looking for something a little more low key, visit Asheville Brewing Company and grab a pizza or some wings. I really like their pizza crust and John really enjoys the wings so we normally get both!

Asheville Brewing Company is very good and it’s an easy spot to stop for a bite with no reservations needed. If you’re there on a busy weekend I suggest stopping by and putting yourself on a waitlist before grabbing a beer at Twin Leaf Brewing nearby. (If you happen to be traveling on a Tuesday, you can get select beers for $2.99!) They also have an outdoor hanger where you can dine with your pup which we love since we’re normally traveling with our dogs.

The Perfect Weekend Asheville Itinerary: Day 2

9:00am- A Quick Breakfast

Grab a quick breakfast at Biscuit Head! An Asheville staple, this biscuit store sources all of their ingredients locally. Biscuit Head is delicious and has multiple locations around town, including some outside of downtown. It can get a bit crowded if you’re in a rush.

Pro Tip: I recommend going early to Biscuit head or ordering to go if you don’t want to wait for a table, especially at the downtown location!

Girl dining at Biscuit head in Asheville, NC a great Asheville Breakfast

10:00am- Stroll around the River Arts District

The River Arts District has a collection of artists that create everything from pottery, to jewelry, to blown glass. The perfect Asheville itinerary includes spending some time exploring and meandering through the buildings. This is a great place to get souvenirs and gifts to take home! There are also a plethora of classes offered in Asheville including glassblowing (see below), jewelry making and painting. Be sure to check out the River Arts District’s website for a list of events happening during your stay. There are also some wonderful coffee shops and other restaurants located in this area!

Glassblowing

In the RAD, you can even create your own blown glass at the North Carolina Glass Center. You can book a 30 minute hands on glass blowing to take home you’re own work of art! On our last trip, John and I created paperweights using ashes from our beloved Kai that passed away this year. I was an incredible experience and we can’t wait to go back to create glasses or ornaments for our home. Sessions start at $50/person, which is definitely worth the price for a one of a kind, handmade work of art. Pro Tip: While you can show up and see if they have avaliablity, I suggest booking in advance if you want to go at a particular time.

Man in glass blowing class River Arts District Asheville Glass Blowing in the RAD part of the perfect Asheville Itinerary

More Adventurous? Try floating down the French Broad!

Looking for something more adventurous? Floating down the French Broad through the River Art’s might be more your style! Be sure to checkout my post on tubing the French Broad!

Floating down the french broad an Asheville itinerary

1:00pm- Eat and Drink the RAD

Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, while you’re in the RAD, be sure to stop enjoy some of the amazing food and drink in this area.

Wedge Brewery

Wedge Brewery is right in the heart of the RAD surrounded by glass shops and directly across the street from the NC Glass Center. They regularly have food trucks, cornhole boards, and allow dogs outside. It’s a perfect place to enjoy on a sunny afternoon!

White Duck Taco

Down the river, be sure to visit White Duck Taco. This taco shop sells numerous kinds of delicious tacos, including vegetarian options. I highly recommend the Bangkok Shrimp taco and Jerk Chicken! They are located along the river and on a nice day you can sit outside with a great view of the river with your pup! They also have delicious Margaritas!

3:00pm- Biltmore

It would be impossible to write an Asheville itinerary without including Biltmore! If you’ve never been to Biltmore before you’re in for a treat! You could easily extend your trip and spend the entire day at this one location. The Biltmore house was America’s largest home and is an incredible home to walk around and tour. It has both amazing history and decor. Just the drive up to the house is breathtaking and you’ll probably find yourself wanting to stop to take pictures along the way. There are even behind the scenes tours that you can go on if you want to see more of the house. Entry isn’t cheap but the beautiful house and grounds are worth it!

Couple posing in front of the Biltmore Estate

While you’re at the Biltmore make sure to spend some time walking around the Biltmore Gardens. They are beautifully transformed for each season of the year! Make sure to stop along the way at the Bass Pond waterfall to grab a picture-it’s one of my favorite spots on the Biltmore grounds!! There are also hiking trails on the grounds if would like to go for a stroll.

Before leaving, be sure to stop at Antler Village for a wine tasting. The tasting is included in the price of your ticket and you’ll get the chance to taste some of Biltmore’s fabulous and limited edition wines. Nearby is the Biltmore Legacy Exhibit which is worth checking out to see more of the history of the area and for some unique shopping.

7:45pm- Dine at Rhubarb

Head back downtown for dinner at Rhubarb. Rhubarb uses all locally sourced ingredients to create some simply amazing dishes. Their menu rotates seasonally with fresh ingredients and their bar selection is excellent as well! They have a top notch whiskey selection. I highly recommend starting with their cheese plate or appetizers and then sharing the half chicken if it is on the menu. It is a huge portion of food and is incredible! Also, if you’re here on a Sunday, be sure to check out their Sunday Supper, which is a fixed three course meal served every Sunday at the community tables. Reservations are recommended and can be made easily on Open Table or via their website. They also allow dogs if you are seated on their patio which is first come first serve seating.

Rhubarb restaurant Asheville, NC entrance

9:00pm- Dessert

If somehow you still have room for dessert, be sure to head across the street to French Broad Chocolate Lounge. They have the most amazing assortment of desserts! From truffles, to cakes, to brownies, to ice cream and even sipping chocolate drinks. It is certainly worth the stop! The lines can be long to get inside, but they move quickly and are totally worth it! They are open until 10pm nightly!

Counter of French Broad Chocolates in Asheville North Carolina part of an asheville Itinerary

Chocolate Cake at French Broad Chocolate in downtown Asheville

All The Best of Asheville

The Best of Asheville a complete itinerary with all of my Asheville favorite places to eat and drink

Have a bit more time to visit? There are far too many awesome places to visit in Asheville to cover them all in one weekend!

I’ve compiled a list of all of my favorite places to eat, drink and visit in Asheville, NC.

You can download my Best of Asheville list for FREE by entering your email below!

If there is anywhere else I absolutely have to try be sure to leave me a comment below! I’ll add it as a reader favorite! I hope you enjoy my favorite Asheville Places and consider them on your Asheville Itinerary!

Where to Stay in Asheville

There are so many great options of places to stay in Asheville. Since we like to travel with our dogs, we find renting a house very easy. There are places in town in the lower price range ($100), but there are also some very nice condo’s downtown as well. If you prefer to go the hotel route there are so many nice hotels downtown!

We typically stay near Southslope downtown so that we can walk to all the breweries nearby. There are also plenty of affordable places near South Slope and houses in more residential areas outside of town if you want more space.

Traveling around Christmas?

Christmas in Asheville is such a special time of the year! Consider adding an extra day to your stay, or substituting with some of our favorite things to do at Chrismast in Asheville!

What are your favorite things to do in Asheville? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll update my post with reader favorites!

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This is NOT a sponsored post, however, if you’d like to become part of our travels please reach out! This post contains affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you shop from my links at no cost to you.

12 Comments

Simina Bancu on at 8:38 am

Lovely and complete itinerary! I loved your photos 🙂
Jenn Record on at 2:09 pm

I love posts like this that have such a great variety of nature, museums, history, and FOOD!!! Great recs..filing it away for a 2024 road trip where I think I just added a two day stop in Asheville!
- ashtona on at 2:43 pm
  
  So glad you found it helpful! And hope you enjoy your trip!
simplyjolayne on at 3:01 pm

The glass blowing would be something so totally different that I haven’t done before. Great idea.
- ashtona on at 6:04 pm
  
  It was very fun! I highly recommend it when you go!
Hege on at 6:07 pm

These waterfall hikes seem really amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Amy on at 9:22 pm

Gorgeous and dog friendly! What could be better? Maybe some wine at the end of the day? Yes!
- ashtona on at 2:30 am
  
  Couldn’t agree more!
Angela Price on at 1:15 pm

You had me at waterfalls, hiking and a brewery, what more could you want, however Ashville looks packed with fab things to see and do. What a charming place to visit.
Kez on at 4:01 pm

I had never heard of Ashville before, but I have to say that my interest has been piqued.
Kez on at 4:03 pm

I had never heard of Ashville before, but I have to say that my interest has been piqued.

I’m always ready to visit places with waterfalls!
- ashtona on at 4:16 pm
  
  It’s a great place to add to your bucketlist in the Southeast USA!

48 hours in Asheville, NC: The Ultimate Asheville Itinerary