We just returned from an amazing family vacation to Asheville, North Carolina. This trip was SO much fun! Not only was the weather beautiful (high 60’s, low 70’s during the day and cool at night), the drive from Michigan wasn’t too shabby. It really was a great destination for families, and we enjoyed the low crowds during our spring break since it’s not really known to be a spring break destination.
If you aren’t familiar, Asheville is an eclectic city full of fantastic breweries with outdoor spaces, funky shops, foodie spots, and natural mountain beauty. As we heard from a guide, “Asheville is where hippie meets hillbilly,” …and that just says it all!
Family Itinerary: 5 Nights In Asheville, North Carolina
Check out our itinerary to this beautiful mountain town to inspire future family travel for your crew.
Day 1: Travel Day
We hit the road at 5 a.m. to get a start on traffic and get to our destination by late afternoon.
After a few quick stops, lunch, and bathroom breaks, we arrived at our designation around 4 p.m. We chose to stay at Asheville Cabins at Willow Winds for their high ratings and how much there was to do for families. This property was extremely affordable given the amenities, including outdoor games, a game room, a hot tub and spacious accommodations for our family of 5. We opted for the property’s largest cabin, Pat’s Place, and we loved our stay {and being able to keep up with laundry!}. I highly recommend, even though it was their off-season.
In the evening, we hit up the grocery store for breakfast items and snacks and ate at Juicy Lucy’s Burgers & Bar near our cabin. It was super yummy! After, we explored the area surrounding our cabin and spent some time in the hot tub.
- Accommodations: Asheville Cabins at Willow Winds
- Food: Juicy Lucy’s Burgers & Bar
Day 2: The Biltmore
We started our morning with breakfast in the cabin — a must for families who’d prefer not to drop $50 on a meal 😉
This day brought one of the best {and priciest!!} destinations in Asheville — The Biltmore, which is the largest private estate in North America.
We arrived at The Biltmore more than an hour before our tour because the property is HUGE and it takes some time to get to. We parked our van and took a trolley all the way up to the property where we were able to explore before our official start time.
My kids LOVED this tour! We opted for the audio tour so we could listen and learn about the things we were seeing, and the kids had a version that was by the family dog, Cedric. If your kids dig history, chances are they will enjoy it too. {One of the guides even said kids as young as 3-4 enjoy the tour.}
After, we had lunch at The Stable Café, which is on the mansion’s property. While it was delicious, I much rather would’ve saved money and packed a picnic lunch to enjoy on the beautiful grounds. There was so much to see!
Then we headed back to the van and drove around the grounds, stopping at the gardens, which were full of tulips, and over to the working farm and The Creamery where the kids enjoyed an ice cream. We left the property in mid afternoon, so still had plenty of our day left.
For dinner, we went to the Highland Brewing, which has a large open outdoor space, a disc golf course, volleyball courts and more. It was so fun! The kids packed a picnic and played football while the hubby and I enjoyed some brews and food from a taco truck.
- Places Visited: The Biltmore, Highland Brewing
- Food: The Stable Café, The Creamery, taco truck at Highland Brewing
Day 3: Chimney Rock State Park
Once again, we enjoyed breakfast at the cabin before setting out on the day’s adventure to Chimney Rock State Park. I liked that this destination gave a price break for families over 4 by giving a family pass versus charging per person. It’s the little things!
After a long and winding drive, we arrived ready to move and explored the Woodland Trail and Animal Discovery Den near the entrance.
From there we headed up the mountain where we hit a large parking lot for climbing Chimney Rock. The kids begged to walk up the stairs, and while the views were great, an elevator ride up and walk down *may* have been a better choice 😉
I’m not afraid of heights, but the views at the top got to me – LOL! It was truly breathtaking.
After, we headed over to Chimney Rock Brewing for lunch. This tiny brewery had such a cool location! We loved being right next to the river, and the kids climbed right in to explore. The beer and food were great too. If low-key spots with a view are your thing, I highly recommend checking out this spot.
After getting back and taking a short nap, we headed into downtown Asheville for a little fun.
We shopped for souvenirs at Mast General Store, and enjoyed dinner and a treat at White Duck Taco Shop and French Broad Chocolate Lounge. We were hopeful to squeeze in the Asheville Pinball Museum, but it was closed on this day.
- Places Visited: Chimney Rock State Park, Mast General Store
- Food: Chimney Rock Brewing, White Duck Taco Shop, French Broad Chocolate Lounge
DAY 4: Hiking In Dupont State Forest
After enjoying breakfast at the cabin, we headed to Elijah Gem Mine. I’ve learned that if I want my kids to hike, I gotta throw in a little kid fun. While this is a touristy spot, I absolutely LOVED it! We were able to grab a Groupon to do the mining and then enjoyed the cute store, goats and neat playground on the property.
On the way to do some waterfall hiking, we grabbed Subway from a gas station for a picnic lunch.
We did a 3 mile hike to see 3 different waterfalls — Hooker Falls, Triple Falls and High Falls. All were stunning! It was a strenuous and hilly hike, but the kids had no troubles.
Our intention was to head over to the Blue Ridge Parkway after, but we were exhausted! Stops you could see if you took this detour include:
- Pisgah Ranger Station
- Looking Glass Falls {0.3 mile hike}
- More Cove Falls Trail {1.2 mile hike}
- Frying Pan Mountain Lookout Tower {1.5 mile hike}
On our way back to the cabin, we took a detour to Sierra Nevada. This brewery was huge, gorgeous, and worth the stop. I only wish there had been live music while we were there because it was such a cool venue for it!
- Places Visited: Elijah Gem Mine, Dupont State Forest
- Food: Subway, Sierra Nevada
DAY 5: White Water Rafting
On this morning we enjoyed breakfast at the cabin and a lazy morning of movie watching and doing laundry before packing up.
Near lunchtime, we headed back into downtown Asheville before rafting and tried the Gourmet Chip Company for fun chips and paninis. After, we walked around town and popped into the shops. If you’re like me and love color, you’ll love shopping around here. There are so many unique things to see!
From there, we headed north to French Broad Adventures for some afternoon whitewater rafting. None of us had done it before and we were all a bit nervous. The team there quickly made us feel at ease, and we ended up having an absolute blast. We did the half day trip with a group, which included a stop for a snack in the middle, and it was the perfect amount of time for us to be on the river.
I cannot recommend this company and adventure enough! All of us agreed it was the highlight of our trip. It definitely helped the weather was cooperative, even for spring. The water was cool, but nothing like Lake Superior 😉 They had all the gear to stay dry so don’t fret if you don’t have anything!
The kids requested pizza for dinner, so we opted for the Asheville Pizza & Brewing before heading back to our cabin for the night.
- Places Visited: Shopping in downtown Asheville {L.O.F.T. of Asheville and Spare Chayng were my faves} and French Broad Adventures
- Food: Gourmet Chip Company and Asheville Pizza & Brewing
Day 6: Home
We ate breakfast at the cabin before hitting the road to head home to the mitten.
A few things we loved about Asheville: It was totally quirky and cool — lots of street art and fun shops to pop into. We also loved that nothing was busy this time of year. After heading to more popular destinations the past few years and experiencing large crowds and wait times, it was nice to have a more chill destination since it’s still the off-season for them.
Have you been to Asheville? What were your favorite attractions?
Another spot we love in North Carolina — The Outer Banks! Here’s what we loved there.
Thank you so much for this guide! You made it really simple and easy to follow and I love how I can just plug and play with my family without all the effort and work you put in. Huge thanks!