6 Days of Cozy Stays and Scenic Drives in Asheville

Upon landing at Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), grab your rental car and get your bearings. From here, you’ll go straight to the creative hub of Black Mountain (more info), a small town with deep roots in art, poetry, music, and architecture. Once home to Black Mountain College, Black Mountain today continues its legacy through inspired flavors and hospitality experiences, artful boutiques, and charming markets. Before dinner, drop your bags at Peri Social House (more info), your base camp for the next two nights. The 1936 Georgian revival home, known as North Carolina’s smallest boutique hotel, has six uniquely designed rooms that are bright and homey, with all the essentials.

You may have some extra time to explore the walkable downtown, but rest assured knowing you’ve baked in more time tomorrow to see all of Black Mountain’s highlights. Dinner is at the Bush Farmhouse (more info), where South African-inspired food and drinks feature local North Carolina produce.

There are no time constraints on the agenda today, so take your time popping in and out of the art shops, boutiques, and museums in downtown Black Mountain. For souvenirs, swing by Mountain Nest Gallery (more info), Black Mountain Quilts (more info), and C. W. Moose Trading Company (more info). Insight into Black Mountain’s past awaits at the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center (more info). If you need a pre-lunch pick-me-up, grab a snack and your favorite beverage at Recess Coffee and Baked Goods (more info). Or save your appetite for the menu at Foothills Grange, which will fuel you up for your afternoon in Black Mountain. It’s a place that’s all about comfort food: bologna melts, fried chicken sandwiches, and chili cheese fries.

If the weather allows, your next activity is a relatively easy hike. Lookout Trail (more info) is a 1.4-mile round-trip route (you can tack on additional trails for a more challenging route) that rewards hikers with views of the peaks of the Seven Sisters. Winter allows for even more expansive mountain vistas, thanks to unobstructed sightlines. Back downtown, dinner is at the Pure & Proper (more info). Start the meal with the bread service and end with a slice of coconut cream pie.

Pack up your bags and make the 30-minute drive from Black Mountain, through Asheville proper, and north to Weaverville. Grab an early-morning breakfast at Well-Bred Bakery & Café (more info) before meeting up with your guide from Curtis Wright Outfitters (more info). They’ll provide everything you need for your wade or float trip—rods, flies, waders, and even snacks and drinks. After a successful day on the river, head for a warming meal of Mediterranean fare at Stoney Knob Café (more info), like the Greek chicken lemon rice or the classic gyro.

Next up is the Weaverville Art Safari. Use the tour map to guide your journey to various studios around town. Local artists specialize in woodworking, fine art, jewelry making, ceramics, and more, so you’re bound to find something special to bring home.

Your residence tonight will be one of the Earth & Sky Dwellings (more info), a unique experience in and of itself. Not your typical rentals, each of the comfortable accommodations comes with its own personality (check out Windswept Castle Wizards Hollow).

Begin the day with breakfast at Asheville’s HomeGrown (more info) followed by your next road trip stop, Fairview. Southeast of the town, the Buncombe County agricultural community embraces a quieter, slower pace of life. Here, you’ll take in the mountainous scenery via a two-mile looped hike up Bearwallow Mountain (more info).

Fairview offers a few lunch options and a highlight is Trout Lily Deli & Market’s (more info) signature sandwiches. Depending on when you’re visiting, you may be able to sneak in a tasting tour at Barn Door Ciderworks (more info), too. Offered March through December, these hour-long tours bring visitors into the pressing shed, barrel room, and production facility and end, of course, with a cider tasting. A scenic drive through the countryside will give you a greater understanding of Fairview’s appeal.

A quick breakfast and coffee at High Five Riverside (more info) will precede a drive to Chimney Rock State Park (more info). Take in the mountain scenery before hiking Hickory Nut Falls (more info), 1.4 miles round-trip, and the Chimney Rock Trail, a 3.4-mile circuit that brings hikers to an iconic view of the eponymous rock formation.

You’ll have worked up quite the appetite, and a picnic lunch from the Rhu (more info) will be calling your name. Here, you can pick up a Ploughman’s Basket, filled with local cheeses, meat, pickles, and bread, or a Farmer’s Market Basket.

Dinner plans will bring you back to Asheville—specifically, to Luminosa (more info). Recently awarded the 2025 Michelin Green Star and Bib Gourmand, the Italian restaurant will delight any traveler with an affinity for expertly curated pasta dishes and handmade pizza.

Pick up bagels at the Asheville location of Joey’s Bagels (more info). The made-from-scratch bagels will even impress connoisseurs.

Then, walk along the waterfront trails in Woodfin, a small town on the French Broad River north of Asheville. Your final meal will be lunch at the Village Porch (more info), a community-minded sports bar. Cheer on your favorite team over all things fried before heading to the airport.