Asheville Travel Guide: 48 Hours in Asheville -

This year, I am exploring more of the East Coast. North Carolina has stunning views of the mountains, so I planned an overnight trip to Asheville. Asheville, NC sits along the Blue Ridge Mountains and neighbors mountain towns making it the perfect place to visit. There are so many outdoor activities to explore from hiking the mountains to viewing the stunning waterfalls.

My travel guides focus on exploring history, art, coffee shops, food all on a budget. If this resonates with you, then you will find this Asheville Travel Guide helpful.

Places to Stay

To ensure you have a comfortable overnight stay, I recommend staying at Courtyard by Marriott Asheville. The hotel is affordable and offers spacious hotel rooms. It is only 6 minutes from Downtown and 15 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway. They also provide complimentary parking.

If you are looking for an option in Downtown, I recommend Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown. You are within walking distance of Downtown and South Slope, so you don’t have to worry about parking. This hotel also has an amazing restaurant with stunning views of the mountain. The only downside is you have to pay $30 for valet parking as there are no self-parking options unless you find street parking.

Places to Visit

1. Visit Waterfalls at Dupont National Park

If you are visiting Asheville from South Carolina, I recommend taking a detour to visit Dupont National Park. This National Park is an hour outside of Asheville and features two stunning waterfalls: Triple Falls and High Falls. It takes about an hour to hike and see them both. The trail is pretty steep, so be prepared. However, the view is totally worth it. You may also find additional trails using the All Trails App.

2. Explore downtown

Asheville has an expansive downtown with a plethora of restaurants and local shops. You can spend 2 hours here visiting all the shops. You can find almost any cuisine or local shop to get souvenirs. If you are into art, there are plenty of galleries to visit with different art styles.

Places I recommend:

Lunch/Dinner at Soprano for pizza and Caesar salad. Skip the roasted chicken wings.
Visit Horse & Hero for art prints by local artists
High Climate Tea Company for tea tasting

3. Mural Tour of South Loop

South Loop is home to murals. This map guide helps you find many of the murals and along your walk you will find some that aren’t listed. This makes the perfect scene for photos and to explore the art scene in Asheville.

4. Eat Fish at Good Hot Fish

Good Hot Fish is a must-visit restaurant. The fish was well-seasoned. I ate it without hot sauce and did not have a problem. The hushpuppies are lacking but the sides make up for it. The red beans and collard greens were spectacular.

5. Grab Coffee PlantBar (coffee shop)

This coffee shop stands out because of their unique mocktail options. I recommend this coffee shop because you have the option to try unique drinks, there are CBD options, or coffee. I tried the Hydration Mertini. It was sort of medicinal in taste, but it wasn’t bad. However, the Apple Pastry was 10/10.

They also have a variety of seating to relax before/after exploring downtown and the South Loop.

5. Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway

After all of the walking and hiking, driving the Blue Ridge Parkway is a great idea. You get to a front row to the mountains. Along the parkway, are different overlooks to take pictures. Pisgah National Park is along the parkway so you can also hike some of the trails.