The Ultimate Travel Guide to Asheville, North Carolina

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Art, wellness, and food lovers can choose their own adventure in North Carolina’s most charming mountain town.

For the Curious Eaters and Drinkers

Asheville has always punched above its weight in the food and beverage field—the tiny-but- mighty mountain town was long ago branded Beer City and counts multiple James Beard nominees and winners.

Chai Pani interior shot in Asheville image courtesy of Tim Robison — Chai Pani in Asheville, Image courtesy of Tim Robison

Among those trophy holders are Cúrate (Spanish tapas and wine) and Chai Pani (Indian street food), 2022 James Beard Award winners for Outstanding Hospitality and Outstanding Restaurant, respectively. In 2025, chef Ashleigh Shanti’s first cookbook, Our South: Black Food Through My Lens (Union Square & Co.), won a Beard media award; find her cooking up hot fish sandwiches, sweet potato cabbage pancakes, trout bologna, and shrimp burgers at Good Hot Fish in South Slope, a downtown neighborhood full of local craft beer taprooms. MICHELIN Guide’s first American South issue in late 2025 recognized multiple eateries, including Luminosa, Mother, Little Chango, Tall John’s, The Admiral, and Leo’s House of Thirst. You can also go behind the tanks and see how it’s all done on a 90-minute production tour (with tasting samples) of New Belgium Brewing, perched above the French Broad River in West Asheville. Sierra Nevada in Mills River has a flight of tour opportunities, from 45 minutes to the three-hour Beer Geek Tour.

Willy Wonka was make-believe; Asheville’s world-famous French Broad Chocolate factory is for real, and the proof is in the daily Bean to Bar Chocolate Factory Tour, which includes a chocolate tasting. Eat, drink, and walk your way through downtown with insider info and quirky history from local experts with Asheville Food Tours. Three different specialized itineraries with up to seven stops are coursed out over three hours. While appreciating art in the River Arts District, enjoy breakfast at ButterPunk, lunch at Piccolina, and dinner at Crusco, three chef-owned newbies on Depot Street.

For the Arts and Crafts Lovers

Folk Art Center Image courtesy of Chelsea Lane Photography — Folk Art Center, image courtesy of Chelsea Lane Photography

Western North Carolina has long been a siren call for artists of every medium. The Penland School of Craft, John C. Campbell Folk School, and Haywood Community College have prestigious programs for craft, an expression of form and function inherent to Appalachia. Building the Biltmore Estate beginning in 1889 required legions of skilled craftspeople, artisans, and artists—many emigrated from Europe and then settled in the area.

The gorgeous drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway sets the tone for visiting the Folk Art Center, home of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and the work of hundreds of makers for purchase. Visit Grovewood Village tucked away on wooded acreage adjacent to the Omni Grove Park Inn for art, craft, architecture (100-plus- year-old English cottages clad in pebbledash), and history. The site once housed the weaving and woodworking operations of Biltmore Industries, currently home to Grovewood Gallery, working artist studios, and the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum.

Take a linear gallery stroll on downtown Asheville’s main artery; Biltmore Avenue and Broadway Street meet at the Asheville Art Museum at Pack Square. And side streets are abundant with galleries representing local, regional, national, and international artists. Momentum Gallery has a select display of glass pieces and serigraphs by Dale Chihuly. The River Arts District (RAD) along the French Broad River was one of the areas hardest hit by Helene flooding in September 2024, but there is much reason to celebrate the return of artist studios and reopening of the 50,000 square foot Marquee, a design-centric market.

For the Wellness Seekers

Since the early 1800s, Asheville has been revered as a wellness and healing destination. For nearly as many years, entrepreneurs have packaged ancient and state-of-the art practices to offer visitors invigorating refreshes, inner adventures, and soothing breaks from the daily grind.

Namaste in Nature’s microretreats are a trifecta of hiking wooded trails through quiet forest, meditation and centering at the base of a waterfall, and yoga with mountain views; select sunrise, sunset, or high noon. Balance body, mind, and spirit through a three- step circuit of contrast therapy: heat, chill, relax. Sauna House is intentionally structured with traditional cedar dry and aspen wood wet saunas, a stainless-steel cold plunge, and heated lounge furniture. Shoji Spa and Retreat is Asheville’s only alfresco spa, located 2,500 feet above stress level, immersing guests in Japanese culture and practic- es. Wrap yourself in a yukata (bathrobe) and walk the serene garden path to a private saltwater hot tub, with one open wall to soak in the lush view. Massage treatment packages and lodging options are available to make a weekend of it.

Shed your clothes and let go, supine on the surface of Still Point Wellness’ private Float Lab tank, filled with skin-temperature water and 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt that draws all the tensions, aches, and pains from your body. A float specialist walks novices through what to expect while immersed for 60 or 90 minutes in the darkened and soundproof pool; slowly reenter with a cup of herbal tea under a weight- ed blanket in the Integration Lounge.