This article details a three-day Asheville itinerary for spring and highlights some of the many fun things happening during this season.
Hurricane Update: This spring weekend itinerary has been updated following Hurricane Helene. All restaurants and adventures listed are OPEN.
While you’ll often hear about fall in Asheville, spring really is a great time to visit. Flowers are in bloom, trees are turning green, and the bears are waking up (watch out, by the way!)
You’ll find cool mornings and warm afternoons for the most part. And happiness! Everyone is just so happy to be out and about, enjoying the various patios, parks and hikes around town.
To help you make the most of your time in Asheville, we put together an itinerary full of the best ideas for spring fun. If you have never been to Asheville, don’t miss our itinerary for your first visit to Asheville for more ideas.
If you haven’t booked a hotel yet, check out our guide to the best hotels in Asheville. It shares our top picks for where to stay and why.
Before we share about what to do in Asheville this spring, we want to first mention the Asheville Trolley.
It’s a great option if you want to experience several areas in one day.
The trolley drives all over town and you can start/stop at any of their ten stops. We think it’s worth it if this is your first visit to Asheville and you want to see it all.
And now, on to the itinerary! Follow this for the perfect spring weekend in Asheville. And if you are looking for more ideas, check out our list of ‘only in Asheville‘ things to do.
Day 1: Shop, Dine and Explore
Start your Day With Great Food
The best way to kick off your time in Asheville is to dine one of our many delicious brunch restaurants around town.
If the weather is nice, our top two recommendations for an outdoor brunch are Liberty House Coffee in North Asheville and Sunny Point Cafe in West Asheville. Both have amazing food and great outdoor seating, as well as gardens where they grow their own food.
Liberty is a great stop if you are looking for a casual restaurant where you order at the counter. They don’t serve alcohol but do have a full espresso menu. Try the sourdough pancake if you go!
If you are looking for a classic (but still casual) brunch setting, Sunny Point is seated and offers breakfast cocktails. They are consistently ranked the top place to grab breakfast/brunch in Asheville on various reader polls. Their bacon is dream-worthy and they have carrot hotcakes with CARDAMOM CREAM CHEESE.
They also have shrimp and grits, a chicken and waffle sandwich, huevos rancheros (including a vegan breakfast version with tofu!) and stuffed french toast. As the weather gets warmer, their outdoor seating is the perfect place to hang out and their garden is definitely worth seeing.
A few more brunch ideas…
- If you are downtown, head to The Med for a diner-style breakfast.
- If you want a quick breakfast in downtown Asheville, The Rhu is a great option. It’s downtown and has excellent pastries and biscuit sandwiches. We also have a guide to breakfast in downtown Asheville with additional ideas.
Spend Time In Downtown Asheville
You should plan to spend time in downtown Asheville while you’re in town. There are many local shops, art galleries, restaurants, dessert spots, coffee shops, museums, bookstores, and fun finds downtown.
> East Fork: A delightful pottery shop and boutique. It is both local and somehow world-famous at the same time.
> Nest Organics: A great spot for organic home goods, baby gifts and clothing and art. It’s so lovely and calm there.
> Duncan & York: Also on Lexington and is another great spot for gifts for everyone (including yourself), kids and local items.
> Malaprop’s Bookstore: An independent bookstore with a coffee shop.
> Kress Emporium: Always a fun stop if you are shopping for art or something local. They feature work from over 80 regional artists and craftspeople.
> Woolworth Walk: Two-story art gallery and emporium, complete with a nostalgic vintage soda fountain and diner inside.
> Mast General Store: a perfect stop for the whole family! You’ll find outdoor gear, packaged foods like jams & jellies, home goods, old-fashioned candy and more. There are rocking chairs and creaky wood floors.
Plan to shop around a few hours and then grab lunch in downtown Asheville. If it’s nice out, Isa’s Bistro has great outdoor seating. S&W Market food hall is another great spot if you want something fun and casual.
Explore Other Parts Of Town
Once you feel like you have seen enough of downtown, continue your exploring by visiting West Asheville or the River Arts District.
West Asheville
West Asheville is known for busy brunch spots, vintage clothing shops, cool coffee shops and even cooler people. There are a few pockets of shops and we recommend driving between each.
One of our favorite shops in Asheville is Flora– it’s a plant shop but with home goods, accessories and even a coffee shop.
Just down the road is another great local shop– Provisions Mercantile. It’s right next to Sparky’s Toy Shop, across from The Hop ice cream.
There are too many amazing eateries in West Asheville to name, but we promise that you can’t go wrong. If you want Thai food, try Thai Pearl. For Indian fare, head to Botiwalla. Taco Billy is great for casual tacos with outdoor seating, Gan Shan West for pan-Asian bites (try the rice bowl!) and The Admiral for more of a date night restaurant.
River Arts District
Asheville’s River Arts District faced considerable destruction from Hurricane Helene in 2024. Nevertheless, pockets of the district, including some shops, restaurants, and galleries, have reopened their doors.
Two of our favorite River Arts District restaurants are All Souls Pizza and Baby Bull. As far as shops go, make sure to check out There There, the NC Glass Center and Wedge Studios.
The second Saturday of each month is a special day in the River Arts District where you’ll find open studios, demonstrations, workshops, live music, wine tastings, food and more. Read more about Second Saturdays here.
Dinner In Asheville
While we have a ton of different food guides for every type of dining occasion, we’ll steer you to our list of the best restaurants in Asheville.
And if you don’t feel like browsing a list, then our top recommendation is Burial Brewery in South Slope. Their food is excellent, their brews are unique and they have great outdoor seating.
Other Asheville Food Guides That May Interest You
Day 2: Brevard & Pisgah National Forest
Today’s adventure is exploring a small mountain town and spending time in Pisgah National Forest. You’ll find details below for each.
First: Breakfast
We have a detailed guide to breakfast in Asheville, but to keep things simple, we will point you toward West Asheville.
- Head to Taco Billy if you love a casual spot and breakfast tacos.
- If you are more of a pastry person, OWL Bakery is unbeatable. Their drip coffee is stellar and every pastry is both beautiful and delicious. Plus, they have a ham + cheese croissant sandwich that makes for a perfect picnic snack.
Next: Brevard, NC
Brevard is a charming mountain destination with a small-town feel and big outdoor adventures. It’s just under an hour from downtown Asheville and is known for its local shops, nearby hiking trails, waterfalls, and mountain biking.
Their downtown area is very walkable and is home to a ton of great shops and restaurants. Grab a drink at Cup & Saucer while strolling around and don’t miss O.P. Taylor’s toy shop.
If you want a few food recommendations, we absolutely love Pisgah Bakehouse. It’s located near the entrance to Pisgah National Forest and has great pastries, desserts, sandwiches, salads and even pizza. Morning Social is another great eatery. It’s not quite downtown but is closer than Pisgah Bakehouse.
After you’ve shopped local and enjoyed the small-town charm, hop in your car and head to Pisgah National Forest. It’s about 10 minutes from downtown Brevard.
Pisgah National Forest
You’ll find an entrance to Pisgah National Forest just a few miles from downtown Brevard. It’s located right by a great bike shop (The Hub) and coffee + mini donut truck (Velvet Cup.) Just hop on Pisgah Highway and you’re on your way!
You’ll pass by a ton of great lookouts, hike opportunities, and an easy-to-get-to waterfall on Pisgah Highway. You can breeze past it all and just enjoy the beauty, or stop and enjoy various areas along the way.
You can be as adventurous (or not) as you like in the Forest. Below are several stops that we love– all are OPEN following Hurricane Helene.
Sycamore Flats: This is the first stop after entering the Forest. You’ll find picnic tables, a grassy meadow, and access to the Davidson River.
Looking Glass Falls: This is an easy-to-access waterfall just off the road.
Moore Cove Falls: 1.2-mile out-and-back trail with a waterfall at the turnaround point.
Pisgah Highway eventually meets up with the Blue Ridge Parkway. Unfortunately several areas of the Parkway are closed following Hurricane Helene, so you can’t take it back to Asheville. You can still access Pisgah Inn (restrooms! ice cream! views!), though, and it makes for a great turnaround point.
Dinner In Asheville
Our pick for dinner in Asheville? Nine Mile! They have three locations and exceptional food.
Want a few more recommendations? The Bull and Beggar is great for a nicer night out, Baby Bull for a more casual burger night, and Gan Shan West for takeout.
Day 3: Choose Your Adventure
The final day of our itinerary! We have included a few ideas that are spring-centric, including seeing Biltmore Blooms at the one and only Biltmore Estate and living like a local in Asheville.
Idea 1: Visit the Biltmore
April to May is the ideal time to see flowers in bloom at the Biltmore. Their famous ‘Biltmore Blooms‘ actually kicks off on April 1.
Tickets are a bit expensive, but if you haven’t been this is a great time to check it out. Entry includes access to the gardens, Antler Hill Village and a self-guided tour of the house itself. You can also opt to skip a tour of the house and only access the gardens + grounds if you prefer.
Idea 2: Live like a local
Want to immerse yourself in all things Asheville? Here’s a list of the various things you can find us doing in our free time! It may be my favorite part of the itinerary because I love traveling and living like a local.
- Take a slow morning starting with brunch (have you been to Liberty House Café yet!?)
- Enjoy donuts at Hole or Vortex (or both!) Hole has made-to-order donuts, and Vortex has both cake and yeast donuts. Both places are excellent.
- If it’s a Saturday, check out a local farmers market (’tis the season, after all!) There are a ton of tailgate markets around town. The North Asheville Tailgate Market at UNCA is a great stop to live like the locals live. You can grab a few local goodies, fresh produce and even a pastry from Owl Bakery!
- Immerse yourself in nature at the Botanical Gardens. It’s right by the North Asheville Tailgate Market and is an excellent stop in the spring. It’s free and has walking paths, creeks, a meadow and tons of benches to sit down and enjoy nature. If this piques your interest, you can read our full post about the Botanical Gardens here.
- Grab a picnic lunch and head to the NC Arboretum. If you are traveling with kids, the model train runs on the weekends at the Arboretum. Otherwise, spend time admiring nature and the various exhibits.
- Speaking of picnics, we love getting takeout picnic food from Montford Deli (North AVL), Asheville Sandwich Co (South Asheville) or The Rhu (downtown).
- Hike around Lake Powhatan— it’s only 15 minutes from downtown Asheville and is an easy + fun hike for kids.
One last note on this spring Asheville Itinerary
No matter what you decide to do, we hope you have a great visit to our wonderful city! And don’t stress about seeing it all, you pretty much can’t go wrong. If you are looking for more information about areas of town be sure to check out our neighborhood guides.
