I recently visited downtown Asheville, North Carolina for the first time! Asheville is only about 2 and a half hours from where I grew up and I started to wonder why I had never been there before. That all changed when my sister and I decided to take a quick trip down to Asheville to just to check it out.
For not doing much planning (aside from packing these essential items), it turned out to be a great trip! So I want to share our itinerary in hopes that it’ll make your planning process go smoothly and quickly when you decide to visit downtown Asheville, North Carolina. But if you’d like to plan out your trip a little more in advance than I did, use this travel planner printable!
And if you find that you absolutely love Asheville, North Carolina and want a piece of this adorable city in your own home, check out these digitalized paintings of some of the photos I took on this very trip!
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Here is our itinerary for one day in downtown Asheville, North Carolina:
Stay at the Downtown Inn
If you’re staying for a night or two in downtown Asheville, you’ll need a hotel. We stayed a the Downtown Inn because you can literally walk to everything in downtown from there and that’s what I wanted. I didn’t want to have to drive and pay for parking and by staying at the Downtown Inn, we didn’t have to worry about either.
I recommend staying there if you want to be right in the heart of downtown. There are plenty of AirBnBs in the area as well but if you’d rather not pay for parking or take an Uber to downtown, then staying here is a great option. Downtown Inn is also a more affordable option than other hotels in downtown.
I want to be honest with you, this isn’t a fancy hotel. For my sister and I though, it was fine. We aren’t used to staying in expensive hotels so we were okay with the room. It wasn’t dirty or anything but it’s just your basic hotel. However, if you are looking for something a little more classy and upscale, there are several other hotels in the area that may be a better fit for your criteria.
Okay so you know where to stay, now let’s get the day started!
Before you head out for the day though, here’s a quick list of some items you may want to bring while you’re exploring downtown Asheville, North Carolina:
- Small, crossbody purse or backpack
- Camera/phone
- Tripod (This is the one I use)
Get your morning started in a double decker bus
Our first morning in downtown Asheville started off with grabbing some food at the hotel’s continental breakfast. However, if we had known about Double D’s Coffee and Desserts sooner, we would’ve went there. We tried it on our second afternoon there but I wanted to mention Double D’s Coffee and Desserts for the morning! They have several options so even if you’re not a coffee drinker like me, they have tasty treats for everyone.
It’s also a great spot for Instagram photos because you can actually eat inside the bus! Just take the spiral staircase to the second floor and have a unique view of Biltmore Avenue as you sip your morning coffee (or smoothie). If you’d rather eat outside, they have an adorable patio just for their customer’s as well.
Check out the local shops in downtown Asheville
After finishing up at Double D’s Coffee and Desserts, you’ll want to check out some of the local shops. And believe me, there are plenty of them! Downtown Asheville has cute pet stores, vintage clothing boutiques, gift shops, leather shops, jewelry stores, and more.
My sister and I found lots of cute items in the shops downtown, however, this wasn’t a shopping trip for us so we just browsed and did a lot of window shopping. If you’re looking for unique gifts or just something for yourself though, Asheville seems like the place to shop!
And although I didn’t personally buy much, I wanted to share a few of the stores I enjoyed checking out the most:
Remember, these can all be found right in downtown Asheville!
After checking out the shops, you’ll probably be hungry for at least a quick bite.
Grab a bite to eat for lunch
Before my first trip to downtown Asheville, North Carolina, I went on my Instagram and asked my followers for recommendations for the area. Someone recommended that I eat at White Duck Taco Shop. It sounded interesting and who doesn’t like tacos?! So I found it on google maps and we walked there for lunch.
Y’all, I’m not sure if it was because I was so hungry or not, but that was one of the best tacos I’ve ever had! I ordered the crispy pork belly taco with pickled watermelon rind and green onion aioli. It may sound like a weird taco but don’t knock it until you try it! However, if pork belly tacos doesn’t sound like something you want to try, White Duck Taco Shop has plenty of other options. I also ordered their margarita and it was amazing too!
Need Dessert?
If you don’t fill up on tacos and margaritas at White Duck Taco Shop, head over to French Broad Chocolate Lounge on the corner of Biltmore Avenue and S Pack Square. There, you can choose one (or however much you like) of their many mouth-watering desserts.
My sister and I both chose the chocolate cheesecake and it was a good decision! We ate our slice of cheesecake at a bar they had located inside of the restaurant that looks out into the street. It was perfect for people watching and seeing all the downtown action.
Now that you’ve refueled, it’s time to check out even more that downtown Asheville, North Carolina has to offer.
Go see the historic sites, bookstores, and community garden in downtown Asheville
Downtown Asheville, North Carolina not only offers shopping in cute stores and delicious food, there’s historic sites, bookstores, and even a community garden right in the heart of downtown.
The Basilica of Saint Lawrence
There are plenty of historical sites in Asheville, however if you are limited on time and want to stay downtown, be sure to check out The Basilica of Saint Lawrence. Even if you are not Roman Catholic or practice any religion, I highly suggest seeing the inside of it.
The basilica is right in downtown Asheville so it’s an easy walk to get to. My sister and I were unsure of whether or not we could enter the basilica and which entrance to use. While chatting with a nice couple sitting near the building, we found out we could enter through the side door to the left of the building.
I was in awe as we opened the large door and stepped inside. I’ve never been in such a beautiful church! You will definitely want to take photos and videos of the basilica but I would encourage you to be respectful to the building and the people inside.
There were a few people inside praying when we toured (self-guided) the church and I made sure to stay quiet and not to film or photograph them. Not everyone in the church is just touring it so be quiet and respectful to those using the basilica as a place of worship.
Go to a bookstore or two
I know that bookstores and reading aren’t for everyone, however if you enjoy bookstores, check out Captain’s Bookshelf. There are more bookstores in downtown Asheville but we just happened to go into this one. They have a large selection of books! After you finish up there, be sure to see the garden right next door!
The Community Garden
Across from The Basilica of Saint Lawrence and beside Captain’s Bookshelf, there’s a community garden. I was fascinated with it because here, surrounded by streets and large buildings, was this small, beautiful garden for all to enjoy. I had to go through it and as I strolled down the pathway inside, I noticed flowers, vegetables, and even a little corner to sit and read or write in. How convenient that a bookstore is right next door!
I assume you can take whatever you need from the garden as well as plant whatever you like. There was no one around to ask questions so I’m not sure exactly who created it and how to use it. Still, it’s a sweet, little gem to explore right in downtown Asheville.
After seeing historical sites like The Basilica of Saint Lawrence, searching through books, and exploring the community garden, you may start to feel hungry again. And Asheville, North Carolina is a good place to try excellent food!
Dinner in Asheville
My sister and I actually ate at The Noodle Shop right on the corner of Patton Avenue and Biltmore Avenue for lunch but they are open for dinner too! You can eat inside or out on their patio. We opted for the patio so we could people watch again. We ended up actually not eating a noodle bowl but instead shared chicken, shrimp, scallops and veggies on a bed of noodles that was served to us on a hot, flat rock. It was delicious!
If The Noodle Shop doesn’t sound like the place you want for dinner, there is always pizza and beer in Asheville! We actually decided to venture out of downtown for dinner and ate at Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company. They have three locations but the one we chose was only minutes from downtown and they are open late. We didn’t have any beer but the pizza was great! Did I mention that it’s also a second-run movie theater?! We didn’t realize it until we got there but what a fun date night that would be!
Downtown Asheville bars
If you’re not ready to call it a night after dinner at The Noodle Shop or Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company, then maybe you’ll enjoy checking out the bars downtown. I personally did not go to any while I was there so I can’t recommend any. However, there are lots to choose from so I do recommend trying out a few and see what the nightlife is like in downtown Asheville.
** So to recap the itinerary for one day in downtown Asheville, North Carolina:
- Don’t forget the essentials
- Use this travel planner to plan out the best Asheville trip
- Stay at the Downtown Inn or book another hotel here
- Get your morning coffee or smoothie at Double D’s Coffee and Desserts
- Check out the shops
- Have lunch at White Duck Taco Shop and dessert at French Broad Chocolate Lounge
- Check out some of the historic sites, bookstores, and the community garden
- Have dinner at The Noodle Shop or Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company
- Check out one of the many local bars for night life downtown
I hope that this itinerary will be helpful when planning your first or even next trip to downtown Asheville! And if you’ve visited the area before, would you add anything to the one day itinerary?
If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them in the comment section below or email me at brianadayle@yahoo.com.
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Thank you so much, Brianna!!! Can’t wait to go try out your favorite places!!!!!!!!!
You are so welcome!! I hope you have an amazing time in Asheville!
Thanks for this guide. We’ll certainly use it.
Charisse and Jeremy
BTW we are staying at the Renaissance hotel in downtown Ashville for work. Still close?
You are very welcome! Yes, the Renaissance Hotel looks to be right downtown and within walking distance to most things.