5 Low-Budget Asheville Activities
1. Explore Downtown Asheville
Downtown Asheville is a walking city with an eccentric culture, artsy boutiques, and some of the greatest culinary options in the southeast, all surrounded by breathtaking mountains. In fact, Asheville's downtown is the most popular tourist attraction in Western North Carolina, bringing millions of tourists each year.
While walking, you can take in Asheville’s talented arts with the many lively street performances and go shopping for cool indie wares, local designs, and vintage styles at one of many chic boutiques. For budget-friendly activities, you can check out Asheville’s famous independent bookstores like Malaprops and Battery Park Book Exchange.
Local art and homemade crafts may also be found in downtown art galleries and the Grove Arcade open-air market.
Asheville’s food scene is filled with some of the best restaurants in North Carolina. In fact, it’s a culinary destination that attracts innovative chefs and food artisans, the majority of whom source their ingredients from the hundreds of farms that surround the city. With so many wonderful options, picking where to dine will be the most difficult decision!
2. Visit America’s Largest Estate
If you’re visiting Asheville for the first time, plan an entire day to explore the 8,000-acre estate, which includes the 250-room Biltmore House, 75 acres of magnificent gardens, and the country's most-visited winery, shopping, eating, four-star hotels, hiking trails, and more.
The Biltmore Estate is the largest privately-owned mansion in America, with a priceless collection of art and antiques original to the Vanderbilt home. The winery offers complimentary tastings, and Antler Hill Village has great dining, shopping, and family activities.
If you're on a budget but still want to get the Biltmore experience, visit Biltmore Village, which is located outside the Biltmore Estate. This former estate worker community is now filled with fantastic shopping, incredible arts and craft galleries, and delicious eateries.
3. Enjoy the Great Outdoors
For almost a century, the Blue Ridge Mountains have attracted visitors to this region, and no trip to Asheville would be complete without visiting some of America's most treasured national forests, such as Pisgah and Nantahala. Drive along the 469-mile picturesque road, and explore some of the best hiking trails in North Carolina.
Visit the North Carolina Arboretum and the Asheville Botanical Gardens, which both are home to numerous indigenous mountain flora species.
4. Explore the River Arts District
Another budget-friendly activity you can do is spend an afternoon exploring the French Broad River’s banks through former industrial warehouses that are now home to hundreds of functioning artist studios. You can visit art exhibits, browse galleries for handcrafted art, or get hands-on with one of the many immersive programs offered.
This neighborhood also features some of Asheville's most popular restaurants and a brewery, making it ideal for a break between galleries.
5. Entertainment at Off The Wagon
Off The Wagon, Dueling Piano Bar is one of the best and most affordable places to visit in downtown Asheville. If you’ve never seen a dueling piano act, you should spend an evening at Off The Wagon and have a memorable night! A dueling piano performance consists of two pianos, two charismatic entertainers behind the keys, a third entertainer on the drums later in the night, and an audience that participates.
Throughout the evening, the piano players will play songs selected by the crowd while engaging in comedic commentary and hilarious banter on stage.
However, music isn't the only thing we offer at Off The Wagon. We serve the most delicious drinks in Asheville, as well as some of the best service you’ve ever had.
Whether you're celebrating a birthday, a bachelorette party, or just want to have a good time on a budget, Off The Wagon has some of the most comical entertainment. Next time you're visiting Asheville, we would love to be the place you are looking for!
