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Asheville, NC
(828) 989-1729
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Explore Asheville Like a Local

Unique Activities and Attractions

An Asheville, North Carolina vacation offers an astonishing variety of attractions and things to do—see what The Wall Street Journal has to say about the area. Lodging at the Chestnut Street Inn will put you in an ideal location to experience them all!

From the inn, you can walk to downtown Asheville, NC, where you can enjoy shopping, dining, and lots of people watching!

Evening skyline of the city of Asheville NC

Downtown Asheville

Top Picks to Experience

A quick ten-minute walk gets you to the main drag of Downtown, Broadway Street. When you arrive at the inn, we will provide you with a map and show you the best way to walk downtown and some of our favorite spots to check out.

Exterior of Biltmore Estate with green lawn in front

The Biltmore Estate

Largest Privately Owned House in US

One of Asheville's main attractions, The Biltmore Estate is a must-see for anyone visiting Asheville. The 8,000-acre estate features 250 rooms filled with art and antiques, changing exhibits, beautiful gardens, 22 miles of hiking trails, a winery, shopping and on-site restaurants. We highly recommend booking tickets in advance and the audio-guide is a must!

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Two women ziplining down towards an area filled with trees

Outdoor Adventure

For all levels of outdoor enthusiasts

Asheville provides outdoor activities of all kinds including: fishing, white water rafting, kayaking, paddle boarding, tubing, climbing and hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, DuPont National Forest, The Smoky Mountain National Park and Pisgah National Forest.

  • Zip Lining
    The ultimate place for zip-lining is Navitat. We suggest going for the Blue Ridge Experience. Reservations are required.
  • Whitewater Rafting
    Blue Heron is our go-to for whitewater. Only 30 minutes away from the inn, we love doing their half-day trip and asking if we can go a bit faster and get the big rapids at the end!
  • Fly Fishing
    There is an abundance of amazing spots to hit for our experienced anglers. For those wanting a guide, we love our friends at Altamont Anglers.
  • Mountain Biking
    Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventures can help you customize a full or half day bike trip through the Pisgah National Forest.
  • Hot Air Balloons
    Asheville Hot Air Balloons is one of our most trusted balloon guides in Asheville. Sunrise is magical over the mountains!
A man and woman sitting at the top of a mountain peak with a view of the mountains

Favorite Hiking Trails

Enjoy the area with hiking trails for all activity levels

We love using Romantic Asheville as a hiking guide. Their site is full of great recommendations and directions; so helpful when you're in the mountains with limited GPS! Below you will find our top four favorite hikes in our area, for all adventurer levels!

Craggy Pinnacle

Exceptional panoramic views are available at the end of the 1.4 mile hike to Craggy Pinnacle.

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Mount Mitchell

Mount Mitchell is the tallest peak east of the Mississippi and can be accessed via a 3-4 mile loop trail.

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DuPont State Park

DuPont State Recreational Forest is packed with hiking trails and many waterfalls to enjoy.

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Chimney Rock

Hike the 500 steps up to enjoy the views from this impressive monolith, Chimney Rock, only 25 miles from Asheville.

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Multiple Glasses of beer lined up on bar outside

Beer City USA

Best Asheville Breweries

Asheville is a beer lover's paradise. With over 50 breweries in town, you couldn't see them all if you tried! Our guest favorite is Emilie's Self-Guided Walking Beer Tour; 1.2 miles from the inn is our South Slope section of downtown, which has about 10 breweries to visit. We tell you where to go and what to eat and drink!

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New Belgium

New Belgium Brewing is located in the River Arts District and has a wonderful tour as well.

New Belgium

Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada is a must see and a wonderful lunch spot to visit after hiking the DuPont Falls. We call it the Biltmore of breweries! The food is incredible, and our secret for getting a table fast is to ask where the communal seating is! Looking for a tour? Book in advance!

Sierra Nevada

Wedge Brewery

We love skipping over to the Wedge Brewery from there to grab some peanuts and beer and do some people watching!

Wedge Brewery
Man blowing glass outdoors with spectators watching

River Arts District

200 Plus Artists in Residence

Nestled in and among old abandoned mills, warehouses and factories is our River Arts District or RAD. The RAD has over 200 Artists in residence with everything from fine art, porcelain pottery, glass, furniture and crafts. You can spend a whole day exploring working studios and galleries!

Antiques scattered on table and floor in shop.

Funky Antiquing

Antiques, Art and More!

Asheville is definitely not a “normal” place to do anything, and Antiquing is no exception. One of our favorite things to do on a rainy day is to check out some of Asheville's quirky antique shops & warehouses.

Large Purple Tour Bus with Man on Tall Bicycle dressed as a nun riding beside

Best Asheville Tours

Tour options to suit any taste

We take our job as Asheville stewards very seriously, but for guests looking for a more structured guide to Asheville, there are many tours that we enjoy!

Large blue Globe on Rock in Round Ring outside of Arts building

The Asheville Arts

The south's Music & Theatre destination

Asheville has an amazing music and theatre culture that makes us a destination for performing arts in the South. Whether it's a show at the Diana Wortham Theatre, a tour of the newly renovated Asheville Art Museum, or some live music at the Orange Peel… there's always something for everyone.

The Grey Eagle

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The Orange Peel

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Asheville Art Museum

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Harrah's Cherokee Center

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Diana Wortham Theater

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Yellow and Green flowering plants

The North Carolina Arboretum

Designed for the Biltmore Project

15 minutes from the inn is the extraordinary NC Arboretum. If you don't have time to visit the Biltmore Estate or if you are looking for the closest hikes to the inn, the Arboretum has it all. The gardens were designed as a research arboretum by Frederick Law Olmsted for George Vanderbilt as part of his Biltmore project. The handicap accessible gardens are extraordinary, including 10 miles of hiking trails. Enjoy hiking along Bent Creek and the Azalea garden when it's in bloom.

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Open Farm Market with Tomatoes, Cucumbers and carrots on table

Farmers Markets

The best in Western North Carolina

We LOVE our farmers markets! We are so lucky in Western North Carolina to have an abundance of makers and growers. Make sure to check for seasonal hours and openings!