Planning sucks, and bachelorette parties are a ton of work. So we’re taking all the guesswork out of planning a bachelorette party by breaking down top bachelorette destinations. Our guides will tell you where to stay, eat, party, how to get around, and give you a sample itinerary that you can follow. You’re welcome. Read on for our bachelorette guide to Asheville.
If you haven’t heard, Asheville, NC, is the spot for all your beer, food, and outdoorsy needs. Having lived here for a solid five years, I can honestly say that Asheville is a place that offers something for everyone. It’s got history for mom and dad, it’s got an amazing food scene for your Instagram thirst trap friends, it’s got amazing beer and breweries for people who give a sh*t about that, and it has stunning scenery and mountain views f*cking everywhere.
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is about to become your new contender for bachelorette parties. Although those words may potentially ruin the city for those of us that live here, I’m fine sharing this slice of Appalachian heaven with some bride tribes and giving you our official bachelorette guide to Asheville.
How To Get There
Getting to Asheville is pretty easy whether you’re driving or flying—it just takes a little know-how. From Charlotte or Atlanta, Asheville is only two to three hours away if you drive like a sane person. Raleigh and Nashville are looking at about four-hour trips, and Richmond will take you about six hours. If that all is making your head spin, yes, you can also fly. The Asheville Regional Airport offers a few direct flights from Newark, LaGuardia, DC, and Philly for about $200-$300 roundtrip. There are several direct flights out of Chicago for around $400 roundtrip; non-stops from Dallas and Houston for around $300; and tons of flights from all over Florida for about $200.
Pro tip: If you’re having trouble finding a reasonable flight directly into Asheville, you can fly into the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, which is only about 45 minutes away from Asheville. You can also fly into Charlotte and make a friend pick you up, or you can take the shuttle.
Once you get to the airport in Asheville, you can grab an Uber or Lyft to bring you to your hotel or Airbnb. If you’re flying into Greenville, the airport shuttle will take you directly into Asheville for a decent price.
Where To Stay
Airbnb is going to be your best bet in Asheville since there are tons of bigger homes located around downtown (look for things in the Montford area) that can easily house four or more. If you don’t mind a bit of a drive, you can hunt for better options—there’s cabin-type sh*t and mountain views a little outside town in Black Mountain, which is east of Asheville and about 20 minutes from downtown; or in Arden, which is south of Asheville, closer to the airport, and also about 20 minutes from downtown.
If you’re determined to stay in downtown, though, there are TONS of brand new hotels. The AC Hotel by Marriott is smack in the middle of the action and has a stellar rooftop bar and restaurant. Hotel Indigo is on the edge of downtown and makes for an easy walk into the action, and Aloft is located near the southern side of the city where a lot of the breweries are.
View this post on Instagram
How To Get Around
Asheville has a few different areas, all of which are walkable in and of themselves. To get between said areas, though, you will need an Uber, Lyft, or (the least fun option) a DD. Downtown is completely walkable, and if you were feeling up to it, you could trek over to the River Arts District, as it’s only about a mile away, but I’d recommend a car. West Asheville, where you’ll be heavily judged just for being part of a bachelorette party, is less of a destination, so I wouldn’t recommend bar hopping or shopping much over there; just book a restaurant and GTFO. Biltmore Village is walkable and has some super cute shops, but if you’re going to the Biltmore House, you will need a car to drive around the estate.
Where To Eat
There’s no shortage of places to eat your weight in, well, anything. Between James Beard-nominated restaurants and breweries with really good food, I’d highly suggest starving yourself the whole week before you get to Asheville so you can stuff yourself once you get there. (Don’t actually do that.)
For a fancy or nice dinner, book a month out for Cúrate , Rhubarb, or Benne on Eagle. All three have been nominated for countless awards, received accolades from fancy culinary folks, and/or have been recognized by the foodie establishment for being f*cking delicious. Cúrate specializes in Spanish tapas, a great option for a bachelorette party looking to share literally everything and take a lot of really annoying pics. Get the sangria—you won’t be disappointed.
Rhubarb is your classic farm-to-table eatery, but they take it up a notch. Sit out on the patio where you can be serenaded by wandering musicians and buskers, which Asheville has a lot of.
Benne on Eagle is where African meets Appalachian and has some seriously decadent and delicious not-your-average Southern dishes. And while I say these three are for “fancy” dinner, honestly, you could wear old, stained denim shorts and a baseball hat to any restaurant in Asheville and no one would think twice. Thanks, hipsters!
View this post on Instagram
For a more casual atmosphere, you’re going to want to hit up Chai Pani. Indian street food may not sound like a great idea when you’re binge drinking, but, I promise you, this sh*t is amazing. Get the kale pakoras and okra fries for a life changing experience.
Another adorable spot is Noble’s The Greenhouse, where the bright pink interior is begging to be in all your Insta stories.
If you need to up your sugar intake, stop by the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. It’s right in the middle of downtown and is sort of a dessert mecca. There will be a line on Friday and Saturday nights, but once you get inside you can indulge in their cookies, cakes, mousses, or liquid truffles—all made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate. Bonus points if you get a wine float, where, like, you put ice cream in your rosé.
Brunch is a way of life in Asheville, so be sure you’re carving out time in your day for that sh*t. Tupelo Honey is, honestly, sort of a tourist trap, BUT for good reason. Get the Shoo Mercy pancakes and be ready to never eat again.
Sunny Point Cafe always has a two hour wait, but the West Asheville spot is incredible for when you’re hungover (which you will be).
Taco Billy, which specializes in breakfast tacos, is also an amazing breakfast eatery—plus it’s across the street from Hole Doughnuts, where you kind of need to go for freshly fried and slightly misshapen treats smothered in cinnamon sugar.
What To Do
As soon as you settle on Asheville for your bachelorette destination, go ahead and book your tickets for the Biltmore Estate. The Vanderbilts’ giant Versailles-in-America home is open year-round and you can tour, do wine tastings, take amazing Instas, and pet some cute f*cking animals. Yes, you read that right. There are goats and chickens and sheep and a few giant Clydesdale horses and they all just want LOVE and are conveniently located down the path from the winery. It’s like a white girl triathlon.
After you drink and cry over cuddly wuddly animal friends, I’d suggest a visit to the largest brewery in Asheville: Sierra Nevada. Even if you aren’t a huge beer fan, this Denver-based beer’s operation offers tours, seriously amazing food, a giant outdoor area with fire pits, a stage, games, gardens, and lots of places to just sit, drink, and relax. It’s located in South Asheville, and it’s definitely a must-add destination to the to-do list.
View this post on Instagram
Something wild is joining the party next month. Are you curious? #MardiGras
If you’re fancy, book some spa treatments (and say goodbye to your paycheck) at the The Grove Park Inn. The entire spa is cave-like, pools open up to mountain views, mimosas are free, and, if you’re a hotel guest, you can stay all day. Just be sure to double-check daily availability, as hotel guests are always given first dibs. If you can’t or won’t afford a $200 pedi, stop by the inn at sunset for drinks on the sunset terrace instead. Then take pics and annoy everyone.
Lastly, if it’s warm and you like the outdoors, Asheville has tons of hiking trails and water adventures on the French Broad River, which runs right through town. There are several tubing companies, so you can pack a floating cooler with booze and meander down the waterway.
Where To Drink
Unlike Nashville, Miami, or NYC, Asheville isn’t a party-till-sunrise location, which works in our favor for those of us that like to be in bed before 2am. There are not a lot of places open past, like, midnight, so think more daytime drinking and late-night tapas and less rage-all-night clubs. So if going to bed before the sun comes up is your jam, you’ll f*cking love it here.
The good news? Asheville has more breweries per capita than any other city in the U.S. Yeah, think about that for a minute. There are a few bigger breweries that require more than a quick stop, plus tons of smaller breweries where you can jump in, grab a beer, and be on your way. We already talked about Sierra Nevada, which is located sort of out of town (actually super close to the Asheville Airport—about 20 minutes from downtown). New Belgium Brewing also has a huge spot in Asheville. It sits right between downtown and West Asheville, making it an easy day stop. There’s always a food truck, lots of beer flight options, and dogs to pet (v important).
View this post on Instagram
If you’re downtown, which you will be, there are a few must-stop breweries. Burial Beer Co. is run by really mean hipsters who make really great dark beers—so if you’re into coffee stouts, porters, and playing “whose beard is best”, this is the place to go. Wicked Weed is one of the OG breweries in town and is a stop that offers beer for everyone’s needs. They also operate the Funkatorium, which makes tons of sour beers. That sounds gross, but they’re really good and get you pretty f*cked up. Yay! One World Brewing is also in downtown, located in a not-sketchy alleyway. The bar is in a basement with lots of games, so you can collectively embarrass yourselves.
If you get tired of beer, there’s a wine bar in the River Arts District—just outside downtown—called Bottle Riot. You can also stop by the plēb urban winery which opened fairly recently in downtown.
Friday, Day 1
- Land at the Asheville Airport and take in the mountain views. Ah, nature. Grab an Uber and head to your Airbnb.
- Arrive at the hotel/Airbnb and unpack before heading out for drinks and an app (see: margaritas) at En La Calle
- Dinner at Cúrate, where you share all the tapas and drink far too much sangria. Try to speak Spanish with a Catalonian accent and definitely offend the chef.
- Time to make downtown your bitch! Stop by Burial , Wicked Weed, and One World Brewing before stumbling to French Broad Chocolate for late night chocolate cake, mousse, and wine.
- Uber back to the Airbnb. “Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my liver to keep.”
Saturday, Day 2
- Bonjour, Asheville.
- Brunch at Tupelo Honey. Eat your weight in pancakes, biscuits, and drown it all with their house-made Bloody Mary.
- Grab an Uber and try to make your 1pm house entry time at the Biltmore. Hit the estate winery on your way out for a free tasting, then pet all the animals you can find.
- Head back to the hotel/Airbnb to get ready for pre-dinner wine at Bottle Riot before walking next door for dinner at Bull & Beggar in the River Arts District.
- Walk or Uber over the bridge to New Belgium for after-dinner beer.
- If you need more, Uber to The Double Crown in West Asheville—a locals bar with beer in cans and mixed drinks that are 95% alcohol. This is where you die of alcohol poisoning in a fun way.
- Somehow get back to your bed, control the spins, pass out.
Sunday, Day 3
- A very quiet brunch at Taco Billy, with doughnuts afterward at Hole. You try desperately not to throw up on the bride-to-be while cursing this f*cking mountain town.
- Head back to the hotel/Airbnb to pack and trek to the airport. Swear off beer forever.
- Dry heave into a paper bag on the plane and try not to make eye contact with anyone.
Images: @lovenoricreations / Unsplash; achotelasheville, curatetapasbar, chaipani, frenchbroadchocolate, biltmoreestate, omnigrovepark, newbelgium_avl; Instagram
