15 Best Weekend Getaways In North Carolina

It’s about that time where you’re ready to start planning the best weekend getaways in North Carolina!

Maybe you’re already working on your perfect North Carolina road trip itinerary and you want to add a few more things to the list! North Carolina has endless amounts of activities for everyone to do. Whether you’re solo, with a partner, or even with the whole family, there’s a variety of things to pick from for anyone!

North Carolina is also incredibly beautiful in the fall, so you may need to find the best places to experience fall in North Carolina to make your getaway even more memorable!

Whether you are looking for a mini vacation in North Carolina, or you are just looking a few quick trips in North Carolina, this list will be sure to have something you will want to check out while you’re visiting!

15 Best Weekend Getaways In North Carolina

Stay At The Inn On Biltmore Estate

Located in Asheville, North Carolina, The Inn on Biltmore Estate is not only one of the best weekend trips in North Carolina, it is also the most sought after experience for anyone that comes to visit!

If you’re planning on taking a look at the Blue Ridge Mountain Range, this is the best place to start your experience! You can rest easy while you hangout at the Inn on Biltmore Estate and just take in the fresh air and the view of the mountains!

This Four Star in provides luxury in where you will stay, things you can do while you are here, and all the amenities that are offered!

The Biltmore Estate has various activities for guests to enjoy while staying on the grounds, so it’s no wonder this is one of the best weekend trips in North Carolina! There’s a spa where you can close your eyes and enjoy be pampered! Or you can hop over to the winery and enjoy some complimentary wine tastings! There’s something about complimentary wine that feels luxurious in all the right ways!

If you love art, you’ll definitely need to make your way to the Italian Renaissance Live event where you can explore the Masterworks of the Italian Renaissance age! Though, you will want to check ahead as this is a limited time exhibit and there may be another exhibit in place depending on when you book your stay!

This is one of the best unique North Carolina weekend getaways that you will just have to see to believe!

Weekend In Asheville

While looking for North Carolina weekend getaways, you’ll definitely need to spend a weekend in Asheville, NC! There are so many things to do in Asheville, you will have to make a list so you don’t forget anything!

Asheville is one of the best places to visit in North Carolina for the weekend, and the craft beer is a big reason people venture here!

More than just craft beer, Asheville is a perfect place to go if you love the art scene or if you want to wonder around beautiful architecture!

Because of the craft beer scene, exploring breweries is one of the best activities to do for adults while visiting Asheville. You can check out their most popular brewery, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, and not only taste their brews, but you can also check out the gardens the brewery is located on!

If you love hiking, Asheville is the perfect place to spend some time hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains. The views are great, but so is the access to numerous hiking trails or walking paths!

French Broad River is where you will find the center of the art scene in Asheville, so you must check out the warehouses located here that house numerous local artists! You will even get to experience local art all over the city!

Whether you’re here for the craft beer, the art or the mountains, Asheville is for sure one of the best places to go in North Carolina for the weekend!

Don’t forget to check out our detailed 3-day Asheville itinerary!

Boone And Blowing Rock

Boone and Blowing Rock are neighboring mountain towns that are separated by just 8 miles! That makes these two towns the perfect stop while planning one of the best weekend getaways in North Carolina!

Since these neighboring towns are located in mountains areas, you may even want to consider this one of the best North Carolina mountain weekend getaways for those of you that want to spend some time exploring the area and enjoy time outside!

But the main reason people come to Blowing Rock, and one of the best reasons you will want to come to Blowing Rock is the because of the cliff that gave the town its name. Blowing Rock is a cliff that is located above John’s River Gorge. Because of the rock formation and the flume it creates with the wind, the air tends to return objects that are thrown into the void! It’s a phenomenon you have to see for yourself! It may even be a special place to impress a significant other!

Located in High County, you truly get the best views of North Carolina from both of these towns. Boone and Blowing Rock are both great towns for outdoor sports like skiing, biking, hiking, or even just walking trials.

Every season is a great season to visit these neighboring towns, but the prettiest time to visit is during fall so you can experience all the fall foliage around the area! Being so high means you will get the views of the fall foliage all over the mountain side as well as below!

Boone and Blowing Rock are great places to bring the entire family. Between the outdoor activities, there are also museums and historic sites to explore! So this can easily turn into one of the best family weekend getaways in North Carolina for everyone to enjoy!

We know these towns would make the perfect weekend getaway!

Outer Banks Getaway

The Outer Banks are usually the first thing that comes to mind when people say North Carolina and with excellent reason! The Outer Banks are a perfect place to spend some time outside, especially during the summer season!

The Outer Banks are made up of three islands that are surrounded by over 100 miles of ocean shores. This makes it one of the best short trips in North Carolina if you love being by the water.

People come from all over to enjoy what is known as some of the best surfing on the East Coast! Surfing in the Outer Banks is extremely popular, but you will also want to check out hang gliding! You can even take a beginner lesson at Kitty Hawk Kites, the largest hang gliding school in the world! That sounds like an experience already!

Of course, you can also kayak and canoe, or even go fishing or camping with the family. While water sports are the norm, there are plenty of bike trails and hiking trails for those of you that would rather stay on land!

There are also a lot of historic sites to view with the family or just if you love history! You can see numerous lighthouses around the Outer Banks, or even check out the Wright Brother’s National Memorial.

This is one of the best weekend getaways in North Carolina that you can find!

Weekend In Charlotte

Spending a weekend in Charlotte is one of the best North Carolina getaways you can ask for!

Charlotte is one of those places that makes for one of the best romantic weekend getaways in North Carolina if you’ve been looking for a place to take your loved one! There’s plenty to do to impress and there’s even more things to do to create lasting memories between the two of you while visiting!

One thing you must do while visiting Charlotte, NC is head to a wine tasting! What’s more romantic than spending some time enjoying each other’s company while sipping on wine straight from the vineyard. One place you’ll need to check out is Veronet Vineyards!

Veronet Vineyards is just a quick 30 minute drive from the heart of Charlotte, and is easily one of the most romantic places you can go for one of your nights in North Carolina! Not only do they offer wine tastings and even flights of wine, but you can also try some of their rotating North Carolina beer that is offered on tap, or in a can! If you’re looking to make this a preview before a meal, you can even order small bites to go along with the wine!

If you are both fans of the arts, you will have to check out the Bechtler Museum of Art and gaze at all of the beautiful art on the walls. Or if you would rather check out a performance, then you should spend a night at the Charlotte Ballet!

There’s plenty of things to do in Charlotte to make for a romantic getaway, and we know you’ll love all of it!

Bryson City

Bryson City is a great contender for being a place to have one of the best staycations in North Carolina because once you arrive, you won’t want to spend time anywhere else!

This small town in North Carolina is known for being the Outdoor Adventure Capital of the Great Smokey Mountains! Which tells you already that there is plenty to do that will make lasting memories without having to travel too far to do anything!

Not only is this one of the best quick trips in North Carolina, but it is also a pristine place to come if you’re looking to spend a weekend relaxing with the fresh air outside and just enjoying yourself!

There are numerous lakes and waterfalls that you can check out and mask in their beauty. With all the areas of water, it makes Bryson City, NC the perfect place to come for kayaking, fishing, or just enjoying being by the water. You also have to check out their very popular Deep Creek where you can go tubing or rafting if you are the adventurous type!

You can even plan ahead and spend your weekend in Bryson City camping and really taking in the great outdoors of the Smokies!

Whether you want to spend the weekend rafting in Deep Creek, or you want to relax and enjoy a quiet camping trip, we know you’ll love this weekend getaway in NC!

Fayetteville

Fayetteville is easily one of the best weekend getaways in North Carolina because of the attractions the city offers while you are visiting!

Fayetteville is an incredible place to spend a weekend if you are a history buff! The number of historical attractions in this area are vast and you will never get tired of what you may learn at each of these stops!

One thing you must do is make your way to Fayetteville’s historic downtown area and head to the Airborne and Special Operations Museum! This museum has been opened since 2000, and is a perfect place for a self-guided tour through the years of airborne operations and the soldiers that helped make history! This is part of the United States Army Museum systems, so you know this will be a great place for any history lover!

After visiting the ASOM, you can make a quick walk to the North Carolina Veterans Park and explore the lawn that honors veterans across all military branches! They even have a chandelier made of over 30,000 dog tags!

If you want to take a break from all the history and spend some time just exploring the beauty of Fayetteville, you will definitely need to check out the Cape Fear Botanical Garden! Located just 2. miles from the historic downtown area, it is a quick trip to explore the nonprofit garden and enjoy a stroll!

If you love history, Fayetteville will make for one of the best weekend getaways in North Carolina!

Greensboro

Greensboro is North Carolina’s third largest city, so there is plenty to do while on a weekend getaway!

Greensboro is known for their year-round list of festivals, so if you want to explore festival seasons, then you can even make this one of the best weekend getaways on a budget in in North Carolina! With the number of festivals this town offers, you can get a whole experience just by showing up and enjoying a festival or two depending on what time of year you are here!

This is especially true if you are here during the summer! The summer offers so many festivals if may be hard to keep up! To start, they have the Eastern Music festival that usually runs in June. Then in July, they their Summertime Brews Festival, and of course there’s a following festival in August! The Greensboro Food Truck Festival is held every August and is one of the most popular events of the summer!

They also offer festivals in the winter season like their Greensboro Christmas Festival, so you’re in great hands no matter what time of year you want to check out one of their popular festivals!

If you happen to be coming with kids, you definitely will want to check out the Miriam P. Brenner Children’s Museum! This is a perfect place for kids to let out energy and explore many hands-on exhibits! There is even an outdoor play plaza next door!

If you’re not looking to spend a ton of money on a vacation, but you want to get out and explore a new town, Greensboro is a perfect place to find one of the best cheap weekend getaways in North Carolina!

Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip

One of the best weekend getaways you can have while visiting North Carolina is going on a Blue Ridge Parkway road trip!

There’s a ton of stops available to you as you make your way through your Blue Ridge Parkway road trip, so it’s important that you look ahead and plan out all the places you’d like to see so you have an idea of where you’re headed! Plus, some of these places are extremely popular, so you’ll want to research when the best time to view them is so you can have the full experience!

One place you may want to stop during your road trip is the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center. Since the parkway is nearly 469 miles long and full of history, this is a great place to stop and learn what you can about the parkway you are traveling!

As you explore the Blue Ridge Parkway, you will want to make a stop to check out the Crabtree Falls located in Marion, NC! This waterfall is an excellent area for hiking, or just stopping for a picnic while on your drive! Plus, the views are immaculate!

If you’re looking for something pretty, you’ve got to stop at Craggy Gardens! Here you’ll find the most beautiful floral fields and when they are in their peak seasons of pink purple flowers, you’ll never want to leave!

As you make your way toward Canton, you have to check out Graveyard Fields! This is the perfect place to stop and watch the sunrise! Not only can you see the sunrise, you can check out Yellowstone Falls and spend some time fishing in the area!

With over 450 miles that make up the Blue Ridge Parkway, there’s truly an never-ending amount of things to stop and look at, just always make sure to research ahead of time so you don’t miss anything!

Wilmington

Wilmington is famous for being film locations for numerous movies and TV shows, but for you, it will be famous for being one of the best weekend getaways in North Carolina!

This port city in North Carolina is an extremely popular destination for people traveling through. It’s no surprise there are a ton of fun things to do while you’re visiting!

The Airlie Gardens is a perfect place to start your trip through Wilmington. Here, you’ll find riverwalk shops for finding unique souvenirs and you’ll get to enjoy walking along the marina. Not to forget, there are numerous places to eat with incredible seafood, a plus since you are visiting a port city with access to the freshest seafood!

One popular attraction in North Carolina that you may not find anywhere else is the opportunity to explore a WWII Battleship! This battleship acts as a memorial for the North Carolina locals that died during WWII. This battleship is open daily for anyone to visit, and there is even a walk way around the battleship that you can explore.

There are also three island beaches that you can explore! These areas are popular for surfing or Paddleboarding. You can even do some fishing!

Wilmington is popular for many things, but we know it’ll be popular for your weekend getaway experience!

Maggie Valley

Maggie Valley has just enough small town charm and fun activities to make it the perfect destination to have one of the best inexpensive romantic getaways in North Carolina!

Located right near the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Maggie Valley is a town favored by everyone making their way through North Carolina!

You and your loved one can spend the visit taking a relaxing hike through the trails or even just taking a walk through the town. What better way to enjoy time together than walking hand in hand through one of the most beautiful small towns in North Carolina!

You can even book a horseback riding trip for two and create a lasting experience that you both will enjoy! If you aren’t too keen on riding horses, fear not, there are a ton of other activities you and your significant other can do together.

If you both are the outdoorsy type, this is an excellent place for fishing, tubing, and many other water activities. During the winter, this is a great place for skiing and snowboarding! If you’re looking for something a little less strenuous, this small town offers a great mini golf area that is popular to locals and tourists staying in the area!

Maggie Valley is a great place for you and your significant other to get away for the weekend, and we know you’ll love it!

State Parks Camping

One of the most relaxing weekend getaways in North Carolina that we can think of is spending a weekend camping in one of North Carolina’s state parks!

North Carolina state parks offer all types of camping adventures for you to enjoy! If really just depends on how deep into camping you want to get. You can camp the old fashioned way with a tent, or you can even camp with whatever you can fit in your backpack. Maybe you prefer a more upscale camping experience and want to bring an RV or trailer. Or maybe you want to go even bigger than that and turn your camping into a cabin getaway! No matter how you want to camp, the options are there, just make sure whichever park you decide to stay in allows your desired way of camping!

You may want to camp in a group setting, or maybe you want to do paddle in camping where you can paddle in and out as you please! You can even go equestrian camping at South Mountain State Park and spend time with horses if that’s your preference! For instance, Stone Mountain State Park is a great place to pull in the RV or pitch a few tents for group camping, but you won’t find any cabins here!

There are some fees to stay the night in these State Parks and some camp grounds may fill up quickly. It’s important that you check ahead to make sure you known any fees or rules for the campgrounds.

You can even bring your pets! However, if you are staying in a cabin, you will have to leave your furry friends behind as they are not allowed in the cabins.

With all these camping options, it’s no wonder why camping in a state park is a perfect weekend getaway in North Carolina!

Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem is the perfect place for a weekend getaway because there’s a little something for everyone offered here!

Whether you love art or being outdoors, there’s an endless amount of activities for everyone!

One place you’ll want to check out is Small Batch Beer Co. This brewery makes their brews one craft at a time to ensure that their quality is perfect! Here, they prefer to give you a perfect brew rather than offer you an unlimited amount of brew options that as just subpar. This is a very popular place to visit, so make sure you add it to your list when heading to Winston-Salem!

You must also check out Tanglewood Park! This park is open to the public and has so many things to offer! You can spend some time playing golf on one of their two championship courses, or maybe you’d like to book a stay at a bed and breakfast located on the grounds! You can even come here to camp!

One part of Tanglewood Park that you’ll want to see is Arboretum! Here you’ll find 26 gardens that house seasonal flowers and beatiful ornamental shrubs! This is a great place to come and enjoy the beauty that comes from visiting Winston-Salem!

You can even make a stop at Joyner’s West End Speakeasy, the Winston-Salem neighborhood speakeasy that hosts fun drinks and a perfect night out for adults!

Winston-Salem is a one-of-a-kind spot for one of the best weekend getaways in North Carolina you can find!

Brunswick County

Brunswick County is the perfect place to spend the weekend if you’re looking to spend some time at the beach!

You can spend some time at Caswell Beach and see the Oak Island Lighthouse, or look out across the water and see another lighthouse, Old Baldy Lighthouse located on Bald Head Island! Brunswick County is the perfect place to make you feel like you’re spending some quality time off the water in your beach fantasies!

If you’re more wanting to see unique places you may have seen on TV, you’ll want to head to Leland, NC. This Brunswick County town was home to filming the original Firestarter movie, and is featured in a few episodes of the popular television show, One Tree Hill!

While exploring the best of Brunswick County, you will definitely want to experience some fresh seafood! What’s better than having fresh seafood while you’re experiencing the coastal areas and islands?

Brunswick County offers a little water and beach life while giving you an opportunity to see unique filming locations along the way. You won’t want to miss this North Carolina getaway!

Little Switzerland

Located just an hour away from Asheville, NC, Little Switzerland is a stop along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but is interesting enough that we needed to talk about it on its own!

This scenic town is surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains and is a fun day trip away from hiking and walking trails!

While here, you must check out the Little Switzerland General Store! You can shop around and find something to remember this unique and fun destination, or you can come for lunch and enjoy their popular barbecue!

Book lovers will want to make Books and Beans their number one stop! This is a three-story book store that also has an espresso bar inside. What more could you want! This store has been around since 1987, so there is a lot of history here!

The best time to visit is around the spring to summer seasons, as the places in Little Switzerland tend to close for the winter months. This also includes hotels and other places to sleep.

This is one stop you just make for a weekend getaway!

North Carolina has so much to offer that you won’t want to just spend one, but you will want to spend numerous weekend getaways in North Carolina just making sure you fit everything in!

I’ve been visiting North Carolina for years, and can confidently say that once you spend one weekend here, you’ll start planning your next getaway right after!

Between quaint small towns or coastal hot spots, North Carolina truly brings the best offers and there’s something for everyone. So whether you come alone, come with a significant other, or come with the whole family, there’s something in North Carolina for everyone!