Biltmore Itinerary: One Perfect Day at the Estate

A visit to Biltmore is not a budget day trip. If you live in the general Asheville, North Carolina, area and plan to make a return visit to Biltmore within a year, we strongly recommend that you consider purchasing a Biltmore Estate annual pass.

A Biltmore annual pass will give you admission to the entire estate for a full year, plus you’ll get great passholder benefits like discounts on estate dining, shopping, and lodging.

Biltmore itinerary first stop: Lunch

Our perfect day at Biltmore starts with an early lunch on the property. We enjoy both Cedric’s Tavern and the Stable Cafe, considering them both among the best Biltmore restaurants.

We highly recommend that you make reservations for any meal you plan to enjoy at Biltmore.

Estate dining venues offer vegetarian and gluten-free options. Though not always marked on the menu, your server will be happy to help with whatever dietary accommodations you may need. Gluten-free and vegetarian/vegan options are clearly marked on Biltmore menus.

Next Stop: The House

Please note that you will be prompted to select the time you would like to enter the house when you purchase your tickets online. We typically choose 2:00 or 2:30 p.m. as our house entry time. This gives us plenty of time to enjoy a relaxing lunch before making our way to the house.

Depending on how busy it is at the estate, it can take a little time to get from Antler Hill Village to the house (including time to park and then walk or take the shuttle to the house).

We like to allow an hour between lunch and our house entry time just to be on the safe side.

Since we’re annual passholders, we don’t go through the house itself on every visit to Biltmore, but we do when they have a new exhibition. If this is your first time at the house, I highly recommend picking up an audio guide. Allow up to two hours in your Biltmore itinerary to tour the house.

Next Stop: Stable Area

After you exit the house, turn left to check out the stable area right next to the House.

Next Stop: The Gardens

Spring and early summer are great times to visit Biltmore if you want to see the gardens at their best. Keep an eye on the Bloom Report page on the Biltmore website to stay up to date on what’s blooming.

If you’re up for a long walk after going through the house and visiting the stable area, then I’d recommend a stroll through the estate’s azalea garden.

Expect peak blooms for the native azaleas to be in the first week of May. For a shorter walk, my favorite stop on the Biltmore grounds for flowers is the Walled Garden. It’s near the house and includes the estate’s beautiful rose garden.

Next Stop: Antler Hill Village & Winery

After you’ve enjoyed the gardens, make your way back to your car and drive to Antler Hill Village & Winery. The Village is home to The Village Hotel, shops, restaurants, and even a farm with special demonstrations and activities.

The Village also includes the Biltmore Legacy exhibition space that offers more information about the Vanderbilt family. As of April 2025, the current exhibition is “The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad.” Entry to The Biltmore Legacy is included with your ticket.

We love to make a stop at The Creamery in Antler Hill Village when we’re looking for an afternoon snack or a cup of coffee.

Dinner: The Bistro

End your perfect day at Biltmore Estate with dinner at The Bistro, just a few steps from Antler Hill Village near the Winery. The Bistro offers a casual but elegant atmosphere with excellent service. The Bistro is a Certified Green Restaurant.

Alternative: Cedric’s Tavern is also an excellent choice for dinner.

The bottom line

Even though I always wish I could spend more time there, you can see quite a lot of Biltmore Estate in one day. No matter what you do on your day trip at Biltmore, you can expect to have a wonderful day exploring a beautiful piece of North Carolina’s history.