This post is becoming a little spicy! If you’re planning a road trip to Asheville, North Carolina, you’ve probably heard of The Biltmore Estates and are thinking, “Is Biltmore Worth It?”
If you’re anything like us, you’ve read multiple articles praising the Estate’s merits and how it’s well worth the $100-ish price tag ($200 for the two of you!) that you should pay to visit, but you’re concerned that it’ll be unduly touristy or a waste of your time.
We were identical. So, because we live in North Carolina, we performed the research for you to determine whether visiting Biltmore Estate is worth spending or saving money on if you want to create the most memories, eat the best food/drinks, and have the most adventures with your trip companions, like us!
Spoiler alert: we determined that most people should not visit The Biltmore. Continue reading to find out what factors influenced our selection after spending the day there!
A Brief History of the Biltmore Estates
This stunning structure, erected by George Washington Vanderbilt II in the late 1800s, is the largest privately owned home in the United States. This is not surprising given that it has 178,000 square feet and 250 rooms, and was created over 6 years ago by 1000 artisans!
Inspired by his European trips, George wished to build a modest slice of European luxury for his family amid the Blue Ridge Mountains. The European influence is obvious while touring the Biltmore. It reminded us of Vienna’s architecture.
Where Can I Find The Biltmore?
Asheville, North Carolina is home to the Biltmore Estate. It’s in Biltmore Village, only a short distance from downtown Asheville.
If you’re visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Blue Ridge Parkway, or the waterfalls inside Pisgah National Forest, this is an easy stop to make (more on that below!). If you’re in the area, it’s a 2-hour drive from Charlotte to Asheville.
We always choose Discover Cars when hiring a car to get to the Biltmore from Asheville or another city!
Is the Biltmore Worth the Money? Breakdown of Attraction
There are several sites and activities surrounding the Biltmore. However, in our opinion and travel style, this does not always mean it is beneficial.
Let’s go over all of the amenities and provide our thoughts on whether each one is worthy so you can make an informed decision about whether or not to visit the Biltmore.
Area of Biltmore Village
Biltmore Village North Carolina is located just outside the Biltmore Estate’s main entrance. Consider cobblestone streets, shops, and restaurants evocative of a little English town.
All of the businesses and restaurants (including Hardee’s and McDonald’s) look the same, and honestly? It has a very touristy and expensive vibe about it. If you want to be close to the Biltmore, this is the place to stay, but expect to pay a premium!
We chose to stay downtown, where we could stroll to clubs, restaurants, and entertainment while just driving 5 minutes to the Biltmore.
Is it worthwhile? It is pleasant to walk about and window shop for a while, but we recommend bypassing it!
The Structure of the House
We bought the tickets that included the Biltmore house tour since we figured since we were already at the estate, we might as well see a major destination.
We did the self-guided tour, which included an audio guide and was meant to last about an hour. We took the tour in around 45 minutes because we’re not big history buffs, and we skipped parts of the audio guide because it went into a lot of detail.
The Structure of the House
We bought the tickets that included the Biltmore House Tour since we figured since we were already at the estate, we might as well visit a significant attraction.
We selected the self-guided tour, which included an audio guide and was scheduled to last approximately an hour. We took the tour in around 45 minutes because we’re not big history buffs, and we skipped some of the audio guides because they went into a lot of detail.
We usually disregard audio guides when visiting historic places, but we decided to obtain these (they were free at the time of our visit, but I’ve heard they sometimes cost money), and we were glad we did. Without the audio tour, you would have had no idea what you were looking at, making the excursion much less worthwhile.
The Biltmore has an extensive collection of around 92,000 artifacts, including antiques gathered by George Vanderbilt on his travels and works commissioned by his successors. If you enjoy artwork by great artists, there are a couple here.
It was fascinating to see all of the rooms at first, but after a few visits, we developed the “once you’ve seen a couple, you’ve seen them all” feeling. The tour of the home may disappoint you, especially if you have already seen castles or palaces in Europe, such as Versailles.
Is it worthwhile? We recommend no unless you enjoy old houses and vintage artwork. Otherwise, dismiss it.
The Parks
At the time of writing this in 2023, there are five ticket choices available depending on the season: Grounds, Grounds & Exhibition, House & Grounds, House, 2 Day Grounds & Exhibition, or Guided House Tour, 2 Day Grounds & Exhibition.
NOTE: If there is no exhibition in Deerpark, you will be unable to see it. Obviously.
So, regardless of ticket kind, if you go, you will have access to the grounds and garden, which were our favorite parts of the visit.
The Biltmore Garden, which is located just outside the house’s doorway, is enormous. It is so big that it’s separated into nine sections.
- South Terraces and the Library
- The Italian Garden
- Garden of Shrubs
- The Spring Garden
- Conservatory
- Azalea Park
- Garden with a Wall
- The Rose Garden
- Boat House & Bass Pond
Several walking pathways are available on the grounds, as well as the renowned Biltmore Blooms, which change seasonally. It’s a wonderful and peaceful place, however, we were baffled as to how others said we could spend hours there. You can do everything in one hour or less.
The Conservatory is the most entertaining feature. It has unique warm-weather flowers and plants that are both gorgeous and exotic in appearance. There is also a vendor selling beer and wine, so you may relax in the gorgeous environment while drinking an adult beverage. Culture Craving Couple is unequivocally accepted.
Is it worthwhile? If we had to pick one noteworthy feature of the Biltmore, it would be the gardens. However, even at the lowest price of $60 per person or $120 per couple, it’s a little costly to merely stroll around some flowers for an hour, so we’d pass.
If you enjoy flowers, it may be beneficial, but only in the spring or during the heat of North Carolina summer when they are in bloom.
Deerpark
Deerpark is Biltmore’s exhibition and wedding venue. You will only be able to see this if there is an exhibition and you buy a ticket that covers entry.
IMPORTANT: While most tickets get you access to the grounds for two days, you must visit the Biltmore House and Deerpark on the same day if you follow this route.
Is it worthwhile? We didn’t even buy this ticket because we’re not into art events, so we declined. If you’re a couple eager to see as much history and art as possible, you may plan your vacation around an exhibition.
Village of Antler Hill
Antler Hill Village is a 10- to 20-minute drive from the Biltmore House and is included with most entrance tickets.
NOTE: Guest services told us it was a 45-minute ride, but it was not. Perhaps it gets backed up during high seasons like Christmas or summer, as we saw in the autumn. But there’s something you should know that no one told us about!
Antler Hill Village’s grounds offer activities that relate the estate’s history to the present, such as a farmyard, a petting zoo, an Outdoor Adventure Centre, and tourist traps including stores and a café.
There is also a winery that offers free wine samples, but more on that later.
We walked about the village for approximately 30 minutes, thinking there wasn’t much going on. Taylor, an animal enthusiast, was happy to see the petting zoo, but it only featured one pig and a few birds that could not be petted.
Is it worthwhile? No way, unless you prefer wasting your money on expensive items.
The Biltmore Estate Winery
Oh, wine! And there is free wine! We were quite excited about the complementary wine tasting included with our ticket. However, everything was not what we had expected.
The winery previously required tasting reservations, however, this is no longer the case as of 2023. So you head up to the winery and join the queue. We waited around 30 minutes before heading to the off-season. It must be significantly longer during high seasons.
The tasting space is stuffy, unimaginative, and lacks charm. The taste is rushed. We expected to stay and appreciate the wine like one would at a tasting. You have 20 minutes to try five wines. We felt as if we were sucking everything back since the barman would come around to offer us our next taster just after we completed the last one.
Instead of a pre-selected flight, we may pick our own five wines to try. Caleb favors reds, while I prefer whites, so having a selection was convenient.
Use These Tips If You’re Going To See It
If you’ve read all of that and still want to travel, these are the top tips we learned on our visit:
- Get your lunch someplace because everything surrounding the estate is touristic. That is to say, the lunch was ordinary and quite expensive. You may leave the estate and return, so go out to dine somewhere. We recommend seeing the grounds and home first, then leaving and returning to the vineyards.
- Purchasing your tickets in advance saves you money.
- Eat a substantial breakfast – Because you don’t know when you’ll be leaving for lunch, eat a big brunch to avoid becoming hungry. We ate breakfast at Sunnypoint Cafe, and the carrot cake pancakes were the best we’d ever had. I consider myself a pancake specialist. It is a thing, believe me.
- Use the audio tour – As previously said, it will help you grasp the rooms beyond just starting with abandoned-looking furniture!
- Arrive at least 45 minutes before your home tour begins because it takes time to get to the estate, park, and walk about. You do not want to miss the tour for which you paid a lot of money!
- You’ll be walking a lot, so wear comfortable shoes!
Alternatives to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville
We were lucky to have a long weekend going from Raleigh to Asheville, NC, so we had time to do a variety of other activities in Asheville that we enjoyed and would recommend over the Biltmore if you have limited time.
Take a food tour.
Just with our weekend in Charlotte, we began our three-day stay in Asheville with a food tour organized by Eating Asheville. We’ve been on various culinary tours, and this was by far the best one in the whole United States.
We had such a diverse selection of meals and cuisines, and we left feeling SO FULL. At around the same price as a Biltmore ticket, we would choose this tour over the Biltmore to save money while still receiving what we consider to be a greater experience.
A brewery tour with a guide
If you’re familiar with our travel style, you’ll know that we love the best food, beverages, and experiences, which is why we always recommend food and beverage tours.
If a gourmet vacation isn’t your style, try a beer tour to ensure you see the best breweries and taste the best beer.
Fun fact: Portland and Asheville are often at odds about who has the best beer city. Asheville has several breweries, notably in the popular River Arts District.
A walk to the Pisgah Forest Waterfalls with a guide
We went to the forest on our own to see the waterfalls, but things did not proceed as expected. For example, we hiked for 3 hours without eating or drinking since we thought the journey would only take 20-30 minutes, and we were grumpy.
If you’re a couple that appreciates both the outdoors and the city (like us), a morning on a guided walk (followed by a night of epic food and cocktails) will well outweigh a day at the Biltmore.
Dine at Rosabees.
It is not a tour, but you would be remiss not to lunch at RosaBees in The River Arts District. It was a Hawaiian/Asian mix, and it was one of the best meals we’d ever eaten! Make sure to get the “belly bowl.” Not to sound overly dramatic, the mahi mahi and crispy pork belly will change your life.
Conclusion
Should you spend the day in Asheville exploring the Biltmore Estate? “No,” we reply.
Even if you can afford it, we recommend foregoing it and instead spending your day in Asheville doing more interesting and memorable activities that will genuinely help you bond with your spouse rather than rambling about a house.
You could attend if you have a few days in Asheville and money to spend, enjoy flowers or art/history, or just want to say you’ve been there.
However, if you’re here to figure out where to spend and conserve money to make the most of your holiday, the Biltmore should be avoided!
