My husband and I just celebrated Valentine’s Day at the Biltmore this year and after spending a couple days, I was really thinking this would make a fantastic trip for any couple! And, as I work with so many brides, I figured it would be a great opportunity to share a little about our trip! A trip to the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina would make an absolutely fantastic honeymoon! Or, babymoon, anniversary, Valentine’s Day?!
While I wouldn’t say this is a great trip for kids, although they might enjoy it, this kind of trip has adults only written all over it!
This sort of trip is very relaxing, nothing too fussy! It makes sense to sleep in as most activities are not open until 10am or later anyway!
What to do before you arrive:
- book hotel, your Biltmore tour (recommend to do a weekday when less crowded), any spa services, any dinner reservations at the Inn’s Dining Room, carriage ride if you wish!
- Bike rental if you are going in the busy season!
The Biltmore Hotel
We chose to stay at “The Inn on Biltmore Estate”, it was a little bit of a splurge! Seems weekdays are cheaper which would make a honeymoon trip make sense right after a weekend wedding! We stayed for 3 nights and I would say say that is a perfect amount of time to fully embrace all the property has to offer, however 2 nights would still be great! The Village Hotel would be your next less expensive option while still having that staying-on-the-property experience! Next after that would be local hotels just outside the entrance in Asheville!
Goodness, talk about Southern hospitality’s finest! Truly! I have never experienced a hotel with such incredible service ever in my life! The staff constantly went above and beyond, and constantly asked how our stay was going and if there was anything we needed. So friendly and professional! A fresh rose in our bathroom everyday, complimentary provided ice service everyday at 5pm, cleaning, evening turn-down, they organized my makeup area (literally, it was so cute!), and provided robes and slippers! To save money, you absolutely can still have a wonderful vacation in an off-site hotel, but if you are able to splurge, it really does become a top-tier experience!
The Biltmore House Tour
Book your tour before you go! I would say the first time slot in the morning probably makes a lot of sense, as it can be less crowded and is just a good start to your day. If you can go on a weekday as opposed to weekend, highly recommended as it is less crowded. Once on the house grounds, there is a nice cafe with coffee and breakfast sandwiches so it might be nice to get there early and enjoy that before your tour. Checkout my tips below before going on your tour! After the tour, there are lots of cute little shops in the courtyard to checkout, and then, garden walk time!
Tips:
- I would aim to be parking your car at least a half hour before your tour time.
- Go to the bathroom before going into the tour, it took us about an hour and 45 minutes to do the tour.
- Ladies this is not the time for heels, you want your sneakers, trust me! Wear comfy shoes!
- They allow small handbags FYI.
- If going in the winter, do not underestimate how cold it will be as you will want to walk around the gardens outside after.
- So, after doing the tour, you will want to get the pretzel bun hot dog at the courtyard cafe if it is open!
The Gardens
Definitely go check out the gardens and Conservatory after your house tour! We did that then also came back the next day and parked behind the Conservatory which was the perfect spot to do a gorgeous walk beyond the Conservatory, where we found many gardens, brooks, bridges, benches, a big waterfall, it was the most beautiful nature scene! And keep in mind, we went in February and it was still stunning! If you have the time, a leisurely stroll through the grounds in such a peaceful and romantic addition to your time!
Fine Dining
We spent a couple breakfast’s in the dining room which was lovely, the buffet was extremely high end! The pinnacle of our stay was the Saturday night Valentine’s Day dinner in the Dining Room (you NEED to book in advance!). It was top tier fine dining, with amuse-bouche and all! We enjoyed a bottle of wine (funny story here, Billy and I have been together 16 years and never ever shared a bottle of wine together before, crazy! He is normally a beer guy but when in Rome, we enjoyed the Biltmore’s Chardonnay which is so lovely!). The waiter, our guy Hank, brought us a complimentary amuse-bouche which was far beyond my class level and I had no idea what I was eating but it was delicious!
The table had beautiful fresh flowers and candlelight atmosphere. Honestly, if you have never learned etiquette for fine dining, perhaps do some research before your stay! And if the thought of that doesn’t sound appealing, then perhaps this isn’t an experience you would enjoy, and the price point certainly isn’t catered to not enjoying the full experience of it all!
What was also great fun was being surrounded by lots of other couples out on their Valentine’s Day date as well, and the theme of the meal enhanced the romantic atmosphere of it all. 2 course and a dessert sampler plate later, we were ending the meal with 2 complimentary heart shaped Valentine’s Day cookies! Hank also provided us with a free bottle of wine to take up to our room! Wow! That was shocking and so nice! I am sure (or…I like to think we were special) they don’t do this all the time, so don’t expect it, but just an example of how the staff truly desires creating a magical experience for you!
Biking– Do’s and Dont’s!
DO- I would highly recommend renting bikes, this was such a fun activity to do together!! If you are just trying to enjoy a nice ride with beautiful scenery, be sure to go with e-bikes instead of regular bikes!! (There are some steep hills that we were huffin’ it on even with the e-bike, so I could imagine we would be miserable with regular bikes!) There is a nice leisurely trail to the Biltmore house/gardens (Lagoon Trail), highly recommend that route! The route only took us an hour to do that and back. We did the 2 hour bike rental and felt plenty done after 1.5 hours! It was absolutely wonderful though, highly recommend! We did not have prior reservations for this, just walked up, but we went in the slow season of February! We would recommend the “Lagoon Trail” and a little of the “Farm Trail”!
DONT- If you are genuinely trying to get a workout in, then get regular bikes! Then, we found ourselves amongst the mountain biking trails (beyond the Bike Barn), which I do not recommend! If you have never mountain biked before, do NOT start on these trails! My husband and I have done lots of mountain biking in our days and even struggled, especially as the trails were so slippery with leftover debris from very little usage of these trails. I may have had a little stumble myself.
Antler Hill Village
This area is a short drive away from the Biltmore House, conveniently located near the two hotels and certainly worth the visit! Here you will find little shops, food, and a short museum about the Vanderbilt family. Be sure to take the underground tunnel to the winery! It is lit up with gorgeous Christmas lights!
Cedric’s Tavern is a cute restaurant there, for lunch would be fabulous! The Creamery has coffee, ice cream, cookies, and more! Nearby (walking distance) is the farm, so go check that out with the cute goats, chickens, and more!
Winery
Biltmore has their own winery, made on the property! They do complimentary wine tastings but it was so crowded that we chose to go to the wine bar across the sidewalk there instead and bought a wine flight!
Overall, it was a fantastic stay at the Biltmore Estate and I hope you too can one day experience the gorgeous southern hospitality that North Carolina has to offer! As always, reach out if you have ANY questions! I would be happy to help guide you in booking your trip! hello@sarahkolis.com
Want to learn more about the Biltmore and book your own visit? Checkout this link!
Sincerely,
Sarah Kolis
