Asheville, North Carolina · Free local playbooks

Plan Asheville like a local.

Free, printable trip playbooks written by people who host here. They cover where to go, when to book, and what's worth the drive.

Browse the playbooks → Where to stay
Asheville at dusk · Michael Tracey
Free and printableEach playbook is a few pages. Save it to your phone or print it for the car.
Written by local hostsWe send our own guests to these places, so we only list ones we trust.
Straight to the good partThe sunrise summit, the swimming hole, the dinner everyone talks about on the drive home. No filler, just the moments worth planning around.
The playbooks

Pick your trip. We'll fill in the rest.

Each playbook is built around one kind of trip, so you get a short list of places that are worth it, not a list of everything in town.

Wellness Playbook · 6 experiences
The Asheville Reset
Available now

Six ways to actually unwind in the mountains

A short list of wellness experiences around Asheville that are worth leaving the couch for, from a waterfall retreat to a pink salt cave.

  • Waterfall retreat, forest bathing and a Nordic sauna on the river
  • Sound bath, salt cave and foot spa for slower days
  • How to book each one, how long it takes and who to call
Get the free playbook →
Available now
Groups
02

The Group Trip Playbook

15 experiences that work for 10 or more people, from family reunions to birthdays to bridal retreats, so the group stays together all weekend.

Get the free playbook →
Available now
Hiking
03

The Trail Playbook

15 Asheville hikes locals actually do, from Black Balsam and Max Patch to hidden gems like Sam Knob and Lover's Leap, with trail status checked after Helene.

Get the free playbook →
In the works
Dog-friendly
04

The Dog-Friendly Playbook

Trails, patios, breweries and swimming spots where your dog is welcome, and the few places to skip.

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In the works
Families
05

The Family Playbook

Asheville's best spots for kids, from easy waterfalls to rainy-day backups, picked so the adults have a good time too.

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In the works
Fall
06

The Fall Playbook

Peak color timing, the overlooks worth the drive, orchards and cider, and when to book before everyone else does.

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In the works
Summer
07

The Summer Playbook

Tubing the French Broad, swimming holes, music outside and the cooler high-elevation escapes when town heats up.

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Coming this month
Holidays
08

The Holiday Playbook

Biltmore at Christmas, Winter Lights at the NC Arboretum, and how to plan both without spending the trip in lines.

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You pick09
Your trip

Planning something else?

A babymoon, a brewery weekend or a trip with grandparents? Tell us what you're planning and we'll consider it for the next playbook.

Suggest a playbook →
Where to stay

The stays we'd actually book.

Where you stay shapes the whole trip, especially with a group. We picked five Asheville-area homes that make the trip itself easier: room for everyone, somewhere to unwind when you get back, and a short drive into town.

See the Top 5 Stays →

Full disclosure: we host in Asheville, and some of the homes on this list are ours. We'll always label which ones.

Room for groupsHomes that sleep 10 or more without anyone on the couch.
A built-in resetA sauna, a hot tub or a view to come back to.
Close to townA short drive to downtown, not 40 minutes of switchbacks.
Hosts who answerLocal people who pick up when you need something.