13 best places to visit in North Carolina

From the towering, beautiful peaks of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains in the west to the hundreds of miles of golden, barrier-island beaches in the east, North Carolina has an embarrassment of riches to offer visitors.

The state has incredible national parks that are the perfect location for hiking, camping and myriad outdoor adventures but is also home to welcoming must-visit cities that are packed with culture, live music, delicious cuisine and so much more. Make a start on your wishlist now – these are the best places to visit in North Carolina.

1. The Biltmore Estate

Best for old world charm

Start your Asheville sojourn at the Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned home in America. Built in the style of a French chateau for the Vanderbilt family, the Gilded Age mansion has on-site restaurants, inns and even a winery.

Landscape artist Frederick Law Olmsted designed the grounds of the 8000 acre estate to showcase natural beauty in every season. With six formal and informal gardens, more than 20 miles of nature trails and a conservatory brimming with lush tropical plants, Olmstead’s vision endures with beauty at every turn.

2. Charlotte

Best for museums and NASCAR fans

While most cities have a “downtown,” Charlotte’s hub is known as Uptown. Here you’ll find the majority of the landmarks, including the Mint Museum of Art (which has a second location in the city in a former US Mint), the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture. The artist Romare Bearden, who was born in the city, is honored with a public park nearby.

It’s also a sports fan’s paradise, home to the Carolina Panthers football team and the NASCAR Hall of Fame – a sprawling, interactive museum devoted to racing history, with drivers’ trophies and car simulators. There's also the US National Whitewater Center, a 1300-acre park with ziplines, trails and artificial rapids used for the Olympic Trials.

3. Durham

Best for wildlife and wonderful gardens

While often lumped in with Raleigh, Durham has an atmosphere all its own. Home to famed Duke University, there’s plenty to see on and off campus. The Duke Lemur Center is a world-class primate center with the most diverse population of lemurs outside of Madagascar, open for tours by appointment.

Roam the galleries of the Nasher Museum of Art, which has pieces from Mesoamerica along with modern works by Kehinde Wiley, painter of President Obama’s portrait. The Sarah P. Duke Gardens first opened in 1934 and has native North Carolina species like the Venus flytrap.

4. Greensboro

Best for learning about the fight for civil rights in the US

Greensboro has a long history of textile manufacturing; Lee and Wrangler jeans’ parent company has its headquarters here. Leftover textiles from these factories were once sold at a downtown store, which has since been revived as the offbeat Elsewhere Museum, where artists create new work based on what’s already inside the building.

The city made history during the Civil Rights Movement when local students held a sit-in at the Woolworth’s lunch counter. The original seats are part of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, which also has exhibits on the Middle Passage and voting rights.

5. North Carolina Smokies

Best for outdoor attractions

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park stretches between Tennessee and North Carolina, but the latter section is quieter. One of the best national parks in the state, the Smokies provide a unique blend of history, culture and outdoor adventures. In Bryson City, visitors can ride the rails on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, which runs along the Tuckasegee River. The Nantahala Outdoor Center was the original rafting outfitter in town and has grown to include a restaurant, cabins and ziplining.

The town of Cherokee honors the Native people that were forcibly removed on the Trail of Tears. The tribe shares its 11,000-year-old history at the Museum of the Cherokee People and in the seasonal outdoor play Unto These Hills.

6. Outer Banks

Best for shipwreck diving

The Outer Banks is home to dozens of islands with small towns and fishing villages. The 175-mile stretch is where Europeans first arrived, including the mysterious Roanoke colony that disappeared in 1587. Pirates trawled the waters, including Blackbeard, who met his fate on Ocracoke Island. It’s also known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic for the many shipwrecks on the ocean floor, which now make for excellent diving sites.

A summer vacation in the Outer Banks is filled with history, adventure and natural wonders. At Kitty Hawk, visitors can see where the Wright Brothers made their first flight. Try your own luck with a glider flight at the nearby sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. The best views are from the lighthouses along the coast, including the Cape Hatteras, Currituck Beach and Bodie Island lighthouses.

7. Raleigh

Best for incredible food options

The capital of North Carolina has an energy that attracts lovers of the arts. The North Carolina Museum of Art features the work of both the state’s creatives and internationally recognized artists and The Pour House attracts a wealth of touring music acts.

Raleigh is also home to many of the state’s James Beard-nominated restaurants. Ashley Christensen was among the first, now with an empire that includes multiple restaurants such as Poole’s Diner. St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar has authentic Louisiana cuisine, including gumbo and barbecue shrimp. Take a walk to Downtown Raleigh to enjoy a delicious blend of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors at Cheetie Kumar’s Ajja.

8. Wilmington

Best for some silver-screen magic

The city of Wilmington is on the Cape River, inland from the Atlantic Ocean. Over the years, it’s also become known as a sort of mini Hollywood thanks to its nearby film studio. Embrace your nostalgia by visiting the filming locations from Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill, and Eastbound & Down using the brochures from the visitor’s center as a guide.

Wilmington was also home to a young athlete known as Michael Jordan. The famed basketball player has an exhibit at the Cape Fear Museum of History featuring his jerseys and memorabilia. The museum also has a replica skeleton of a giant sloth that roamed this area during the prehistoric era.

9. Winston-Salem

Best for early US history

The city known as Winston-Salem was settled by the Moravian people fleeing modern-day Czechia in search of religious freedom. Their original homes and buildings have been restored and now operate as Old Salem, a living history museum.

The area came to prominence for its tobacco industry, which still has a presence today. RJ Reynolds established his company here and lived at a grand home near Wake Forest University called Reynolda. Today, it’s an art museum with sprawling grounds. His former Art Deco office (which inspired the Empire State Building) is now the stylish Kimpton Cardinal Hotel.

10. Yadkin Valley

Best for wine-tasting tours

Situated between the western mountains and the rolling landscapes of the Piedmont, Yadkin Valley is home to North Carolina’s wine country. Designated as an American Viticultural Area, a defined wine-grape growing region with specific climate and geographic features, Yadkin Valley echoes some of the finest wine growing regions of Europe. With more than 40 wineries as well as breweries and distilleries to visit, tasting tours offer unique (and delicious) ways to explore the region.

Shelton Vineyards is one of the largest vineyards on the East Coast and offers daily tours and tastings with a farm-to-table restaurant on site. Bringing Tuscan charm to the Carolinas, Raffaldini Vineyards produces classically dry Italian-style wines in a stunning setting.

11. Shackleford Banks

Best for stargazing

Along the Atlantic coast, wild horses roam the pristine shores of Shackleford Banks – one of the prettiest places in North Carolina. Protected as part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, the wild herds graze and frolic peacefully across the barrier island, which is accessible only by private boat or ferry. The National Park Service offers guided tours for visitors to learn more about these majestic animals.

Shackleford Banks is also one of the best places in North Carolina to view the celestial wonderland above us – the area received an International Dark Sky Park designation in 2021. Seasonal cabins and year-round primitive camping are available for overnight stays, giving visitors a unique opportunity to experience some of the most spectacular stargazing on the Atlantic coast.

12. Carolina Beach

Best for retro family fun

Just south of Wilmington, Carolina Beach boasts a vintage-style boardwalk packed with nostalgic family fun. This popular spot is home to carnival games, an old-school arcade, amusement rides and free live music and fireworks weekly throughout the summer. From pizza and ice cream to fresh seafood and cocktails, there are plenty of concessions, bars and restaurants as well. For an old-fashioned treat, stop by the 1950s-themed Pop’s Diner or Britt’s Donut Shop, established in 1939.

13. Blue Ridge Parkway

Best for fall colors

The Civilian Conservation Corps-built Blue Ridge Parkway traverses nearly 500 miles of undisturbed vistas between North Carolina and Virginia. Winding its way along the state’s western mountains, the scenic highway passes some of North Carolina’s most beautiful places including historic Blowing Rock, Grandfather Mountain and the Biltmore Estate.

One of the best road trips in North Carolina, and many would argue in the entire US, a drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway showcases the natural beauty of the state throughout every season. However, the best time to visit is fall when the mountains ignite in a stunning display of reds, oranges and yellows. Take a detour from the parkway to Pisgah National Forest, home to the area’s most popular hiking area, a 60ft natural water slide and Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi River.