The first time Sean and I visited Biltmore, I remember wondering:
Would the kids actually enjoy this?
Because let’s be honest.
“Hey kids! We’re going to spend several hours wandering through a massive historic mansion where you can’t touch anything!” isn’t exactly the easiest family-vacation pitch. 😂
So our first Biltmore trip was just the two of us.
We went in spring.
We wandered through gardens filled with tulips and azaleas, toured the house, drank wine, ate ridiculous amounts of good food and basically fell in love with the place.
And I knew we needed to come back.
So we did.
Except this time, we brought the kids.
And my mom.
And my stepdad.
And instead of tulips, azaleas and warm spring afternoons…
we got Christmas. 🎄
Apparently, if there’s one way to make an already ridiculously beautiful mansion even more ridiculous…
put Christmas trees everywhere.
Tiny Trip Snapshot 🚆
Where: Asheville, North Carolina
When: Weekend after Thanksgiving
Who: Our family + my mom and stepdad
Length: Friday afternoon–Sunday
Stayed: A little barndominium Airbnb about 15 minutes from Biltmore
Trip style: Family Christmas road trip
Favorite part: Biltmore House at Christmas
Best meal: Bone & Broth…again 😂
Unexpected favorite: Sunset at Biltmore
Would the kids enjoy it? I seriously underestimated them.
Would I go back at Christmas? Absolutely.
Friday Afternoon: Asheville, Here We Come 🚗
We left Georgia Friday afternoon and headed toward Asheville.
The drive in was rainy, chilly and gray—the kind of weather that makes you want to immediately find something warm and hearty to eat.
Fortunately, I already knew exactly where we were going.
Bone & Broth.
Because apparently I am incapable of entering Asheville without eating there now.
Everyone met there before heading to the Airbnb, and it was just as good as I remembered.
We ordered duck breast, snapper and grits, bone broth and bread service.
The kids split a steak.
And after driving through chilly rain, sitting down together over warm food was exactly what we needed.
I have now been here more than once, and apparently my goal is simply to work my way through the entire menu.
No complaints.
After dinner, we headed to our little mountain Airbnb, unloaded everything and settled in for the night.
This Time, We Got an Airbnb 🏡
On our spring couples trip, Sean and I stayed at The Inn on Biltmore Estate.
I loved it.
But I said then that if we came back with the whole family (to be honest I was already planning the next trip here), I’d probably choose an Airbnb for the extra space and value.
And that’s exactly what we did.
We found the cutest little barndominium about 15 minutes from Biltmore.
It didn’t have spectacular mountain views or anything fancy.
It didn’t need them.
It had three bedrooms—two with queen beds and one with bunk beds—two bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room.
Basically, everything we needed for a weekend.
And it had a firepit outside.
Up in the mountains around Christmastime?
Perfect.
Saturday Morning: How We Saved a Little Money 💰
Biltmore isn’t a cheap trip.
And taking the entire family obviously doesn’t make it cheaper. 😂
So we didn’t eat every meal out.
Saturday morning, we made brunch at the Airbnb before heading out.
Having a kitchen was one of the reasons an Airbnb made so much sense for this trip.
This is one of my favorite ways to balance a travel budget:
Save on the things that don’t matter much to you. Spend on the experiences that do.
I didn’t need someone to make me a fancy brunch.
I’d much rather eat at the Airbnb and put that money toward something we actually cared about doing.
Or Bone & Broth.
Priorities.
Christmas at Biltmore 🎄
We purchased our Biltmore tickets in advance, and if you’re visiting around the holidays, I highly recommend doing the same.
We visited the weekend after Thanksgiving, so yes…
there were people.
Lots of them.
But this is one of those places where the sheer size works in your favor.
The estate is so enormous that even though we knew we were there during a busy holiday weekend, it never felt unbearably crowded or stuffy.
There was room to wander.
And that’s exactly what we did.
Spring Biltmore and Christmas Biltmore Are Two Different Places
The biggest difference was obvious as soon as we started exploring outside.
My tulips were gone. 😭
So were the azaleas.
The spectacular spring color we’d experienced during our first trip had died back for the season.
But that’s part of what made seeing Biltmore twice so interesting.
Different season. Completely different experience.
And there was one place that hadn’t lost its color…
The Conservatory 🌿
Still gorgeous.
Still full of life.
Still one of my favorite places at Biltmore.
Outside, winter was settling in.
Inside?
Green everywhere.
If you’re visiting Biltmore during the colder months and assume there’s no point exploring the gardens because everything has died back…
don’t skip the Conservatory.
It’s beautiful year-round and gave us a little bit of that garden magic we’d loved so much during our spring trip.
Antler Hill Village + Obviously Candy 🍬
We spent part of the morning wandering through Antler Hill Village and its shops.
The kids got candy.
I got candy.
Everyone was happy. 😂
There’s also a Christmas shop, and we picked out an ornament for our tree.
I love souvenirs like that.
You bring it home, pack it away after Christmas…
and then the next year you pull it out again.
Suddenly you’re back on that trip.
“Remember when we went to Biltmore at Christmas?”
That’s my kind of souvenir.
Then It Was Time to See THE HOUSE 🏰
This was the part I had wondered about.
Would the kids actually care?
Would they get bored?
Would we spend the entire tour hearing:
How much longer?
Can we go now?
I’m hungry.
Turns out…
I had nothing to worry about.
They loved it.
They were genuinely in awe.
And one thing that really helped was the kids’ audio tour.
Instead of simply following the adults around listening to us talk about history and architecture, they had something created specifically for them.
They really enjoyed it.
And then there were the decorations.
OH. MY. CHRISTMAS. 🎄✨
I thought Biltmore House was beautiful in spring.
But Christmas?
Gorgeous.
Christmas trees.
Garland.
Lights.
Ornaments.
Decorations everywhere.
This enormous, grand historic home somehow becomes warm and magical at the same time.
My favorite was the dining area.
It’s already such a grand room, but decorated for Christmas—with that remarkable fireplace—it somehow manages to feel cozy despite the sheer scale of it.
And cozy is not usually the first word that comes to mind when you’re standing inside Biltmore House.
But at Christmas?
It works.
Then the Sun Started Setting 🌅
We toured the house in the late afternoon, heading toward dusk.
And this is something I would absolutely do again.
As the afternoon went on, the light outside started changing.
Then we watched the sun set over Biltmore.
Magic.
There isn’t really another word for it.
You’re standing on this enormous historic estate, surrounded by mountains, Christmas decorations and your family while the sky changes around you.
Those are the travel moments I chase.
Not because they’re expensive.
Not because they’re elaborate.
Because for a second, everyone stops.
And looks.
And remembers where they are.
Tiny Tip 🚆: Dress for the Mountains!
Our spring visit had chilly mornings followed by beautiful warmer afternoons.
This trip?
Cold.
You’re in the mountains around the holidays.
Dress accordingly!
Especially if you’re planning to spend significant time outside exploring the estate—which I absolutely think you should.
Twisted Laurel: Round Two 🍕
After our house tour, we headed to Twisted Laurel for dinner.
I’d already eaten there during our spring trip and wanted to go back because there were too many things on the menu I hadn’t tried.
This time?
Pizza.
So yummy.
And when you’re traveling with kids, parents and grandparents, finding something everybody agrees on deserves its own travel award.
Pizza delivered.
Then We Went Home and Did…Nothing ❤️
Back at the Airbnb, we lit the firepit.
And sat around the fire.
That’s it.
No tickets.
No reservations.
No schedule.
No historic landmark.
Just a chilly mountain night and our family sitting around a fire together, talking and laughing.
And sometimes the quieter, wholesome time is what counts.
Those little spaces between the things you planned don’t look particularly impressive on an itinerary.
But years later?
They’re often the parts you remember.
Tiny Tip 🚆: WATCH THE BILTMORE DEALS
This was one of the best money-saving decisions we made.
We knew we wanted to experience Biltmore in spring and at Christmas.
Instead of simply buying regular admission twice, we bought an annual pass.
At the time, kids under 16 were free with the pass, so once we did the math, buying the pass made much more sense for our family than paying separately for both visits plus the kids.
And we got two completely different Biltmore experiences out of it:
Spring flowers 🌷 + Christmas magic 🎄
So before automatically buying regular admission…
WATCH THE DEALS, GUYS!
Look at the annual passes.
Look at the current promotions.
Think about whether you might want to return in another season.
Then do the math.
Pass prices and benefits can change, so always check the current offers before your own trip.
Sunday Morning: Skip Another Tour. Go Outside. 🥾
We didn’t do any specialty house tours this trip.
We’d done the Rooftop Tour in spring, and this time I wanted the family to experience more of the property itself.
And Biltmore has nearly 22 miles of trails!
This is the part I think people underestimate when they picture Biltmore.
It isn’t:
House → tour → leave.
There is SO much land to explore.
We spent Sunday morning walking around the property, exploring the Lagoon and Farm Trail areas and visiting the animals.
Because obviously.
There were animals.
Therefore I was going. 😂
It was a completely different way to experience Biltmore than our first visit.
Slower.
Quieter.
Less about the house.
More about simply enjoying where we were.
Eventually, though, it was time to point the car toward Georgia.
So we grabbed Starbucks for the road.
And then…
We Were Supposed to Be Driving Home… 💦
Here’s the problem with taking a road trip with me:
A drive home is never necessarily just a drive home.
We had coffee.
We had nowhere urgent to be.
We were already in the mountains.
And somewhere along the way came:
“Wait…there’s a waterfall near here.”
Then another.
And another.
And suddenly our drive home had become a miniature waterfall tour. 😂
We stopped at:
Looking Glass Falls
Bridal Veil Falls
Toxaway Falls
Darnell Falls
and
Dry Falls
These weren’t huge hiking excursions for us.
They were short walks or essentially drive-up stops, which made them PERFECT for a travel day.
Get out.
Stretch your legs.
See something beautiful.
Get back in the car.
Repeat.
Instead of spending departure day staring at the highway and waiting to get home, we squeezed another adventure out of it.
That’s one of my favorite things about road trips.
The destination doesn’t have to be the only interesting part.
North Carolina Keeps Winning Me Over ❤️
Every time we come to North Carolina, I understand a little more why I love it there.
If I ever left Georgia but stayed in the continental U.S.?
North Carolina would probably be where I’d go.
The mountains.
The seasons.
Especially fall. 🍂
The coast.
The food.
There’s just so much packed into one state.
I could seriously see myself living there someday.
But for now?
I’ll just keep visiting.
And apparently I’ll keep turning the drive home into part of the vacation too.
The Carriage Ride That Continues to Evade Me 🐴
Remember my spring Biltmore trip?
The thing I wished we’d done?
The carriage ride.
Well.
Here I was.
Back at Biltmore.
Second chance.
Christmas.
Horse-drawn carriage.
This was obviously my moment.
Except…
I didn’t book it ahead of time.
And there was nothing available once we got there.
So apparently this carriage ride and I are in a long-term relationship where we never actually meet.
Learn from me.
If there’s something you KNOW you want to do—especially during a busy holiday weekend:
BOOK. IT. AHEAD.
Third Biltmore trip?
I’m coming for you, carriage. 😂
Is Biltmore at Christmas Good for Kids?
YES.
And I say that as someone who specifically hesitated to bring mine the first time.
I worried they’d be bored touring a historic home.
Instead, they were fascinated by it.
The kids’ audio tour helped.
Christmas decorations definitely helped.
But so did everything surrounding the house.
Candy shops.
Animals.
Trails.
The Conservatory.
Antler Hill Village.
Acres and acres to explore.
Would every little kid happily spend hours admiring historic furniture?
Probably not.
But Biltmore was much more family-friendly than I initially gave it credit for.
Spring or Christmas: Which Would I Choose? 🌷 vs. 🎄
Ohhh, this is hard.
I LOVE Christmas.
And Biltmore at Christmas is magical.
But if you’ve never been before and you’re making me choose only one…
I’d go in spring.
I know.
I’m surprised too. 😂
But those gardens.
The tulips.
The azaleas.
Everything blooming.
The Conservatory.
The mountains behind it all.
Spring lets you experience the house and the grounds when they’re absolutely spectacular.
Then…
come back at Christmas.
Because that’s when you get to watch somewhere you already thought was beautiful completely transform.
That’s exactly what we did.
And I’m so glad we experienced both.
The Inn or an Airbnb?
Now that I’ve done both, my answer is easy.
Couples trip: The Inn.
Family trip: Airbnb.
The Inn was beautiful and convenient when it was just Sean and me.
But with kids, grandparents and multiple bedrooms needed?
Give me the barndominium.
We had a kitchen to save money on meals, enough bathrooms, room for everyone to spread out and a firepit where we could spend the evening together.
It served its purpose perfectly.
Worth the PTO?
Absolutely.
And really, we didn’t use any.
We left Friday afternoon and came home Sunday.
Friday gave us Bone & Broth and a cozy arrival night.
Saturday was Christmas at Biltmore.
Sunday gave us trails, animals and a completely unplanned waterfall road trip home.
That’s a LOT of adventure packed into one regular weekend.
And I think that’s why I remember this trip so fondly.
It wasn’t just the magnificent house.
It wasn’t just Christmas.
It wasn’t even just the food.
It was the combination of the big things…
and the little ones.
Watching the sunset at Biltmore.
The kids staring up at the Christmas decorations.
Buying an ornament for our tree.
Warm food after a rainy drive.
Sitting around a fire on a chilly night.
Walking trails Sunday morning.
Stopping for waterfalls simply because we could.
Those are the trips I love.
Remember When We…? ❤️
We brought home an ornament from Biltmore’s Christmas shop, and I think that’s my favorite kind of souvenir.
Every year it comes back out, and so does the memory:
“Remember when we went to Biltmore at Christmas?”
The decorations. The sunset. The firepit. The waterfalls we weren’t even planning to see.
Sometimes one little ornament can hold an entire trip. 🎄❤️
Tiny traveler. Big adventures. No airplanes required. 🚆
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