Biltmore Estate: how to make the best of our time there?

Hello,

We will be in Gatlinburg the first week of June and we want to include a 1 day trip to Biltmore Estate in our vacation plan. We want to make the best of our time there and we plan on arriving no later than 10:30am in the morning. We will also buy admission tickets online, to save time and few bucks. I am thinking to add the audio tour, but are there any other extras we should consider adding (specialty tours?).

We want to see the interior of the house, but also have a chance to visit the gardens and the winery (we are not wine drinkers, but I still think it%26#39;s worth stopping by). I know the estate is huge and it is impossible to see it all in 1 day (or 5-6 hours), but do you have any tips that you can share to make the best of our time while visiting there?

Thank you,

Monica

Biltmore Estate: how to make the best of our time there?

Hi Monica-

Buying your tickets online is a great way to go. Definitely get the audio tour - self guided really leaves you wanting explanations of everything. As much as you want to see the winery, I don%26#39;t suggest you try to fit it in. It%26#39;s great, but the house is unbelievable and huge - the real reason to visit.

I would focus on the house first (make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes - there are lots of stairs and it%26#39;s a lot of walking in general). Once you%26#39;ve finished touring the house, focus the rest of your time walking around the gardens- they%26#39;re wonderful. If you ever have time to return, take time then to visit the winery and the farm village. If you%26#39;re planning a repeat visit down the road, make it in the spring (when the grounds are spectacular during the spring flower festival) or the fall (when the leaves turn) - both are fantastic times to visit.

Enjoy!

Tara

Biltmore Estate: how to make the best of our time there?

Great advice, Tara! We will tour the house with the audio tour, check out the gardens and save the rest for a future visit.

Personally I think you can do it all in 5-6 hours without being rushed. Definitely tour the house and get the audio. They have just updated the audio tour to not only tell you about the rooms, but to include stories of the people that lived there and their lives. (makes it a bit more personal so you can relate with the people of that time). The gardens are a must and then head over to the winery. You can grab some lunch at the Bistro and browse in the gift shop. You will have a great time.

We will definitely tour the house (with the audio tour) and the gardens, have lunch at the Bistro and if we still have time we will check out the winery too. It will be a long day considering that we also have to drive from Gatlinburg and back, but we will take it easy the next day :)

I just hope for good weather while we are there!

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