Tours and Trips in North Carolina

Explore Charlotte's neighborhoods on an open-air bus while having a few laughs along the way. A jovial tour guide leads this excursion, which winds through some of the city's best-known neighborhoods including Uptown, Southend, Plaza Midwood, NoDa, and the Fourth Ward. Learn about the local history, architecture, sports and entrainment scenes, and more. Midway through there's a short break and you're welcome to bring your own beer or wine on board.

Get to know the best of North Carolina's largest city on this guided, 90-minute bike tour of Charlotte. Explore Charlotte's history, discover its architecture and art and get to know its hottest spots for entertainment. This "Favorite Things" tour includes a trip through the historic Fourth Ward and the Green, past the Levine Center for the Arts and its exciting affiliates, plus the Mint Museum, centrally situated Trade and Tyron streets and more. Use of a bike and helmet is included.

Hike the best of the Blue Ridge Parkway with a 5-hour guided trip to three scenic waterfalls from Asheville. Take in views of the mountains as you tour the classic road in a comfortable van, and hear stories about the area's natural history and culture from your local guide. Watch for blooming laurels and rhododendron as you walk the easy to moderate trails through lush oak and hickory forests. Enjoy light refreshments along the way with plenty of time to relax by the falls before returning to Asheville.

A Segway tour of Charlotte is fun, safe and informative! Follow your knowledgeable local guide as you glide through the upbeat Uptown neighborhood. Sights on this tour include the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Mint Museum, and the Gantt Center. Choose a 1.5-hour ride, or add an extra 30 minutes to see a couple of additional sights: two historic cemeteries and the stadium home of the Carolina Panthers.

Take a spooky stroll through the streets of downtown Asheville on this friendly, guided, 2-hour ghost walking tour. Led by an expert local guide, learn about the area's hair-raising tales and dark history, like the woman who haunts the Omni Grove Park Inn, the body entombed in the wall of the Basilica of St. Lawrence and much more. Visit the basement of the Asheville Masonic Temple, home of the Asheville Mystery Museum. It's a fascinating, spine-tingling adventure.

Slip beneath the surface with tickets to the SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord Aquarium, and meet the thousands of mammals, bright fish and seahorses that thrive in dozens of exhibits that recreate the ecosystems that surround North Carolina. Get a fish eye's-view of the marine landscape as you walk through an underwater ocean tunnel. Spot all eight legs on the Giant Pacific Octopus, see a feeding frenzy and explore the slippery world of jellyfish in soaring cylindrical tanks.

See Charlotte's most historic and haunted places with a 1.5-hour walking tour through the Fourth Ward. Follow your experienced guide to the city's most infamous landmarks, where locals have spotted ghosts for centuries. Hear about Charlotte's ancient Indian trading path and revolutionary battles, and learn the secrets behind uptown's spookiest mansions. Watch for theatrical ghosts, medical ghosts, famous ghosts and unknown ghosts as you explore Charlotte's best preserved historical neighborhood.

See Charlotte from a spooky perspective on a bar-themed ghost tour. As you take in the evening atmosphere of the historic town, your guide brings you to unmarked haunted locations that most visitors miss if exploring on their own. Little-known stories and time for drinks (own expense) are included at each stop on the itinerary.

Reconnect with nature and create lifelong memories with family and friends at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Charlotte, North Carolina. Enjoy 380 acres of beauty on the banks of Lake Wylie, with a wide variety of spectacular gardens, sparkling fountains and the Orchid Conservatory, Carolina's only glass house featuring tropical plants and, of course, orchids. Take a walk on the Woodland Trail, visit the Garden Store and discover the Visitor Pavilion. It's all included with an admission pass to Carolina's garden for all seasons.

Explore Charlotte aboard a 7-person golf cart, on this small-group tour of the area. With a local guide at the wheel, visit popular landmarks like the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Discovery Place, the Mint Museum, the Imaginon and Levine Museum of the New South, and more. Visit all of Charlotte's historical sites, as well some of the more modern, popular areas in the city. The tour concludes at a local restaurant where you can sample a popular dish (included with your tour).

Book now for WinterFest, open select evenings in November and DecemberFamily-friendly fun awaits at Carowinds amusement park. Wander the grounds to see acrobats, dancers, and entertainers performing around the park before testing your nerve on one of 13 world-class roller coasters. Take break with shows and attractions or cool off at the Carolina Harbor waterpark (admission included in ticket). Thrill seekers can ride the Fury 325 giga-coaster and kids can play at Camp Snoopy or the three-acre kid's area. 

Board the funny bus to explore Charlotte's most interesting neighborhoods, historic places and landmarks on a 90-minute, adults-only comedy tour with hilarious live commentary. Enjoy BYO beer and wine as you ride through town, and get a funny, local perspective on life in the city. Kick off your evening in Charlotte by laughing along with a friendly crowd of visitors and locals. Take in the sights at night and experience a one-of-a-kind mashup of history and comedy with tickets to Charlotte's funniest tour.

Explore the Biltmore, George Vanderbilt's 250-room château, with a 90-minute self-guided audio tour that includes a lunch voucher to your choice of several on-site restaurants. Built in 1895, "America's Largest Home" sits on an 8,000-acre (3,240-hectare) estate in North Carolina's scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. Learn about the Vanderbilt home and enjoy access to the 75 acres (30 hectares) of formal gardens, a large conservatory, and seasonal exhibitions included in admission.