When you want to see the beauty of Asheville up close, there is perhaps a no better way to do it than take a hiking tour. While trailing behind a knowledgeable guide, you can trek to all the best viewpoints and learn tons about the surrounding area. Not all tour companies are made equal, however, so it pays to find out which ones offer the best experience before you book your spot. To help you find the best ones, here’s a look at several popular hiking tours in Asheville.
Asheville Waterfall Tours
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By joining Asheville Waterfall Tours on their year-round adventures, you can see breathtaking waterfalls of all kinds without having to hunt them down yourself. Seven days a week, they take private groups into the great outdoors to take in the beautiful natural waterways hiding all across this region.
Your tour guides tailor each trip to the skill and fitness level of the attendees to make sure everyone has an awesome time out. They also bring a wealth of knowledge to the table, educating the group about geographic formations, wildlife, and much more. With all the knowledge on tap, you will want them on your side as you go off the beaten path to explore hidden waterfalls of all kinds.
Blue Ridge Hiking Company
Photo Credit by @blueridgehikingco on Instagram
The Blue Ridge Hiking Company regularly hosts day hikes and overnights that will leave you with a lifetime of awesome memories. They offer both half and full-day hikes that are personalized to your ideal experience. You just let them know what you want to see and the overall difficulty level you can handle. Then, they will use that info to tailor your trip to suit your preferences and provide an incredible day out.
If you want to spend a few days exploring the trails, just sign up for their overnight backpacking trips. They will take you down the Appalachian Trail, along the Great Smoky Mountains Waterfalls, or wherever you want to go. They have private trips for your group alone plus public tours that give you a chance to meet new friends.
Asheville Hiking Tours
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When you partner up with Asheville Hiking Tours, you can experience all the surrounding landscapes in a whole new way. You can select from their 2- to 4.5-hour hiking tours that take you straight to waterfalls of all kinds. They provide transportation to the trails and back again plus gear and a few snacks to boot. This tour group also offers a custom private tour that you design from the ground up. You can travel along the Appalachian Trail or check out the Blue Ridge Parkway, for example. It all depends on what you want to do.
For something a little different, consider signing up for their nighttime hike to see tons of fireflies flitting about. To provide this experience, they will take you to their secret cove where they know the fireflies hang out. Depending on when you go, you will either see synchronous fireflies or blue ghost fireflies. As you watch in wonder at the bright bugs flying all around, your guide will serve cider and snacks for all to enjoy.
Asheville Adventure Company
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Asheville Adventure Company makes it its mission to provide a wide variety of hikes that suit all skill levels. At the moderate level, their most popular retreat is the five-hour swimming hole hike. On this hike, they will take you along the Blue Ridge Parkway to the trails that lead to breathtaking waterways.
Upon arriving at the swimming hole, you will want to pause to take in the gorgeous sights of the waterfall as it brings in cool mountain water. You can then lounge on the rocks surrounding the pool or hop right in for a refreshing swim. In between dips in the water, you can nosh on the snacks they provide and chat it up with the other guests. After you traverse the trails to reach the parkway, everyone will convene at the New Belgium Brewery for a drink before heading home.
Asheville Adventures
At Asheville Adventures, they focus on treating their guests to amazing trips to see waterfalls and explore the mountaintop. They only offer private tours that are customized to your liking. You just let them know what you want to experience, and they will handcraft a hiking tour you are sure to enjoy. They handle every aspect of the trip from transportation to gear and even provide food for your group. You just have to show up and follow the lead of your tour guide to have an extraordinary time.
If you decide to go on a half-day tour, you will spend about four hours traveling along the trails. You can expect to travel anywhere from one to five miles on easy to moderate trails. Their full-day tours span five to ten miles and run about eight hours in total. Whether you go for the full or half-day hiking experience, you will have several stops along the way to enjoy the views, eat snacks, and sip on the water they provide.
After your first Asheville hiking tour, you will undoubtedly want to go on many more through every season. Interested in some biking trails and outfitters? Find any type of trip that suits your needs! As you book each trip, you will set yourself up to see all the most amazing sights across this region. So, get out there and have some fun to experience just why everyone loves exploring the great outdoors in North Carolina.
