9 Things to Know Before Visiting Biltmore

Biltmore. You can’t find a “things to do in North Carolina” list without it. 

With the Blue Ridge Mountains as its backdrop, the French Renaissance-style mansion is one of the closest homes resembling a European castle that you’ll find in the U.S. It was commissioned by George Vanderbilt, the heir of railroad and shipping tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt. With 250 rooms covering a staggering 175,000 square feet, it earned the title of America’s Largest Home upon its completion in 1895, a fact the family has since trademarked.

While Biltmore is still privately owned by a descendent of the Vanderbilt family, it’s been open to the public since 1930. Almost a century later and it still gets more than 1 million visitors annually.

But the Biltmore is more than just a house. It sits on 8,000 acres of property, which offer gardens, a greenhouse, hiking trails, a stable, a winery, shops, restaurants, and more. 

Want to add this popular tourist spot to your itinerary? Here are 9 things to know before you go.

1. Plan to spend at least $80 per adult 

The Biltmore is not cheap. I definitely had sticker shock the first time I went to buy tickets. 

How much are we talking? For my husband and I to buy basic admission for a Monday in April, it was nearly $200 total with tax.

Ticket prices fluctuate throughout the year, month, and even during the week, with weekends being the most expensive option (about $20 higher compared to weekdays). You can expect prices to be higher during peak seasons, with winter (i.e., after Christmas) being the best time to find deals. The cheapest I could currently find was a couple of months out at $76, excluding tax.

Families will get some savings, depending on the age of the children. If your kids are 9 and under, they get in free. Kids between the ages of 10 and 16 get a discount, about half the full price of an adult ticket.

You can also save a little extra if you go with an annual passholder. They can buy guest tickets at a $5 discount. 

All adult tickets include the following:

• Parking
• Daytime visit to the house
• Audio guide for the house (they used to charge a separate fee for this, but it’s now included)
• Access to the gardens and grounds
• Wine Tasting

If you want to spring for more, the Biltmore has options. There are two other ticket options: one that typically includes admission to a seasonal art exhibit, and one that includes the art exhibit plus an expert-guided 90-minute group tour. You can also book additional experiences with your daytime ticket, such as rooftop and winery tours, off-road driving in a Land Rover, and even falconry. 

2. Book your house tour early

When you go to buy your tickets, you’ll select the day you’re visiting and it will ask you to pick a time. This is the time for which you’ll tour the house; not the time you’ll enter the estate. Your ticket allows you to enter the estate as soon as it opens.  

Try to pick the earliest time available. This will help avoid crowds but also ensure you’re not spending too much time in line. When we showed up for our 11:30 a.m. reservation, we were able to get in line to enter the house a few minutes early, but didn’t get into the house for another 10 minutes. By the time we finished our tour, the line was much longer.

I’m not sure if Biltmore is pacing the number of people entering because of the covid pandemic, or if that’s something they typically do for occupancy safety. Either way, it’s safe to say the earlier you can tour the house, the more time you’ll have to enjoy it and everything else Biltmore offers.

3. Arrive early

Regardless of what time your house tour is, it’s worth it to arrive on the grounds as early as possible, just to give yourself as much time as possible. 

Getting there early also should help reduce the amount of time you’re waiting just to enter. We arrived around 10:15 a.m. and waited about 10 minutes to get through the admission gate. I can imagine that on weekends and holidays that line can get pretty long. While I can’t personally attest to this, I’ve read it can take up to an hour just to get in. 

4. There are no public restrooms inside the house

There are 43 bathrooms inside the Biltmore house—and none of them are available to use. So be sure to use the ones nearby in the stable courtyard before you enter.

5. Bringing a bag? Check the size

Biltmore does not allow bags bigger than 19x14x9 inches inside the house. Backpacks are also not permitted on guided tours. 

I’ve heard Biltmore’s bag policy has changed a bit over the years, so please check the website for the most updated info.

6. Don’t forget to book your free wine tasting

I mentioned earlier that every ticket includes a complimentary wine tasting. If you’re of age and this is something you want to partake in, you should know it does require a reservation. But you can only book it once you’re at Biltmore. Scan the little QR code on the signs posted to get to the reservation page. And try to do it as soon as you arrive so you don’t miss out on booking a reservation. 

I had no problem finding a time available when we were there. In fact, I ended up rescheduling it (and almost rescheduled it again), because I was a little too ambitious with our schedule. Which leads me to my next tip.

7. Give yourself more time than you think

Everything took longer at the Biltmore than I anticipated. Starting with the house.

I mistakenly believed that the 50-minute audio guide meant that it would probably only take us an hour to go through the house. In reality, it took us about 95 minutes, including the wait to get in. 

I knew once we exited the house at 1 p.m. that we weren’t going to be able to see the gardens and make it to the winery for our 2 p.m. reservation. Luckily there were still reservations available later in the day, so I was able to rebook it.

Even though that gave us an extra hour, I still felt rushed—especially when I learned Biltmore recommends giving yourself 45 minutes just to get to different parts of the estate. We explored the conservatory and some of the gardens next to the house before heading back to our car, where we scarfed down the lunch we packed. (My plan for a nice picnic was out the window.) We left the parking lot around 2:20 p.m. and got to the winery around 2:45 p.m. The tasting then took about half an hour. 

In reality, I probably should have pushed the wine tasting time to 4 p.m. It would’ve given us time to enjoy our lunch and just a little more breathing room to see everything at a comfortable pace.

With that said, here’s how much time you should probably allocate for each activity:

• House: 1.5-2 hours (including the wait to get in) 
• Italian garden, walled garden and conservatory: 45 minutes-1.5 hours
• Wine tasting: ~30 minutes 
• Driving from Biltmore to Antler Hill Village: 20-45 minutes 

8. Dress comfortably

Don’t let the commercials fool you. Biltmore is still a tourist attraction—you don’t need to dress to the nines.

In fact, Biltmore recommends dressing comfortably, and I concur. Now’s not the time for heels. Save your feet and wear your comfortable sneakers. You’re going to be logging a lot of steps (I guarantee at least 10,000.) 

9. You can add a second day for a discount

You can certainly see enough of Biltmore in a day, but you’re not going to see everything. If you really want to take in all of the estate without feeling rushed—especially if you’re going to any special exhibits—you can buy a second-day ticket for just the grounds at $25. If the weather and our schedules had cooperated, I would’ve considered doing this because I would have loved to continue exploring the grounds and see some of things we didn’t have time for. 

Are you visiting Biltmore for the first time? What questions do you have? Leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Information in this post may have changed since it was published. Please check with Biltmore for the most accurate and updated information.