Biltmore Estate’s Christmas Magic: Your Ultimate Guide To The Enchanting Experience

The Biltmore house is always a must-see for us when visiting the mountains of North Carolina. It truly is magical to experience Christmas at Biltmore! If you are lucky enough to go during the holidays, here are just a few things that we enjoyed and a few tips to make things a little easier when you arrive.

Christmas Comes Early

Starting the first weekend in November, the Biltmore Estate turns into a Christmas wonderland and with this new season also comes more visitors. Don’t worry too much about the crowds. The attendants at the estate have this place running like a well-oiled machine. 

We went a few days after Christmas. We spoke with an attendant as we entered the grounds and she told us the estate had around 10,000 people on a sold-out day. Sure enough, our day was sold out! Luckily, we purchased our tickets in advance so we were able to get in with no worries or hassles. This is the best advice I can give you for going this time of year: Go online and purchase your tickets beforehand. While during the year, you can buy tickets at the gate, this is not recommended from October on. You can pick them up there, print them at home, or download the Biltmore app and have your tickets on your phone. This speeds up everything once you arrive. See the pricing on tickets Here.

Tours

When you purchase your tickets for the Christmas tours, there are several options. Some are more expensive than others. Normally, we do the early morning tours so we can enjoy the grounds during the day. However, at Christmas, you want to see all the Christmas lights, so the evening or nighttime tours are the way to go. In years past, a local choir was there to sing and fill the home with the sounds of Christmas for the evening tours. I don’t know if they still do this or not post Covid. We have also been fortunate enough to be there when there was snow on the ground and it was amazing. Maybe you will be lucky and see the Biltmore covered in white!

Winery

With any ticket purchase, you will receive a complimentary wine tasting. Do yourself a favor, and visit the winery! You will receive an introduction to Biltmore’s distinctive portfolio of multi-award-winning reds, whites, and rosés. Their knowledgeable wine hosts are on hand to guide your selections from among more than 20 handcrafted vintages and most of the hosts are great and make the experience really fun. Plus the gift shop is wonderful.

Where to Stay

There are several options to stay on the grounds. There are two hotels: The Village Hotel and the The Inn on Biltmore Estate®. We usually stay away from the estate and drive down, but we were fortunate enough one time to stay at the Inn for a special occasion and it was truly wonderful. Gracious hospitality, elegant four-star dining, and the level of service for which the Vanderbilts were renowned—all this and more is yours with a stay at The Inn on Biltmore Estate. Celebrating 22 consecutive years of Forbes Four-Star recognition, The Inn offers breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountain views and time to explore & relax.

No matter the time of year you choose to visit the Biltmore, you will be enchanted again and again. Check out our other post for all things Biltmore: Tips for Visiting Biltmore

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