Visiting This Christmas Season: Know Before You Go
Discover the many ways to save on Biltmore tickets!
Which of our splendid overnight options meets your specific needs?
Embrace the joy and the wonder: our beloved holiday tradition and Chihuly at Biltmore.
Discover Biltmore’s rare and beautiful objets d’art—furnishings, paintings, tapestries, and more.
Our 8,000-acre backyard provides natural habitat for a variety of beautiful creatures, both wild and domestic. Meet them, explore their habits, and learn about their environments with engaging, informative activities that invite you to expand your Biltmore knowledge in a new way.
Falconry
Available December 3-31*, 2024
Discover the ancient art of falconry on Biltmore’s historic grounds. Learn how to handle a trained hawk or falcon, then experience the inimitable thrill of a raptor flying to and landing upon your gloved hand. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity to interact with one of these majestic birds of prey.
*Unavailable December 24 & 26
Maximum of 6 participants, 6 observers.
To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties. Must be 8 years of age or older to participate. Guests under 17 years of age must be accompanied by a paying adult. Guests encouraged to dress for the weather and wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes.
Cost
$135 per participant $80 per observer; observer ticket sold only in conjunction with participant ticket
Hours
Tues., Thurs. & Sat. 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. 9:00 a.m. available for lodging guests only
Phone
828-225-1425
Location
The Inn on Biltmore Estate
Guided Bird Walks
Closed for the season.
Explore the fields, open woodlands, and Farmyard area below Antler Hill Village on an engaging, educational adventure led by a professional Ventures Birding tour guide.
Once fitted with your choice of binoculars, you’ll embark upon a relaxing stroll along dirt roads and paths while watching for the different bird species and other wildlife that frequent this “open country.” Learn about these fascinating creatures, as well as the importance of the estate’s grounds as a habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife during a truly delightful experience.
Maximum of 12 participants. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.
$45 Adult/Youth (Ages 8 & Up)
Estate Grounds
Mindfulness Walk
Biltmore’s woodland trails and fields are the perfect place to sharpen focus, bring clarity to your thoughts, and set intentions for the future. This gentle, one-mile morning walk experience invites you to slow down, connect with nature, and live fully in the present moment. During your guided walk, you’ll receive simple reflection prompts that encourage the full engagement of your senses as you move mindfully within the natural beauty of Biltmore’s great outdoors.
Maximum of 10 participants. Advance reservations required. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.
$20 (Ages 13 & Up)
Antler Hill Village
Geocache Challenge
Join us for an exciting and challenging outdoor scavenger hunt in the forests and fields of Biltmore Estate! This fun-for-all-ages navigational quest invites you to find hidden caches and collect clues for the chance to win prizes. Outfitted with a Garmin GPS unit and accompanied by an Outdoor Adventure Center guide, you will learn and practice valuable wayfinding skills, and enjoy a satisfying sense of accomplishment by journey’s end!
Garmin GPS units provided.
Maximum of 10 participants. Advance reservations required. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties. Participants are encouraged to bring water, dress for the weather, and wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes.
$35 (Ages 8 & Up)
Nature Glimmer Hunt
What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives? —E.M. Forster
Explore the life-affirming world of “nature glimmers” with an exclusive experience led by Biltmore’s Outdoor Programs Manager, Heather Brannan. Designed to inspire participants to see, savor, and appreciate the simple joys that surround us when immersed in nature, this enlightening journey begins with a discussion about what constitutes a “nature glimmer” that also reveals different types and specific examples. Armed with newfound knowledge and awareness, participants will then embark upon a guided “glimmer hunt” to find and share their own “glimmers” amid the natural beauty of Biltmore’s great outdoors.
Maximum of 10 participants. Advance reservations required. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties. Paying parent or guardian must accompany participants 17 years and under. Activity takes place rain or shine and in cold temperatures. Participants are encouraged to dress comfortably for the weather.
$30 (Ages 13 & Up)
River Birding Tour
A unique birding adventure, this engaging activity invites you to look for, identify, and learn about Biltmore’s summer birds on land and on water! Your experience begins with a leisurely one-mile professionally guided bird walk along Antler Hill Village trails, roads, and riverbanks. Upon completion of the walking portion of your tour, you’ll ease into a raft with your bird guide and an Outdoor Adventure Center river guide for a gentle float down the French Broad River. During your three-mile river tour, you’ll see and learn about the types of birds that frequent rivers and riverbanks, and the importance of the estate’s grounds in providing protected habitat for migratory and resident birds.
Tours led by professional guides from Asheville’s Ventures Birding and with support from Biltmore’s Outdoor Adventure Center guides. Binoculars provided for participants.
Maximum of 5 participants per raft. Tour stop locations vary and are subject to change. Advance reservations required. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties. Must be 12 years of age or older to participate. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather, wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes, and bring bottled water, sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses.
$85 (Ages 12 & Up)
Naturalist Talks
Join our knowledgeable Outdoor Adventure Center Guides for engaging and informative talks about some of the wildlife that call our 8,000-acre estate home!
Hosted in Antler Hill Village’s historic Horse Barn, these brief presentations introduce you to different wild Biltmore inhabitants each month:
Find out where they live, what they eat, and what (if anything!) eats them. You’ll also learn about their life cycles and behaviors, including how they interact (or not!) with humans. Full of fascinating facts about each creature profiled, these talks inspire a deeper connection to the natural world around us.
No reservation required. No minimum age required; parent or guardian must accompany guests under age 18. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.
Included with admission
Kids’ Nature Quest
Can you help Cedric, the Vanderbilts’ beloved St. Bernard dog, locate his wild animal buddies? Armed with a map and accompanied by an Outdoor Adventure Center guide, participants will embark upon an engaging navigational quest to find Cedric’s animal and bird friends. An enjoyable exploration of Biltmore’s great outdoors, this scavenger hunt activity includes scouting out hidden locations, solving riddles, practicing wayfinding skills… and a wonderful sense of accomplishment at adventure’s end!
Maximum of 5 participants. Each participant must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Advance reservations required. To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties. Participants are encouraged bring water, dress for the weather, and wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes.
$25 (Ages 5–10)
Antler Hill Village, Estate Grounds
Flower Petal Art
Experience the beauty of flowers and the power of creative expression with this engaging activity that invites you to enjoy nature’s colorful blooms in any season! Participants will craft their very own framed take-home floral masterpieces as they learn about flowers and leaves from one of our knowledgeable Outdoor Adventure Center guides.
All art materials provided.
$45 (Ages 12 & Up)