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12 getaways · 14 hotels with a private tub · At a glance · FAQ
North Carolina gives couples mountains and coast in one state: the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, the Blue Ridge Parkway at Blowing Rock, the Outer Banks and the south facing beaches of Sunset Beach. This guide covers 12 places couples love, with what to do, when to go and hotels and cabins where the room has its own jacuzzi or hot tub.
Asheville sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Biltmore house stands on an 8,000 acre estate on the south side of the city. Explore Asheville, the official tourism site, has its own romantic weekend guide, with the estate, couples' massages at local spas and sunset dinners.
What to do
Tour the Biltmore Estate: the house, the gardens and the grounds.
Book a couples massage. Many local spas offer special treatments for two.
Walk the River Arts District and watch artists at work in their studios.
Stop for dessert at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge downtown.
Drive north to Weaverville to watch local glassmakers and potters.
When to go: Fall. Color moves down the mountains by elevation, so most places get a week or two and the Asheville area gets months, rolling into November.
Blowing Rock is a small High Country town on the Blue Ridge Parkway, named after a cliff with mountain views that is billed as North Carolina's oldest travel attraction. The town's tourism site runs its own couples guide built around Parkway views and mountain inns.
What to do
See the Blowing Rock, the cliff the town is named after.
Walk the 25 miles of carriage trails at Moses Cone Memorial Park. In winter, ski them cross country.
Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway for the mountain views right outside town.
When to go: Fall. Mid October weekends are the busiest of the season in town, so book early for October.
Boone is the college town at the heart of the High Country, near Grandfather Mountain and the ski areas. Explore Boone, the official tourism site, publishes a romantic mountain weekend itinerary, and it leans into winter.
What to do
Watch the sunset at 5506' Skybar on Beech Mountain with a local beer.
See a show at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country downtown.
Book a guided horseback ride with VX3 Trail Rides.
Hike to Linville Falls, which is less crowded in winter.
When to go: Winter, for the ski season and quiet trails. Explore Boone calls the High Country a winter wonderland.
Chimney Rock State Park looks over Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure, where many of the best known scenes in Dirty Dancing were filmed. Both are back after Hurricane Helene: the park reopened in June 2025, and the lake reopened in 2026 after being drained for debris removal. The tub room listed here is in Rutherfordton.
What to do
Climb Chimney Rock and see Hickory Nut Falls, which drops 404 feet.
Spend an afternoon on Lake Lure itself. The lake reopened in 2026 after Helene.
Reserve park tickets ahead for busy weekends.
When to go: Fall. The park suggests reserving tickets for weekends in October, its busiest time.
Waynesville and Lake Junaluska are in Haywood County, west of Asheville at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains. The county tourism office has its own guide to a romantic weekend, and many of Waynesville's historic homes are now bed and breakfasts.
What to do
Catch the sunrise over Lake Junaluska, then take a stroll by the water.
Shop along Main Street in downtown Waynesville and share a beer and a snack at Boojum Brewing.
Ski at Cataloochee Ski Area, one of the southernmost ski slopes in the country.
When to go: Winter for skiing and a cozy B&B, or fall for the color. The county says the weather stays mild enough for hiking even in winter.
King Suite with Spa Bath603 sq ft · Sleeps 2 · 1 king bed
About the hotel
Victorian B&B lodging with free breakfast, cozy fireplaces, private balcony, complimentary Wi-Fi and rooms with hot tub, near Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
VisitNC suggests Bryson City as a base for a romantic trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad leaves from a historic depot downtown, and its Tuckasegee River trip stops in Dillsboro, where the tub room listed here is.
What to do
Ride the Nantahala Gorge Excursion along Fontana Lake and the Nantahala River.
Take the Tuckasegee River Excursion, with a layover of one hour and 20 minutes in Dillsboro.
Browse the shops and restaurants of downtown Bryson City.
When to go: Summer and fall, when the Nantahala Gorge trains run.
Getting there: About 1 hour west of Asheville, and 3 hours from Atlanta and Charlotte.
7. The Outer Banks (Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head and Manteo)
The Outer Banks visitors bureau has its own romance trip page and suggests a central base in Nags Head or Kill Devil Hills. Jockey's Ridge State Park in Nags Head looks over both the sound and the ocean, and Manteo, on Roanoke Island, was voted one of the 10 most romantic towns in North Carolina.
What to do
Stroll the Duck Soundside Boardwalk over the Currituck Sound.
Have dinner at The Blue Point in Duck with a view of the sunset.
See the seasonal displays at the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo.
Drive south to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in the country.
Visit the coast where Nights in Rodanthe was filmed.
When to go: Spring and fall. The shoulder seasons bring fewer travelers.
Getting there: About an hour and a half from the Norfolk airport to the northern beaches.
Wilmington's Riverwalk runs 1.75 miles along the Cape Fear River in the historic downtown, lined with cafes, bars and shops. USA Today named it the top riverfront in the country in 2015. Wrightsville Beach is the island beach just east of the city.
What to do
Walk the Riverwalk in the evening, past parks, restaurants and museums.
Look across the river to the Battleship North Carolina.
Come for the North Carolina Azalea Festival, with art, gardens and history.
When to go: Spring. The North Carolina Azalea Festival is every April.
The Brunswick Islands, at the southern tip of the coast, have beaches that run east to west and face south, so you can watch the sun rise and set over the ocean. On Bird Island, the Kindred Spirit mailbox holds notebooks full of visitors' wishes and thoughts. The tub room listed here is in Shallotte, inland from the beaches.
What to do
Walk to the Kindred Spirit mailbox, a little over two miles round trip from the 40th Street beach access.
Walk out on the Sunset Beach Pier, open from March into late fall.
Visit the Sunset Beach Bridge & Museum.
Ride the zip line or take a swamp boat tour at The Swamp Park in Ocean Isle Beach.
When to go: Fall and winter. The tourism bureau says that is when you see the sun rise and set over the ocean.
10. Yadkin Valley wine country (Mount Airy and Elkin)
The Yadkin Valley, in the foothills between Winston-Salem and the Blue Ridge, has around 40 vineyards and is on VisitNC's list of romantic summer getaways. Its wine region, formed in Surry County in 2003, was the first in North Carolina, and Shelton Vineyards is the largest family owned estate winery in the state.
What to do
Follow the Surry County Wine Trail, which maps 16 wineries in and around the county.
Taste at JOLO Vineyards, a boutique winery.
Stop at Round Peak Vineyards, a few miles outside Mount Airy.
Go to Elkin Creek Vineyard on a Sunday for brick oven pizza.
Add Raffaldini, one of the vineyards VisitNC names.
When to go: Late spring through the fall harvest. The Yadkin Valley Wine Festival in Elkin is every May, with more than a dozen area wineries.
Hillsborough is a historic small town on the Eno River, 14 miles from Durham, and VisitNC puts the Triangle on its list of romantic summer getaways. Spend a slow day in Hillsborough, then an afternoon in the gardens at Duke.
What to do
Stroll the Riverwalk greenway along the Eno River in Hillsborough.
Hike to the top of Occoneechee Mountain.
Walk Sarah P. Duke Gardens on the Duke campus in Durham. Admission is free.
When to go: Summer. VisitNC includes the Triangle in its romantic summer getaways.
Getting there: Hillsborough is about 18 minutes from Durham and 43 minutes from Raleigh.
12. West Jefferson and the New River (Ashe County)
Ashe County, in the far northwest corner of the state, is the less busy side of the High Country. The overlooks on Mount Jefferson reach as far as Tennessee, and River House Inn sits on the North Fork of the New River, with trails across its land.
What to do
Go up to the summit of Mount Jefferson State Natural Area, 4,465 feet above sea level.
Paddle the New River at New River State Park. Check water levels before you go.
See the frescoes by North Carolina artist Ben Long at the Churches of the Frescoes (St. Mary's) in West Jefferson.
When to go: Any time of year. Mount Jefferson is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset, and the Churches of the Frescoes are open year round.
Getting there: Mount Jefferson is 25 miles northeast of Boone.
What is the most romantic place in North Carolina?
Asheville is a common pick, for the Biltmore Estate, couples' spa treatments and a fall color season that lasts for months. In the High Country, Blowing Rock is the classic small town choice, right on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
What is the best time of year for a romantic getaway in North Carolina?
Fall in the mountains. Color moves down from the ridges for weeks around Asheville, into November, and mid October weekends fill up in Blowing Rock. On the Outer Banks, spring and fall are quieter, and winter suits Boone and Waynesville for skiing and a cozy B&B.
Where should we go in North Carolina for an anniversary?
Blowing Rock works well. Mountainaire Inn and Log Cabins has the King Romance Cabin on Main Street, with a jacuzzi tub and a fireplace, and the historic Green Park Inn has a Victorian Suite with a jacuzzi tub in the room. On the coast, the Sunrise Suite at Shutters On the Banks in Kill Devil Hills has a jacuzzi.
Where can couples go for a long weekend in North Carolina?
Pick the mountains or the coast. Asheville and Blowing Rock are easy mountain weekends, and Bryson City is about an hour west of Asheville for the Smokies and the scenic railroad. On the coast, the Outer Banks visitors bureau suggests staying in Nags Head or Kill Devil Hills.
Is Waynesville good for a romantic getaway?
Yes, especially in winter. The Haywood County tourism office has its own romantic weekend guide, Waynesville's historic homes are now B&Bs, and Cataloochee Ski Area is one of the southernmost ski slopes in the country. The Yellow House On Plott Creek Road has suites with jetted tubs.
