You arrive today into Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), where you transfer on your own to our hotel, located in downtown Asheville, one of America’s most welcoming and vibrant cities.  This bustling mountain town serves as our base for all five nights of the Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage Adventure. Feel free to enjoy the eclectic and artsy vibe of downtown on foot from our nicely-situated hotel.  Our first group activity is a welcome reception this evening after you’ve had dinner on your own.

Consider arriving into Asheville a day early (October 22) to join us for two fun introductions to Asheville!

Intro to Asheville Walk
The local walking club offers a delightful urban trail that serves as a fine introduction to Asheville (7 or 10 km, rated 2A). It features the architecturally rich Art Deco district of Asheville along with the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival stylings of the Montford Area Historic District. WAI guide, Scott Isom, will lead this walk, sharing tidbits gleaned from numerous prior visits. Price: $20 per person

Asheville Food Tour
Several prior groups have benefited from this fun and filling afternoon Asheville Food Tour. We visit seven to eight handpicked downtown restaurants with an engaging local guide, sampling a wide variety of food and beverages. Asheville is well known for its superior culinary scene and was recently named the number one food destination in the U.S.. ~Price: $75 per person. NOTE: The  Food Tour is currently limited to the first 15 people.

Biltmore Estate Walk – 7 km, rated 2B

Delight in the grand and gracious grounds of Biltmore, America’s largest home (250 rooms!), during a morning walk and afternoon guided tour of this impressive estate. Stroll through Frederick Olmsted-designed gardens, a newly renovated conservatory, and along Biltmore paths and trails that aren’t normally seen by visitors, finishing with an impressive walk through this massive chateau built by George Vanderbilt at the end of the 19th century.  In addition to soaking up the wonderful hues of autumn, you also have time to visit Biltmore’s historic winery before we return to our hotel for an included group dinner in downtown Asheville.

Chimney Rock & DuPont Forest Walk – 10 km, rated 2C

Prepare for more jaw-dropping scenery today amidst the truly spectacular waterfalls and granite formations of Chimney Rock and DuPont State Forest.  The fabulous footpaths and stunning landscapes of these North Carolina locations have been featured in the film “The Hunger Games” as well as the 1992 movie “Last of the Mohicans” (starring Daniel Day-Lewis). Transylvania County, home of DuPont State Forest, is known as the “Land of Waterfalls” and boasts over 250 cataracts scattered throughout its deciduous forests, including Triple Falls and High Falls, two of today’s featured stops.

Blue Ridge Parkway Walk – 7 km, rated 2C

Today we drive one of our country’s most scenic roads, the Blue Ridge Parkway, a winding, bucolic 469-mile road linking Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Our day-long journey covers some of the most delightful sections of the Parkway as we enjoy a spectacular loop that also includes stops at dramatic Linville Falls, Moses Cone Memorial Park, and the iconic Linn Cove Viaduct. Walking among these gorgeous vistas provides plenty of wow moments!  Along the way, we treat you to a bit of Appalachian culture and cuisine with an included lunch at Woodlands BBQ.

Smoky Mountains Walk – 3 km, rated 1B (unsanctioned)

This morning we enjoy one last Smoky Mountains riverside stroll before discovering the region’s rich Native American history and culture at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.  Then it’s all aboard this afternoon as we embark on a first-class steam train ride in Bryson City, savoring not only the delights of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, but also an included lunch and dessert as we journey along Fontana Lake and through the picturesque Nantahala Gorge. Back to Asheville, enjoy an evening on your own or join us for a no-host dinner gathering to recall shared experiences and reminisce about our adventures amongst the Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage.

Like the wonderful hues of autumn, our short seasonal Adventure comes to a colorful close. Following our final breakfast, feel free to arrange your transfer back to hometown reality via the Asheville Regional Airport (AVL). Thank you for sharing the history, culture, and spectacular scenery of our Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage Adventure!

To register, a non-refundable $200 deposit is required to hold your spot. A final payment is due 100 days before departure and is non-refundable once paid. You will receive a reminder email from us a week or two in advance. Do to high demand for hotels rooms during fall foliage season, Asheville hotels require earlier payments and WAI therefore requires an earlier final payment than our standard tour conditions.

Soon after registration, an “Adventure Advice” email will be sent with critical information on flight arrangements as well as important steps to take in the months before your trip. Please do not buy your airline tickets until you review this Adventure Advice email.

Follow this link to read our full General Tour Conditions.

Other than the beautiful Smoky Mountains lit up with fall foliage hues, what makes this itinerary unique is that it is both relatively short (6 days/5 nights) and easy to offer from a single hotel in delightful Asheville. One you unpack, you don’t have to pack up again until we finish our Smoky Mountain Adventure. What could be better than that!

With help from local experts and walking guides, these itineraries are hand-crafted with extensive on-site planning by WAI tour planners.

When planning Classic Curated Tours, our objective is to capture the essence of a destination–the history, culture, and natural wonders unique to that part of the world. We then build activities and walks that take us inside these characteristics.

Yes, these tours are educational, but they are also interactive and immersive; walking gets us off the bus and penetrates local cultures to not only see but touch, smell, and feel these special spaces.

Along the way, local walking guides amplify the experience by sharing insights into the magic of that particular location.

Walking boots with good ankle support are strongly advised. Though most of our walks are on well-traveled and maintained trails, there will be some rocks and roots to contend with once in a while. Walking sticks are recommended for Blue Ridge Parkway, Chimney Rock, DuPont State Forest, and Smoky Mountains due to segments of the walks that might have occasional challenging footing.

We generally walk at a pace of 2 to 3 miles per hour. Walks that are oriented more towards education may take longer due to stops for guide commentary. Nature walks, on the other hand, generally continue at a steadier pace because we’re stopping less to talk.In most cases, we are not “strolling.” We are walking at a relaxed but steady pace. Your experience will be significantly affected by your level of physical fitness. If not walking regularly at home, we strongly recommend that you make a priority of “training” beforehand to both enjoy the trip and avoid medical issues due to overexertion. If you have questions about your ability to participate, please contact our office at [email protected].We have adopted a walk difficulty rating system which contains a numeric indicator for trail incline and an alpha indicator for trail terrain. The explanation for this system is presented on the table below:

INCLINE

1. Minimal hills or stair climbing. Cumulative elevation gain: <200 feet.
2. Some moderate hills and stair climbing. Cumulative elevation gain: 200-1000 feet.
3. Some significant hill or stair climbing. Cumulative elevation gain: 1000-2000 feet.

TERRAIN

A. Almost entirely on pavement.
B. A significant part of the route is on well-groomed trails with very few obstacles.
C. A significant part of the route is on somewhat difficult terrain (rocky / rooted paths or soft sand).

The fall foliage of the Blue Ridge, waterfall wows, granite grandeur, forested trails, Native American history, Biltmore Estate, and the comfort of lodging all five nights at one hotel in Asheville’s charming downtown all add up to a great excuse for an Appalachian holiday.

The official start/finish point for this Adventure is in our hotel in Asheville. Travelers will fly into the Asheville Regional Airport (airport code AVL). Details about flight arrangements will be made available once we reach a viable participation level.

We recommend that you contact Laura Pfahler, the travel agent we work with, to help book your flight arrangements. In this age of airfare complications and airport uncertainty, using a travel agent is a good investment! More details about flight arrangements and travel agent contact information will be provided in an Adventure Advice PDF by email after you register for the Adventure.  Please do not book your airfare prior to receiving these flight details from us!

WAI believes strongly in the importance of travel insurance for financial and medical protection from any number of unforeseen circumstances that can arise before departure or during your Adventure. Many travel insurance providers are available for you to consider. Laura Pfahler and Sharon Mitchell of World Travel Inc. are travel agents who provide air travel and insurance services to many WAI travelers.

• Laura Pfahler: 503-434-6401 or [email protected]
• Sharon Mitchell: 971-261-2091 or [email protected]

Check out Insurance Tips from World Travel for a short introduction to travel insurance. (NOTE: WAI receives no commission or financial remuneration from World Travel Inc.).

As always, do some shopping to ensure you are getting best value. Using the SquareMouth.com website can be a good way to compare pricing.

Other options for travel insurance include:

• Allianz
• Betins
• Travel Guard
• Travel Insured International

NOTE: We suggest purchasing from a reputable, well-established insurance company (avoid buying insurance from an unknown company found only online). Travelers interested in purchasing “cancel for any reason” insurance coverage should be careful to check pricing and terms BEFORE they register for a tour. Recent changes in the international travel landscape have caused changes in the policies of some insurance companies, and made the purchase of this particular type of policy even more time-sensitive.

Walking Adventures International reserves the right to cancel this tour departure with fewer than 12 participants, in which case registered participants will receive a 100% refund of payments received.

Walking Adventures International official policy is to endeavor to mirror any COVID-19 policies in place in the destinations through which we travel.

We are not aware of any COVID-19 policies or restrictions that will impact this tour in the Smoky Mountains.

Requirements and restrictions have been fluid. WAI will update travelers upon learning of any changes.

Travelers participating in the Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage tour must agree to abide by policies in place at the time of travel.

Upon registering for this Adventure, you will receive a welcome email and initial invoice notifying you of your tour balance and due date. All payments for the tour or optional services/excursions can now be made online.

Soon after registration, an “Adventure Advice” email will be sent with critical information on flight arrangements as well as important steps to take in the months before your trip. Please do not buy your airline tickets until you review this Adventure Advice email.

About 4 months before departure, you will receive a final statement reminder about the final tour payment, which is due 100 days before departure. Please see our General Tour Conditions for the full terms and conditions for participation in this Adventure. Do to high demand for hotels rooms during fall foliage season, Asheville hotels require earlier payments and WAI therefore requires an earlier final payment than our standard tour conditions.

Around 2-3 weeks before departure, you will receive a final email packet with details of the program, including hotel names and contact information, a list of fellow travelers, and a more detailed daily schedule.

Take a few minutes to peruse the itinerary. The splendor of autumn in the Smoky Mountains is unique. The fall foliage of the Blue Ridge Parkway, waterfall wows, granite grandeur, forested trails, Native American history, Biltmore Estate, and the comfort of lodging all five nights at out boutique luxury hotel in the heart of downtown Asheville, all add up to a great excuse for an Appalachian holiday.  In the end, we think you will agree that walking is still and always the best way to experience our world. Join us for this Walking Adventure program in October 2021 as we explore Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage!