Christmas is a magical time of year filled with luminous lights, perfectly wrapped presents, and time with friends and family. Christmas is the perfect time to take a visit to the Biltmore Estate. At any other time of the year, the Biltmore Estate is like walking into a palace fit for a queen. However, a visit around Christmas is a feast for your senses and a magical experience you won’t want to miss. Take a walk through the Biltmore Estate at Christmas.
Biltmore Estate at Christmas
While visiting the Biltmore and Asheville NC I highly recommend the Crowne Plaza Hotel Asheville as your place to stay. It’s close to everything but still quiet and has a lot to do right on the property!
Want to watch the video on the Biltmore Christmas? Check it out at the bottom of the page!
The Christmas decor starts as you enter the property and get your tickets at the visitor center.
You will want to wrap yourself in the fresh evergreen fragrance as you admire the majestic decor including:
- Garlands
- Wreaths
- The sparkle of a thousand ornaments
- Over 55 glorious Christmas trees
- Colorful holiday blooms in the Conservatory
- Angelic illuminations in the evening
Related: 21 Top Things to do in Asheville NC
Enjoy Christmas Fun with the Kids
This holiday season, Biltmore is offering something for kids of all ages to enjoy. They will get to share Christmas wishes with Santa, sing along to yuletide favorites, craft their very own gingerbread house, and cozy up next to a crackling fire making s’mores.
Book a Special Tour
Although you are welcome to take a self-guided tour with your admission, there is a little more than meets the eye than the self-guided tour.
Related: Top 12 Best Christmas Towns in the USA
The Winter Garden. It’s the first stop on the tour and is just beautiful any time of year but it’s the perfect backdrop for a picture!
In your self guided or audio tour, a few highlights you don’t want to miss are the grand dining room. The famous dining room with the biggest tree and the table set up the same way the Vanderbilts would have had it set.
The grand staircase. There is a Christmas tree at the bottom and it’s just beautiful all the way up.
Then there is my favorite room in the house. The massive 2 story library. I could live in this room and never get bored! Did you know Vanderbilt kept a journal of every book he read from age 9 on? It’s true they have it at the house! Also If you have seen the Vanderbilt’s home located in the Newport Mansions tour in Rhode Island you will see a lot of similarities!
Related: Newport Mansions – Rhode Island
If you really want to delve into stories, history, and fun throughout the house, consider these awesome tours:
- Learn about the Vanderbilts with a 90-minute guided tour.
- Let the kids enjoy a 90-minute guided tour by the Vanderbilts Saint Bernard. This is a great way to get the kids interested in the story of the big house.
- Enjoy amazing views from the rooftops and balconies.
- Take a journey into the lives of the servants in the upstairs/downstairs tour.
- You can also tour the house with a guide just for you. This takes you throughout the house, on the rooftops, and on the back stairs in a two-hour journey.
I did the upstairs-downstairs tour and got to see things like the Chef’s notebook where he documents every meal and several room not on the public tours.
Biltmore House made of gingerbread and displayed in the Biltmore Kitchen
Book a Candlelight Christmas Stay
What is more magical than a Candlelight Christmas at Biltmore Estate? Treat you and your loved ones to a magical Christmas experience by staying the night in the estate. You will get:
- A self-guided evening tour.
- Daytime admissions to the Antler Hill Village
- Glittering Evening Illuminations
- Wine tasting at the winery
- Live music inside the Biltmore House
Stable Shops
When you are done with your tour make sure to head to the old stables for the shops. They have a year-round Christmas store, a candy store, a children’s toy store, free wine tasting and more.
I love how so many of the items are made right here in the USA and they are proud to tell you so!
The Biltmore had their own vineyards and they even put out a special Christmas wine every year.
Stay at Biltmore
Even if you can’t stay for a Candlelight Christmas, staying at the Biltmore is something you should put on your bucket list. There are three different ways you can stay:
- Stay at the Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate for a more casual feel.
- The Inn on Biltmore Estate offers you four-star elegance you won’t be able to resist.
- For a truly unique experience, you can stay at the Cottage on Biltmore Estate where you get a personalized experience.
Antler Hill Village
After your tour of the house and the gardens, you can head down to Antler Hill Village. There are shops and a winery here and tons of decorations. They sell some amazing decor here too.
The winery is located here with wine tastings and a small place to eat. There are several places to eat around the Village as well.
There is a small Biltmore Museum here, which is free to tour.
At night the village lights up around the green with lights everywhere.
Just outside the main green is this magical fairy garden of lights that just draws you in! There are chairs for you to sit and enjoy! But it’s perfect for pictures.
On your way out make sure to take in the main gate all lit up!
Biltmore Village
Then head across the street to take in Biltmore village. They have tons of shops and restaurants.
It’s a beautiful place to walk and has a very Dickens feel to it as the sun sets.
Have you seen the extravaganza of Biltmore Estate at Christmas? Share your magical experiences in the comments below!