Exclusive 90-Minute Tour: Guests of the Vanderbilts

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A more intimate experience of Biltmore House, this guided tour invites your party to explore the house from the perspectives of the Vanderbilts’ very first guests! Featuring fascinating stories about these distinguished personalities, as well as exclusive “behind-the-ropes” entry into rarely-accessed areas, this tour is an opportunity to enjoy America’s Largest Home® in an entirely new way.

Available only with Exclusive Tour, House, Exhibition, & 2-Day Grounds and Exclusive Tour, House & 2-Day Grounds ticket options. Guests must be 10 years of age or older for this tour. Tour includes multiple flights of stairs with no elevator access. Wheelchairs, strollers, and baby backpacks are prohibited. Backpacks are not permitted on guided tours; guests are required to store backpacks in a locker or in their vehicle. 

Limited Capacity: 8 Guests per Tour

Complimentary Wine Tastings

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Hosted in our inviting Tasting Room, our Complimentary Wine Tastings are yet another extension of the Vanderbilts’ signature gracious hospitality.

Our knowledgeable wine hosts will introduce you to some of our Winery’s most popular and award-winning vintages, while also sharing a brief history of Biltmore’s vineyards and wine operations.

Reservations are not required for your complimentary wine tasting at our Winery; these tastings are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Minimum age of 21 to be served wine. Grape juice available for underage guests!

Cocoa & Croquet

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With a hot drink in one hand and a croquet mallet in the other, you’ll discover one of the most authentic Vanderbilt-era activities Biltmore has to offer! Your experienced Outdoor Adventure Center guide provides croquet equipment, course setup, plus coaching, captaining, or simply supervising teams as they navigate the course. Regardless of experience or skill level, all will delight in the fun, friendly sport enjoyed by the Vanderbilts and their guests more than a century ago.

Game-Time Beverage from the Creamery included. Croquet equipment provided for use.

Maximum of 8 participants. Participants are encouraged to bring water, dress for the weather, and wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes. 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.

Arbor Trace Hike & Shuttle

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Accessible to guests via shuttle, the Arbor Trace Trail is the estate’s most remote East Side trail system. Enjoy this exciting new experience one of two ways: with a knowledgeable Outdoor Adventure Center guide, or on your own!

Guided Option:

Immersed in the natural beauty of a rarely explored part of the estate, participants will hear Biltmore’s fascinating forestry story, as well as the history of the land and surrounding area (both before and during the Vanderbilts’ era), plus interesting facts about wildlife and plants encountered along the trail. Offering more technical footing (dirt trails with uneven terrain, roots, rocks, and mud), this 3.5-mile hike is recommended for more experienced hikers and walkers.

Shuttle-Only Option:

For hikers interested in exploring the Arbor Trace Trail without a guide, seats in the van may be purchased for roundtrip travel to and from the trailhead; there is no private parking at the trailhead. Shuttle-Only hikers will be dropped off at 2 p.m. and picked up upon the completion of their hike (no later than 4:30 p.m.). Prior to your hike, please download and review our Trail Map.

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.

River Stroll Hike

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Enjoy a gentle two- to four-mile walk along fields and the French Broad River! Led by one of our expert Outdoor Adventure Center hike guides, this leisurely jaunt offers a stunning view of the back of Biltmore House from the Lagoon. Learn and hear stories about the natural history of the region, Biltmore House, Antler Hill Village, and the Vanderbilt family as you traverse a variety of flat, paved, gravel, and dirt trails. This hike is suitable for strollers. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are allowed.

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.

Farm to Table Culinary Cuts Demo

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Led by one of Biltmore’s farm to table experts, Butcher David Jones, this fascinating demonstration takes you behind the scenes of the estate’s sustainable agriculture program.

During the first 60 minutes, David will share the skill and artistry required for whole-animal butchery*. This traditional practice is rooted in honoring the whole animal, reduces waste, and delivers exceptional cuts of meat that inspire culinary creativity. You will see and hear how the vision of sustainability shared by George Vanderbilt and Frederick Law Olmsted became reality, and a tradition that continues to guide the estate’s agricultural practices today. Following the demonstration is a 30-minute question and answer session.

This activity includes opportunities for participants to sample estate-raised fare featuring Biltmore wine, pork tenderloin, and cheeses.

Select Thursdays Available:

  • May 2
  • May 16
  • May 30

For a more comprehensive agricultural experience of Biltmore Estate, consider pairing this activity with our Farm to Table Tour and Taste, offered Wednesdays and Fridays.

*Guests will be viewing an in-person pork butchery demonstration which may involve uncomfortable and unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells. This demonstration does not include live animals, nor will guests take part in the demonstration.

Maximum of 20 participants per tour. Demo takes place at Bistro in Antler Hill Village. Advance reservations required. To participate in this activity, guest must have a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.

Bottled water provided, plus sampling of estate-raised fare, and a keepsake Biltmore culinary gift.

Estate-raised fare selection and demonstration details subject to change seasonally based on harvest and product availability.

Farm to Table Tour & Taste

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Join us for an unforgettable experience that features a fascinating tour of Biltmore’s rarely-seen West Side, plus an opportunity to taste farm-fresh estate-grown artisanal fare!

As you ride aboard a comfortable air-conditioned estate shuttle, Biltmore’s agricultural experts will share the history of our working farm’s agricultural operations, as well as the innovative farming practices in use today. This experience—the only tour that offers guest access to the estate’s pastoral West Side—includes “behind-the-scenes” looks at the estate’s Black Angus beef cattle and Berkshire hog facilities, hydroponic greenhouses, and picturesque vineyards.

After hearing how we continue to fulfill George Vanderbilt’s original vision of Biltmore as a self-sustaining estate, you’ll enjoy a relaxing respite under the trees. Here you’ll savor a glass of handcrafted Biltmore Wine and taste such estate-grown delights as a salad comprised of artisanal lettuces, creamy goat cheese, thyme-infused olive oil cake, and wildflower honey!

Maximum of 20 participants per tour. Meet at Biltmore’s Farmyard in Antler Hill Village to board shuttle. Advance reservations required. To participate in this activity, guest must have a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.

Majority of tour is aboard an estate shuttle with minimal walking (10-20 minutes). Dress comfortably for the season and wear closed-toe shoes.

Biltmore Wine and bottled water provided, plus sampling of fresh and estate-grown artisanal fare.

Menu and tour details subject to change seasonally based on harvest and product availability.

Geocache Challenge

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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.

Spin Fishing

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Enjoy fishing on one of Biltmore’s iconic bodies of water! This guided spin fishing (conventional angling) experience takes place in a drift boat on either the historic, Olmsted-designed Lagoon or among the beautiful vineyards on Long Valley Lake. Targeted species include Largemouth Bass, Panfish, and Crappie. All fishing is catch and release, no license 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. Ages 12–17 must be accompanied by an adult. This activity is unavailable during winter.

Rooftop Tour

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Limited Capacity: 12 Guests per Tour
A truly memorable experience featuring rare photo opportunities, this exclusive guided tour offers a behind-the-scenes look at the design and construction of Biltmore House in areas unavailable on the regular house visit. Imagine yourself a Vanderbilt (or cherished Vanderbilt guest) as you take in stunning views seen only from the house’s rooftop and balconies.

Advance reservation required. Tour includes 250 stairs with no elevator access. Wheelchairs, strollers, and baby backpacks are prohibited. Backpacks are not allowed on any guided tours. Guests are required to leave backpacks in a locker or in their vehicle. To participate in this tour, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.