Photo: “Biltmore Plaza, Biltmore Village, NC” by Warren LeMay, CC0 1.0, cropped.
George Vanderbilt opened Biltmore House to his family and friends on Christmas Eve 1895. More than 130 years later, Christmas at America’s largest home is still one of the great holiday experiences in the South – and one of the best reasons to spend a winter weekend in Asheville.
The 2026 Season at a Glance
- Christmas at Biltmore (daytime): Nov. 6, 2026 – Jan. 10, 2027
- Candlelight Christmas Evenings: Nov. 6, 2026 – Jan. 9, 2027 (separate ticket, reservation required)
- Every ticket includes: access to the estate’s gardens and grounds, Antler Hill Village & Winery, a complimentary wine tasting and free parking
Daytime or Candlelight?
Daytime visits (from $105 per adult for house and grounds) let you see the house in full detail, with an audio guide and plenty of natural light in the gardens. The famous Banquet Hall tree – traditionally a towering, roughly 35-foot Fraser fir – reaches halfway to the room’s 70-foot ceiling and is surrounded by holiday décor drawn from the estate’s archives.
Candlelight Christmas Evenings (from $110 per adult) are the showstopper. The lights dim, fires glow in the home’s fireplaces, and soloists and choirs perform traditional carols in candlelit rooms. Outside, luminaries line the front lawn and a 55-foot Norway spruce sparkles with thousands of white lights. Arrive at sunset and watch the house light up as twilight falls – it’s a moment you’ll remember.
Want the full VIP treatment? Exclusive guided tours start at about $345–$350 per person. A grounds-only ticket (from $80) is an option if you want the gardens, the village and the winery without touring the house.
Insider Tips
- Book early. Weekend and Candlelight dates sell out, especially around Thanksgiving and the weeks before Christmas. Weekdays in November are noticeably calmer.
- Give yourself time. Plan on about four hours: roughly 1 to 1½ hours in the house, 30–45 minutes in the gardens and another hour or more at Antler Hill Village and the Winery.
- Arrive early. Local guides suggest reaching the entrance gate about 45 minutes before your house entry time; the estate is large and you’ll drive (or shuttle) a few miles to the house.
- Dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes. It can be chilly outside and warm inside.
- Leave the flash off. Flash photography isn’t allowed in the house, and there are no restrooms inside, so plan accordingly.
Make a Day (or Night) of It
Finish your visit at Antler Hill Village, which glows with holiday lights in the evening, and stop into the Biltmore Winery for your complimentary tasting. For dinner, the Stable Café’s three-course Candlelight Christmas dinner is a splurge-worthy tradition, while Cedric’s Tavern offers pub fare and seasonal cocktails in a more relaxed setting. Reservations are strongly recommended.
In December, don’t miss Historic Biltmore Village just outside the estate gates. Its “It’s a Wonderful Village” celebration brings shopping weekends, a Dickens-themed event and visits with Santa (2026 dates to be announced).
Where to Stay
Our Asheville residence puts you in the heart of downtown, about a 10-minute drive from the Biltmore entrance, so you can spend the day on the estate and still walk to dinner, a nightcap or live music afterward. Come home, put on something from our curated vinyl collection in The Groove, and let the evening wind down.
Christmas at Biltmore dates fill up fast – and so do ours.
Lewis Jones is the founder of The Highmark Collection, a boutique collection of thoughtfully designed short-term rentals in Asheville, Chattanooga, and Greenville. After a career in leadership roles with IBM and Kyndryl, he created Highmark to bring the same focus on service, detail, and consistency to the guest experience.
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