This tour has 24 stops. Check out the itinerary here for a complete list of stops and if you’re looking for more information to help plan your trip, here’s what you need to know before you go!

• Phone charger - very important 
• Phone mount
• Sneakers
• Hiking clothes. Layer up.
• Hiking shoes
• Jacket
• Hat/sunglasses
• Lawn chairs, for soaking in that perfect view
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Canteen/ refillable water bottle
• Snacks
• Credit card
• Swimsuits for Sliding Rock

It’s free to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. But, there are some attractions on the tour that require entrance and parking fees: 

• The Cradle of Forestry in America is $6 adults, $3 children, and free for 3 and under. 
  
• Sliding Rock is $5 per person. 
• The North Carolina Arboretum does not have individual admission, but a $20 parking fee.



The parkway is open 24-hours. Many of the stops and visitor centers have varying hours of operation. For a list of visitor centers on the parkway and their respective opening and closing times, please visit the NPS website 

Here are a list of attractions on the tour and their hours of operation: 

• The Cradle of Forestry in America is open daily 10am-5pm from spring to fall. 
  
• Sliding Rock is open 10am-6pm on the days facilities are open, which is daily Memorial Day thru Labor Day, and on weekends in May and September. 
• The North Carolina Arboretum is open daily from 8am-9pm from April to October, and 8am-7pm daily from November to March. 
• The Waterrock Knob Visitor Center is open daily from 10am-5pm from mid-April to November.
• The Pisgah Inn and Restaurant is open daily from April to October serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Yes! Feel free to join the tour along the route. Just make sure that you follow the numbers in chronological order from where you are starting from.  If you don’t begin at one of the tour starting points you’ll miss a few stories, but you’ll still have a great experience.

Yes, this tour can be done both south to north and north to south. The south to north route begins at the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Cherokee, NC, and the north to south route begins on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, just off US-25 near the Biltmore. 

Yes, you can combine this tour with the Blue Ridge Parkway Asheville Tour. If you take this route from South to North, you can pick up the Blue Ridge Parkway Asheville tour in Asheville, NC and take that tour from South to North too.

Still have questions? Send us an email at aloha@shakaguide.com or give us a call at 1-888-250-2261.