Grand Hotels of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Estimated Tour Pricing Inclusions: 6 nights’ accommodation, baggage handling, 6 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners, admissions, entrance, and guide fees as stated in the itinerary, including taxes, and gratuity (excluding gratuity for guides and driver, unless requested).

• Lake Lure
• Hotel on the Biltmore Estate
• Biltmore Estate Tour
• Antler Village
• Deepark Restaurant
• Blue Ridge Parkway and Visitor Center
• Martha Washington Inn & Spa
• The Greenbrier
• Winston Link & History Museum of Western Virginia.
• Hotel History Tour
• Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
• Downtown Staunton
• George Washington Wyndham Hotel
• Patsy Cline's Historic House
• Downtown Winchester
• Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

• Arrive in North Carolina.
• Check in to either the Inn on Biltmore Estate or Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate, pending availability. Both are luxurious hotels offering posh rooms on the iconic Vanderbilt estate with fine dining, an outdoor pool, spa, & fitness center.

• Enjoy breakfast at your hotel.
• Visit the Biltmore Estate, the luxurious family home of George & Edith Vanderbilt, a marvel of elegance and charm since 1895.  Preserved and filled with original furnishings and masterpieces of art, no other residence in America offers a more authentic and inspiring view of Gilded Age life while suggesting the Vanderbilts and their guests are still at home.  The Estate is still family owned.
• Enjoy lunch on your own while visiting the Biltmore.
• Visit Antler Hill Village and explore the unique shops.
• Dinner is included at a popular local restaurant.

• Enjoy breakfast at your hotel.
• Take a boat tour of Lake Lure.
• Enjoy lunch at the historic Lake Lure Inn Veranda Restaurant, where parts of Dirty Dancing were filmed.  The Inn exemplifies a true fine dining experience.  Enjoy an exquisite meal with elegant dining and a quaint place to unwind in the Tanner Dining Room or take in the breathtaking views of the mountains on the Veranda Terrace.  Cool breezes, lakeside views, and the finest foods are just a few of the specialties offered by the Inn.
• Take a Trolley Tour of Asheville. This tour includes the Montford historic district, the stately Grove Park historic district, the legendary Omni Grove Park Inn, Art Deco-rich downtown, the River Arts District, and the quaint & historic Biltmore Village.
• Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own in downtown Asheville.

• Enjoy breakfast at your hotel prior to your departure.
• Tour the Birthplace of Country Music in Bristol, Virginia. The Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and tells the story of the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions, a historic event that sparked what is now known as the “big bang of country music.” These recordings continue to influence and inspire the music of today.
• Arrive in Abingdon, Virginia and enjoy an included lunch at the historic Martha Washington Inn & Spa, which combines Southern charm and modern elegance.
• Check-in to The Greenbrier, a historic resort in the Allegheny mountains, welcoming guests since 1778.  The natural mineral springs that drew its first guests over 235 years ago continue to lure visitors to the 11,000 acre luxury retreat today. With a guest list that includes 27 of our nation’s 45 Presidents, “America’s Resort” has long been a favorite destination of royalty, celebrities and business leaders.
• Dinner is included at the resort.

• Enjoy breakfast at the hotel.
• Experience a declassified Bunker Tour that takes you behind the scenes walking through a Cold War fallout shelter carved into the mountainside, once a top secret U.S. Government relocation facility for Congress.
• Enjoy a free afternoon activities on own, such as golf, croquet, a carriage ride, horseback riding, shuffleboard, tennis and the casino.
• Enjoy dinner included at the resort.

• Enjoy breakfast at the hotel prior to departing for Roanoke.
• Arrive in Roanoke, VA and enjoy lunch on own while downtown. The restaurants in the Roanoke Valley in Virginia's Blue Ridge boast a special kind of flavor, and the culture of the region is reflected in the outstanding tastes of the cuisine.
• Visit the O. Winston Link & History Museum of Western Virginia, which is dedicated to the photography of O. Winston Link, the twentieth century railroad photographer widely considered the master of the juxtaposition between steam railroading and rural culture.
• Arrive at Hotel Roanoke and take a Hotel History Tour which concludes with a wine and cheese reception.
• After the tour, check-in to the hotel.
• Enjoy dinner included at the hotel.

• Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, prior to departing for Winchester.
• Visit the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, which is a complex that houses the President’s birthplace, known as the “Manse,” a museum that explores his life and times, a research library and gift shop. The Manse was constructed in 1846 by the Staunton First Presbyterian Church. It has twelve rooms with twelve fireplaces, and cost about $4,000. The Wilson family moved into the house in 1855 as his father was ordained as a Presbyterian priest and assigned to serve as a pastor in Staunton.  Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born in what is now called the "birth room" on December 28, 1856. The Wilsons left The Manse in 1858 when Joseph Wilson accepted a call from a congregation in Augusta, Georgia. Wilson continued to visit Staunton throughout his life and often called Staunton his home.
• Enjoy lunch on own Downtown Staunton. Staunton’s culinary scene is diverse and delicious, according to diner feedback on Yelp. Dishes from the most highly rated restaurants span the globe, but “fresh and local” is the primary theme of what you’ll find in Staunton.
• Check in to the George Washington Wyndham Hotel.  At the Historic George Washington Hotel, the pristine beauty of the Shenandoah Valley has truly met its match. With marble floors, soaring ceiling heights, and the original front desk, this deco stunner still has all the appeal and ambiance of a wonderful bygone era. Completed in 1924, the George Washington offers old-world charm.
• Enjoy dinner at the hotel with entertainment by a Patsy Cline tribute singer.

• Enjoy breakfast at the hotel prior to checking out.
• Take a tour of Patsy Cline’s hometown. She began her radio career at Winchester Radio Station WINC in 1946 at age 14.  We’ll see her home, Radio Station WINC, and pay a visit to her gravesite. Many seniors in the area still recall when Patsy played at area clubs in her early career.
• Tour the Patsy Cline Historic House. Keeping true with one of Patsy Cline’s signature songs, “Come on in and sit right down and make yourself at home”, you'll visit her property that is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. Patsy resided here from 1948-53, longer than at any other house associated with her in the Winchester and Nashville areas, and she returned to it intermittently until her singing career began in 1957. The house serves as a proud testament to Patsy's love of family. Her devoted and influential relationship with her mother and their drive and determination launched Patsy's career. The house, furnished with some personal items, appears as when Patsy and her family lived there.
• Enjoy lunch on your own along the Pedestrian Mall of Downtown Winchester.  Discover charming shops, delicious restaurants, centuries-old architecture, numerous historical landmarks, and museums. Old Town Winchester offers convenience, charm, and a warm welcome to all.
• Depart for home.

*Base rate does not include motor coach transportation, airfare, airport transfers, driver gratuity, guide gratuity, (student groups exempt) or any upgrades or add-ons unlisted from itinerary as stated. Pricing may vary based on day of arrival or other conditions. Personalized itineraries with custom pricing and/or additional transportation can be created and added based on client needs and upon client’s request. MARS will customize quotes or personalize itineraries for FREE.