My husband and I recently visited Asheville, North Carolina, with another couple. Ahead of our visit, we knew we wanted to schedule a day touring the Biltmore Estate. The 8,000-acre estate can be overwhelming, so we opted to book three different guided tours to make the most of our time there.

Construction of the 250-room Vanderbilt home was completed in 1895. Many of the features were state-of-the-art for the time, including electricity and elevators. We arrived early and made the short walk from the parking lot up to the estate. Our first tour was at 11 a.m., so we first spent time exploring on our own. Before entering the building, we walked the grounds, including the beautiful gardens. The property was already decorated for Christmas during our visit. Normally I’m against seeing Christmas decorations up on Nov. 2, but in this case, it made the estate look even more welcoming and festive.

Our first tour was a 60-minute rooftop tour. We made our way to areas of the estate not included in regular admission for an up-close look at the building’s design and construction. Next, we had lunch at the Stable Café, which is located directly next to the estate. Our second tour was the upstairs-downstairs tour, which shows visitors how the servants and the Vanderbilts and guests lived. Finally, we took a 90-minute guided house tour to learn even more about the goings-on at the estate.

After our final tour, we stopped at the estate’s winery for a wine tasting. It was the perfect way to cap off our full day at the Biltmore.

— Katie Skrzek, vice president/digital director