5 Day Blue Ridge Parkway Itinerary: Start to Finish!
Take a week and road trip down Blue Ridge Parkway from start to finish! There’s more to the parkway than just Asheville, Boone, and Blowing Rock.
Start in Virginia at Shenandoah’s southern doorstep and enjoy the rolling hills, overlooks, and cultural spots like Mabry Mill and the Blue Ridge Music Center.
Then continue into North Carolina as the elevation starts to climb, revealing Grandfather Mountain, Mt Mitchell, and, eventually, Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Here’s what I’d see and what I’d skip with 5 days to explore Blue Ridge Parkway.
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**Hurricane Helene Clean-up**
In September 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina. Yes, a hurricane can hit that far inland. The storm leftover after the hurricane made landfall dumped almost 3 feet of rain in some areas with winds still reaching up to 60mph.
The rushing water and high winds knocked down thousands of trees, triggered landslides, flooded valleys, and swept away roads and towns. The damage was extensive. Repair efforts are still ongoing in 2025, and some may continue on into 2026.
While much of the area is reopened and welcoming visitors, some areas are still closed. Check official websites for any closures before heading out. Here’s the Blue Ridge Parkway official NPS site to get you started.
5 Day Blue Ridge Parkway Itinerary: Start to Finish!
If you want to see everything on Blue Ridge Parkway, I recommend a minimum of 5 days to see each stretch as listed.
That’s still pretty fast if you’re planning to explore little towns, hike a few trails, and stop at a bunch of overlooks each day.
Here’s how I’d spend 5 days to see the whole parkway from start to finish:
- Waynesboro to Roanoke
- Humpback Gap MP 6
- Ravens Roost Overlook MP 11
- Lunch in Glasgow
- Natural Bridge State Park
- Peaks of Otter MP 86
- Explore Roanoke
- Overnight in Roanoke
- Roanoke, VA to Boone, NC
- Mabry Mill MP 176
- Explore town of Galax
- Blue Ridge Music Center at MP 213
- Air Bellows Overlook MP 237
- Explore Boone
- Overnight in Boone
- Boone to Linville
- Explore Blowing Rock
- Moses Cone Manor at MP 294
- Linn Cove Viaduct MP 304
- Grandfather Mountain at MP 305
- Beacon Heights Overlook MP 305
- Explore the town of Linville
- Linville to Asheville
- Hike Linville Falls MP 316
- Mount Mitchell State Park MP 355
- Hike Craggy Gardens MP 364
- Asheville for late dinner and overnight
- Asheville to GSMNP
- Mount Pisgah MP 408
- Graveyard Fields MP 419
- Cowee Mountains Overlook MP 430
- Richland Balsam Overlook MP 431
- Museum of the Cherokee Indian (in Cherokee)
- Entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Overlooks aren’t all the same.
You might get tired of it the longer you’re on the road, particularly the overlooks. But, having done this many times myself, I’d always rather stop and take a look rather than skip it entirely.
The view may surprise you!
They aren’t all the same because each overlook is in a different bend of the mountains and the light changes as you move. Just because you couldn’t see sunset at a previous overlook doesn’t mean you won’t be able to see it at the next one.
Even if an overlook is too overgrown to see anything, you can just get right back on the parkway and keep going.
Little towns don’t take long to explore.
You’ll pass through several small towns as you cruise along Blue Ridge Parkway. Take time to stop and explore!
It won’t take long. These aren’t big places. Your legs will appreciate the opportunity to stretch for a minute.
A stop in Little Switzerland, NC, for example, reveals a cute town of maybe 10 buildings.
It’s the start/end of “The Diamondback” motorcycle route on NC-226A and has one of the only restaurants that’s basically on the parkway.
Unless you stop to eat, you can visit all the stores and sights in about 30 minutes.
Day 1: Waynesboro to Roanoke
Exploring the Virginia end of the parkway is a different experience from the North Carolina end. The southern entrance to Shenandoah National Park is just across the bridge from MP 0 for the parkway.
The lowest elevation on Blue Ridge Parkway is at the James River Visitor Center.
That also means the views in this section are more of the flat piedmont stretching away from the edge of the tall, rolling hills/mountains you’re standing on.
You’ll likely finish early with the parkway today, which leaves plenty of time in the afternoon to explore Roanoke.
Day 2: Roanoke to Boone
This stretch of the parkway has a lot of small, mountain towns and overlooks. It’s probably the least visited section, the gap where it transitions from Virginia to North Carolina.
Because of that, I highly recommend you do your Boone exploring today and not tomorrow. You won’t be missing too much on this section of parkway, but tomorrow’s section is a different story.
My favorite stop in Boone is the Appalachia Cookie Company, but the Hickory Ridge History Museum is also cool.
Day 3: Boone to Linville
This is one of the busiest, most visited sections of Blue Ridge Parkway.
Boone and Blowing Rock are very popular destinations by themselves, and a lot of visitors will venture onto the nearby parkway for a half day excursion.
Reservations are a good idea, sometimes 100% necessary, for lunch, dinner, or popular spots like Grandfather Mountain.
The trails will be busy in summer and fall. Parking will be tough, too. Keep this in mind when you’re considering your timetable.
Grandfather Mountain will be your biggest time commitment today, closely followed by trying to find parking in Blowing Rock.
The town of Blowing Rock is not a big place, but hundreds of visitors crowd the streets in the summer and fall. The famous sight, The Blowing Rock, is outside of town.
It’s cool on a windy day, and the story is cute if you’ve never heard it, but I honestly don’t think you’re missing much if you don’t stop at the site. You’ll get better mountain views from Blue Ridge Parkway.
I recommend you start your day early in Blowing Rock and leave before the lunch rush. Take a meal with you to enjoy in the car on the parkway. Or plan to eat at Grandfather Mountain.
If you don’t want to stay in tiny Linville, you could easily backtrack to Boone for another night’s stay and start early in Linville tomorrow.
Day 4: Linville to Asheville
Another very busy section of the parkway, this one sees a lot of visitors in spring for the rhododendrons at Craggy Gardens and Linville Falls.
Mount Mitchell is the tallest mountain east of Colorado! There’s a short hike to the summit from a parking lot, and the views are pretty amazing. It’s a state park, though, so there’s a separate entry fee.
I personally love to stop and see Linville Falls, no matter the season. Craggy Gardens is a must-see in spring and fall.
If it’s not too crowded, you might get in to Asheville in mid-afternoon today. Use your time to explore downtown and the River Arts District.
Unless you have an annual pass, I don’t recommend trying to fit in a visit to the Biltmore Estate today. You won’t get your money’s worth out of your ticket.
But, if you can add an extra day to your itinerary, then the Biltmore is definitely worthy of its own day trip.
Day 5: Asheville to Bryson City
I personally love this section of Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s stunning in the fall! It also has the highest elevation on the parkway, so the views are beautiful.
You get all those multi-layered mountain views in various shades of blue. Sunset at Cowee Mountain Overlook is my favorite on the parkway.
There are plenty of hikes and overlooks to occupy you during the day so that you can arrive at Cowee in time for sunset.
Driving the parkway is not the fastest way to get to the southern entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Asheville, but it’s definitely the most scenic.
You could opt to backtrack to Asheville to stay another night rather than staying in Bryson City. Maps will take you via the faster route on US 74 and US 19, not the parkway.
But, if you have snacks, I highly recommend you get back on the parkway and go to Cowee Mountains Overlook for sunset. Then let Maps take you back off the parkway to US 19 and US 74 to Asheville.
Bryson City is small but cute and worth a stop. Three of my favorite waterfalls in GSMNP are actually accessed from Bryson City, not the main part of the park.
Cherokee, NC is also worth your time for authentic Native-made souvenirs and a history museum on Cherokee land.
If you’d rather, you could drive through Great Smoky Mountains National Park and overnight in Gatlinburg, but that is by far your most expensive lodging option.
How to Extend Your Itinerary for More Days
If you want to break up the driving and stay in one place for a day or two, I recommend Asheville for the southern end, Boone for the middle, and Charlottesville for the beginning.
There’s more to do in Asheville than in Boone, unless you just want to be closer to the parkway hikes.
Shenandoah National Park and Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home, are easy add-ons in Virginia.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, or Bryson City are easy add-ons after you’re done with Asheville.
If you want a mix of Blue Ridge Parkway and other historical sites, try this Eastern USA road trip. It loops through 6 states in 9 days and includes the Boone to Asheville portion of the parkway.
Happy travels!
About the Author: Rachel Means
With six-figure student loan debt and only 10 PTO days per year, Rachel started traveling the world. A decade later, she’s paid off her loans, changed careers, and been to 42 US states and 17 countries. She’s an expert at planning and budgeting for travel and loves to help others do it, too! Read her full story here.
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