North Carolina Holidays 2025 & 2026

With soaring mountains in the west, a 300-mile coastline to the east and a whole lot more in between, North Carolina holidays have more variety than Heinz 57. This is the state where you can surf the breakers on deserted Atlantic beaches one day, follow a wine trail or visit the biggest private estate in the States the next, and finish up on the Road to Nowhere in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

There's beauty everywhere you look on North Carolina holidays. If you hike through Chimney Rock Park you'll snake past thundering waterfalls and soaring granite outcrops. Meander through Piedmont and you'll find yourself in a world of rolling hills draped with vineyards and cotton plantations. And drive the Blue Ridge Parkway through two national forests complete with spectacular tree tunnels and dramatic views, and you'll discover why it's nick-named 'America's favourite drive'. 

The North Carolina coast is not only gorgeous, but has something for everyone. With 130 miles of barrier islands known as the Outer Banks, you can choose between the sheltered landward side and the crashing Atlantic surf. There are busy beach communities with striped lighthouses and boardwalks if you want them - or there's mile upon mile of protected seashore at Cape Hatteras where the dunes tower and wild ponies graze on the beach. 

There are towns and cities to discover too, whether it's Wilmington with its antebellum homes and moss-draped live oaks; Beaufort with its maritime museums and legacy of Blackbeard the pirate; or artsy Asheville in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. Then, when it's time to refuel, there's delicious BBQ pork (discover whether you like it eastern or western-state style) or fresh seafood to choose from, and you can wash it all down with local wines. As they say, variety is the spice of life.