Travel Agents

Saddle Up Trail Rides leads guided horseback rides in Pisgah National Forest from Turkey Pen Road in Mills River. Its website says the outfitter holds a special use permit for the forest and rides in the North Mills River and Turkey Pen areas, a short drive from the Asheville airport. The site describes its trails as suited to riders of all skill levels, and ride packages can be put together for groups. Rides are by reservation only, booked by phone or email. The website also warns that GPS may not lead visitors there, so the staff provides directions when a ride is booked. Riders can ask about keychains made with a lock of their horse's hair.

Asheville Adventure Company is a river outfitter and tour operator on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Its website says the business is locally owned and operated, and that it runs trips on the French Broad River. The site lists guided whitewater rafting, a private family rafting tour near the Biltmore Estate, tubing, and self-guided kayaking. It also lists party bus rentals and a brewery tour by bus, along with group options for youth groups, summer camps, scout groups, weddings, corporate outings and bachelor and bachelorette parties. The website has pages for activity levels, a FAQ and directions.

Cedar Rock Adventures offers guided outdoor trips and brewery tours in the Asheville area. Its river tours depart from Hominy Creek River Park, off Hominy Creek Road, and run on the French Broad River. The website lists a floating bar crawl by raft, a canoe brewery tour, a sunset raft tour, and private raft and canoe trips with brewery and riverside stops. It also lists guided hikes, including a full-day summit hike on the John Rock Trail loop in Pisgah National Forest. Tours are booked through the company's website.

TukIt Tour Co. gives guided tours of Asheville in electric, open-air tuk-tuks. Each vehicle is a three-wheeled, six-seat electric ride, and the company's office is on Short McDowell Street. The website lists several tour types: a brewery tour, a history tour, a rooftop hop, a date-night tour, a holiday lights tour and custom private tours. It says the tours cover local breweries, shops, restaurants and city history, and that groups can book online or contact the company to plan a custom outing, including bachelor and bachelorette parties and company events.

Gray Line Trolley Tours of Asheville runs narrated sightseeing tours on trolleys, based at the Asheville Visitor Center on Montford Avenue. Its website says the company opened in 2007 and is a locally owned and operated licensee of Gray Line Worldwide. The main tour is a hop-on, hop-off loop of about 15 miles with 10 stops, passing downtown, the Montford and Grove Park historic districts, the River Arts District, Biltmore Village and the South Slope. According to its website, one ticket covers two days of riding within three consecutive days. The company also runs a Haunted History & Murder Mystery Ghost Tour and a Christmas trolley tour with live music and caroling, and it charters trolleys for weddings, groups and other events.

Asheville Balloon Company offers hot air balloon rides over the Blue Ridge Mountains. The company is based in Candler, and according to the Explore Asheville tourism listing, its flights lift off just west of Asheville. The listing describes the ride as a morning outing with an FAA certified pilot. It is aimed at both visitors and locals who want a view of the mountains of Western North Carolina from the air. Per the listing, you schedule a flight by calling the company or through its website.

Blue Ridge Hiking Company is a hiking and backpacking guide service based in Asheville. According to its website, it aims to connect people curious about the outdoors with Southern Appalachia through personalized guided hikes and backpacking trips. Its site lists day hikes, overnight trips, workshops, group travel and gear rentals. The company says it guides under commercial special use permits in areas including Pisgah National Forest, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, DuPont State Forest and Mt. Mitchell State Park, and that its guides are certified in Wilderness First Aid or higher and CPR. It also runs a bunkhouse in Hot Springs, NC, for hikers, backpackers and trail runners along the Appalachian Trail.

BREW-ed runs guided brewery walking tours in downtown Asheville, with a focus on the breweries of the South Slope neighborhood. Its website says the company has offered tours since 2013 and that its guides are Cicerone certified beer experts. On a standard tour, the guide covers how beer is made and shares local history while the group samples beer at each stop. The site's FAQ says each tour begins at the first brewery on that day's itinerary and that standard groups are capped at 14 people. Private tours can also be requested, with the group choosing the day and time, according to the site. Brewery tour gift certificates are sold online as well.

Asheville Ghost Tours is the walking tour business of Haunted Asheville Ghost Tours, LLC. The website describes a classic walking tour of downtown Asheville that runs about two hours. According to the site, the classic tour meets in the alley behind the Asheville Masonic Temple on Broadway Street, and tours run in any weather. The stories cover local hauntings and history, including sites such as the Grove Park Inn, Helen's Bridge, the Battery Park Hotel and St. Lawrence. The site says minors must be accompanied by an adult. The website also sells gift cards.