Even though Fayetteville is incredible to explore, it can be fun to take a day trip from the city, and there are many places nearby that make for perfect day trips from Fayetteville, NC.
Whether you’re looking for a large city with many fun things to do or a small town for a relaxing day trip, the options are great. From seeing historic architecture to exploring famous landmarks, you can have a lot of fun during a day trip.
I made this Fayetteville day trips guide with a large variety of perfect destinations for a day trip from the city.
Day Trips from Fayetteville, NC
Myrtle Beach, SC
Distance from Fayetteville: 2 hours
Myrtle Beach is a resort city in South Carolina that you can find on the Atlantic Coast.
With millions of people visiting the city each year, it is the state’s most popular place for tourism, and the large number of things to do and see is the reason why.
From seeing wax sculptures at the Hollywood Wax Museum to going to the Myrtle Waves Water Park to attending a show at The Carolina Opry Theater, the many fun activities that you can do in the city will surprise you.
The city’s location on the Atlantic Coast also means that you can enjoy great views when you are here. For example, when you walk the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, you can see the ocean.
Another great place for views is SkyWheel Myrtle Beach as you can enjoy incredible views when you ride the Ferris wheel to the top.
From Fayetteville, NC, you can reach Myrtle Beach, SC, in about 2 hours.
Charleston, SC
Distance from Fayetteville: 3 hours
If you want to do a day trip from Fayetteville to a city with many historic sites and beautiful architecture, you should consider the city of Charleston in South Carolina. From Fayetteville, you can get to Charleston in about 3 hours.
Explore the numerous beautiful streets, such as King Street and Rainbow Row.
You should also check out the Joe Riley Waterfront Park, which is a park where you can enjoy views of the water and see the Pineapple Fountain.
The Gibbes Museum of Art, a museum where you can see great American art, and the South Carolina Aquarium, where you can learn about marine animals, are two other interesting places that you can go during your day trip.
In addition to that, a great way to end your day trip is by attending a show at the Dock Street Theatre.
Raleigh, NC
Distance from Fayetteville: 1 hour
Raleigh, North Carolina’s capital, is a city with many diverse things to do, making it a great destination for a day trip. From Fayetteville, you can reach the city of Raleigh in just a short ride by car that takes about 1 hour.
There are many good museums to explore when you are in Raleigh. For example, one of the best things to do in Raleigh is to go to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to learn about science, learn about history at the North Carolina Museum of History, or see amazing art at the North Carolina Museum of Art.
The historic North Carolina State Capitol can also be great to see during a day trip.
You can also go to one of Raleigh’s food halls, a space where you can find various food vendors, such as the Transfer Co. Food Hall to have dinner.
Durham, NC
Distance from Fayetteville: 1.5 hours
Durham, NC, known as Bull City and known for Duke University, can be reached from Fayetteville by car in less than 1.5 hours.
Some of the best things to do in Durham are visiting the Durham Performing Arts Center, where you can see a large variety of performances, and going to the American Tobacco Campus, which is an old transformed tobacco factory where you can find restaurants and shops.
Furthermore, if you like baseball, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, the home of the Durham Bulls baseball team can be great to check out.
When you are in Durham, you can also check out one of the city’s museums. For example, you could go to the Nasher Museum of Art or the Museum of Life and Science (the latter is great to check out when you are doing this day trip with children).
In addition to that, the city is home to several historic sites, such as Bennett Place.
Greensboro, NC
Distance from Fayetteville: 1 hour and 45 minutes
You can get to Greensboro from Fayetteville in about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
There are many great things to do in Greensboro that can be great to discover during a day trip, including museums, gardens, theaters, and much more.
One of the best places to visit in the city is the Greensboro Science Center. This is a museum where you can find exhibits through which you can learn about science, see animals, and learn about the universe at the OmniSphere theater.
The Weatherspoon Art Museum is another highlight of Greensboro. This museum has a large collection of modern and contemporary art, which includes a lot of great works of American art.
The city is also home to many fun places, such as the Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe Water Park.
Augusta, GA
Distance from Fayetteville: 3.5 hours
Augusta, GA, is one of the best day trips from Fayetteville if you’re looking for a large city to visit. From Fayetteville, you can get to Augusta in about 3.5 hours, which is doable for a day trip.
Whether you want to see art, learn about history, or have fun, you can do so in Augusta.
You can go to the Morris Museum of Art and discover an interesting collection of works of art made by artists from the South.
The Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson is another interesting sight to check out when you are in Augusta and if you want to learn about history, you can go to the Augusta Museum of History.
Furthermore, a great way to end your day in the city is by going to the Imperial Theatre and seeing a show there.
Columbia, SC
Distance from Fayetteville: 2.5 hours
Columbia, the capital city of South Carolina, is reachable by car from Fayetteville in about 2.5 hours.
The city is the home to the University of South Carolina and there are many great things to do and see in the city.
For example, you could go to the Columbia Museum of Art and see art from many times in history and from all around the world. The museum’s objects are organized thematically, which is a unique way of displaying items and it means that you can see very diverse objects that all focus on a common theme here.
Soda City Market is another highlight of the city. This is a producer-only market where more than 400 unique vendors sell their goods throughout the year.
The Riverbanks Zoo & Garden can also be great to check out during a day trip. This is a large zoo with more than 2,000 animals.
Roanoke, VA
Distance from Fayetteville: 3.5 hours
From Fayetteville, you can get to the city of Roanoke, VA, in about 3.5 hours. Roanoke lies in the Blue Ridge Mountains and beautiful nature surrounds the city.
When you are doing a day trip to Roanoke, the Mill Mountain Star is one of the best sights to check out. This is the largest freestanding illuminated man-made star and dates back to the year 1949.
Another place to check out in the city is the Roanoke Pinball Museum. At this museum, you can find a great collection of pinball machines, that includes both historic and modern ones. There are 70 in total that are playable, and the oldest dates back to the year 1932.
The Taubman Museum of Art is a great museum in downtown Roanoke where you can see American art from the 19th and 20th centuries, and other types of art.
Beaufort, SC
Distance from Fayetteville: 3.5 hours
Beaufort, SC, is a beautiful small town that makes for a wonderful day trip from Fayetteville. You can find the town about 3.5 hours from Fayetteville.
The town dates back to the year 1711 and is situated on Port Royal Island, which is on the Atlantic Coast.
From exploring the town’s quaint streets to seeing historic landmarks to exploring the Beaufort History Museum, there’s a lot to see in Beaufort during a day trip.
A great place to check out in the town as well is Chocolate Tree, a chocolate shop where you can get delicious handmade chocolates and other confections.
Wilmington, NC
Distance from Fayetteville: 1.5 hours
Wilmington, NC, is a wonderful city in North Carolina that you can reach in about 1.5 hours from Fayetteville.
The city of Wilmington has a beautiful historic district with buildings with beautiful architectural styles. For example, you can find the Bellamy Mansion here, which is one of the best examples of antebellum architecture.
A great way to explore the city’s historic district is by doing a guided horse-drawn tour, which you can do without making an advance reservation in the historic district.
Visiting Battleship North Carolina, a decommissioned fast battleship that was used in the Second World War, is one of the best things to do in Wilmington as well. You can do a self-guided tour and explore the different parts of the ship.
Another attraction to check out in the city during a day trip is the Wilmington Riverwalk, which is a pathway along the Cape Fear River from where you can enjoy great views of the river.
Other interesting sights in Wilmington are the Airlie Gardens, the Cameron Art Museum, and the Thalian Hall.
Charlotte, NC
Distance from Fayetteville: 2.5 hours
The most populous city in North Carolina, Charlotte is one of the most fun day trips from Fayetteville, and you can get to the city in about 2.5 hours.
There are a large number of great things to do in Charlotte, so when you are spending a day in the city, you’ll have to choose which sights you like best.
First of all, there are many great museums in Charlotte that you could go to during a day trip. For example, you can go to Discovery Place Science to learn about science, see art at the Bechler Museum of Modern Art, or learn about history at the Levine Museum of the New South.
There are also many places where you can attend a show or go to an event. For example, you can see a show at one of the venues of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.
Another place to check out, but where you’ll likely spend your whole day if you go there, is the amusement park Carowinds. Here, you can have fun riding roller coasters and other attractions.
Truist Field, a baseball stadium, is a great place in Charlotte to go if you like baseball as it is the home of the Charlotte Knights, which is a Triple-A Minor League Baseball team.
Richmond, VA
Distance from Fayetteville: 3 hours
Richmond is a city in Virginia that you can get to by car from Fayetteville, NC, in about 3 hours. Richmond is the capital city of Virginia and it dates back to the year 1742.
Many important historical events took place here, both during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.
The city has many interesting museums, such as the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Science Museum of Virginia, and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
You can also check out the historic Maymont when you are doing a day trip to the city. This is a Victorian mansion that is now a historic house museum.
The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, a botanical garden, is another one of the best places in the city, and lots of events take place here.
Richmond also has great theaters, such as The Henrico Theater, where you can see a variety of shows at the end of your day. For example, you can go here for ballet performances or concerts of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra.
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Fayetteville Day Trips Tips
Some of the places that you can find in this Fayetteville day trips guide are near each other, and you could also combine visiting two places. For example, you could visit Charleston and Beaufort in one day.
Day Trips from Fayetteville Map
This was my guide to the best day trips from Fayetteville, NC. I hope I helped you find a great place to visit!