Even though spending time in Greensboro is great, it can be fun to explore another place for a day, and there are many amazing day trips from Greensboro to choose from!
Whether you want to relax, see architecture, or explore famous sights, there are a lot of places near Greensboro that you can visit. From large cities with a lot of things to do to beautiful small towns, there’s something for everyone’s liking.
To help you find the ideal spot for you to visit, I made this Greensboro day trips guide with a large variety of fun places to visit for a day.
Day Trips from Greensboro
Charlottesville, VA
Distance from Greensboro: 3 hours
From Greensboro, you can get to the city of Charlottesville, VA, in less than 3 hours, making it a great place for a day trip.
Charlottesville is home to the University of Virginia, which is a university that was founded by Thomas Jefferson and has a beautiful campus that is within Academical Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You can find various historic landmarks in the city. Monticello is the most famous one of these and it was designed by Thomas Jefferson as well. When doing a day trip to the city, you can go here and do a tour.
Another place in the city to check out is the Downtown Mall, which is a pedestrian area where you can find more than 100 stores and restaurants, and beautiful historic buildings.
You can also go to the Paramount Theater and see a show there at the end of your day.
Blowing Rock, NC
Distance from Greensboro: 2 hours
Blowing Rock, NC, is a lovely small town that makes for a great day trip from Greensboro. You can reach it by car in about 2 hours. The town is located in the mountains of the state, close to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
When you are in the city, you can go to the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum. This is a free museum where you can see rotating exhibitions that rotate three times per year. There is also a permanent exhibition with interesting works of art and historic artifacts.
The downtown area is also a great place to go during your day trip. You can find great boutiques and great restaurants here. There are also many art galleries in the downtown area.
Raleigh, NC
Distance from Greensboro: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Raleigh, North Carolina’s capital, is a city that you can get to from Greensboro in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
There is a large number of things to do in Raleigh that you can see during a day trip, but because you only have one day, you’ll have to choose the activities you like most.
For example, you can choose to go to one of the city’s great museums. For example, you can go to the North Carolina Museum of Art, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, or the North Carolina Museum of History. Each of these museums is great if you want to learn new things.
The city’s performing arts theaters are great as well. For example, you can go to the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts for great shows.
You can also find many great activities for kids in the city, such as going to the Marbles Kids Museum. This is a museum with all kinds of unique hands-on exhibits.
Great places to have dinner in the city are the two food halls in Raleigh, the Morgan Street Food Hall, and the Transfer Co. Food Hall.
Roanoke, VA
Distance from Greensboro: 2 hours
Roanoke, VA, can be reached by car in less than 2 hours from Greensboro.
When you are spending a day in Roanoke, you have to check out the Mill Mountain Star, or the Roanoke Star, which is the world’s largest freestanding neon star. This star was constructed in 1949 and was made to promote the city.
You can also find the Roanoke Pinball Museum in Roanoke, which is a museum where you can find playable pinball machines and where you can learn about science, history, and art related to pinball.
Some great museums that you might want to go to are the Science Museum of Western Virginia, where you can learn about science, or the Taubman Museum of Art, which is a museum with a permanent collection of more than 2,000 works.
Durham, NC
Distance from Greensboro: 1 hour
Durham’s many things to do and see will surprise you, which makes the city one of the best day trips from Greensboro. From Greensboro, you can get to the city in less than 1 hour.
The city is home to Duke University, and you can find various places related to the university in the city.
One of these places is the Sarah P. Duke Gardens where you can find beautiful gardens and do a guided trolley tour.
You can also go to the Duke Lemur Center, which is a center dedicated to lemurs, one of the most endangered species of mammals in the world.
There are many great activities for children in Durham as well. For example, you can go to the Museum of Life and Science, which is a museum with great kid-friendly exhibits.
You can also find the American Tobacco Campus in the city. This is a former tobacco factory where you can now find shops, restaurants, and places for entertainment.
Other interesting places to go are the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the Durham Performing Arts Center.
Cary, NC
Distance from Greensboro: 1 hour
Cary, NC, is a city located close to Raleigh. You can get here from Greensboro in a bit more than 1 hour. Because of its location, you can also combine a visit to Raleigh and Cary in one day.
During your day trip, you can explore Cary’s walkable downtown area. You can find great restaurants and shops here.
The Cary Arts Center is a great place to check out during your trip if you like art. There are often art exhibitions here.
The Cary Theater is a great art house theater that you can go to as well. You can see indie films, classics, locally-produced films, and attend many other events.
Winston-Salem, NC
Distance from Greensboro: 30 minutes
From Greensboro, you can get to the city of Winston-Salem in about 30 minutes by car.
Winston-Salem has great things to do that you can explore during a day trip.
For example, you can go to the Reynolda House Museum of American Art and see an interesting collection of American art from the colonial period till the present day.
In addition to that, you can go to the Old Salem Museums & Gardens, which is a site where you can find museums, historic buildings, and much more.
The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art is a great place to see art when you are in the city as well.
Winston-Salem has great places for entertainment as well, such as the Reboot Arcade Bar, where you can find classic arcade and pinball machines, as well as a full-service bar.
Lynchburg, VA
Distance from Greensboro: 2 hours
The city of Lynchburg, VA, founded in 1786, is an amazing city for a fun day trip from Greensboro. It’s a city that is home to various universities and many great things to do.
When you are in Lynchburg, you can go to the Lynchburg Museum, which is a museum where you can learn about the history and culture of Lynchburg.
Another activity that is great for a day trip is to see a show at the Academy Center of the Arts. Having dinner and then attending a performance here is a great way to end your day.
Furthermore, there are many historic sites in the city that are wonderful to see.
The city also has great activities for kids. For example, you can go to Amazement Square, which is a museum with hands-on, interactive exhibits through which people of all ages can learn new things in a fun way.
Charlotte, NC
Distance from Greensboro: 1.5 hours
North Carolina’s most populous city. Charlotte is a wonderful city that you can reach from Greensboro for a day trip in about 1.5 hours.
From attending an amazing museum to going to a show at a great performing arts theater to enjoying a sporting event, you can do it all in the city.
One of the best museums in the city is The Mint Museum, a museum with two locations that both have something different to offer. Other great museums are the Levine Museum of the New South, Discovery Place Science, and the Sullenberger Aviation Museum.
Furthermore, you can see a game of football at the Bank of America Stadium or have fun seeing a baseball game of the Charlotte Knights at Truist Field.
A great place to attend a performance in the city is the Knight Theater. Lots of dance performances and concerts take place here.
You can also decide to go to Carowinds, which is an amusement park with many roller coasters and other exciting rides and attractions. However, if you go here, you don’t have enough time during your day to see other places in the city.
Blacksburg, VA
Distance from Greensboro: 2.5 hours
Blacksburg is a town in Virginia that you can get to by car from Greensboro in about 2.5 hours. It is a college town that is home to Virginia Tech.
A great place to check out in the town is the Moss Arts Center, which is part of Virginia Tech, and where you can find exhibitions with art. There are also art talks, performances, and other events at the center.
Furthermore, you can go to the Lane Stadium, a college football stadium, and attend a game of football.
The Lyric Theatre is another place in the city that is great to check out. This is a historic movie theater with a beautiful interior design where you can see independent films, classic films, and other types of movies.
Wilmington, NC
Distance from Greensboro: 3 hours
Wilmington, NC, is a city with a beautiful historic district. You can find beautiful antebellum homes here, including the Bellamy Mansion. When doing a day trip, you should explore this area of the city, and a great way to do that is through a horse-drawn carriage tour, which you can do without making a reservation in the historic district.
The Airlie Gardens, a beautiful botanical garden, is one of the city’s highlights as well. You can go to an event here or do a guided tour and explore the nature of the garden.
Wilmington’s Riverwalk, from where you can get amazing views of the Cape Fear River, can be great to explore during a day trip as well.
From the Riverwalk, you can also see Battleship North Carolina, an iconic sight in the city which is a fast battleship that was in operation during the Second World War. You can explore this ship through a self-guided tour.
Other notable places in the city to go to are the Wilmington Railroad Museum, the Cameron Art Museum, and the historic Thalian Hall.
You can get to Greensboro from Wilmington in 3 hours.
Asheville, NC
Distance from Greensboro: 2 hours and 45 minutes
From seeing art at local art galleries to visiting historic places with beautiful architecture to going to a museum, there is a lot to do and see in Asheville, making the city perfect if you’re looking for day trips from Greensboro.
You can get to Asheville in about 2 hours and 45 minutes.
The most iconic landmark in the city is Biltmore. This is a large mansion that was built at the end of the 19th century. It is the largest privately owned house in the United States, and you can explore it through a guided tour.
You can find great museums in the city, such as the Asheville Art Museum and the Asheville Museum of Science. In addition to that, you can go to the Asheville Pinball Museum, a museum where you can find 70 playable vintage pinball machines.
Furthermore, great places to see local art are the Woolworth Walk art gallery and the Folk Art Center of the Southern Highland Craft Guild.
Harrisonburg, VA
Distance from Greensboro: 3.5 hours
Harrisonburg, VA, located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and home to James Madison University, is a city that you can reach from Greensboro in less than 3.5 hours by car.
The Virginia Quilt Museum is a museum where you can learn about the state’s quilting heritage through a collection of quilts.
You can also go to the Explore More Discovery Museum, which is a museum where children can learn new things through fun and interactive exhibits.
Furthermore, you can end your day trip to Harrisonburg by seeing a movie or attending a live performance at the independent Court Square Theater.
Fayetteville, NC
Distance from Greensboro: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Fayetteville, NC, is a city that you can reach in about 1 hour and 45 minutes from Fayetteville. There are many things to do and see in Fayetteville that make the city great for a day trip.
In Fayetteville, you can find a variety of museums that are interesting to go to, including the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, where you can learn about the military, and the Cape Fear Museum, which is a local history museum.
Furthermore, there are interesting historical landmarks in the city, such as the Market House.
The city also has great places to go for live performances and movies, such as the Cameo Art House Theatre and the Cape Fear Regional Theatre.
Richmond, VA
Distance from Greensboro: 3 hours
You can get to the city of Richmond from Greensboro in less than 3 hours.
Richmond, the capital of the state of Virginia, is a wonderful city with many interesting sights, historic landmarks, amazing museums, and great theaters.
You can go to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts if you like art. Other museums that you can consider for a day trip are the Science Museum of Virginia and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
Furthermore, you could do a guided tour of the Virginia State Capitol to learn about the oldest legislative body in the country.
You can also attend an event at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden or explore Maymont when you are in the city.
Columbia, SC
Distance from Greensboro: 2 hours and 45 minutes
South Carolina’s capital, the city of Columbia, is an interesting destination for a Greensboro day trip because of the varied things you can do there. From Greensboro, you can reach the city in 2 hours and 45 minutes.
The city is home to great museums, such as the Columbia Museum of Art and the South Carolina State Museum, where you can see interesting art and learn about the state’s history and culture, respectively.
The Soda City Market, a producer-only European-style market with 150 weekly vendors, is a lovely place to check out as well.
You can also visit the Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, which is a zoo with more than 2,000 animals and beautiful nature, when you are doing this trip.
Hillsborough, NC
Distance from Greensboro: 45 minutes
Hillsborough is a lovely small town that you can find on the banks of the Eno River and that dates back to the year 1754. You can get to the town from Greensboro in about 45 minutes.
From seeing beautiful historic architecture to exploring the town’s art scene, there’s much to see and do in Hillsborough, NC. Lots of events also take place in the town.
Hillsborough’s downtown is home to lots of art galleries, locally-owned restaurants, and unique shops, that can all be great to discover during a day trip.
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Greensboro Day Trips Tips
When choosing a day trip to one of the destinations of this Greensboro day trips guide, I recommend looking at the route that you’ll take to get there. There might be another great destination that you drive by or through that you also want to see. You could have an even more fun day trip when you combine several places.
Day Trips from Greensboro Map
I hope you found a great place to visit. Thanks for reading my guide to the best day trips from Greensboro!