Raleigh is incredible and there’s always something to do, but it can be nice to take a break from the city, and with the many amazing day trips from Raleigh, there are a lot of options you can choose from.
There’s a lot you can do during a day trip from the city, including admiring architecture, having food at a local restaurant, seeing famous sights, and visiting museums.
From beautiful small towns to large cities, I added a large variety of incredible destinations you can visit to this guide. So if you’re looking for the best Raleigh day trips, I got you covered!
Day Trips from Raleigh
Myrtle Beach, SC
Distance from Raleigh: 3 hours
Myrtle Beach, a resort city that is located on the Atlantic Coast of South Carolina, is a great destination for a day trip that you can get to from Raleigh in 3 hours.
The city is home to many attractions, such as the SkyWheel Myrtle Beach, which is a large Ferris wheel located on the oceanfront, and Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach, which is a large aquarium with many marine animals.
You can also find the Hollywood Wax Museum here, which is a museum with wax sculptures.
Another sight to check out in the city is Mt. Atlantic Minotaur Goff. At this place, you can find two 18-hole miniature golf courses with many unique elements, including water elements.
There are also many places to see a show in Myrtle Beach, such as The Carolina Opry.
New Bern, NC
Distance from Raleigh: 2 hours
New Bern, NC, is a small town that makes for a very fun day trip from Raleigh. You can reach it from the city in less than 2 hours. This town was founded in the year 1710 and is named after the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
The town served as the first capital of the state of North Carolina for a period of 22 years in the 18th century.
The town is home to many historic structures, including places that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. An interesting historic sight is Tryon Palace, which was the official residence of the British rulers of the state.
An interesting place to check out during a day trip to the town is the Birthplace of Pepsi-Cola, where the original formula for the drink was invented.
Richmond, VA
Distance from Raleigh: 2.5 hours
By car, you can get to the city of Richmond, VA, in about 2.5 hours from Raleigh. The city, Virginia’s capital, is home to many interesting things to do and see, including great museums, historic landmarks, and performing arts theaters.
When doing a day trip to the city, you have to go to one of the city’s great museums, but you likely only have time to go to one. Interesting museums in the city include the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Science Museum of Virginia, and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
You can also go to an event at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden if you like nature.
An interesting historic site in the city is Agecroft Hall & Gardens, which is a historic manor home that was built in England in the 15th century and moved to the city of Richmond.
Furthermore, a great place to see a show at the end of your day is the Altria Theater, which is a historic theater where lots of different types of shows take place.
Black Mountain, NC
Distance from Raleigh: 3.5 hours
Black Mountain, a small town that you can find very close to the city of Asheville, is a place that you can reach from Raleigh in less than 3.5 hours.
From shopping at specialty shops to exploring the town’s breweries to going to a cozy shop, there’s a lot to do in Black Mountain, NC. There are also several great art galleries in the town and there are good options for entertainment.
Furthermore, you can go to Black Mountain Escape to play an escape game and have a lot of fun, or attend a concert at the White Horse Black Mountain live music venue.
Virginia Beach, VA
Distance from Raleigh: 3 hours
From Raleigh, you can get to the city of Virginia Beach, by car, in about 3 hours.
This city, which is located on the Atlantic Ocean, is a city with great things to do throughout the year.
You can explore the Virginia Beach Boardwalk and enjoy views of the ocean. When you are here, you can also go to one of the city’s restaurants that offer delicious food and ocean views.
Furthermore, when you are in Virginia Beach, a place you have to visit is the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. You can find thousands of animals here, and there are fun hands-on exhibits for all ages.
Other places that you can consider going to during a day trip are the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art and the Military Aviation Museum.
Hillsborough, NC
Distance from Raleigh: 45 minutes
You can get to Hillsborough by car from Raleigh in about 45 minutes. The scenic town is a perfect if you’re looking for day trips from Raleigh.
From exploring the town’s art scene by visiting the town’s art galleries to enjoying live music to seeing historic architecture, there’s a lot to discover in Hillsborough.
Furthermore, lots of events take place in the town throughout the year, including events with live music and art.
Durham, NC
Distance from Raleigh: 30 minutes
Durham, NC, is a large city that is home to Duke University which you can find very close to the city of Raleigh. From Raleigh, it is just a short journey of 30 minutes to get there.
From going to a museum to attending sporting events to seeing historic structures, there are many fun things to do in Durham.
When you are in Durham, you have to check out the American Tobacco Campus. This is a former tobacco factory that was transformed into a complex with restaurants, shops, and venues for live entertainment.
Doing a guided tour of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens is another must-do activity in the city. You can find beautiful nature in the gardens.
Furthermore, you could go to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and enjoy a great baseball game here.
There are also great performing arts theaters, such as The Carolina Theatre, in Durham.
Columbia, SC
Distance from Raleigh: 3.5 hours
Columbia, SC, is the capital city of South Carolina and the city was founded in 1786. You can reach the city from Raleigh in about 3.5 hours.
In Columbia, there are many interesting museums to visit. For example, you can find the South Carolina State Museum here, which is a museum with permanent and changing exhibitions through which you can learn about the state.
Other museums to visit are the Columbia Museum of Art, where you can see great art, and EdVenture, a children’s museum with interesting exhibits.
You can also find the Colonial Life Arena in the city, where you can see basketball games and attend a variety of other events.
The Soda City Market, a weekly European-style street market with more than 150 vendors each week, can be great to go to as well. This market takes place every Saturday.
Greensboro, NC
Distance from Raleigh: 1 hour and 15 minutes
From Raleigh, you can reach the city of Greensboro in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. This is a wonderful city and you can find many great things to do in Greensboro.
Whether you want to see interesting objects at a museum, attend a show at a historic theater, or learn about history, you can do it in Greensboro.
One of the city’s best sights to check out during a day trip, especially when you are going to Greensboro with kids, is the Greensboro Science Center. Here, you can find various exhibits related to science and natural history.
When there happens to be a baseball game when you are doing a day trip, you can go to the First National Bank Field to see a game of the Greensboro Grasshoppers, which is a baseball team that competes in Minor League Baseball.
There are also many great places to go if you want to end your day trip from Raleigh to Greensboro by seeing a performance. For this, you can go to the beautiful, historic Carolina Theatre of Greensboro or the modern Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts.
Lynchburg, VA
Distance from Raleigh: 2 hours and 45 minutes
From Raleigh, it takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes to get to the city of Lynchburg, VA, which is a city with many interesting things to do and see.
One of the city’s best sights is the Lynchburg Museum, a local history museum.
You can also go to SeaQuest Lynchburg and see and learn about various marine animals.
Lynchburg also has many art galleries, art museums, and art centers that can be great to check out during a day trip.
Furthermore, a good place to see a show at the end of your day is the Academy Center of the Arts. Lots of performances take place here, including magic shows and concerts.
Fayetteville, NC
Distance from Raleigh: 1 hour
From interesting museums related to the military to historic buildings to incredible performing arts theaters, there are many great things to do and see in Fayetteville, making it one of the best day trips from Raleigh.
From Raleigh, you can get to Fayetteville, by car, in about 1 hour.
One of the best museums in Fayetteville that you can go to during this day is the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, which is a museum where you can learn about the Airborne section and Special Operations of the U.S. Army.
Furthermore, you can go to the Cameo Art House Theatre. You can see the latest independent films at this movie theater and attend various other types of events, including concerts.
When going to the city, the Market House, a building that was built in the year 1838, is worth checking out too.
Wilmington, NC
Distance from Raleigh: 2 hours
It will take you less than 2 hours to go from Raleigh to the city of Wilmington.
The city has a beautiful historic district where you can see all kinds of historic buildings, including the Bellamy Mansion, which is a building that dates back to the end of the 19th century and is one of the best examples of antebellum architecture.
The Wilmington Riverwalk is another must-see sight in the city. You can go for a walk here while enjoying views of the Battleship North Carolina and the Cape Fear River.
There are also interesting museums in the city, such as the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, and the Wilmington Railroad Museum.
Furthermore, going to the Thalian Hall is also one of the best things to do in Wilmington. This is a historic performing arts theater, where lots of shows take place throughout the year.
Pawleys Island, SC
Distance from Raleigh: 3.5 hours
Pawleys Island, a beautiful barrier island and town that you can find on South Carolina’s Atlantic coast, can be reached by car from Raleigh in about 3.5 hours, which is a bit farther away than other day trips on this list, but it is still doable.
From having dinner at incredible restaurants, such as Frank’s & Frank’s Outback, to shopping at The Hammock Shops Village, a historic shopping center, there is a lot to discover in the town.
There are also great golf courses and many places with ocean views.
Winston-Salem, NC
Distance from Raleigh: 1.5 hours
Winston-Salem is a city that can be reached from Raleigh in about 1.5 hours.
From historic buildings to interesting museums to stadiums where you can enjoy sports, there’s a lot to do in Winston-Salem that you can choose from during a day trip to the city
For example, you can go to The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, which is a museum focused on contemporary art, craft, and design. The Reynolda House Museum of American Art is another place to check out if you want to see art.
When doing a day trip to Winston-Salem with kids, there are many interesting things to do to choose from as well. For example, you can go to the Kaleideum children’s museum.
Truist Stadium is a ballpark that is the home field of the Winston-Salem Dash, a minor league baseball team. Seeing a baseball game here can be very exciting.
Roanoke, VA
Distance from Raleigh: 3 hours
You can get to Roanoke by car from Raleigh in about 3 hours. This city, which is situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a lovely small city with many diverse sights.
For example, you can see the Mill Mountain Star here, which is the largest freestanding neon star in the world.
Roanoke is also home to the Mill Mountain Zoo, a zoo with close to 100 animals that was opened in the year 1952.
The Roanoke Pinball Museum, a museum where you can find playable pinball machines and where you can learn about the history of pinball museum, and the Taubman Museum of Art, are two museums in the city that you can consider for your day trip.
Furthermore, a great place to have dinner during your day trip is the Roanoke City Market Building, which is a food hall that you can find in Downtown Roanoke.
Charlotte, NC
Distance from Raleigh: 2.5 hours
North Carolina’s most populous city is a great destination for a day trip from Raleigh. You can get to Charlotte from Raleigh in about 2.5 hours.
There are too many things to do in Charlotte that you can do in one day, so you’ll need to choose which sights you like best.
For example, there are many great museums in Charlotte to choose from when you are doing a day trip to the city. Great ones include The Mint Museum, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and Discovery Place Science.
It can also be great to see a sports game when you are in Charlotte. You can go to Truist Field to see a baseball game or the Bank of America Stadium for a game of football.
There are many great restaurants in Charlotte that you can go to. A great place for dinner is Optimist Hall, which is a food hall with several vendors.
There are also many great performing arts theaters in Charlotte. For example, you can go to the Knight Theater for great shows.
Blowing Rock, NC
Distance from Raleigh: 3 hours
Blowing Rock, NC, is a scenic small town that you can get to by car from Raleigh in about 3 hours.
One of the town’s highlights is the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum where you can see both permanent and temporary exhibitions of art without an admission fee.
Furthermore, the town is great if you want to shop because of the unique boutique shops that you can find there. You can also admire art at one of Blowing Rock’s amazing art galleries.
There are also many incredible coffee shops where you can relax with a cup of coffee during your day trip. Two great ones are Bald Guy Brew Blowing Rock and Camp Coffee Roasters.
Charlottesville, VA
Distance from Raleigh: 3.5 hours
Charlottesville is a city in Virginia that is home to the University of Virginia, a university with a campus that was partly designed by Thomas Jefferson. You can get to the city by car from Raleigh in about 3.5 hours.
In the city, you can also find Monticello, which was the home of Thomas Jefferson.
Charlottesville is great for its Downtown Mall as well. This is the pedestrian-only city center of Charlottesville where you can find lots of great shops, local restaurants, and historic buildings. You can also find The Paramount Theatre there, which is a historic performing arts venue that used to be a movie theater when it opened in the year 1931.
Asheville, NC
Distance from Raleigh: 3 hours and 45 minutes
You can go to Asheville from Raleigh in about 3 hours and 45 minutes.
The city of Asheville is known for its arts scene, and you can find many art galleries and museums in the city. For example, you can find Lexington Glassworks in the city, which is an art gallery and studio where you can see beautiful works of glass art and see glass-blowing demonstrations.
Other great places in the city to see art include Grovewood Village and the River Arts District.
Another one of the best things to do in Asheville during a day trip is to go to the Asheville Pinball Museum. This is a museum where you can find 70 playable, vintage pinball machines.
When you are visiting the city, you should see the Biltmore House as well. This is a very large mansion, the largest privately owned house in America, that dates back to the 19th century.
Furthermore, an incredible place to have dinner in Asheville is The S&W Market, a food hall that you can find in downtown Asheville inside of the historic S&W Building.
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Raleigh Day Trips Tips
Some of the small towns that I mentioned in this article about Raleigh day trips are located near larger cities on this list. If you plan on seeing a lot in one day, you can also combine going to these small towns and going to the larger city. You’ll not be able to see all the sights, but it can be a lot of fun to experience both places in one day.
Day Trips from Raleigh Map
I hope I helped you find some great places to visit. Thanks for reading my guide to the best day trips from Raleigh, NC!