The 5 Best Asheville Brewery Tours (Reviews For 2025)

For a place nicknamed “Beer City USA”, you should expect a huge range of brews from the legendary city of Asheville, North Carolina. The dominating scene offers everything from pubcycles to beer fests, though I think if you really want to get to know its ins and outs, you need to check out their breweries.

If you want to maximize your experience, rather than just visiting, I recommend going on a proper tour. I’ve gone ahead and made things easy for you, reviewing the 5 top Asheville brewery tours available, that are well worth your time and money. Let’s jump right in!

Best Brewery Tours in Asheville

Downtown Asheville Guided Brewery Walking TourAsheville Signature Guided Brewery TourPremier Walking Guided Brewery Tour Through Downtown Asheville
Meeting Location:Hi-Wire Brewing - South Slope, 197 Hilliard Ave, Asheville31 Woodfin St, Asheville, NC 28801Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square, Asheville
Tour Length:3.25 hours3.5 hours3 hours
Start Time(s):12:00 PM, 3:00 PM5:30 PM2:00 PM
What’s Included:Cicerone certified guide, Sample 10 Different Delicious Beers, Visits Three Amazing Local Breweries, Alcoholic BeveragesSample 12 beers at three of Asheville's best craft breweries, snacks, expert local beer guide, round-trip transportationVisit 3 craft breweries, guided brewery tours, alcoholic beverages, local guide from Asheville

Our 5 Top Picks For The Best Asheville Beer & Brewery Tour:

  1. Downtown Asheville Guided Brewery Walking Tour
  2. Asheville Signature Guided Brewery Tour
  3. Premier Walking Guided Brewery Tour Through Downtown Asheville
  4. Premier Mobile Guided Brewery Tour Around Asheville
  5. Floating Bar Crawl Tour

Asheville Brewery Tour Reviews

1. Downtown Asheville Guided Brewery Walking Tour

What You Should Know About This Tour:

  • Where You Will Meet: Hi-Wire Brewing – South Slope, 197 Hilliard Ave, Asheville
  • Tour Length: 3.25 hours
  • Start Time(s): 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM
  • What’s Included: Cicerone certified guide, Sample 10 Different Delicious Beers, Visits Three Amazing Local Breweries, Alcoholic Beverages

What to Expect on the Tour

Starting things off on the right foot, we have the Downtown Asheville Guided Brewery Walking Tour. If you have a few extra hours and want to not just see, but truly experience a few different iconic local breweries, this is the way to do it.

Expect to tour 3 top-notch breweries, where you’ll sample around 10 different types of beers, expanding your knowledge and palate! Led by a knowledgeable, fun guide, you can expect to learn about the different brewing processes, local history, and even the right way to taste beers.

It’s not just about the tastings – it’s about exclusive access and behind-the-scenes insight into the craft! Between the different breweries, expect to soak in gorgeous natural scenery and the manmade beauty that makes up Asheville’s postcard-perfect streets.

What Makes This Tour Great

I don’t even know where to begin when we’re talking about what makes this brewery tour so great. To start off, the group sizes are typically quite compact, which offers a more personalized experience.

They allowed free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance as well as many different start times available, which makes planning so much more stress-free! Our guide did a great job of accommodating us, even on the tour, where he tailored things to suit our specific interests.

They really have thought of everything, to the point that they even include a commemorative pint glass souvenir to remember your Asheville brewery adventure with!

No matter if you’re a beer connoisseur or a complete newbie, you’re bound to learn so many new things here, in a welcoming setting that feels anything but intimidating. When you’re done, it’ll be as clear as day as to why this community loves its beer so much!

Reserve Tour Now and Pay Later / Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Tour Start Time


2. Asheville Signature Guided Brewery Tour

What You Should Know About This Tour:

  • Where You Will Meet: 31 Woodfin St, Asheville, NC 28801
  • Tour Length: 3.5 hours
  • Start Time(s): 5:30 PM
  • What’s Included: Sample 12 beers at three of Asheville’s best craft breweries, snacks, expert local beer guide, round-trip transportation

What to Expect on the Tour

Next up is the Asheville Signature Guided Brewery Tour, which will take you to some of the most renowned breweries in the city. The selection of stops was clearly done by someone who knows the scene like the back of their hand, with each one offering something different from the rest.

The comprehensive journey is perfect if you are just getting into craft beer or are already deep into the trenches – regardless, you’ll learn something new! Just like with the previous tour, you can expect to tour 3 breweries, sample a wide array of beers, and learn about the brewing process from expert guides.

Head straight into the depths of each location, into the production areas to really see how your favorite one is made. We tried 12 different beers, learned about what makes them unique, and even had some tasty snacks to balance it out!

What Makes This Tour Great

First off, our guide was one of the best I’ve ever had – she was not only incredibly knowledgeable, but her deep passion for the local scene was contagious. She explained things in a way that made sense and never felt pompous or gatekeep-y, and only expanded upon the local brewers’ information.

We first went to Green Man, which comes housed in a gorgeous brick building and has been slinging fresh brews to Asheville for nearly 30 years. Next was the famous DSSOLVR, which is absolutely stunning, and where we learned all about their beermaking processes, as well as their wine, cider, and mead!

Last but not least, was an educational experience at One World Brewing, where we dove deeper into the production areas and tasting notes.

Reserve Tour Now and Pay Later / Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Tour Start Time


3. Premier Walking Guided Brewery Tour Through Downtown Asheville

What You Should Know About This Tour:

  • Where You Will Meet: Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square, Asheville
  • Tour Length: 3 hours
  • Start Time(s): 2:00 PM
  • What’s Included: Visit 3 craft breweries, guided brewery tours, alcoholic beverages, local guide from Asheville

What to Expect on the Tour

Whether it’s your first time in Asheville or 50th, you’re going to love the Premier Walking Guided Brewery Tour Through Downtown Asheville. Focusing not only on great brews, but great stories and vivid history, you’ll get an all-encompassing look into what makes this city and its beer scene so special.

Led by expert, passionate guides (many of whom are Cicerone-certified), you can expect to be in the hands of someone who clearly knows their IPAs from ESBs. Expect to visit 3 different breweries, trying 3 diverse beer selections at each one while you learn what makes each so unique from the rest.

No guesswork, no trying to plan ahead – just leave all of it to your guide and the local staff. Aside from sampling the goods, you’ll do a proper brewery production tour, going through the tanks and tech to further deepen your appreciation of the results.

What Makes This Tour Great

It’s always a relief to me when a tour is well-managed – when everything runs seamlessly thanks to excellent organization and “reserve now, pay later” options that make it ideal for spontaneous trips.

A 3-hour walking beer tour can sometimes be boring if the guide is just rattling off facts and checking off boxes on a list, but on this tour, we had a fun and energetic guide who really pulled us in with interesting stories and facts relayed in an easily digestible way.

As you walk in-between each stop, you’ll soak in scenic views of the downtown area and the surrounding mountains, which almost feels like you’re in some kind of fairytale. As we strolled around, our guide shared all kinds of fascinating historical info about Asheville, which is perfect for history buffs!

If you want to see just how fast 3 hours can fly by when you’re having fun, don’t hesitate to book this brewery tour!

Reserve Tour Now and Pay Later / Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Tour Start Time


4. Premier Mobile Guided Brewery Tour Around Asheville

What You Should Know About This Tour:

  • Where You Will Meet: Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square, Asheville
  • Tour Length: 3 hours
  • Start Time(s): 2:00 PM
  • What’s Included: Alcoholic beverages, VIP tours of production areas, air-conditioned vehicle, highly knowledgeable beer guide

What to Expect on the Tour

I couldn’t talk about the best tours and leave off the Premier Mobile Guided Brewery Tour Around Asheville! Much like the others, this excursion clocks in at 3 hours, making it perfect for doing after lunch or before dinner!

Expect a ton of fun, lots of info about beer, brewing processes, and local history, with not even a moment to think about being bored! Sure, you could plan visits to 3 different local breweries on your own, but I practically guarantee it’s not going to be as seamless and comprehensive as this tour offers.

You have a professional local guide there to lead the way, using their tight relationships with local brewers to get you behind the scenes to see the inner workings of each location. You’ll not only go through proper tastings of 9 different beers that span all the way across the spectrum, but you’ll learn about how they actually make them!

What Makes This Tour Great

Something I love about this tour is that you could take it 5 different times, and it’s going to be different every one of those times. As the brewery options change literally every day, and the guides are all different, each experience is completely unique.

However, one thing that remains consistent is the commitment to quality – selecting only breweries that have proven themselves and which also offer VIP looks into the production processes.

Between each stop, we went on relaxing, beautiful strolls throughout the city, stopping to admire the gorgeous architecture and natural scenery along the way.

With food and food trucks at each location (not included in the price), we felt fueled up and never felt as if we’d sampled too much beer. The pacing of the stops and each of the tastings only helped with that, allowing us to really focus on each individual beer and its flavor notes.

Reserve Tour Now and Pay Later / Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Tour Start Time


5. Floating Bar Crawl Tour

What You Should Know About This Tour:

  • Where You Will Meet: 220 Hominy Creek Rd, Asheville
  • Tour Length: 4 hours
  • Start Time(s): 11:00 AM, 4:00 PM
  • What’s Included: Commercial raft, float down the French Broad River, stop at three Asheville breweries, life jackets, paddles, cooler with ice

What to Expect on the Tour

Last but certainly not least, is the Floating Bar Crawl Tour – very obviously setting itself apart from any of the others on this guide! It’s also the longest, sitting around 4 hours long so you can fully absorb the amazing natural landscapes and fresh air while sipping on some fine local brews!

I’ve never seen a pub crawl of this kind, so if you want to do something a bit novel, do yourself a favor and check this beer tour out. Your local guide will lead the way, prepping a raft for you, decked out with an ice-filled, spacious cooler for you to fill up with the city’s best beer and snacks!

You’ll glide down the gorgeous French Broad River, making select stops at a few of Asheville’s best pubs and food trucks. Maxing out at just 12 participants, this is an intimate setting perfect for friend groups or the entire family!

What Makes This Tour Great

The two things Asheville unmistakably does best is nature and breweries, and this tour takes advantage of both, in one beautiful experience. Our guide was so friendly, knowledgeable, and fun, that I’d almost go out on a limb and say I’ve learned more from him than anyone else.

They balanced time on the water and at the actual breweries well, so there was never a moment of dullness or redundancy. Our first stop was at the charming Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins, where we cracked open a brew and relaxed on the stunning deck, taking in the picturesque views.

After learning a bit about the beer, we headed back onto the water to make our way to the renowned New Belgium Brewing Company. It was here where we finished the great tastings and chomped on an array of food truck gems!

Reserve Tour Now and Pay Later / Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Tour Start Time


Beers Tasted
Tour Guides
Value

The Downtown Asheville Guided Brewery Walking Tour is the Editors Choice for the best Asheville brewery tour

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Richard Remick

Richard is owner and the chief editor of Craft Beer Talk. He contributes expert content relating to beer making and brewery reviews. After graduating from the DeVry Institute of Technology, he worked in IT for over 20 years before deciding to escape the office and share his passion for wine. With a passion for the great outdoors, Richard spends a lot of time in Colorado. There he enjoys skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, cycling, hiking, and of course visiting breweries. His outdoor adventures are not confined to the continental US. Richard is an avid traveler who flies up to 10 times a year and has visited 18 countries. Because of his wealth of knowledge and experience, Richard has been invited to contribute articles to many websites, such as Florida Rambler, and has been profiled on travel websites such as JohnnyJet.
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