Things to do in Raleigh
Whole-hog barbecue, world-class art, and cocktails the locals actually drink.
This is Raleigh for someone who wants to eat and drink like a regular, not a tourist. You'll move between a downtown that punches above its weight on food and nightlife, a museum campus that surprises even people who don't care about art, and a North Hills stretch that shows how the city has quietly grown up. Three days, no car required for most of it, and a budget that stays honest.
Day 1: Downtown and the Warehouse District
Start with bagels and end with wood-fire cooking in a converted funeral home: this is the day that explains why people move to Raleigh and don't leave.
- 9:30 AM
Benchwarmers Bagels
Classic bagel-and-coffee start, locals' pick inside Transfer Co. area, casual and cheap.
Map - 10:30 AM
Artspace
Free open studios over two floors where you can watch about 30 working artists and buy straight from them.
Map - 12:30 PM
The Pit Authentic Barbecue
Whole-hog eastern North Carolina barbecue chopped with vinegar sauce; add hushpuppies and banana pudding.
Map - 2:30 PM
Dorothea Dix Park
Raleigh's 308-acre central park: big lawns, the Gipson Play Plaza and the best skyline view in town.
Map - 7:30 PM
Death & Taxes
Ashley Christensen's wood-fire grill in an old funeral home turned bank; order a steak straight off the wood fire.
Map - 9:30 PM
Watts & Ward
Speakeasy-style cocktail bar down a flight of stairs on Blount St, with a long whiskey list and low lighting.
Map
Day 2: Northwest: Art, Trails, and Spice
A free world-class museum with 164 acres to roam, a Japanese lunch worth making a detour for, and an Indian dinner that earns its place.
- 10:30 AM
North Carolina Museum of Art with Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park
Free entry to the collection, from Egyptian coffins to Rodins, then the sculpture park and the Cloud Chamber.
Map - 12:30 PM
Tenko Japan
Cheap hibachi plates of steak, chicken or shrimp with fried rice, near the art museum.
Map - 2:30 PM
Art-to-Heart Trail
6-mile walking and cycling route linking the NC Museum of Art park toward downtown through greenway and city streets.
Map - 7:30 PM
Bazil Indian Cuisine
Memorable dinner at Bazil Indian Cuisine, the heart of the neighborhood and a local favorite for rich, well-spiced Indian cooking.
Map
Day 3: Oakwood, a carousel and North Hills
Historic Oakwood and the Museum of Natural Sciences in the morning, lunch at Coquette, Pullen Park in the afternoon, then Cucciolo Terrazza and Sixty Vines.
- 10:00 AM
Historic Oakwood
Free stroll among Victorian houses under old oaks, ending at the gates of Oakwood Cemetery.
Map - 11:15 AM
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Free: whale skeletons, a dinosaur hall and a living conservatory of butterflies; shut Mondays.
Map - 12:45 PM
- 3:00 PM
Pullen Park
Ride the 1911 Dentzel carousel and the little train for a couple of dollars each; shorter hours in winter.
Map - 7:30 PM
Cucciolo Terrazza
Rooftop-terrace Italian at North Hills from the Cucciolo Osteria team; handmade pasta and a bottle of Barbera.
Map - 9:15 PM
Sixty Vines
Wine on tap with sixty-odd pours by the glass, a short walk from dinner; try a flight of three.
Map
Where to stay
The Longleaf Hotel
The Longleaf sits right in the heart of downtown, putting Day 1's Warehouse District, Death and Taxes, and Watts and Ward all within easy walking distance.
The Casso
The Casso is a solid mid-range pick a few blocks from The Pit and Dorothea Dix, with enough downtown access to make all three days work without a car.
Make Raleigh your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Marbles Kids Museum: a few days ahead
- Red Hat Amphitheater: weeks ahead
- Lonnie Poole Golf Course: weeks ahead
- Tobacco Road Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Heritage Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Pinehurst Resort: months ahead
Skip these
- Fayetteville Street alone is not downtown Raleigh. The life is one block east in Moore Square and City Market and west in the Warehouse District.
- The State Capitol is handsome and free but a 30 minute visit, not a half day.
- Chain dining at North Hills or Crabtree Valley Mall wastes Raleigh's food advantage. Crabtree is not a visitor destination.
- Do not pay for a generic downtown tour before the free museums and Oakwood walk. Mordecai House is the one paid add on.
The full Raleigh travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around