Mixing southern charm with northern city living is what Raleigh is all about. Home to NC State’s Wolf Pack and a very accessible downtown, you can’t help but think about renting a 10th floor apartment downtown or a quiet little two level a five minutes’ walk from the the most popular bars and restaurants.
This mini-city is easy to traverse with more eats and drinks than you can imagine. We spent three days exploring downtown Raleigh, the city’s outskirts, and the neighboring Cape Fear River over a long weekend and would 100% recommend that you do the same. So when you find yourself in North Carolina, be sure to stop into Raleigh and snag some ideas from this itinerary.
Getting To & Around Raleigh
Before we jump into our itinerary, it is important to note that we road tripped from Washington, DC to Raleigh. We found everything to be super accessible, but decently widespread throughout the city in terms of distance, so we were very thankful that we had a car and didn’t have to Uber all around town. So with that said, we definitely recommend that you rent/bring your car so you can explore with ease.
Day 1: Discovering Raleigh’s Art Scene
-Spend your morning exploring NCMA (North Carolina Museum of Art)’s indoor museum and sculpture park full of green trails and abundance of larger than life art. This museum hosts fantastic pieces indoors and out, so take your time! Best part – admission is free! But make a donation if you can to keep this impressive collection available to all.
-Stop in at Trophy Brewing and Pizza for a drink and a picture for your IG with the recently recommissioned “Monster Wall” mural. Pro Tip: Victory has several locations in Raleigh, so if you want to check out this mural, be sure that you to the Morgan St. site.
–Head downtown for more drinks, dinner, and street art! The city limits may be small, but they have so much to offer. We snagged a table on Whiskey Kitchen‘s patio. and highly recommend the Chef’s plate and Pickle Jar for munchies.
Day 2: Floating Down Cape Fear
-If you need the beat the summer heat, spend a couple of hours floating down Cape Fear River on a tube with Cape Fear River Adventures. Pro Tips: Be sure to wear your sunscreen & book in advance, because tubing is super popular! Book yourself a reservation here.
-After a day of relaxing on the water, grab some tapas and sip some wine at Barcelona Wine Bar downtown and then check out Boxcar Bar + Arcade afterwards for a night of fun games and drinks.
Day 3: Exploring Raleigh’s Markets and Museums
-Visit JC Raulston Arboretum, but make sure to get there early. This place is a very popular wedding venue, and some spaces may be rented out and thus off limits for exploring if you visit later in the day.
-Check out the North Carolina State Capitol, North Carolina Museum of History, and North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The walk between these three buildings is no more than two minutes.
-Shop around at City Market and enjoy the cobblestone streets, art galleries, restaurants and shops. This market has over 100 years of business under her belt and is still going strong.
