We’re here to offer the best literary adventure possible. Please contact us if your questions are not answered by the options below.
Tickets must be purchased at least 3 hours in advance in order to reserve your spot on the AVL Lit Tour. Book online now.
Are you a Western North Carolina local? Reach out by email or on social before you book your tickets for our local discount code!
The AVL Lit Tour offers a 10% discount for private groups up to 6 people ($135) or a 20% discount for private groups up to 12 people ($240). To book a private group in season, simply choose the group option during checkout. Off season, contact us to book your group.
The AVL Lit Tour ranges from 90–120 minutes of casual walking, which amounts to about 24 blocks. This includes one or two moderate hills up and one staircase down.
The AVL Lit Tour covers dozens of authors with ties to Downtown Asheville. Among them, you’ll learn about:
– Wilma Dykeman
– John Ehle
– F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald
– Ernest Hemingway
– O. Henry
– James Patterson
– Carl Sandburg
– Thomas Wolfe
– and many more!
The AVL Lit Tour begins and ends at the above-ground fountain at the top of Pack Square in the heart of downtown. Find it adjacent to the Asheville Art Museum (2 S Pack Square) and French Broad Chocolate Lounge (10 S Pack Square).
Public and private parking is available nearby. If you’re lucky, there is some metered street parking around Pack Square.
We will walk through Pack Square, the Block, along Broadway, around the Grove Arcade, and through Pritchard Park. Among the buildings/attractions you will see are:
– Thomas Wolfe’s angel
– Art Deco city and county buildings
– Thomas Wolfe Memorial Home
– St. Lawrence Basilica
– Grove Arcade
– Flatiron Building
– and many others!
We recommend comfortable walking shoes and your sense of adventure and whimsy! Feel free to bring a water bottle or umbrella, and don’t forget the sunscreen!
We encourage you to take photos of the tour and local sights of Asheville, and to use the hashtag #AvlLit when posting them online. However, we don’t allow audio or visual recordings during the tour.
This is a PG-13 tour due to some tales of murder and mayhem.
Children must be able to keep up with the group. We do offer discounts for children ages 5–12. One child aged 4 and under is free with each paid adult.
Service animals are allowed on the tour. No other pets are allowed.
The AVL Lit Tour follows the public sidewalks of Downtown Asheville. Let us know if you have any accessibility concerns we can help with before your arrival.
A few raindrops won’t get in the way of a good time, but a downpour will! Please check weather conditions and dress accordingly. In the event of extreme conditions, we will contact you via phone or email, and a reschedule or refund will be issued.
Tickets are refundable up to 48 hours before your scheduled tour.
Our guides are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and receive regular wellness checks to ensure they are healthy and symptom-free. At this time, we are not enforcing a 6-foot safety distance or mandatory PPE. If you have health and safety concerns, please reach out ahead of the tour and we would be happy to address your needs.
Our knowledgeable guides are here to provide you with a literary adventure. Tipping is never expected, but always appreciated!