Guides · Holidays
Christmas at Biltmore 2026: Dates, Candlelight Evenings, Tickets
Christmas at Biltmore runs Nov 3, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027. Daytime vs Candlelight Christmas Evenings, what tickets cost, when to go, how long it takes.
Christmas at Biltmore is the biggest thing that happens in Asheville all year: two months of the largest private home in America dressed for the holidays, with a 35-foot Fraser fir standing in the Banquet Hall and a 55-foot Norway spruce lit on the front lawn. It's also the most expensive ticket in town and the one most likely to sell out on the exact day you wanted. Here is how it works in 2026, in the order you need to decide things.
The dates
- Christmas at Biltmore (daytime): November 3, 2026 through January 10, 2027.
- Candlelight Christmas Evenings: November 3, 2026 through January 9, 2027. A separate ticket, reservation only.
- The Banquet Hall tree goes up in the first days of November, just before opening. The raising takes a crew of dozens and is the unofficial start of the season.
America’s largest home · gardens, winery, village The 250-room Vanderbilt house, 8,000 acres of Olmsted grounds, a free wine tasting — and from November 3, the whole thing dressed for Christmas. Ashe says Daytime in November is the calm version: lower prices, the decorations fully up. Candlelight is the one people fly in for — book the slot nearest sunset and you get the house in the last light and then in the dark. Buy online; it’s $10 a ticket cheaper than the gate.Biltmore Estate
Daytime or Candlelight?
Daytime is regular estate admission with the house decorated: the self-guided audio tour, the gardens and the Conservatory full of poinsettias and amaryllis, Antler Hill Village, the Winery and its complimentary tasting. Daylight is the better way to actually see the house and the grounds, and it's the one to do with kids.
Candlelight Christmas Evenings is the one people fly in for. After dark the house is lit by candlelight and firelight, musicians play in the rooms as you walk through, and the big spruce on the lawn is lit with luminaries along the path. The ticket includes a same-day or next-day daytime visit to the gardens, Antler Hill Village and the Winery, so it's really a day and a half of estate. It is reservation-only, and the prime nights go first.
If you can only do one and it's your first time, do Candlelight. If you've seen the house before, daytime in November is the quiet, cheaper version with the decorations fully up.
What it costs
Christmas tickets are priced by date. As of early October, daytime tickets started around $110 and Candlelight around $130, taxes and fees included, and both climb on weekends and in the weeks around Christmas. Two things that move the number:
- Buy online. Biltmore House admission bought on biltmore.com is $10 a ticket cheaper than at the gate.
- The annual pass. Passholders pay nothing extra for daytime visits all season and get a discounted Candlelight rate, which is the math that makes a pass worth it if you'll come twice between now and spring.
Prices change by the day, so check the live number for your date before you commit.
When to go
- Weekdays in November are the calm version: lower prices, thinner crowds, everything already up. The two weeks before Christmas and the week after are the busiest of the year.
- Candlelight: book the slot nearest sunset. You get the house in the last light and then in the dark, and the lawn tree comes on while you're there. Sunset is about 5:20 in late November and 5:15 through December.
- Book early. Prime weekend nights sell out weeks ahead; people who know book Candlelight in late summer. If your date is gone, a weeknight is almost always available and better anyway: fewer people in the rooms, more time at the windows.
How long it takes
Allow about four hours for the full thing: 1 to 1½ hours in the house, 30 to 45 minutes on the grounds, 1 to 1½ hours at Antler Hill Village and the Winery. Arrive at the gate 45 minutes before your house time. The drive from the entrance to the house is three miles, and you'll park and walk. The house and Antler Hill Village are not next to each other; you drive (or take the shuttle) between them, so plan the village for after the house, not squeezed in before it.
Getting around the estate
- Parking is in lots near the house with shuttles to the front door; on busy days the walk from the far lots is ten minutes. Give yourself the full 45.
- The Conservatory and the gardens are a short walk downhill from the house. In December the Conservatory is the warm stop.
- Antler Hill Village has the Winery, the restaurants, the shops, the farmyard and, on select days through the season, Santa. The village and the Winery are strung with lights after dark, and the tasting is included with every ticket.
- Eating on the estate means a reservation in December: The Bistro and Cedric's Tavern in the village, the Stable Café beside the house, Deerpark, or The Dining Room at the Inn if you're dressing up.
- Staying on the estate is the easiest way to do Candlelight without driving afterward: The Inn, the Village Hotel and the Cottages are all inside the gate.
With kids
Daytime, yes. The house is a lot of walking and no touching, so under-fives have a better time at Antler Hill Village, where the farmyard is open and Santa visits on select days. Candlelight is quieter and later and suits older kids who'll stand still for a room lit by firelight. Strollers can't go through the house; carriers can. The kids' guide has the rest of the city's family stuff for the days around it.
Making a night of it
Biltmore Village, just outside the gate, is where to eat if you'd rather not do it on the estate, and the Village is decorated for the season too. Downtown is ten minutes further. If you're in town for a weekend, the holiday weekend plan puts Biltmore, the gingerbread houses at the Grove Park Inn and Winter Lights at the Arboretum in an order that works, and the date-night guide covers the dinner.
Holiday events on the calendar this weekend
Haunted Higgins, Halloween Comedy w/ Chris Higgins
French Broad River Brewery, Biltmore Village
2026 Day of the Dead ft. Sirius B
The Mule at Devil's Foot, South Asheville
Want the holiday list for your dates — concerts, Nutcrackers, markets?
Ask Ashe for holiday eventsFrequently asked questions
When is Christmas at Biltmore 2026?
Daytime Christmas at Biltmore runs November 3, 2026 through January 10, 2027. Candlelight Christmas Evenings run November 3, 2026 through January 9, 2027, by reservation only.
How much are Christmas at Biltmore tickets?
Prices vary by date. In early October 2026, daytime tickets started around $110 and Candlelight Christmas Evenings around $130, with taxes and fees included; weekends and the weeks around Christmas cost more. Buying online saves $10 a ticket, and annual passholders get daytime included with a discount on Candlelight.
What's the difference between daytime and Candlelight?
Daytime is estate admission with the house decorated, in daylight. Candlelight Christmas Evenings is a separate, reservation-only evening ticket: the house by candlelight and firelight with live musicians, plus a same-day or next-day daytime visit to the gardens, Antler Hill Village and the Winery.
Do Candlelight evenings sell out?
Yes, especially Friday and Saturday nights from Thanksgiving to New Year's. Book as early as you can; weeknights are easier to get and less crowded in the house.
How long should I plan for?
About four hours for the house, grounds, Antler Hill Village and the Winery, plus 45 minutes before your house time to get through the gate and parked.
Is Christmas at Biltmore good for kids?
Daytime is. The house is a lot of walking and no touching, so under-fives have a better time at Antler Hill Village, where Santa visits on select days and the farmyard is open. Candlelight is quieter and later; it suits older kids.