48 Hours in Raleigh
Got visitors in town this holiday season?
Whether you’re hanging with your hip single besties, friends with young kids, your empty-nester parents, some art-savvy culture vultures or your octogenarian grandparents, we’ve got you covered with 48-hour schedules of what to do—and where to put them up—during their time here. With this in-depth guide, they’ll experience not a second of boredom—and you’ll be left feeling oh-so stress-free. Also, our planner easily transitions to a self-help staycation guide.
Itinerary: Empty-Nester Parents
FRIDAY
Check in
The Longleaf Hotel (Capitol District) 3pm
Happy hour drinks
The Atlantic Lounge speakeasy (Buy your key between 5–7pm). Trust us, well worth it. 5pm
Dinner
Jolie 6:30pm
Post-dinner drinks
William & Company and/or Person Street Bar 8:30pm
Late-night snack
Krispy Kreme (an NC original!) or Two Roosters Ice Cream Midnight
SATURDAY
Brunch/lunch
Clouds Brewing Downtown Noon
Saturday funday
Killjoy for cocktails and football 2pm
Late-afternoon snacks & sips
Little City Brewing + Provisions Co. 5pm
Dinner by the pool
Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar 7:30pm
Post-dinner drinks & entertainment
The Longleaf Lounge 9:30pm
SUNDAY
Check out + breakfast & coffee
A Place at the Table Noon
Itinerary: Friends With Kids
FRIDAY
Check in
Hyatt House Raleigh North Hills (Midtown Raleigh) 3pm
Happy hour drinks + play
Kings Dining & Entertainment 4pm
Dinner
Wilson’s Eatery 5:30pm
Nightcap + tot wind-down
Lynnwood Brewing Concern (fam-friendly!) 7:30pm
SATURDAY
Lunch + play
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard 11am
Saturday funday
Marbles Kids Museum and/or
NC Museum of Natural Sciences 12:30pm
Late-afternoon snacks & sips
Vita Vite North Hills while kids play at Midtown Park 3:30pm
Dinner + movie
Fox & Hound + Regal North Hills 5pm
DESSERT
Ben & Jerry’s 8pm
SUNDAY
Check out + breakfast & coffee
Coquette NOON
Itinerary: Grandparents
FRIDAY
Check in
Heights House Hotel (Boylan Heights) 4pm
Happy hour drinks
Vita Vite Downtown 5pm
Dinner
Irregardless Cafe 6:30pm
Nightcap
Bittersweet 8:30pm
SATURDAY
Brunch/lunch
Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing Noon
Saturday funday
Dix Park stroll (and extended views of DTR!) 2pm
Late-afternoon snacks & sips
Barcelona Wine Bar 4pm
Dinner
42nd Street Oyster Bar 6:30pm
SUNDAY
Check out + breakfast & coffee
Heirloom Brewshop 11AM
Itinerary: Culture Vultures
FRIDAY
Check in
Sheraton Raleigh Hotel (Fayetteville Street District) 3pm
Happy hour drinks
Rye Bar & Southern Kitchen 4pm
Dinner + show
Poole’s Diner + Red Hat Amphitheater 5:30pm
Post-dinner drinks
10th & Terrace 9pm
Late-night snack
The Raleigh Times 11pm
SATURDAY
Brunch/lunch
Whiskey Kitchen Noon
Saturday funday
CAM Raleigh,
COR Museum (followed by drinks at Foundation) and/or
NC Museum of History (followed by drinks at The Merchant) 2pm
Dinner + show
Sono for sushi + Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts 5pm
Post-dinner drinks
Young Hearts Distilling 9:30pm
SUNDAY
Check out + breakfast & coffee
The Morning Times Noon
Itinerary: Hip Single Friends
FRIDAY
Check in
AC Hotel Raleigh Downtown (Glenwood South) 3pm
Happy hour drinks
Dram & Draught 5pm
Dinner
Plates Neighborhood Kitchen 6:30pm
Post-dinner drinks
Highgarden 8pm
Entertainment
PLUS Dueling Piano Bar 9:30pm
Late-night snack
Char-Grill 11pm
SATURDAY
Lunch
Mexican and hair-of-the-dog margs at La Santa Noon
Live tunes or entertainment
Tin Roof, Milk Bar, Pine State Public House;
Room 5280: Live Escape Games;
Scoot to Village District for window-shopping 2pm
Late-afternoon snacks & sips
Morgan Street Food Hall + Aunty Betty’s Gin & Absinthe Bar 5pm
Dinner
Vidrio 7:30pm
Post-dinner drinks + late-night dogs
The Cardinal 9:30pm
SUNDAY
Check out + breakfast & coffee
Layered Croissanterie Noon
