If you are planning to visit Raleigh over a 48 hour period, we are excited to show you around. We have called this city our home for 10+ years now, and the below two-day itinerary is our personal guide on the best things to do in Raleigh including where to eat, drink, play and stay!
If you are planning to visit Raleigh over a 48 hour period, we are excited to show you around. We have called this city our home for 10+ years now, and the below two-day itinerary is our personal guide on the best things to do in Raleigh including where to eat, drink, play and stay! .
48 Hour Itinerary - How to Visit Raleigh in Two Days (local's guide) Read More »
As one of the South's most vibrant and eclectic cities, we have a fun two days planned for you in the capital city of North Carolina in Wake County.
This 48 hours in Raleigh guide is a follow up to our 24 hours in Raleigh itinerary, and we've broken it down into suggestions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus where to have pre-dinner and after-dinner drinks, morning and afternoon activities to do, and suggested hotels in Raleigh.
We'll help you explore Raleigh from personal experience, and down below is what we suggest for first time visitors to get a reel feel for the downtown Raleigh area and beyond - the culture, the history, the food and drink scene, and the Southern community feel.
We are sharing the places we frequent and take visiting friends, and are some of the most "Raleigh things to do" for locals and visitors.
When you visit Raleigh, getting around downtown is easy by foot, using the bicycle renting service Cardinal Bikeshare, riding an electric scooter, or using the free R-LINE circulator bus to navigate the 12 block downtown radius - you barely even have to move your car. See parking in Raleigh options here. But you will need a rental car for day two activities!
Of course, we suggest your Raleigh trip is longer than two days as there are plenty of fun things to do in Raleigh and we have other specific itinerary posts coming soon for couples, families, and the hip party people - join our free VIP email tribe so you don't miss those.
We absolutely love living in Raleigh, and we hope this guide helps your trip to Raleigh be stress free and full of awesome memories. Now, let us show you around.
On day one we are going to focus on the downtown Raleigh area, with day two incorporating a few activities within a 15-minute drive of the city center.
You're now in The South, and there's no better introduction to Raleigh and its welcoming community than Big Ed's Restaurant in historic City Market, the best Southern style breakfast in Raleigh since 1958.
This is the local experience you're looking for. Here you can expect generous portions of Southern comfort food, a laid-back vibe with a collection of funky antiques hanging from the ceiling, warm Southern hospitality, and food like what grandma used to make.
Especially popular for their GIANT pancakes, local country ham, fried chicken, aged ribeye steak and eggs, sliced pork loin, fried catfish, fluffy biscuits, and double-brewed sweet tea.
Alternate breakfast option:
Leave Big Ed's restaurant via the cobblestone streets of City Market and head towards nearby Moore Square to stretch your legs and take in the city skyline.
Moore Square is a four-acre urban green space and the square and surrounds is a charming mix of old and new in the heart of downtown Raleigh.
You'll find a large open lawn area, magnificent oak trees, a shaded "tree house" area for kids, 30-foot-wide sidewalks on the edge of the park, and a small splash pad for kids during the warmer months.
From Moore Square, head west up Hargett Street towards our suggested coffee stop at The Morning Times!
On the way to coffee pop into House of Swank Clothing for the raddest NC-themed shirts and swag. Other local shops around the Hargett St area worth a look include Black Friday Market and DECO.
This is one of our favorite coffee shops in downtown Raleigh and popular with the locals. We love their lattes (our kids love their cookies and baked goods) and we like to either sit in the cozy upstairs, or on the sidewalk in the warmer months.
Alternative coffee shops:
Fayetteville Street is the central thoroughfare of downtown Raleigh and is bookended by the State Capitol Building to the north, and the Performing Arts Center to the south.
After coffee at the Morning Times, turn left onto Fayetteville St from Hargett St and head south towards the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts, then turn around and head north back up Fayetteville towards the NC State Capitol Building (distance: 0.7 miles, about 15 minutes).
As you stroll up and down Fayetteville St you'll pass several restaurants and bars, hotels, the Court House, and through City Plaza.
Built in 1840, the NC State Capitol building is a National Historic Landmark and one of the best-preserved examples of Greek Revival-style architecture.
Tours of the building are self-guided and admission is free. And don't miss explore the monuments and statues on display outside in the grounds among magnificent oak trees - Raleigh is nicknamed "city of oaks" for a reason!
Raleigh has a lot of excellent museums, and because of the quality and the amount of free museums it has often been referred to as the "Smithsonian of the South".
Below are two excellent museums in Raleigh just across the street from the Capitol Building. Because this is a short two-day trip to visit Raleigh, we suggest you pick one or the other. Yes, they both deserve more time but they are FREE and you can always come back!
Or, if you really love museums, do both of them instead of one of the other suggested activities on day two!
The Museum of Natural Sciences is North Carolina's most visited museum and one of the best things to do in Raleigh. There's 4 floors of exhibits including live animals and 3D movies. We love their permanent collection of dinosaur skeletons and whale skeletons. And don't forget your photo with the giant globe out front..
The Museum of History was founded in 1902 and welcomes more than 400,000+ visitors a year. On display are more than 14,000 years and 150,000 artifacts of history.
Related Post - 8 best Raleigh museums
The downtown Raleigh food scene has thrived in recent years (minus the pandemic setbacks) and is one of our favorite areas to eat and drink in the city.
Below we have listed some local Raleigh restaurants all centrally located downtown, and based on a few select categories to help you get a taste of Raleigh and what it is popular with the locals.
The six-block Warehouse District is one of our favorite neighborhoods in Raleigh. This area was transformed from its former red-brick industrial buildings into a vibrant mix of restaurants, cafes, bars, a brewery, a food hall, boutique shopping, art museums, studios and technology firms.
Located an easy 10-minute walk west of downtown, en route be sure to walk through Nash Square - a public parkland with lush lawn, a variety of perennials, a short loop walk around the square, and many native shade trees, including beautiful oaks and magnolias.
There are plenty of great Raleigh bars and Raleigh breweries downtown that are perfect for all occasions. Below are a select few of our favorites that are also popular with other locals.
If there's one place in Raleigh we take first time visitors for that wow moment, it's Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing. The best view of the Raleigh skyline from their outstanding outdoor patio is paired with excellent food, craft beer and unique cocktails.
There's a fun casual atmosphere that's perfect for a group of friends, a date, or a family like ours (they have a kids menu).
Don't come here expecting your typical pub grub or brewery food - this is more innovative, up-scale food with an emphasis placed on North Carolina ingredients and unique twists on familiar dishes.
Whilst day one was all about getting to know downtown Raleigh, on day two you'll explore a little further outside of the city center so there will be some driving within a 15-20 minute radius. Don't worry, Raleigh doesn't really have much traffic, except maybe for morning and afternoon rush hours!
Since 2006, The Morning Times has been a popular breakfast spot and coffee shop for locals and visitors alike.
Located right in the heart of downtown (next door to Raleigh Times), on the menu are unique, and staple, breakfast items. My favorite is their breakfast burrito. Also consider the corned beef and hash, or one of their yummy biscuits.
Sit in the cozy upstairs that also functions as an art gallery, or on the sidewalk and watch the Raleigh street scene go by, or grab a bagel or biscuit to go. And as mentioned on day one, excellent coffee here too!
Alternative breakfast options
Just a 5-minute drive out of downtown gets you to Jubala Coffee, located across the street from the iconic bell tower of NC State University, and in the general direction of our morning activity at the NC Museum of Art.
If you follow us on Instagram, you'll know that Jubala Coffee is one of our favorite Raleigh coffee shops. We love all things Jubala, a premier specialty café known for their strong, fresh coffees and tasty small bites menu.
All of their coffee is roasted by Counter Culture Coffee, an excellent roaster out of Durham, and their professionally trained baristas create lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, simple espressos, and flat whites, plus specialty and seasonal drinks.
If you are planning to visit Raleigh over a 48 hour period, we are excited to show you around. We have called this city our home for 10+ years now, and the below two-day itinerary is our personal guide on the best things to do in Raleigh including where to eat, drink, play and stay! .
48 Hour Itinerary - How to Visit Raleigh in Two Days (local's guide) Read More »
Drive a further 3-miles west of downtown and you'll arrive at one of Raleigh's top attractions, the NC Museum of Art.
This Raleigh art museum is home to more than a dozen beautiful gallery spaces showcasing art from around the world. You can self-explore, take an engaging tour, see performing arts, and participate in family workshops.
Don't miss taking a stroll through the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park, the 164-acre park and trail system through natural areas that features more than a dozen commissioned works of art.
Admission to the Museum's permanent collection and Museum Park is free.
NOTE: one of our favorite things to do in Raleigh is the Art to Heart bike trail, a 6-mile trail from the Museum of Art to downtown Raleigh (not a loop).
To get a taste of shopping in Raleigh, it doesn't get any more "Raleigh" than the Village District. When it opened in 1949, it became the first shopping center between Washington D.C. and Atlanta, and a Raleigh tradition was born and is still a favorite neighborhood destination for shoppers.
The Village District is home to more than 100 unique and distinctive shops, many small, independent, and local. Plus a residential community of cafés, restaurants and services.
There's no shortage of inviting lunch spots in Raleigh. Pick one of the options from day one, or one of these additional suggestions below:
Just a 15-minute drive from Raleigh downtown is one of the most popular places to visit, and one of North Carolina's most visited state parks - William B. Umstead State Park.
If you love nature trails through the forest, biking, trail running, picnicking, canoeing, or even horseback riding, don't miss Umstead.
With more than 5,000 acres of forest, this natural oasis surrounds three man made lakes and the park is easily accessible from Interstate 40 and US-70.
A great introductory trail to Umstead is the 2.8 mile loop Sal's Branch Trail which is good for all fitness levels and probably the most popular of the Umstead park trails. Mostly shaded and flat with tall trees and a lake view.
Located on the northeastern side of Umstead Park, to get to Sal's Branch Trail drive to the Crabtree Creek park access and visitor center off US-70 (Address: 8801 Glenwood Ave).
Just a 10-minute drive from downtown, Lake Johnson is our favorite of the lakes in Raleigh and when we first moved to Raleigh in 2004 we lived on Lake Johnson for four years and take all our visitors here.
We love walking the 3-mile paved greenway loop around the western side of the lake, plus there's an additional two miles of unpaved trail around the western side if you're looking for a longer combined 5-mile trail.
There's also a 700-foot-long boardwalk across the center of the lake, a boat house, small beach area, and picnic shelters. Peaceful and calming, with plenty of shade and sunny spots
Read our full review of the Lake Johnson Trail
Alternate activities:
NOTE: see day one's suggested pre-dinner drinks section for whiskey bars, a wine bar, other breweries, and a rooftop bar!
NOTE: if none of the above meet your needs, refer back to day one dinner suggestions!
The choice of hotels in Raleigh just keeps getting better. Below are our handpicked selection for a short stay:
Use the map below to find your Raleigh hotel and book!
There you have it. I hope this guide on how to visit Raleigh in 48 hours helps you have a memorable time in the city of oaks. If you have any questions, or your own suggestions on things to do in Raleigh, please leave a comment down below!