Plan Your Next Trip To Raleigh
Many universities are located in Raleigh, the state capital of North Carolina. It has a charming downtown area and a fantastic food and music scene, and it was named after Sir Walter Raleigh. Excellent galleries and museums can be found in the city, and there is a vibrant nightlife thanks in part to the city’s large student population.
Raleigh is evidence that the South will once more rise. First of all, it is a smart city. Several colleges and universities are dispersed across campuses in the Greater Raleigh region. Raleigh is a part of the Research Triangle, a region with a high concentration of tech jobs and techies that also includes Durham and Chapel Hill.
It’s also a cool city. Greater Raleigh, a city of about 500,000 people that is expanding, received more than 13 million tourists in 2013. Raleigh is brimming with entrepreneurial spirit, so this is not a big surprise. You can observe it in the plethora of craft breweries that . This city in central North Carolina, as well as in the explosion of brand-new eateries and stores in the downtown area and the hip Warehouse district.
Its aesthetic appeal is its third plus. Raleigh offers stunning natural beauty in addition to the hipster appeal of independent shops and cool coffee houses. Visitors can see evidence of the city’s efforts to preserve green spaces by visiting the Neuse River Trail’s lush surroundings, Umstead State Park’s picturesque woods, or any other of the city’s parks.
Top 5 Motives to Visit Raleigh.
- Museums.
The City of Raleigh Museum and the North Carolina Museum of History are just two of the fantastic museums in Raleigh. - Park Pullen.
An excellent nature park, Pullen Park offers boat rentals, hiking trails, fairground rides, and a charming model railroad. - Historical places.
Yates Mill County Park, Mordecai Historic Park, and Historic Oakwood are just a few of the city’s fascinating historic sites. - The performing arts.
Theatre in the Park and North Carolina Opera are just two examples of Raleigh’s many top-notch performing arts organizations. - Evening life.
The city offers a wide variety of bars and nightclubs, including Noir and Goodnight’s Comedy Club.
We have fun two days planned for you in the capital city of North Carolina in Wake County, which is one of the South’s most energetic and eclectic cities.
This 48 hours in Raleigh itinerary is a follow-up to our 24 hours in Raleigh itinerary. It is divided into suggestions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as places to have pre-dinner and after-dinner drinks, morning and afternoon activities, and recommended hotels in Raleigh.
From personal experience, we’ll guide you through Raleigh. Below, you’ll find our recommendations for first-time visitors to get a sense of the city’s culture, history, food and drink scene, and sense of the South.
When visiting Raleigh, getting around the city center is simple by foot, using Cardinal Bikeshare to rent bicycles, riding an electric scooter, or taking the free R-LINE circulator bus to travel the 12 block downtown radius. You hardly even need to move your car.
What to Eat in Raleigh
For great Mexican food, head to the Armadillo Grill on Glenwood Avenue, and for great BBQ, head to the Falls River Smokehouse on Litchford Road. Dinner costs about $12 in a cheap restaurant and $30 in an expensive one.
Activities in Raleigh
- Children will have a blast at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
The Museum of Natural Sciences is consistently rated as one of the best museums in the United States and offers both education and entertainment. There might be a few school parties to avoid here and there, but it’s worth it. Installations with dinosaur skeletons, aquariums, theaters, and a lot more that tell the story of North Carolina’s natural world. Since admission is free, feel free to return another day because there is actually so much here that one day might not be enough. - More to Pullen Park Than Meets the Eye.
The 66 acres of Pullen Park, which is west of Downtown Raleigh, provide a peaceful retreat for families. Children will adore the carousel (built in 1900 by an Italian master craftsman), as well as the kiddie boats and model train, while older children usually prefer the pedalos on the park’s lake. It’s more than just a park—it’s the center of Raleigh’s neighborhood, complete with an Olympic-sized pool, an air-conditioned theater, and ceramics and art workshops at the Pullen Art Center. - The North Carolina Museum of Art: A Visual Cornucopia.
The NC Museum of Art was founded in 1956 and is tucked away in western Raleigh close to the university. Since then, it has gathered an amazing collection that spans more than 5,000 years of history and all seven continents of the globe. Rodin bronzes and a fantastic collection of Dutch and Flemish masters are among the highlights, but there is something for every art enthusiast here. Making a day of it with a special fusion of music and art is possible thanks to the museum’s amphitheater, which is also a fantastic summer concert venue. - The Tar Heel State’s beating center is home to the North Carolina state capital.
In Raleigh, this is the hub of activity. At the center of the city, the Capitol is a beautiful structure that was constructed in 1840. Even though the legislature has moved to a new location next to the Natural History Museum, the Governor still works there. These days, the Capitol Tour offers a vivid glimpse into how the state’s government operated for more than 100 years and also features a painstaking recreation of what the State Library would have looked like in 1856. - The Rose of Raleigh, JC Raulston Arboretum.
The JC Raulston Arboretum is the place to see some of North Carolina’s magnificent plants, as you will learn if you visit the Museum of Natural Sciences. The arboretum was established in Raulston’s honor after he died in a car accident in 1996. Raulston was a trailblazing horticulturist. With a surface area of more than 40,000 square meters, it serves as an appropriate memorial. Take in a variety of colors and scents as you wander through the various zones in the Paradise Garden or Klein-Pringle White Garden, take a seat and relax in the tranquil Japanese Garden, or overload your senses with fragrances as you explore the other zones.