Location: Charlottesville
Top Things to do in Charlottesville
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10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Charlottesville That You Shouldn't Miss
The former home of three of America's founding fathers, and the current home of the University of Virginia, the city of Charlottesville, Virginia is suffused with an appreciation of history and intellectual vigor. Take a tour of the university campus and walk through grassy malls and grand buildings designed by Thomas Jefferson, or peak into the dorm room once occupied by Edgar Allen Poe. The great homes of America's early presidents, Monroe, Jefferson and Madison, are also open to the public.
Restaurants in Charlottesville
1. Wish Wish Wine Tours
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 301 reviews
Wish Wish Wine Tours offers a wide range affordable tours to the best wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries around Charlottesville, Washington DC and Richmond. Set your own route or tour our recommended routes.
2. Monticello Wine Tour & Coach Co.
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 572 reviews
Monticello Wine Tour & Coach Company is a local transportation and guide service offering tailored wine tours and travel experiences in Charlottesville, Albemarle, and the surrounding regions. Centrally located in downtown Charlottesville, we are happy to offer convenient pickups and quick access to all the area’s wineries, breweries, and distilleries. Our concierge will help you customize your private tour or book one of our already planned winery tours. We are committed to excellent service, knowledgeable staff, and creating unforgettable experiences for you.
3. Norm's Executive Transportation
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 191 reviews
Getting you to your destination safe and sound in comfort and style is our mantra here at Norm's Executive Transportation. We provide professional, reasonably-priced airport and special occasion transportation as well as group transportation to wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries in Charlottesville, Virginia and surrounding areas. Whether it's an airport run, wine tour, a special occasion or a date night, we'll take you there! We are professional not pretentious, classy not costly, relaxed not rigid, dependable not doubtful. So sit back, relax and come ride with us. Office hours: Monday - Sunday 9am to 5pm. Operating 24/7. Virginia DMV Operating Authority # PC1599
4. Cville Hop on Tours
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 722 reviews
WE ARE OPEN AND SAFELY RUNNING TOURS! Please see our website for instant booking and full availability. You don’t have to find a group of friends to make it affordable to visit our area’s craft beverage destinations. Our public tours are sold per seat, with no minimum number of participants in your group required, allowing locals and visitors alike the chance to drink responsibly. While on board one of our signature 14 passenger buses, you’ll meet others who love the taste of locally crafted beer, wine, cider, or spirits. Build you own itinerary from our list of destinations without worrying where the others will go. Included in every tour, participants can enjoy complimentary WiFi, snacks, and cold water, as well as onboard video and music entertainment. Our offerings currently include a variety of Brewery Centric Tours, Winery Centric Tours, Varied Beer/Wine/Cider/Spirits Tours. Licensed Sight Seeing Carrier #76 and Passenger Carrier #1457
5. Cville Escape Room
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 258 reviews
You find yourself in a mysterious room. As you look around, you start to notice strange objects and hidden messages. Are they clues? Can you and your team solve the puzzles, crack the codes, and find the hidden objects to unravel the mystery in one hour?
Reviewed By aursenbach
Jessie and her team opened up for my division to do a last minute team activity. She worked with me on timing and made some excellent suggestions for making this a successful and FUN event for co-workers which can sometimes be difficult with forcing fun. My team's response was awesome. Lots of brainstorming, team work and problem solving happening. As their manager I loved the interaction and what this activity provided my team.
6. Unlocked History Escape Rooms
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 119 reviews
Find clues, solve puzzles, discover hidden passageways, and relive Charlottesville's history in the highest rated escape rooms.
Reviewed By hocuspocus87
Decided to look for an escape room while visiting the area on vacation and stumbled upon the Raven themed room. The experience was very well done, the room was immersive and the puzzles were clever. The three of us were able to escape and had such a good time we had to go back and do the second room. The British room was a lot of fun tying in the history that we had already learned about at Monticello and we beat it in 30 minutes! Definitely give this place a shot on your next outing.
7. Monticello
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,916 reviews
Monticello and its many historical rooms, gadgets, furniture, buildings, and artifacts tell us a lot about Thomas Jefferson, the president who built it and lived there.
Reviewed By jayrandall24 - Westerville, United States
My wife and I were more than pleasantly surprised by our visit here today. It was more than just a tour of a big house! It was a whole lesson on a life of a man, his passions, his family, his successes and his failures. It was a lesson on slavery and racism. We were amazed by the tour guides there, including Don, Lou and the woman who did the slavery tour (can’t remember her name) :( They were extremely knowledgeable and helpful and friendly! It was a real eye opener and more than worth the time! We recommend it highly!!
8. Mulberry Row
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 180 reviews
A part of the Monticello Plantation where nearly 130 slaves lived, with tours available.
Reviewed By 5DeanS
We took the guided tour of Mulberry Row on a very rainy day in June. The tour guide was very well informed and great enhanced our experience explaining many details about the lives of the slaves who lived on Jefferson's property. I highly recommend taking the guided tour.
9. University of Virginia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,254 reviews
Reviewed By BuckG_12 - Charlotte, United States
Great school; beautiful campus; prestigious academic history; numerous courses of study; variety of graduate degrees; will inspire visiting high school students looking for a great college education and experience.
10. James Monroe's Highland
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 922 reviews
Part of William & Mary, this historic site is the home of James Monroe, fifth president of the United States.
Reviewed By fishbait84 - Greenville, United States
I have gone to Monticello a few times and have always loved the beautiful gardens, but this year we did the james monroe highland tour after- and this is my new favorite historical tour in Charlottesville! Our tour guide Martin was so passionate and gave us such an intriguing story as to how the plantation home was discovered, where and how they have located descendants, and the many more mysteries surrounding the monroe plantation! We can’t wait to go back!
