3-Day Abingdon Itinerary: Discover one of Virginia’s Best Small Towns

by Nichole | Last updated Aug 23, 2023 | United States Itinerary, Virginia

Abingdon is one of Virginia’s most underrated small towns. It oozes Southern charm and warm hospitality. What brought us here? The foodie gems and the great outdoors! It boasts all mom & pop establishments. No chain restaurants here. Plus, it offers some incredibly unique hikes and is home to one of the best premium rail trails, the Virginia Creeper Trail. Follow my 3-day Abingdon itinerary to get the most out of your long weekend Virginia getaway.

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Abingdon Itinerary

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3-Day Abingdon Itinerary: Discover one of Virginia’s Best Small Towns

FRIDAY: VIRGINIA CREEPER TRAIL
SATURDAY: THE GREAT CHANNELS
SUNDAY: HIKE WITH WILD PONIES
WHO WILL LIKE THIS ABINGDON ITINERARY
BEST TIME TO VIST ABINGDON
ACCOMMODATIONS
LUNCH/DINNER/BAR RESERVATIONS
TOP ITINERARY TIPS
RELATED CONTENT

Riding a Cannondale bike on the Virginia Creeper Bike Trail

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FRIDAY: VIRGINIA CREEPER TRAIL

9 AM – 4 PM: Meet at the Virginia Creeper Bike Trail Shop. Get fitted for your bike rentals and hop on the bike shuttle to Whitetop. Cycle the gorgeous Virginia Creeper Trail for 34 miles from Whitetop to Abingdon. Incredibly scenic!

8:30 AM Breakfast: Before your bike ride, go to The Girl & The Raven for some great coffee and the best breakfast sandwich, The Big Pimp.

1 PM Lunch: Mojo’s Trailside Cafe for a sandwich and bathroom stop.

4:30 PM Dinner: Pick up some lamb gyros at Greeko’s Grill & Cafe and amazing desserts from Anthony’s Desserts. Throw them in the fridge in your Airbnb while you shower after the bike ride. Bring your picnic dinner to enjoy at Abingdon Vineyards, located right next to your Airbnb. Check beforehand for the live music schedule.

Overnight: Old Alvarado Station, an adorable farmhouse chic rental right off the Virginia Creeper Trail.

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SATURDAY: THE GREAT CHANNELS

8 AM: Swing by Abingdon Farmers Market to check out the goods. I recommend grabbing a coffee at the Wolf Hills Coffee station and pairing it with a freshly made blueberry scone from the market.

10 AM – 1 PM: Start your 6.6-mile hike to the Great Channels, which is an incredibly unique hike. 40 minutes from Abingdon. Navigate your body through a towering maze of moss-covered sandstone channels.

5 PM: Walk around the historic town of Abingdon and get pre-dinner cocktails on the patio at The Tavern, the oldest bar in Virginia!

Breakfast/lunch: Abingdon Farmers Market.

7 PM Dinner: Enjoy some Southern classics like fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese at 128 Pecan.

Overnight: Old Alvarado Station Airbnb

Curious wild pony at Grayson Highlands State Park

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SUNDAY: HIKE WITH WILD PONIES

12:30 – 5 PM: Drive 1 hr to Grayson Highlands State Park, home to the wild ponies! If you are feeling your Wheaties, try to hike the full 10.5 miles roundtrip to Mount Rogers, the highest summit in Virginia!

10 AM Breakfast: Breakfast and a cold-pressed juice at White Birch

11 AM Lunch: Drive 10 minutes from White Birch to Harvest Table Restaurant to grab a pimento cheese bacon sandwich to enjoy later on your hike.

6:30 PM Dinner: Swing by on your way back from the hike to grab takeout from Greeko’s Grill & Cafe to enjoy back at the Airbnb. I promise you will sleep well tonight after those 10.5 miles.

* FYI – Most restaurants are closed on Sunday.

Overnight: Old Alvarado Station Airbnb

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WHO WILL LIKE THIS ABINGDON ITINERARY

Outdoor lovers
Foodies

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BEST TIME TO VIST ABINGDON

The best time to visit is from May-October.
I prefer May and September when temperatures are a little cooler. I hate being hot.

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ACCOMMODATIONS

Old Alvarado Station (3 nights)

CHECK PRICE ON OLD ALVARADO

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LUNCH/DINNER/BAR RESERVATIONS

The Tavern

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TOP ITINERARY TIPS

To do this 3 FULL DAY Abingdon itinerary, you need 5 days if traveling from northern Virginia. You will arrive on Thursday night and leave on Monday morning. This will leave 3 full days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) for all of your outdoor and foodie adventures. If you pick a holiday weekend, fewer PTO days are needed, but the tradeoff is more crowds.

Be flexible. With 2 hikes + 1 bike ride, this is a great outdoor getaway. The weather may not play nicely, so be prepared to adjust. The proposed itinerary here did not happen according to our plan. For example, we were planning to do the Great Channels on Saturday but the forecast was showing rain. We adjusted and did the Great Channels hike on Thursday afternoon along the way of our road trip to Abingdon from northern Virginia.

If you go to Abingdon Vineyards on a day they have live music, expect a lot of crowds so arrive early to get a parking and seating space! When we drove by to check it out, it was packed with no parking available. Although our rental was close by and we could have walked over, we would have had to walk on the road with cars flying by. It would be great if someone would construct a pedestrian/biking path to the vineyard. Hint hint.