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Raleigh -

Raleigh became the state capital in 1792 and deserves to be absorbed at leisure. Start exploring with a tour of the North Carolina State Capitol. Inaugurated in 1840, the building is considered one of the best-preserved examples of Greek revival architecture in the United States.

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North Carolina Museum of Art -

The North Carolina Museum of Art is one of Raleigh's top cultural draws. The permanent collections spans 5,000 years of artistic work from antiquity to the present. Of note are the exhibits dedicated to Jewish art. Pictured is Claude Monet's 'The Cliff, Étretat, Sunset,' completed in 1883.

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North Carolina Museum of History -

North Carolina Museum of History showcases more than 14,000 years and 150,000 artifacts of North Carolina history, from native inhabitants to the 20th century. Also housed in the facility is the Sports Hall of Fame, where some of the state's greatest athletes are honored.

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Mordecai Historic Park -

Raleigh's Mordecai Historic Park preserves the birthplace and childhood home (pictured) of Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States. The park's centerpiece attraction is Mordecai House. Built in 1785, it is the city's oldest residential property.

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Oakwood -

To get an idea of how Raleigh looked in the 1800s, amble through Oakwood, the city's historical district. The dozens of period homes located here have all been fully restored to their 19th-century splendor.

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North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences -

In downtown Raleigh you'll find one of the largest museums of its kind in the Southeastern United States, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The must-see exhibit is the fantastic SECU Daily Planet, set in a huge globe that explores the Earth from the inside out.

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Historic Yates Mill -

South of downtown Raleigh but belonging to another age is the historic Yates Mill. Fully restored to its 1756 condition, the gristmill forms the centerpiece of the Historic Yates Mill Country Park.

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Great Smokey Mountains National Park -

One of the nation's most celebrated wildernesses, Great Smokey Mountains National Park bestows upon parts of North Carolina and Tennessee an extraordinary landscape of pine-carpeted peaks, sparkling rivers, tumbling waterfalls, and endless meandering hiking trails.

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Blue Ridge Parkway -

Besides walking, another way to appreciate this stunning park is by following the Blue Ridge Parkway. Often cited as "America's favorite drive," this 754-km (469) highway takes you from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

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Biltmore Estate -

Want to see how the other half lived? Check out the grandiose Biltmore Mansion. This sprawling Châteauesque-style property was built for George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895, and is still the largest private home in the United States. Take the guided tour and find out what a few billion dollars can buy!

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Asheville -

After exploring the opulence of Biltmore, make a beeline for nearby Asheville for coffee and cake in any one of the funky eateries that color the city's historical downtown hub.

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Outer Banks -

North Carolina's chain of barrier islands known as the Outer Banks stretch for 321 km (200 mi). These long ribbons of soft golden sand constitute some of the best beaches on the US Atlantic seaboard. Pictured is Nags Head, a popular tourist destination appreciated for its wealth of leisure amenities and fabulous ocean views.

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Cape Hatteras National Seashore -

The Outer Banks encompass the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. A valuable habitat for resident and migrating birdlife, Cape Hatteras and the surrounding area bristles with historic lighthouses, beacons that serve to warn mariners of the treacherous currents, squalls, and storms the region is notorious for. Pictured is Bodie Island Lighthouse, standing tall since 1872.

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Cape Hatteras Light -

Cape Hatteras Light is often ranked as one of America's most beautiful lighthouses. The lighthouse has been turning heads since 1870, its candy-striped pattern making it one of the most unique and recognized in the country.

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Roanoke Island -

Roanoke is a favorite diversion, lying between the mainland and the barrier islands near Nags Head. Roanoke was named by English colonists after the Roanoke indigenous people who resided here for generations. The destination is famous for its so-called "lost colony," an English settlement of around 120 men, women, and children established in the late 16th century who inexplicably vanished without a trace. What happened remains a mystery to this day, though clues are beginning to emerge as to their fate by way of old maps that may indicate the site of their (secret) relocation.

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Corolla Wild Horses -

The Outer Banks provide sanctuary for a herd of feral Colonial Spanish Mustangs. These wild horses roam freely on the northernmost Currituck Outer Banks near Corolla.

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North Carolina Aquariums -

Fort Fisher in Kure Beach (pictured) is one of three coastal aquariums run under the auspices of North Carolina Aquariums. The other two are found at Roanoke Island and Pine Knoll Shores. A fourth facility, Jennette's Pier in Nags Head, serves more as an observation post where marine life, including whales, can be be seen in their natural habitat.

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Linville Gorge -

North Carolina's mountainous  landscape is enriched by some truly majestic waterfalls, many of which can be admired during hikes. Linville Gorge is the deepest, and one of the most scenic locations in the eastern United States.

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Table Rock Mountain Pisgah National Forest -

In fact, hiking North Carolina's rugged interior connects you with some memorable natural wonders, places like Table Rock Mountain in the Pisgah National Forest. From its summit the outlook is simply breathtaking.

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Battleship North Carolina -

There's a battleship named after the state⁠—USS North Carolina. Commissioned in 1941, the vessel saw action in the Pacific Theater during the Second World War, notably in offensive operations in support of the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa in 1945. Today, her guns are quiet, with the vessel serving as a floating museum, moored at Wilmington.

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The Schiele Museum of Natural History & Planetarium -

A museum and planetarium under the same roof doubles the fun to be had at this amazing interactive facility in Gastonia, which will appeal to kids of all ages. Visitors can embark on a Dino Safari and later tread a path through the Hall of North American Wildlife, one of several themed exhibits set within a series of dedicated halls.

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North Carolina Zoo -

The polar bears at North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro are always a hit with visitors. Around 1,800 animals call this zoological park home, all housed in remarkably authentic-looking habitats.

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Chimney Rock State Park -

On every hiker's wish list is the opportunity to summit Chimney Rock, a 96-m (315-ft) granite monolith set under a fluttering Stars and Stripes. It's the highpoint of any trek into Chimney Rock State Park.

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Hickory Nut Falls -

While in Chimney Rock State Park, don't miss Hickory Nut Falls, an impressive 123-m (404-ft) waterfall that tumbles down a sheer copper-colored rock face seemingly to disappear into the green forest below.

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Grandfather Mountain -

The wonderfully named Grandfather Mountain is the granddaddy of them all on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The summit is reached by following a fairly challenging trail that takes you over the vertigo-inducing Mile High Swinging Bridge.

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Looking Glass Rock -

At certain times when the sun bathes the granite surface of Looking Glass Rock in Pisgah National Forest, you're rewarded with a magnificent reflection of burnished gold.

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Bennett Place -

Civil War buffs can ponder the largest surrender of Confederate troops in the history of the conflict when Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered 89,270 troops comprising forces from the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida to Union General William Tecumseh Sherman at this little farm in Durham on April 26, 1865. The location is preserved within a state park.

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Morehead Planetarium and Science Center -

If science and stargazing are your thing, spend an afternoon at this first-class visitor attraction in Chapel Hill. Once used to train Gemini and Apollo program astronauts in celestial navigation (space pioneers that included Neil Armstrong), the center remains highly regarded for its interactive museum and cosmos experiences.

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Charlotte -

Charlotte is North Carolina's largest city and offers up an exciting urban sightseeing experience. Among the destination's top-rated visitor attractions is the Discovery Place Science Center, the Levine Museum of the New South, Hendrik Motorsport Museum, and the Charlotte Museum of History.

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Winter destination -

North Carolina is of course a year-round destination, not least for its excellent skiing. Sugar Mountain (pictured) and Beech Mountain are the two biggest resorts, drawing alpine enthusiasts from across the eastern United States. 

Sources: (National Geographic) (Naval History and Heritage Command)

See also: The most picturesque mountain towns in America

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