The Raleigh Guide is a directory and collection of stories about Raleigh and the Triangle. We cover Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex, Carrboro and the surrounding Triangle towns, plus the smaller towns that make the region what it is.
We have one simple rule: we only list locally owned, independent businesses. You will not find national chains here, with one exception: places to stay. So many of the places visitors stay are branded hotels and resorts that leaving them out would make it harder to plan a trip, so our Stays section includes them alongside the independent inns and rentals.
Why chain-free
Anyone can find the nearest chain restaurant. What’s harder to find is the family-run diner, the local guide who has been leading tours here for years, the bookshop with a cat asleep in the window, or the taco stand the locals don’t always want to tell you about.
Those are the places that give Raleigh and the Triangle its character, and they are often the hardest to find online. The Raleigh Guide exists to make them easier to find, and to send a bit more business their way.
Who it’s for
Visitors. If you’re planning a trip, we want to help you eat, stay, shop and explore like someone who lives here. Start with our areas to get a feel for each town, then dig into listings and stories.
Locals. If you live here, we hope the guide helps you find something new in your own backyard, or reminds you of a favorite you haven’t visited in a while.
How the guide works
The directory. Every listing outside of Stays is a local business, and every listing is reviewed by us before it goes live. Listings include the basics (location, hours, contact details, what makes the place worth a visit), and owners can keep their own information up to date.
Stories. Our stories are guides, roundups and seasonal picks: the best places to eat, dog-friendly spots around the region, and the parks and natural wonders most visitors drive right past. They are written with local contributors and people who know Raleigh and the Triangle, and the places we pick are chosen on their merits. You can read more about that on our How We Choose Places page.
Booking links. Some listing pages include links to book tours, activities and stays through partners. If you book through them, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Those links never decide what we list or recommend. The details are on our Booking Link Disclosure page.
Who’s behind it
The Raleigh Guide was founded by Alison Iddings, a Raleigh-area web developer who has spent more than 30 years building for the web. She built The Raleigh Guide to give independent businesses a better home online than the big review sites and search results tend to offer. The guide is written with local contributors and people who know and love Raleigh and the Triangle.
Get involved
The Raleigh Guide gets better every time someone shares a place worth knowing about. Here’s how you can help:
- Own a local business? Submit your business for free. We review every submission before it’s published.
- Already listed? Claim your listing so you can update your details anytime through a secure link sent to your email. No account or password needed.
- Hosting something? Submit an event so people can find it.
- Love to write about Raleigh and the Triangle? Apply to contribute to our stories.
Questions or ideas? Get in touch anytime.
Thanks for supporting local.