Wilmington Travel Guide

Wilmington Tourism | Wilmington Guide

You're Going to Love Wilmington

With a population of 106.476, Wilmington is a must-see destination in North Carolina, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Wilmington deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Activities & attractions in Wilmington

If you’re looking for affordable options, Tarantelli’s (102 S 2nd St) and Seabird (1 S Front St) are great picks.

Wilmington in January

Estimated hotel price

$113

1 night at 3-star hotel

$113

1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Wilmington in July, when the average temperature is 80.6 °F, and the highest can go up to 89.6 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 35.6 °F, with an average temperature of 46.4 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in September, when precipitation is around 7.8″. In contrast, April is usually the driest month of the year in Wilmington, with an average rainfall of 2.8″.

Temperatures

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Plane

When flying to Wilmington, you’ll arrive at Wilmington New Hanover County (ILM), which is located 7 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Wilmington include American Airlines, Delta and Porter Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Wilmington departs from Islip and takes around 1h 42m.

Train

The train station in Wilmington is called Wilmington, and is located 5 km from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Wilmington is to pick up a car rental from Charlotte, which is about 293 km from Wilmington. You’ll find branches of Easirent and CarWiz, among others, in Charlotte.

Bus

You can travel by bus to Wilmington using Greyhound or FlixBus. From Raleigh, the bus ride to Wilmington takes 314 km and will cost you around $49. From New York, the ticket costs about $183 for a journey of 1408 km. Wilmington’s bus station is located 4 km from the city center.

Plane

Train

The train station in Wilmington is called Wilmington, and is located 5 km from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Wilmington is to pick up a car rental from Charlotte, which is about 293 km from Wilmington. You’ll find branches of Easirent and CarWiz, among others, in Charlotte.

Bus

Airports near Wilmington

MYRMyrtle Beach Intl

ILMWilmington New Hanover County

FAYFayetteville

Airlines serving Wilmington

Good (1,405 reviews)

Good (8,001 reviews)

Good (7,500 reviews)

Good (4,031 reviews)

Good (9,004 reviews)

Good (3,661 reviews)

Good (1,484 reviews)

Good (10,415 reviews)

Scandinavian Airlines

Good (1,561 reviews)

Alaska Airlines

Excellent (11,243 reviews)

Good (1,335 reviews)

Good (2,907 reviews)

Okay (3,116 reviews)

Good (1,874 reviews)

Excellent (1,160 reviews)

Good (8,115 reviews)

Good (1,672 reviews)

Good (672 reviews)

Good (335 reviews)

Excellent (526 reviews)

Find flights to Wilmington

Where to stay in Wilmington

Average rates range from around $178 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $146 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hampton Inn Wilmington Downtown and Wingate by Wyndham Wilmington. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Wilmington, with prices from $56 to $1,383 per night. Downtown is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Wilmington are about 4% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Most popular hotel in Wilmington by neighborhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Wilmington

Most booked hotels in Wilmington

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Sandpeddler Inn & Suites

2 stars

Excellent (9.2, 406 reviews)

$170+

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Holiday Inn Resort Lumina on Wrightsville Beach by IHG

3 stars

Excellent (9, 1083 reviews)

$159+

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Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront

3 stars

Excellent (8.5, 990 reviews)

$138+

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Best Western Plus Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach

3 stars

Excellent (8.4, 1073 reviews)

$99+

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Courtyard by Marriott Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach

3 stars

Excellent (8.2, 473 reviews)

$86+

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Shell Island Resort - All Oceanfront Suites

3 stars

Good (7.9, 2140 reviews)

$123+

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Renting a car in Wilmington costs $55 per day, on average, or $111 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Hertz, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Alamo are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Wilmington is the Budget branch at 1740 Airport Boulevard, which is 7 km from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 9% cheaper than airport locations in Wilmington.

Expect to pay $3.41 per gallon in Wilmington (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $40.88 and $54.51. The most frequently booked car type in Wilmington is Compact (Toyota Corolla or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Standard rental cars (Nissan Murano or similar) are, on average, 63% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 9% cheaper than airport locations in Wilmington.

Best car rental deals in Wilmington

Economy

2 Adults, 2 Bags

$26/day

Compact SUV

4 Adults, 2 Bags

$29/day

Find car rentals in Wilmington

Wilmington Tourism | Wilmington Guide

You're Going to Love Wilmington

Activities & attractions in Wilmington

Tours

Nature & Outdoor Activities

Food, Drinks, & Nightlife

Other activities

Where to Eat in Wilmington

When to visit Wilmington

How to Get to Wilmington

Plane

Train

Car

Bus

Plane

Train

Car

Bus

Airports near Wilmington

Airlines serving Wilmington

Where to stay in Wilmington

Where to stay in popular areas of Wilmington

Most booked hotels in Wilmington

Renting a car in Wilmington

Best car rental deals in Wilmington