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

Where to Eat in Wilmington

If you’re looking for affordable options, The Little Dipper (138 South Front Street) and Ceviche's (7210 Wrightsville Ave) are great picks.

When to visit Wilmington

Wilmington in December
Estimated hotel price
$113
1 night at 3-star hotel
Wilmington in December
Estimated hotel price
$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″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Wilmington

Plane

When flying to Wilmington, you’ll arrive at Wilmington New Hanover County (ILM), which is located 4 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Wilmington include American Airlines, Delta and Alaska Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Wilmington departs from Fort Myers and takes around 1h 48m.

Train

The train station in Wilmington is called Wilmington, and is located 3 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Wilmington is to pick up a car rental from Charlotte, which is about 182 miles from Wilmington. You’ll find branches of Easirent and Budget, among others, in Charlotte.

Bus

You can travel by bus to Wilmington using Greyhound or FlixBus. From Washington, D.C., the bus ride to Wilmington takes 680 miles and will cost you around $149. From New York, the ticket costs about $192 for a journey of 845 miles. Wilmington’s bus station is located 2 miles from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Wilmington, you’ll arrive at Wilmington New Hanover County (ILM), which is located 4 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Wilmington include American Airlines, Delta and Alaska Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Wilmington departs from Fort Myers and takes around 1h 48m.

Train

The train station in Wilmington is called Wilmington, and is located 3 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Wilmington is to pick up a car rental from Charlotte, which is about 182 miles from Wilmington. You’ll find branches of Easirent and Budget, among others, in Charlotte.

Bus

You can travel by bus to Wilmington using Greyhound or FlixBus. From Washington, D.C., the bus ride to Wilmington takes 680 miles and will cost you around $149. From New York, the ticket costs about $192 for a journey of 845 miles. Wilmington’s bus station is located 2 miles from the city center.

Airlines serving Wilmington

KLM
Good (1,347 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (8,657 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,831 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (9,112 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,804 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,515 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (8,324 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,288 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (9,523 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,302 reviews)
Spirit Airlines
Good (8,139 reviews)
Frontier
Good (3,496 reviews)
Korean Air
Excellent (1,022 reviews)
LATAM Airlines
Good (1,897 reviews)
Aeromexico
Good (1,952 reviews)
American Airlines
Good (11,898 reviews)
Virgin Atlantic
Good (667 reviews)
Sun Country Air
Good (404 reviews)
Southwest
Excellent (4,905 reviews)
Air New Zealand
Good (514 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Wilmington

Average rates range from around $205 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $162 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Wilmington, with prices from $35 to $519 per night. Downtown is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Wilmington are about 30% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Wilmington

Most booked hotels in Wilmington

Home2 Suites by Hilton Wilmington Wrightsville Beach
3 stars
Excellent (9.2, 365 reviews)
$111+
Sandpeddler Inn & Suites
2 stars
Excellent (8.8, 377 reviews)
$192+
Holiday Inn Resort Lumina on Wrightsville Beach, an IHG Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.7, 980 reviews)
$117+
Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 889 reviews)
$143+
Comfort Inn University
2 stars
Excellent (8, 926 reviews)
$85+
Shell Island Resort - All Oceanfront Suites
3 stars
Good (7.9, 1960 reviews)
$159+

Renting a car in Wilmington

Renting a car in Wilmington costs $68 per day, on average, or $135 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hertz and Alamo are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Wilmington is the Thrifty branch at 1740 Airport Blvd, which is 4 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 4% 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 Supplier choice (Class Special Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Luxury rental cars (Hyundai Genesis G80 or similar) are, on average, 86% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Wilmington costs $68 per day, on average, or $135 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hertz and Alamo are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Wilmington is the Thrifty branch at 1740 Airport Blvd, which is 4 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 4% 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 Supplier choice (Class Special Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Luxury rental cars (Hyundai Genesis G80 or similar) are, on average, 86% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Wilmington Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Wilmington city guide for the best Wilmington travel tips. To help you organize your Wilmington trip ideas, this Wilmington visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.