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. We recommend you stay at least 2 days in order to fully appreciate everything Wilmington has to offer.

Activities & attractions in Wilmington

Where to Eat in Wilmington

If you’re looking for affordable options, The Little Dipper (138 South Front Street) and Circa 1922 (8 N. Front St.) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Butcher and Barrel by True Blue (110 Greenfield St 114) and Mariposa Tapas Bar - Wilmington (1502 S 3rd St) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Wilmington.

Most popular restaurants in Wilmington

Seafood
Wonderful (225 reviews)
Steakhouse
Wonderful (216 reviews)
French
Wonderful (212 reviews)
American
Wonderful (146 reviews)
American
Wonderful (137 reviews)
Seafood
Wonderful (100 reviews)
Seafood
Wonderful (225 reviews)
Steakhouse
Wonderful (216 reviews)
French
Wonderful (212 reviews)
American
Wonderful (146 reviews)
American
Wonderful (137 reviews)
Seafood
Wonderful (100 reviews)

When to visit Wilmington

Wilmington in February
Estimated hotel price
$72
1 night at 3-star hotel
Wilmington in February
Estimated hotel price
$72
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 British Airways. The shortest domestic flight to Wilmington departs from Orlando and takes around 1h 30m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Wilmington. 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 Hertz and Easirent, among others, in Charlotte.

Bus

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 British Airways. The shortest domestic flight to Wilmington departs from Orlando and takes around 1h 30m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Wilmington. 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 Hertz and Easirent, among others, in Charlotte.

Bus

Wilmington’s bus station is located 2 miles from the city center.

Airlines serving Wilmington

KLM
Good (759 reviews)
British Airways
Good (3,773 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,441 reviews)
Air France
Good (882 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,373 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,628 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (4,604 reviews)
Finnair
Good (944 reviews)
Spirit Airlines
Good (4,174 reviews)
Korean Air
Excellent (682 reviews)
Aeromexico
Good (860 reviews)
Frontier
Okay (1,326 reviews)
American Airlines
Good (5,518 reviews)
Virgin Atlantic
Good (536 reviews)
Sun Country Air
Good (125 reviews)
WestJet
Good (1,714 reviews)
Air New Zealand
Good (242 reviews)
Allegiant Air
Good (432 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Wilmington

Average rates range from around $211 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $156 and up for a 5-star experience.

Where to stay in popular areas of Wilmington

Most booked hotels in Wilmington

Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront
Excellent (8.7, 699 reviews)
$143+
Sandpeddler Inn & Suites
Excellent (8.7, 169 reviews)
$219+
Shell Island Resort - All Oceanfront Suites
Excellent (8.1, 1893 reviews)
$132+
Comfort Inn University
Excellent (8.1, 1447 reviews)
$82+
Holiday Inn Resort Lumina on Wrightsville Beach, an IHG Hotel
Excellent (8.1, 856 reviews)
$137+
Hotel Ballast Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Good (7.8, 1019 reviews)
$121+

Renting a car in Wilmington

Renting a car in Wilmington costs $60 per day, on average, or $121 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Alamo, Hertz and Enterprise Rent-A-Car 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 6816 Gordon Road, which is 5 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 $3.63 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 $43.61 and $58.14. The most frequently booked car type in Wilmington is Mini (Chrysler Pacifica or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Honda CR-V or similar) are, on average, 66% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Wilmington costs $60 per day, on average, or $121 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Alamo, Hertz and Enterprise Rent-A-Car 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 6816 Gordon Road, which is 5 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 $3.63 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 $43.61 and $58.14. The most frequently booked car type in Wilmington is Mini (Chrysler Pacifica or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Honda CR-V or similar) are, on average, 66% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.