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 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Wilmington has to offer.

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 Ceviche's (7210 Wrightsville Ave) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Wilmington.

When to visit Wilmington

Wilmington in January
Estimated hotel price
C$ 149
1 night at 3-star hotel
Wilmington in January
Estimated hotel price
C$ 149
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Wilmington in July, when the average temperature is 27 °C, and the highest can go up to 32 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 2 °C, with an average temperature of 8 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in September, when precipitation is around 198 mm. In contrast, April is usually the driest month of the year in Wilmington, with an average rainfall of 71 mm.

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 centre The shortest flight to Wilmington from Canada departs from Toronto and takes around 4h 31m.

Train

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

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 Dollar and Easirent, among others, in Charlotte.

Bus

FlixBus operates bus routes to Wilmington. From New York, the bus ride to Wilmington takes 800 miles and will cost you around C$ 250. From Atlanta, the ticket costs about C$ 168 for a journey of 830 miles. Wilmington’s bus station is located 2 miles from the downtown.

Plane

When flying to Wilmington, you’ll arrive at Wilmington New Hanover County (ILM), which is located 4 miles from the city centre The shortest flight to Wilmington from Canada departs from Toronto and takes around 4h 31m.

Train

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

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 Dollar and Easirent, among others, in Charlotte.

Bus

FlixBus operates bus routes to Wilmington. From New York, the bus ride to Wilmington takes 800 miles and will cost you around C$ 250. From Atlanta, the ticket costs about C$ 168 for a journey of 830 miles. Wilmington’s bus station is located 2 miles from the downtown.

Airlines serving Wilmington

KLM
Good (848 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,446 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,597 reviews)
Air France
Good (974 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,928 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,480 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,718 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (5,511 reviews)
Spirit Airlines
Good (4,530 reviews)
Frontier
Okay (1,346 reviews)
Korean Air
Excellent (775 reviews)
Aeromexico
Good (814 reviews)
American Airlines
Good (5,778 reviews)
Sun Country Air
Good (137 reviews)
Virgin Atlantic
Good (515 reviews)
Air New Zealand
Excellent (307 reviews)
WestJet
Good (1,911 reviews)
Allegiant Air
Good (441 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Wilmington

Average rates range from around C$ 331 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 290 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Stella Maris Hostel and Hampton Inn Wilmington Downtown.

Where to stay in popular areas of Wilmington

Most booked hotels in Wilmington

Sandpeddler Inn & Suites
2 stars
Excellent (8.7, Excellent reviews)
C$ 381+
Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront
3 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
C$ 252+
Shell Island Resort - All Oceanfront Suites
3 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
C$ 326+
Holiday Inn Resort Lumina on Wrightsville Beach, an IHG Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
C$ 389+
Hotel Ballast Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
4 stars
Good (7.8, Good reviews)
C$ 249+
Best Western Plus Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach
2 stars
Good (7.8, Good reviews)
C$ 169+

Renting a car in Wilmington

Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz 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 downtown.

Expect to pay C$ 1.41 per litre in Wilmington (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 16.90 and C$ 22.53. The most frequently booked car type in Wilmington is Compact (Kia Soul or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Mitsubishi Mirage or similar) are, on average, 36% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz 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 downtown.

Expect to pay C$ 1.41 per litre in Wilmington (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 16.90 and C$ 22.53. The most frequently booked car type in Wilmington is Compact (Kia Soul or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Mitsubishi Mirage or similar) are, on average, 36% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.