A Wilmington, NC Getaway
Curated By
Gail Graham
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Active Travel
Arts & Culture
Wilmington
Couples Travel
Food & Wine
North Carolina
Local Culture
Local Food
Sightseeing
Curator’s statement
If you love Savannah, GA or Charleston, SC, you will love Wilmington, NC. Wilmington is a quaint, riverfront town that has something for everybody. It is great for history buffs, outdoor enthusiasts, boutique shoppers, beach lovers, foodies and craft beer drinkers. Below are some of my favorite restaurants, things to do and hotels in this coastal town.
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Insider knowledge
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Where to stay in Wilmington, NC
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Things to do in Wilmington, NC
Downtown festivals: Azalea Fest, River Fest, Rims on the River and Cucalorus Film Festival
Hollywood movie/tv tours - Wilmington is known as Hollywood East, where hundreds of projects including Dawson’s Creek, Iron Man 3, Halloween (Final Chapter), The Outer Banks and The Summer I Turned Pretty have been filmed.
Visit the nearby local beaches - Carolina, Kure and Wrightsville beaches.
Battleship NC - Take a tour of the refurbished WW2 Battleship. Tour options include a variety of historic tours and special ghost hunt tours.
Arboretum and Airlie Gardens
Live at Ted’s - Quaint listening room that features local and regional musicians.
Wilmington Riverwalk - Stroll down the 2-mile riverwalk, grab a drink, bite to eat or take a river taxi tour.
Mayfaire Town Center - Wilmington, NC's premier lifestyle shopping center. Spend. Spend. Spend.
Day Trips:
Visit the nearby local beaches - Carolina, Kure and Wrightsville beaches. In addition to beautiful beaches, they all have great food options.
Carolina Beach - Good Hops Brewery/Disc Golf Course, Carolina Beach State Park, Soul Flavor Restaurant and Island Burgers and Bites
Kure Beach - Freddie’s Restaurant and Beach House Burgers
Wrightsville Beach - South Beach Grill, Dockside and Waterman’s Brewery.
Places to eat & drink in Wilmington, NC
Breweries - A few favorites are Flying Machine, Edward Teach, Hi-Wire and Waterline Brewery.
The Fortunate Glass - Downtown wine bar with 70 wines by the glass, 400 + wines by the bottle, craft beer and an amazing tapas menu.
Satellite Bar and Lounge - This bar has everything…. live music, a local market, outdoor movies and tacos!
Kipos Wilmington - Amazing atmosphere and elevated Greek food.
Ann Bonny’s - Wilmington’s only floating restaurant and bar on the Cape Fear river.
Indochine - Authentic Thai and Vietnamese restaurant with an outdoor garden.
Seabird - Amazing locally sourced NC seafood. Menu changes regularly depending on what is in season.
Far From France - French bistro and bakery. Brunch/lunch, dinner and High Tea. Order one of everything from the bakery. No regrets.
Need to Know
Looking for more travel inspiration? Check out my guide, A Weekend in Durham, NC
Travel Advisor
Gail Graham
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This guide is part of our ongoing series on travel to Wilmington.