Wilmington is a fun beach town on the coast of North Carolina!

Wilmington Tips: 

• Wilmington has several distinct areas to explore so be sure to get out of downtown! The Cargo District, Wrightsville Beach, and Carolina Beach are all great to adventure around in. They are pretty close together, but plan ahead so you’re not going back and forth a bunch!

• Wilmington is super dog-friendly so bring your four-legged friends along!

• Expect very chill, beach vibes throughout the area. It’s also a college town so things are very laid back.

• Be conscious of fly season—the summer months mean the flies are everywhere making dining outdoors less than enjoyable.

• Expect to pay for parking nearly everywhere you go unfortunately.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: ​

• The Half: A stellar spot for sandwiches and craft beer. The cute little building has wildly good beers available on tap and in cans to pair with delicious sandwiches. The staff is all super friendly as well. Truly a delight!

• Fermental Beer and Wine: A nice beer and wine war with a back patio in a unique building. They have 12 taps and a nice selection of packaged beers.

• Drift Coffee & Kitchen: A great spot for breakfast, lunch, coffee, and smoothies. Delicious breakfast sandwiches and lattes and friendly staff. They have a few locations in the area.

• Wilmington Brewing Company: Another really fun brewery with a large taproom, outdoor seating, frequent food trucks, and a variety of beers to choose from.

• Cheese Smith: A restaurant with killer grilled cheese! They’ve also got other sandwiches and a few beers. Located a 3 minute walk from Fermental in the Cargo District.

• Savorez: A great spot for Latin American style food. Don’t skip their delicious margaritas!

• Stay at the Aloft! This beautiful hotel is right on the river and just a few minutes walk from downtown. The space is very nice and the location is perfect. The Aloft also has a fun rooftop bar with nice city and river views. It is open to the public and a great spot to catch sunset. Hotel Ballast is another nice hotel on the riverfront walkable to everything downtown.

• The Vine: A cute spot for charcuterie, wine, and cocktails! They’ve got a small food menu and chill vibes.

• Bespoke Coffee: A cute coffee shop in downtown Wilmington. They have pastries and also offer free refills on iced coffee!

  • Be sure to check out the iconic Second Street Mural right across the street!

• Beer Barrio: A fun spot for Mexican eats, craft beers and cocktails. 

• Outer Dunes Brewing Company: A solid brewery between Topsail and Wrightsville. They have a nice outdoor seating area to enjoy your brew in.

• Waterman’s Brewing Company: A restaurant-style brewery near Wrightsville Beach with a large outside patio. They have a delicious food menu that includes brunch offerings and solid beers.

• Front Street Brewery: A solid brewery in the heart of downtown Wilmington. They’ve got restaurant-style vibes and they also have an extensive whiskey selection.

• Ponysaurus Brewing Company: The Wilmington location of this Durham-based brewery is located in a converted house with a nice patio. They have a pizza-focused food menu and large beer menu alongside a few cocktails.

• Sauce’d: A solid cocktail bar on the water.

• GelaRto: Delicious gelato in a cool building on the riverfront!

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

• Wrightsville Beach: The closer beach to downtown Wilmington. I personally love and prefer Wrightsville beach—the water is clear, the sand is soft, and it’s overly built up.

• Carolina Beach: South of Wilmington, this beach area is much more established than Wrightsville Beach with a boardwalk and a plethora of bars and restaurants.

  • Freeman Park: A section of Carolina Beach that is dog friendly and you can drive on the beach with 4WD.

• Wander Airlie Gardens: These beautiful gardens are truly stunning and make for the perfect stroll. Admission is $9.

• North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher: A beautiful aquarium with a wide variety of species to explore. Book your tickets in advance, $12.95 for adults.

• Cape Fear Rum Cake: A touristy but tasty stop in downtown!

• Take a sunset cruise with Cape Fear Riverboats. The cruise runs up and down the river with beautiful views.

• Take a food tour with Taste Carolina: The tour visits 6 local restaurants and spans 3 hours. It includes small bites and drinks with some history and general Wilmington information along the way.

Other ideas:​​

• Flying Machine Brewing Company: A large brewery with solid beers. They have frequent events and food trucks as well. They also have a location right near Wrightsville Beach that has a full food menu and bar. This spot has more restaurant-vibes than brewery-vibes but is still a fun spot and the food is delicious.

• Floriana: A nice Italian with terraces outside on the riverfront.

• Mad Mole Brewing: A smaller brewery with an outside patio. They are solar powered which is an awesome feature as well!

• Wrightsville Beach Brewery: A restaurant-style brewery with good pizza and solid beers.

• The Workshop: A nice little spot for coffee and sandwiches at Wrightsville Beach.

• Hi-Wire Brewing: The Wilmington taproom of this Asheville based brewery is spacious and full of games! Great vibes and solid beers here.

• Edward Teach Brewery: A brewery with frequent live music and a nice outdoor space with lounge vibes.

• Hopyard: A bottle shop and beer bar in the heart of downtown with a solid selection of beers.

• Broomtail Brewing: Broomtail has two locations in Wilmington but both are quite different from each other. Their original taproom is a small space in an industrial strip mall. Overall they are Sour focused and their beers are solid. The Pub & Arcade location (former the Sour Barn) is full of games and has a nice outdoor seating area in the back.

• Good Hops Brewery: Bringing the beach vibes, this brewery has lots of outdoor seating and is very kid and dog friendly. They’ve also got disc golf!

• Ironclad Brewery: A brewery in downtown Wilmington with average beer. They’ve got a large space with frequent events and super nice staff members. Be sure to check their social media ahead of time to ensure they are open due to how many events they host.

• Flytrap Brewing: Solid beers (Belgian heavy), lots of outdoor seating, board games, and frequent food trucks.

• Bill’s Brewing: A restaurant-style brewery with average beers and a full food menu.

• Waterline Brewing Co.: Average beers, chill vibes.

• The Fortunate Glass: A wine bar with an extensive selection alongside a small food menu.

• Panacea Brewing Company: A kombucha focused brewery with an all vegan food menu and a few house-made beers.

• The UnderFront Company: A cocktail bar that caters to the college student vibe. They have live music on the weekends and a back patio.

• Beach Bagels: Average bagel shop with several locations throughout the Wilmington area. The downtown location is right around the block from Bespoke so you can grab your coffee they head over for a bagel!

• Bagels on Pointe: Decent bagels but not overly impressive.