United States · 2 guides

Things to Do in Delaware

Two hours of driving takes you from colonial cobblestones and Gilded-Age gardens to boardwalk fries and Atlantic surf.

Delaware may be the second-smallest state, but it packs a walkable colonial past, the grand du Pont estates of the Brandywine Valley and some of the mid-Atlantic's best-loved beaches into a stretch you can drive top to bottom in a couple of hours. Use this hub to plan your trip: browse our Delaware guides below, from the museums and riverfront of Wilmington to the boardwalk towns of the coast.

Map of Delaware
Scenic view of Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington, Delaware
Photos: Photo by likeaduck / CC BY 2.0 on Flickr · Photo by Richard Ricciardi / CC BY 2.0 on Flickr

Delaware in numbers

Plan your trip
  • 1.1MPopulation
  • DoverCapital
  • 2,489Area (sq miles)
  • 1787Statehood
  • The First StateNickname

Cities in Delaware

Attraction-by-attraction guides to 1 city in Delaware, each one mapped.

More Delaware guides

Themed lists and deeper reads from across Delaware.

Map of Delaware

Delaware: 1 city we cover

States near Delaware

Trip planner

Plan your trip to Delaware

When to go

  • SpringMar–May

    The prime window for the Brandywine Valley gardens, when the estates around Wilmington burst into bloom and mild days make for easy touring. The coast is still quiet and cool, with the ocean too cold for swimming until late in the season.

  • SummerJun–Aug

    Beach season along the Delaware coast, when Rehoboth, Lewes and Bethany fill up and the boardwalk hums. Expect warm, humid days in the 80s°F, afternoon thunderstorms and busy weekends — book the shore towns well ahead.

  • FallSep–Nov

    Arguably the sweet spot: warm early-autumn 'second season' at the beaches with thinner crowds and still-swimmable water, cooling inland days, and peak migratory bird numbers in the marshes at Bombay Hook.

  • WinterDec–Feb

    Quiet and cool statewide, with chilly, sometimes damp days and the occasional coastal snow. The beach towns wind down, but Wilmington's museums and the holiday-lit du Pont estates make it an easy indoor-leaning season.

Regions

  • Wilmington & the Brandywine ValleyDelaware's populous north and its cultural heart, where Wilmington pairs a riverfront and art museum with the nearby du Pont legacy — Winterthur, Hagley, Nemours and the gardens of the Brandywine — just off I-95.
  • Dover & central DelawareThe middle of the state around the capital, Dover, home to the First State Heritage Park, the Air Mobility Command Museum and the Dover Motor Speedway, with farm country and small towns spreading south through Kent County.
  • The Delaware beachesThe Atlantic coast of Sussex County, where Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey and Bethany line the shore with boardwalks and tax-free outlets, bracketed by Cape Henlopen and Delaware Seashore state parks.
  • The Delaware BayshoreThe quieter western, bay-facing side of the state, from the vast birding marshes of Bombay Hook near Smyrna to river towns like Milford and the agricultural flatlands running down toward the Maryland line.

Delaware highlights at a glance

  • Rehoboth Beach & the coast Delaware's flagship beach town — a mile-long boardwalk, family dining and tax-free outlets, at the head of a string of Atlantic resorts.
  • Cape Henlopen State Park Dunes, WWII watchtowers and a historic lighthouse point where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic, just outside the town of Lewes.
  • Scenic view of Wilmington, Delaware The Brandywine Valley estates The du Pont legacy near Wilmington — Winterthur's country house and gardens, the Hagley powder-mill museum and the château and gardens of Nemours. Basecamp: Wilmington
  • First State National Historical Park Delaware's national park, spread across colonial sites from the New Castle courthouse green to the Brandywine, telling the story of the first state to ratify the Constitution.
  • Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge A vast tidal-marsh refuge on the Delaware Bay near Smyrna, one of the mid-Atlantic's great spots for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl.
  • Historic Dover & the capital The First State Heritage Park green, the Air Mobility Command Museum and the Dover Motor Speedway, at the centre of the state.

Suggested routes

Coast-to-history north–south run

4–5 days

The classic way to see the whole of a small state, linking the Atlantic beaches, the capital and the northern estate country in one easy top-to-bottom loop. Run it either direction; this version starts at the shore and finishes near Philadelphia.

  1. Rehoboth Beach — boardwalk and beach base
  2. Lewes & Cape Henlopen State Park — historic town, dunes and lighthouse
  3. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge — bay-marsh birding detour
  4. Dover — the capital and its heritage green
  5. Wilmington — riverfront, museums and the Brandywine estates

Brandywine Valley weekend

2–3 days

A focused northern-Delaware break pairing Wilmington's riverfront and museums with the du Pont estates and gardens just outside town — an easy long weekend from Philadelphia or the Northeast Corridor.

  1. Wilmington — basecamp, riverfront and art museum
  2. Winterthur — du Pont country house and gardens
  3. Hagley Museum — the original powder mills on the Brandywine
  4. New Castle — colonial courthouse and cobbled Battery Park

Delaware travel FAQ

Eight questions travellers ask before they go.

When is the best time to visit Delaware?

It depends on what you're after. Summer is beach season along the coast, when Rehoboth, Lewes and Bethany are at their liveliest. Spring is ideal for the Brandywine Valley gardens near Wilmington, and early autumn is arguably the all-round sweet spot — warm, still-swimmable water at the shore with thinner crowds, plus peak birdwatching in the bay marshes.

How many days do you need in Delaware?

Delaware is small, so a focused trip goes a long way. Two to three days is enough for a beach break around Rehoboth and Lewes, or for pairing Wilmington with the Brandywine Valley estates. To combine the coast, the capital at Dover and the northern museums into one loop, give yourself four to five days.

Do you need a car in Delaware?

For most trips, yes. The state is compact, but the beaches, Dover and the Brandywine estates are spread out and thinly served by transit, so a rental car is the practical choice. The main exception is Wilmington, which sits on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and is walkable in the centre — you can reach it car-free, though you'll want wheels to explore beyond the city.

What is Delaware best known for?

Delaware is famous as the 'First State' — the first to ratify the US Constitution — and for its tax-free shopping, its Atlantic beach towns like Rehoboth and Lewes, and the grand du Pont family legacy in the Brandywine Valley, including the Winterthur, Hagley and Nemours estates near Wilmington.

Which Delaware beach town is right for me?

Rehoboth Beach is the classic all-rounder, with a lively boardwalk, dining and family appeal. Lewes is the quieter, historic option near Cape Henlopen. Dewey Beach leans younger and livelier after dark, while Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island to the south are calmer and more family-focused — the so-called 'Quiet Resorts.'

Is shopping really tax-free in Delaware?

Yes — Delaware charges no state sales tax, so the sticker price is the price you pay. That makes the outlet malls near Rehoboth Beach and the shops around Wilmington popular with visitors from neighbouring states, and it's a genuine reason many travellers time a stop here.

Can you visit the Brandywine Valley estates in a day?

You can see one or two comfortably in a day from Wilmington. Winterthur, Hagley and Nemours each reward a half-day, and the gardens are seasonal, so it's worth checking opening times before you go. Pairing two of them makes a full, satisfying day trip in the northern part of the state.

What kind of trip is Delaware best for?

Beach breaks, gardens and colonial history.