Cary travel guide

Cary Tourism | Cary Guide

You're Going to Love Cary

With a population of 135,234, Cary is a must-see destination in North Carolina, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Cary deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Where to Eat in Cary

If you’re looking for affordable options, Dean's Kitchen + Bar (formally Dean's Seafood Grill & Bar) (1080 Darrington Dr) and Lugano Ristorante (1060 Darrington Dr) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Catalan Tapas Bar (4214 NW Cary Pkwy) and Saffron Indian Cuisine (2048 Kildaire Farm Rd) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Cary.

When to visit Cary

Cary in December
Estimated hotel price
$142
1 night at 3-star hotel
Cary in December
Estimated hotel price
$142
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Cary in July, when the average temperature is 78.8 °F, and the highest can go up to 87.8 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 32 °F, with an average temperature of 41 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in July, when precipitation is around 5.2″. In contrast, November is usually the driest month of the year in Cary, with an average rainfall of 3″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Cary

Plane

When flying to Cary, you’ll arrive at Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU), which is located 6 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Cary include Delta, Frontier and WestJet. The shortest domestic flight to Cary departs from Hartford and takes around 1h 48m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Cary. The train journey from Cary to Charlotte takes 2h 51m and costs around $19 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Alexandria, expect to pay about $29 for a 5h 56m trip. The train station in Cary is called Cary, and is located 0.2 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Cary is to pick up a car rental from Charlotte, which is about 122 miles from Cary. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Easirent, among others, in Charlotte.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Cary, including Tornado Bus, FlixBus and Greyhound. From Charlotte, the bus ride to Cary takes 178 miles and will cost you around $230. From Washington, D.C., the ticket costs about $112 for a journey of 295 miles.

Plane

When flying to Cary, you’ll arrive at Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU), which is located 6 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Cary include Delta, Frontier and WestJet. The shortest domestic flight to Cary departs from Hartford and takes around 1h 48m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Cary. The train journey from Cary to Charlotte takes 2h 51m and costs around $19 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Alexandria, expect to pay about $29 for a 5h 56m trip. The train station in Cary is called Cary, and is located 0.2 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Cary is to pick up a car rental from Charlotte, which is about 122 miles from Cary. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Easirent, among others, in Charlotte.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Cary, including Tornado Bus, FlixBus and Greyhound. From Charlotte, the bus ride to Cary takes 178 miles and will cost you around $230. From Washington, D.C., the ticket costs about $112 for a journey of 295 miles.

Airlines serving Cary

Lufthansa
Good (4,664 reviews)
KLM
Good (852 reviews)
SWISS
Good (941 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,534 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,614 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,306 reviews)
Air France
Good (984 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,585 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (484 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,958 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,119 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,469 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,859 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (228 reviews)
Finnair
Good (872 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,176 reviews)
LOT
Good (685 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (922 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (833 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (5,651 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Cary

Average rates range from around $174 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $463 and up for a 5-star experience.

Where to stay in popular areas of Cary

Most booked hotels in Cary

Hyatt House Raleigh / RDU / Brier Creek
3 stars
Excellent (8.9, 1468 reviews)
$144+
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Raleigh - Cary
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 207 reviews)
$143+
Hyatt Place Raleigh/Cary
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, 1203 reviews)
$132+
Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh-Cary
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 183 reviews)
$141+
Ramada by Wyndham Raleigh
2 stars
Excellent (8.1, 1454 reviews)
$76+
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson RaleighDurham Air
3 stars
Excellent (8, 1628 reviews)
$123+

Renting a car in Cary

Renting a car in Cary costs $57 per day, on average, or $114 if you want to rent if for 2 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 6% cheaper than airport locations in Cary.

Expect to pay $3.94 per gallon in Cary (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $47.24 and $62.99. The most frequently booked car type in Cary is Luxury (Infiniti QX80 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Ford EcoSport or similar) are, on average, 55% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Cary costs $57 per day, on average, or $114 if you want to rent if for 2 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 6% cheaper than airport locations in Cary.

Expect to pay $3.94 per gallon in Cary (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $47.24 and $62.99. The most frequently booked car type in Cary is Luxury (Infiniti QX80 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Ford EcoSport or similar) are, on average, 55% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.