While Washington DC is great destination any time of year, it is particularly magical in the springtime when Washington DC’s cherry blossoms bloom in a burst of pinks and whites highlighting the beauty of the American capital. One of my favorite cities, I try to get to Washington DC as often as I can but I always try to plan a springtime trip to see the cherry blossoms in all of their glory. The cherry blossoms in Washington DC were a gift of friendship from Japan to the American people in 1912, and today over 1.5 million people visit Washington DC each spring to see the cherry blossoms. Planning a spring trip to Washington can be a bit tricky, but I have a few tips for making your trip to see the cherry blossoms in Washington DC one you won’t forget.
The Casual Travelist contains affiliate links, when you make a purchase or book a hotel through these links the Casual Travelist receives a small commission that helps support this site at no additional cost to you.
Plan…..as much as you can.
The timing of peak bloom varies wildly from year to year making it difficult to plan a trip if you’re traveling from afar. While the average date for the peak bloom is April 4 it has happened as early as March 15 and as late as April 18. The National Park Service (NPS) is able to predict the peak bloom about 10 days before hand and provides up-to-date information on it’s website. The National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place from mid-March through mid-April each year with a full calendar of cultural events including the National Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony (reservations are required) and the Blossom Kite Festival.
Visit during the week.
If possible try to plan your visit on a weekday. On weekends during cherry blossom season crowds of day trippers from all over the mid-Atlantic descend upon Washington DC for a chance of viewing the pink and white blooms. Visiting the Tidal Basin and National Mall during the week when everyone else is at work or school translates into far fewer crowds than you’ll find on a Saturday or Sunday and a much more enjoyable experience for you.
Plan to go early in the morning or later in the day.
No matter what day you go early morning or just before sunset will be far less crowded than a midday visit to any of the popular cherry blossom locations. Wandering around the Tidal Basin at 7am, even on a weekend, it will be relatively uncrowded resulting in the peaceful cherry blossom viewing experience we all imagine. On my most recent trip I started exploring the National Mall at 9:30am, and while crowds were starting to gather I still had a bit of elbow room and no problem trying to get the pictures I was after. As the morning progressed, so did the crowds. Around noon the walkways between the Washington Monument, Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial were crammed elbow-to-elbow with crowds of onlookers and the streets were full of tour buses with even more visitors. Another perk of visiting during dawn or dusk? The light for pictures is just breathetaking.
Lace up your walking shoes
In order to view the cherry blossoms(and the National Mall in general) be prepared to walk a lot. The distance between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol Building is nearly 2 miles and there will still be a bit of a hike from even the closest hotels and metro stops. Another great way to explore the cherry blossoms is by two wheels,Ā Capital Bikeshare has multiple locations throughout DC where you can pick up a bike at one location and drop it off at another.Ā If you have mobility issues consider taking one of the many guided bus tours available or take the DC Circulator Bus along it’s National Mall route. The Circulator is $1 per ride or $3 for all day use with a SmarTrip card (SmarTrip cards can also be used for fares on the MetroBus and Metro lines). All Circulator buses are wheelchair accessible.
How to get to the Tidal Basin and National Mall
The Tidal Basin and National Mall are the most popular places to see the cherry blossoms in Washington DC. To get to the Tidal Basin by Metro take the Silver, Blue or Orange lines to the Smithsonian Metro stop. From there it is about a 15 minute walk to the Tidal Basin Welcome Area. The Smithsonian Metro stop is also the best stop for many of the sites along the National Mall however the Archive Metro Stop (Yellow and Green lines) and Federal Triangle Metro stop (Blue, Sliver and Orange line) are also good options. By bus use routes 32,34 or 36 which will drop you off at the National Mall near the Washington Monument, the Tidal Basin Welcome Area is a 10 minute walk from there.
Explore other areas of Washington DC
Check out some alternate destinations throughout Washington DC to get your cherry blossom fix without the crowds. The National Arboretum, located about 10 minutes Northeast of the Capitol Building, offers a guided tour describing the history of its cherry blossoms. Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, once the home of Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred, are a beautifully secluded estate to get a view of the pink blooms. The stunning Washington National Cathedral is even more serene gently framed by the blush colored blossoms. Across the Potomac River another great place to view cherry blossoms is the charming streets of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia .
Where to stay in Washington DC
Hotels in Washington DC
Downtown
Dupont Circle
Penn Quarter
Embassy Suites Washington DC- Convention Center
Capitol Hill
Arlington/Alexandria
Hampton Inn Alexandria/Old Town
The Wharf
Hyatt House Washington DC – The Wharf
To plan your trip to the American capital check out my other tips for visiting Washington DC
Planning a trip to see the Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC? Pin this post for later!
Stephanie Erin says
I’ve been drooling over pics of cherry blossoms in DC all day today! I’m only two hours away in Philly, but they don’t make it up here!
Great pics. Thanks for the post!
Brianna says
Oh, that’s a shame! Sounds like its time for a road trip!
Jessica says
Great tips, yes, weekdays are the best to explore DC! Other less crowded and just as beautiful gardens in DC are Meridian Hill off U Street and the Franciscan Monastery in NE DC…
Brianna says
Now I have 2 more places on my Explore DC list.
Jamie Italiane says
Wonderful pictures!
Brianna says
Thanks Jamie!
Meg @ Meg Runs The World says
I used to live in Washington, and with the Cherry Blossom always falling around my birthday, it became a very meaningful time of year for me. The city comes alive, with tourists and locals celebrating spring together, all day every day.
Now that I’m no longer a DC resident, every year when the photos flood my social feeds, I suffer from a bit of nostalgia. Seeing those pictures always makes me want to go back!
I love your suggestions of heading to Dumbarton Oaks and the Arboretum. For those who are interesting in getting in a workout while seeing the blooms, I highly recommend trying to get into the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, which is a great road race that has a nice loop around East Potomac Park/Hains Point that is a less crowded area to see the blossoms.
Brianna says
Aw, what a touching story Meg! I’ll have to look into the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler for next year!
Beth | Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
Beautiful photos! Wandering around just after sunrise does sound like the best way to drink it all in, minus the crowds.
Brianna says
The light at sunrise is just spectacular!
BonBon says
OMG…so beautiful!!!
Brianna says
Thanks,its even prettier in person!
Sara Broers says
Beautiful pics! As with anything, visit during the week and the views are even sweeter.
Brianna says
Thanks Sara, I think the view is worth the weekend crowds too š
Bell | Wanderlust Marriage says
Awwww so beautiful and you have some great photos! We’re unfortunately missing these by a couple of weeks š next year hopefully!!
Brianna says
Fingers crossed you make it next year but at least you’re going to DC. It’s a great city any time of year!
Amelie says
Soooo gorgeous! I would love to visit Washington around this time of year!
Brianna says
DC is great any time of year but really is amazing in the spring.
Natalie Deduck says
Wooww, your photos are amazing!
Washington DC has been on my travel list for ages, but I never thought about visiting the city during the cherry blossom. To be honest, I didn’t know it could be so beautiful and magical!
Great tips!
Cheers,
Nat
Brianna says
I really hope you guys get to DC, its an amazing city!
Bharat & Supriya says
Lovely blossom pictures Brianna! We’re headed actually to DC next weekend (yes we know we have almost missed the blossoms this year though :/) and this post is indeed helpful. Besides Tidal Basin, thanks for suggesting Dumbarton Oaks and Washington National Cathedral. Did you take any early morning guided walk or DIY?
Brianna says
We did a self guided tour, DC is a great walking city. I hope you guys are having a good trip!
Michelle Weigold says
Such gorgeous photos! I never knew the trees were gifts from Japan either- very interesting! I was lucky enough to have been in DC for cherry blossom season, although it was on accident. I would LOVE to get back there again next year.
Brianna says
I didn’t know about them being a gift from Japan until last year either.
Drew says
The cherry blossoms are one of my favorite things about DC. The colors are amazing and it is a reminder that winter is over and spring has arrived! I never get tried of seeing those photos of cherry blossoms with the Washington Monument in the background!
Brianna says
There’s a reason I try to get to DC every spring!
anto says
Ahhh I love cherry blossoms. We don’t have many of them here and it’s always so hard to predict them because spring can one year be early, the next year be incredibly late…
Brianna says
We can never predict mother nature can we?
Melody Pittman says
Brianna, your pictures are stunning and as always, it looks like a wonderful weekend getaway. I ran into some exquisite cherry blossoms along the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and was so surprised because outside of DC and Japan, I hardly ever even hear them mentioned.;)
Brianna says
Thanks Melody, I would love to see those cherry blossoms in Oregon, I bet they’re gorgeous!
Harvey (H-Bomb's Worldwide Karaoke) says
Like one of the other commenters, I too used to live in D.C., and have fond memories of seeing the cherry blossom displays in person. We have a small annual festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in NYC, but it’s nothing like what you can see in our nation’s capital. The gorgeous photos in this post make me really want to get back to D.C. during cherry-blossom time (although I now visit the city around once a year, it’s never during that time of year. And admittedly, the unpredictability of the blossoming can make it difficult to plan for a visit from out-of-town, since I tend to plan my travels well in advance). One additional complication for me would be that I am SO not a morning person, and arriving at the Mall just after sunrise would be extremely difficult for me to pull off, despite the allure of the magical lighting reflected in some of your pix.
Brianna says
Harvey, they are just as beautiful at sunset too. Any recs for karaoke in DC?
Harvey (H-Bomb's Worldwide Karaoke) says
And I’m not sure why the “Comment luv” didn’t work on my substantive comment above . . .
Terumi says
So pretty! We have cherry blossoms here in Seattle too and my instagram feed is filled with people outdoors enjoying the flowers:) I love this time of year!
Christa says
Beautiful photos! We’ve only visited D.C. once and it was in December and BITTERLY COLD!! Mostly due to the wind. I do plan to visit again when Stink is a little older, the museums just weren’t captivating enough for a 2 year old š
Brianna says
DC can be a wind tunnel in the winter, especially if it snows.
Lara Dunning says
How beautiful! I used to visit D.C. a lot in my childhood and haven’t been back since. We never went during this time of year, always during the muggy and humid summer.
Brianna says
Summers in DC can be ridiculously humid. I usually go in the spring or fall.
Vicky and Buddy says
Beautiful photos Brianna! I’ve been to DC plenty of times but have yet to go during cherry blossom season. I’ve been seeing everyone’s photos on Facebook and Instagram and it’s made me so jealous! LOL Hopefully next year I’ll be able to go. š
Brianna says
I hope you get to go next year too, the blooms are just beautiful!
Francesca One Girl: One World says
You got a lot of gorgeous photos! You gave really good advice. Especially timing – which I think is the most important thing to consider, especially when it comes to getting good photos. I went to Washington DC and can say that walking shoes are an absolute MUST. I had no idea and my feet were killing me by the end of the day. Definitely a good post for anyone planning to see the Cherry Blossoms or just planning a visit any other time of the year!
Brianna says
Thanks Francesca! Comfy shoes are a must in DC, I’ve seen people in heels or flip flops and my feet hurt just looking at them.
Winederlusting says
Fantastic, practical tips for seeing the Cherry Blossoms in DC. I’ve never been able to visit the capital during Spring so this is pretty high on my list. Had no idea blooming time can vary so much so thank you for the much needed heads up :).
-Greig
Brianna says
Greig, I hope you get the chance to see the cherry blossoms, they are gorgeous!
Jocelyn says
We haven’t had a chance for our blossoms to even start to grow thanks to winter’s resurgence. I <3 cherry blossoms…they are so amazing. Great photos…makes me have hope that spring might come back to visit New England š
Brianna says
The weather this spring has been crazy hasn’t it? I lucked out with a beautiful day.
Aileen Adalid says
Oh those are great tips! I’ve just seen the cherry blossoms in Japan so I’m obviously up for cherry blossoms in US in the future! š They’re really such a pretty sight to see
Brianna says
I’d love to see them in Japan though I’m sure the crowds are insane!
Andi says
My family lived in the DC area when I was in middle school and a freshman and we always went out to see the cherry blossoms. Since that has been like forever and a day, I would love to go back and see them. I love the tip about going early, being a morning person, I love to take advantage of the light crowds at that time of day.
Brianna says
Let me know when you come out, I’d love to meet up!
Michael says
What a fantastic picture.
Dat Dinh says
The sharing is very helpful to those who are going to Washington DC, thanks!
Baguio Places by Mae says
I thought that you can only see cherry blossoms in japan. Never thought that Washington has also cherry blossoms. The place is perfect for Instagram worthy photos.