How to See the Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC
Washington DC is a great city to visit year round, but it really comes alive during Springtime because the cherry blossoms transform this city into a sea of blush.
Plus, The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC hosts lots of fun events around the city during this time to make sure everyone is celebrating this beautiful time of year.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about seeing the Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC, how to avoid the crowds, and what else to do while you’re in the area.
Why are there so many cherry blossoms in Washington DC?
Even though Washington DC has become so well known for their cherry blossom trees, they are not native to the area. They were actually a gift to the U.S. from Japan. In 1912, Japan gifted over 3,000 cherry blossom trees to the United States as a sign of friendship. Of those 3,000 tree, there were 12 different varieties, but they were predominately Yoshino cherry blossoms.
They initially gifted 2,000 trees, but those had to be burned because they were diseased and infested with bugs. Japan was kind enough to gift another 3,020 trees which were successfully planted.
Now there are over 4,000 cherry blossom trees in Washington DC, but less than 100 are the original trees gifted from Japan.
National Cherry Blossom Festival
The dates for the National Cherry Blossom Festival change every year, so check out their website for the most up to date information on all of the events and happenings. When I went, there was live music, food trucks, and unique souvenirs specific to that year. Keep in mind that peak bloom doesn’t necessarily coincide with the National Cherry Blossom Festival because those dates are planned well in advance whereas peak bloom is only determined a few weeks before it actually happens.
The whole city gets into the celebration. You’ll see lots of places decorated specifically for the season while numerous restaurants, bars, and cafes give out special cherry blossom themed treats that are as delicious as they are adorable.
Best Time of Year to See Cherry Blossoms at Peak Bloom
The cherry blossoms only bloom for about 2 weeks, so the viewing window is rather short unfortunately. Peak Bloom is when 70% of the trees are in full bloom. They typically reach their peak in mid-March, but it varies every year depending on how cool or warm the weather has been. Follow @cherryblossomwatch on Instagram for the most up to date information or check out their website. Every year the National Park Service announces their peak bloom prediction, which will be posted on that page. Their prediction can also change last minute if there is a sudden cold spell or heat wave that will affect the blooms. Their prediction can also change last minute if there is a sudden cold spell or heat wave that will affect the blooms.
Best Place to See the Cherry Blossoms
There are lots of great places in Washington D.C to see cherry blossoms. In my opinion, the best place to see the highest concentration of cherry blossoms in Washington D.C is around the Tidal Basin. You can walk along the path and admire the cherry blossoms, the Jefferson Monument, and the Washington Monument in the distance all at the same time. This area is the most unique from other places where cherry blossoms bloom because it combines the natural, soft, whimsical beauty of nature with the more polished beauty of manmade architecture.
Although you will see trees here and there all around the city, another excellent place to see a lot of them is East Potomac Park. You can bicycle all the way down to Hains Point for a gorgeous ride among the blossoms on either side of you.
You can also see cherry blossoms in the National Arboretum and on the grounds near the Washington Monument.
If you want to view the cherry blossoms more peacefully and avoid the crowds altogether, consider visiting the nearby town of Kenwood, Maryland for some beautiful blooms. It’s only about 20 minutes outside of Washington DC and is another place to experience that beautiful sea of blush but without the swarms of people.
How to Avoid the Crowds
To be completely honest, you can’t. Not completely, at least. It is estimated that the cherry blossoms attract over 1.5 million people every year, so once they hit peak broom you have to prepare yourself for some crazy crowds. Everyone wants a cherry blossom selfie!
I suggest avoiding the weekends altogether. It can get hard to walk sometimes. If you are a parent bringing your young children, please do NOT bring a stroller. Not only will it be 10x harder to get anywhere, but you will become part of the problem.
Try to visit on a weekday in the morning. Don’t visit anytime in the afternoon because once kids get out of school and people get off work, they head to the cherry blossoms. This goes for locals and tourists.
Oddly enough, I arrived at the Tidal Basin on a weekday before sunrise, expecting to have it to myself, but boy was I wrong. I could’t believe how packed it was, and I was so devastated because I knew there was no chance at getting at photos without a million photo bombers. But shortly after the sun came up, all the early birds and the landscape photographer packed up their tripods and went about their day. I’m assuming many people came before work but then had to leave rather quickly.
In my experience, the best time to visit the Tidal Basin with the fewest crowds was about 30 minutes after sunrise until 9am.
Also, the worse the weather is, the less people will come. I visited on both a beautiful day and a really crappy day, and the difference in crowds was significant.
Where Should I Stay?
If you’re only in Washington DC for a short time specifically to see the cherry blossoms, then I recommend staying near the Tidal Basin or somewhere near a Metro Station that goes directly to Smithsonian Station without having to switch trains. The Smithsonian Station is the closest metro station to the Tidal Basin.
Washington DC traffic and subways are tricky to navigate on a normal day, but over a million people flood the city during cherry blossom season, so it can get really hectic. Staying as close to the Tidal Basin as possible will make your life easier.
How to Get to the Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin
I drove down to Washington DC, but the traffic was so insane that I just parked my car in a garage for a few days until I was ready to leave.
Getting a parking spot during cherry blossom season is harder than finding a needle in a haystack, so when it comes to transportation I suggest walking, taking the Metro, or renting one of the many electric scooters you’ll see laying on the sidewalks. Your best chance at finding parking is arriving as early as possible, such as 6-7am before the sun comes up. If you can’t get there that early, you might still find a spot, but expect to walk a bit more.
The scooters also get pretty popular, and it can be difficult to find one thats charged. I recommend downloading all the different apps for the best luck of finding a charged one.
You can also use Uber/Lyft, but the prices skyrocket during this time of year due to such high demand and you’ll still be dealing with that nightmarish traffic.
This is another reason why I recommend staying as close as possible to what you want to see, whether that be the blossoms or one of the monuments or a specific museum. The closer you are, the easier it will be to get around.
Tips for Photographing the Cherry Blossoms
After posting my photos on Instagram while also revealing the massive crowds, I was repeatedly asked: How did you manage to get such good photos with the cherry blossoms AND no people in them?!?
My answer: PATIENCE. And lots of it.
This is mostly because people have a habit of walking right in front of my tripod when I’m shooting. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I travel solo a lot and shoot many of my photos by myself, just using my tripod.
But other than that, it was easier than I expected to take cherry blossom pictures in Washington DC without anyone in them. Here are my tips for you:
- Avoid the weekends. If you can’t, then go before 9am. It gets so crowded all around the Tidal Basin that it’s hard to walk, let alone take photos with no one in them.
- Get creative with angles. When I first set up my camera, my shot was loaded with strangers, so I adjusted my angle so that only myself, the cherry blossoms, and the monuments were in frame. Truth be told, I almost fell in the water from walking so close to the edge, but it was worth it.
- Be patient. You might go at 6am on a dreary Tuesday but still find yourself surrounded by people. That happens sometimes with places as popular as this. You just have to be patient and wait. It seems like people move in herds, so I guarantee you’ll get a quick window here and there as they move along.
- Go somewhere else. Personally, I wanted photos with the cherry blossoms and the monuments because this seemed very unique, but if your main priority is photographing the blossoms, then stay away from the monuments. There are lots of other areas where it’s really easy to set up your tripod and snap a few photos with the cherry blossoms without worrying about any photo bombers. This show below was in a park, and I was the only one around for quite awhile. I had enough time to take photos, make some TikToks, and even do an outfit change.
What if I Miss Peak Bloom?
Cherry blossoms aren’t the only beautiful bud blooming in DC! Since peak bloom predictions and the weather can be unpredictable, it can time your trip perfectly around peak bloom. But that doesn’t mean you still won’t get to see some gorgeous flowers!
Luckiy for us, there’s another tree called the Kwanzan cherry blossoms that bloom shortly after the Yoshinos. These blooms are a much bigger, bigger, and a deeper pink. They look similar to carnations.Peak bloom for the Kwanzan blossoms is about a week or two past the Yoshino bloom. They can be found in numerous gardens in DC, and there is a big field of them at Hains Point.
And if you came a little too early, magnolias bloom a week or two before the cherry blossoms. Two free locations to see magnolias are the Enid A. Haupt Garden at the Smithsonian Castle and Rawlin’s Park. So whether you’re a little early or a little late, there will still be flowers to see.
