I am not sure when my love of cherry blossoms began. But as soon as it did, seeing the blooms in Washington, D.C. quickly made its way to the top of my bucket list. It took me three years to make it happen, but it was an experience that absolutely lived up to the hype.
This trip is not an easy one to plan. After two failed attempts and one successful one, I learned a lot about planning a trip to DC for Cherry Blossom season. This post is dedicated to sharing all of those things.
If you’ve ever dreamed about seeing the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. but find planning around such a finicky flower daunting, this post is for you. We’re going hard into the nitty gritty of tracking the blooms, timing your trip to maximize your chances and then planning an absolutely perfect day.
How to track Cherry Blossom Blooms
Here in lies the the issue (this friend won’t try to trick you): timing the blooms is tricky. It’s nearly impossible to predict perfectly, and yet we try anyway. There are a few import timelines and resources to know about, which will help you plan at different parts of the process.
In these next few sections, will start broad with historical trends and forecasting and then getting into predictions and real-time tracking.
Note: Throughout this post, we reference “peak bloom” a lot. This is an official term that refers to the time when 70% of the blossoms have bloomed. Peak bloom usually lasts for only a couple days. The blooming period — during which some of trees are blooming — can last up to 2 weeks on either side of peak bloom.
Peak Bloom Data & Trends
Let’s start with the big picture. DC’s cherry blossoms bloom in the spring, between mid-March and mid-April. According to this article by the EPA, which reviewed data dating back to 1921, the average peak bloom date for the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC is April 3.
The article also points out that peak bloom is trending earlier in recent years. In fact, the trees have reached peak bloom before April 3 for 15 of the past 20 years (through 2024). If you just look at the most recent 20 years of data, the average peak bloom date is actually March 28 — a full 6 days earlier than the 104-year average of April 3.
Note: This data set was through 2024, but the trend continued in 2025 when the trees reaching peak bloom on March 28. (Right on cue.)
Now, being the former corporate data analyst that I am, I went ahead and took the historical data from that article and created you a new chart. In this chart, you’ll see a list of dates along the bottom, and then the bars will show you how often peak bloom has occurred on that date in the past 104 years. This chart gives you a visual of which dates have had the most peak blooms in recent years.
I think the biggest take away from this chart is there’s no clear takeaway. There’s sort of these twin peaks happening at the end of March and the first week of April, but even that is a bit of a stretch.
Here’s another way to look at this data to see the earlier peak bloom trends in recent years. This chart shows the same data as the chart above, but separates the most recent 20 years of data in green.
As you can see in this chart, the range of peak bloom dates is getting smaller, and it’s also getting earlier. If you were just looking at the pink data, you might infer that early April is the best time to go, while if you look at the green data, you might shift your focus to late March.
So what does this all mean!? While I had fun looking at historical data and trends, we know that the past cannot predict the future. This data is not good enough to convincingly tell you when exactly to book your cherry blossom trip. (Unless you are planning to stay for a full month, in which case, book that mid-March to Mid-April trip!)
Annual Peak Bloom Forecasts
The most important announcement re: cherry blossoms comes in late February. There’s a whole event with speakers and pomp and circumstance and at the end, they reveal the peak boom forecast from the National Park Service. You can watch the live stream or just sign up for email alerts.
The peak bloom forecast from the NPS tends to be pretty accurate. According to this article, actual peak bloom has occurred within 1-2 days of the NPS forecast for most of the past 10 years. The most recent and most egregious error was in 2018, when the forecast was more than 2 weeks off due to a late and unexpected snow.
NPS provides the official forecast for the National Cherry Blossom Festival, but there are other groups that make forecasts as well. It’s always a good idea to check all of them. The National Weather Service, Washington Post, and numerous local DC meteorology teams all make forecasts. Sometimes they’re the same or overlapping, other times they are pretty vastly different.
Though not officially set in stone, these forecasts should give you better guidance on when to actually book your trip. However, try to keep those plans flexible and refundable because you just don’t really know yet.
Real Time Bloom Tracking
While NPS gives us a forecast several weeks in advance, it’s hard to fully lock that in more than 10 days out from peak bloom. This is when they (the cherry blossom people?) can analyze the bloom progress against the weather forecast for an accurate, real-time prediction.
There are several good resources, but I’d highly recommend following Cherry Blossom Watch on Instagram for this. They post regular photos tracking the bloom stages and give a boots-on-the-ground analysis of what they’re seeing and the timing they expect. Most importantly, they’ll factor in the current weather forecasts.
As peak bloom approaches, many news outlets and articles will just continue to refer to the NPS forecast. If you dig around, though, you can find some good analysis of what is actually going on with the trees in real time. Specifically, you want to look for real-time updates on the bloom stage. By the time the trees reach stage 5 (“puffy white” or “fluffy blossoms”), peak bloom is right around the corner.
Tracking this level of detail is important because the bloom window is so tight. For example, I had a trip booked on Friday. On the Monday before my trip, there were no blooms. I was worried I might have to cancel my trip yet again because I thought I might be too early. I closely monitored the forecast all week, and sure enough, come Friday: PEAK BLOOM.
Conversely, in a previous year, I saw the blooms had already arrived when my trip wasn’t for another 10 days. That year, I watched the blooms come and go, resulting in a cancelled trip.
When to Book Your Trip
So given all of the complexities, when should you start booking your trip?
Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to book your trip based on the NPS forecast as soon as it’s announced. If you can, target a date range over peak bloom. If you have to err in one direction, probably err on the earlier side, given recent trends. (Also because it’s better to be early and catch some blooms than late and miss them all.
Reminder! Peak Bloom refers to the time when at least 70% of the trees are blooming. That usually lasts for a couple days, but you can usually catch a nice amount of blooms for a few days on either side of that.
If the cherry blossoms are the soul purpose of your trip, book something refundable. Then, track the bloom updates in real time. Best case scenario, the forecast is accurate and you have a great trip! Worst case, the forecast shifts and you cancel your trip and try again next year.
If you’re regional, Amtrak is a great option. They offer full refunds on Flex Fares and premium class bookings. If you’re flying, consider Southwest. They offer full refunds on Business Select and Anytime fares. (This is true as of publication, but confirm the details on your exact booking and fare.)
While it’s important to track the blooms in real time to fully commit to your trip, you don’t want to wait until they bloom to book your trip. Booking last minute is expensive and often less convenient. Flights and trains during this short window can sell out, leaving you to pay the most expensive fare or settle for worse dates and times.
Booking Amtrak for Cherry Blossom Season
I want to take a second to talk about booking Amtrak tickets, specifically. I know there are other ways to get to DC, but if you’re regional this is a convenient way to do it. It’s also how I personally got to DC, so I want to share what I learned.
Train fares get more expensive the closer you get to your travel date. They also get more expensive based on demand. Here’s an example of train fares between NYC and DC at different times. (Note: These prices are examples of roundtrip, per person prices for conveniently timed trains from NYC to DC.)
- Prior to peak bloom announcement (8 weeks before trip): $115
- The day of peak bloom forecast announcement (4 weeks before trip): $183
- The official first day of actual peak bloom(1 day before trip): $438
You can save some money if you book before the announcement, but that’s a real gamble that’s easy to get wrong. Alternatively, you can wait until the trees actually bloom and the weather is perfect, but that is expensive.
If you’re taking the train, the sweet spot is definitely booking in short order immediately after the peak bloom announcement is made. It’s not a sure thing, but it’s a safe bet.
How long to stay in DC for the Cherry Blossoms
Realistically, you can see the cherry blossoms in DC in a nice, long day. (I was blown away by the beauty, but even I’ll admit that they start to look the same after a while.) If you’re regional — I visited from NYC for example — it’s a perfect day trip.
However, if you’re planning to see the cherry blossoms and actually do anything else in DC, you’re going to need longer. As far as touring goes, I think 3 days in DC is about perfect.
A longer trip would also be nice if you want to build in a buffer for weather and blooms. If you were set on a DC trip and were hoping to catch the cherry blossoms, but couldn’t wait for the peak bloom announcement, I’d recommend a 5 day trip from late-March into early-April for your best chances.
Where are the Cherry Blossoms in DC?
The main place to see the cherry blossoms in DC is the Tidal Basin. This is where a majority of the 3,000 trees gifted to the US from Japan were planted back in 1921. If you visit during peak bloom, the 2-mile loop around the pond is almost fully lined with cherry blossoms. It’s truly stunning!
Tip! Check out this interactive map for cherry blossom locations around the city.
The Tidal Basin is the most famous and arguably the most beautiful spot, which is why it’s also the most crowded. Expect heavy crowds, especially in mid-morning and early-afternoon, but also mind-blowing views. You cannot miss the Tidal Basin, but also don’t stop there.
My personal favorite spot for blossoms was around the Washington Monument. There are several groves of trees, and it was substantially less crowded. If you want to sit down and enjoy a picnic or just bask in the blooms, this is a great option. This is also a great spot for photos without as many people in the background.
If you’re feeling adventurous, or just need a break from the crowds, you can veer off the Tidal Basin loop at the Jefferson Memorial and head into East Potomac Park. I would suggest heading down the east side of the park a little ways to enjoy the blooms with basically no crowds, then head back to finish the Tidal Basin loop.
I also really enjoyed my stroll through Lower Senate Park (just north of the Capitol). Though slightly less photogenic, this park was almost entirely empty! There’s also a small patch of trees on the west lawn of the Capitol, that were also great for a quick photo.
Two other popular locations are the George Washington University campus and Arlington Cemetery. I didn’t make it to either of these, but they’re worth looking into if you have more time.
My Perfect DC Cherry Blossom Itinerary
Despite all my planning and tracking, it wasn’t until the day before my trip that I was actually sure the trip was going to happen. The blooms were finally blooming, the weather looked clear, and my transportation was booked.
For reference, I booked my train ticket on February 27, the same day that the NPS released their forecast for peak bloom. They projected peak bloom would occur between March 28 – 31, 2025. I planned my day trip for Friday, March 28, because I was going solo and I wanted to go on a weekday while my kid was in school. As it turned out, while I was there on March 28, they made the announcement that it was the official first day of peak bloom. #nailedit
In this next section, I’ll share exactly how my day went and everything I did. (I also have a map of this route at the bottom of this post.)
Amtrak from NYC to DC
I was traveling from New York City to Washington, D.C. via train on a Friday. My train departed Moynihan Train Hall (at Penn Station) at 7:04 AM. I live in Queens, and I left my apartment at 6 AM.
I’ve traveled on Amtrak out of Moynihan a handful of times, so I knew that they typically don’t announce the track until about 15 minutes prior to departure. I arrived at the station at 6:40 AM.
I had just enough time to pick up my mobile order at Starbucks (which was not at all crowded, btw), grab a muffin at the bakery next door and snap a photo for my Insta Story before they announced the track number.
Tip! At Moynihan, the boards update before they make the announcement over the loud speaker. Watching the board is a good way to get a jump start on the crowds.
I was on the train and chose my seat by 6:56 AM. We departed right on schedule.
The train ride was nice. Unfortunately the wifi didn’t work, which did cut into the work I was hoping to do. Other than that though, I generally find Amtrak to be a pretty comfortable ride.
Arrival in DC — Amtrak Station to Capitol
My train was scheduled to arrive in DC at 10:37. We arrived about 5 minutes late — not bad. By 10:50 AM, I was off the train and exiting the station. As soon as I walked out the door, there were cherry blossoms! I knew I was going to have a great day.
The forecast called for clouds but there was a little bit of sun at the moment and I hit the ground running. I walked out of the station and straight into Lower Senate Park. This little park was full of cherry blossoms! It’s not the most beautiful site line, but it does look out onto the side of the Capitol. It was such a beautiful welcome and perfect start to my day.
I continued on through the park until I reached the front of the Capitol. There was a small little grove of trees right out front. I was kind of surprised that no one was here. There were just a couple trees, but it really was a lovely spot with the Capitol right there.
Coffee & Lunch Errands
Next, I wanted to knock out some errands so I could be free to spend the rest of my day wandering through the blooms. I hated to waste my window of unexpected sun, but I chose to make the quick detour anyway.
I quickly veered away from the Mall and went north on 7th Street. First stop: another coffee.
Specifically, I had my eye on the cherry blossom specials at Compass Coffee and they did not disappoint. They had an entire lineup of cherry blossom themed drinks. I went for the iced cherry blossom latte, and it was delicious.
My second and last stop was Bindaas — a fast-casual Indian street food restaurant. I found this place because they were on the same list as Compass for local restaurants that had cherry blossom specials. While the Cherry Blossom Kulfi was tempting, it was paneer wrap and masala fries that I couldn’t wait to get my mitts on.
I ordered my food to go and then bee-lined back to The Mall to get back to the cherry blossoms. On my way there, I stumbled across the Magnolias at Indiana Plaza, which were delightful!
Tip! There are even more beautiful Magnolias at Enid A. Haupt Garden. I’m bummed I didn’t know about these before my trip.
The Mall & Washington Monument
Coffee and lunch in hand, I made it back to The Mall. I took a short lap through the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery, and then trained my sights on the Washington Monument.
I arrived at the Washington Monument right at noon. This area was buzzing — with both human onlookers and bees.
There’s a National Park Service shop on the east side of the moment. They have a few cherry blossom items here, like t-shirts, water bottles, and stickers, but also some generic DC and park district wares. They also have a passport stamping station inside, if you are a collector. I popped in here to grab a bottle of water and was easily upsold on a cherry blossom magnet.
Note: They also have public bathrooms here. However, the women’s bathroom line was very long and I’d avoid it if you can.
Next, I strolled to the south side of the Monument, where there’s a lovely collection of trees. I took a seat on a ledge just under one of the trees to have my picnic. This was one of my favorite moments from my day. The food was SO good. The trees were SO pretty! It was just what I wanted out of my day. This photo does not do it justice, but here it is.
There’s a line of trees around the sidewalk, but if you keep walking past the Sylvan Theater, there’s a whole grove of them. This probably would have been a better picnic stop had I realized it was there, but you live and you learn.
This area was again, not as crowded as I thought it would be. It felt like such a hidden gem. I would highly recommend taking some photos around here for great tree pics with fewer people in them.
While I fiddled with my tripod, the nicest local offered to take my photo for me. I love people like this, and his photos were definitely better than mine.
He told me that this was just the warm up, and I really needed to get to the Tidal Basin for the main attraction. Yes, sir!
Tidal Basin at Cherry Blossom Season
I mean…need I say more?
The Tidal Basin at peak bloom was truly a sight to behold. Just the scale of alone — the sight of so many trees all blooming at ones, was something else. It was one of those bucket list moments for me that really lived up to the hype for me.
Of course, the Tidal Basin is very crowded, especially in the afternoon. A local that I chatted with before my trip told me that you can get there early to beat some of the crowds, but also the crowds are kind of part of the experience.
That seems accurate to me. I honestly didn’t mind the crowds. I loved the energy of a group of people gathered together to celebrate something beautiful. More of that please!
From the Mall, you can go either way on the Tidal Basin. I went left/east/clockwise. I liked this side the best, but that could have also been because it was sunny during this leg of my walk. The FDR section was also really nice. The curve between the FDR and MLK memorials is one of the most popular spots, too.
If you can though, you should really just walk the whole thing and soak it up from every angle. I did it in two sections, but in total I spent 1.5 hours walking the full loop.
Tip! There’s a small portion of the basin in the middle of Independence Avenue that has it’s own little mini loop. This spot was a little less crowded and is another great spot for photos.
I personally missed the views from the Jefferson Memorial itself, which was a bit of a bummer. I veered off just before it, took a loop around East Potomac Park, and then picked the trail back up at the FDR Memorial.
East Potomac Park
Just shy of the Jefferson Memorial, I split off toward East Potomac Park to walk the Hains Point Loop Trail. This 4.1 mile trail follows the edge of the park around the entire island. It took me about 1 hour to walk the entire thing at a steady clip.
When I first entered the park, I loved it! It was lined with cherry blossoms, hardly anyone else was around, and the waterfront views were lovely! I was glad I went to the park, but I have to say, I do regret walking the entire thing.
During my visit, the northeast side of the park was the most beautiful. It had the most trees and most beautiful backdrop. I enjoyed it, so I kept going, but this really was the peak. It got redundant walking the full 2 miles to the tip of the park, especially because there wasn’t even any payoff for reaching the end. It was just more of the same at best, and if anything it had fewer trees that the earlier part of the trail.
Coming up the west side of the park was much less scenic. There are different types of cherry trees in this park, and most of the trees on this side of the park were a variety that hadn’t bloomed yet. On top of that, it had gotten cloudy, a rude biker made fun of me for being there and a driver yelled at me for no good reason — so my vibes were kind of just off by this point.
In hindsight, I wish I’d just walked a half mile into this park on the east side, and then gone back to the Jefferson Memorial. I just can’t start a loop hike and not finish it!
Lincoln Monument
By now, it was about 3 PM, I had walked a little over 9 miles and it started to rain. Part of me wanted to really commit and hike on over to The George Washington University campus and see the trees over there. But given the shift in the weather and my shrinking timeline, I decided to skip that.
Instead, I decided to finish my loop around The Mall and make it all the way to the Lincoln Monument. There’s no cherry blossoms over here, and I’ve seen the monument before, but I still felt like it was worth the trip.
After an obligatory reading of the Gettysburg Address, I took in the view from the top of the stairs. From here I stared down the Capitol and the miles between me and it that I still had to cover to get back to the train station. Onward!
Return to the Train Station
My final leg of the journey was to walk back to the train station, but of course, I couldn’t just make it a straight shot.
When I got to the Lincoln Monument, this time I followed the north side of the path. This side has fewer cherry blossoms than the south side, but still some. I found a cute little patch of trees and had them all to myself, so I had a little photo session.
After a quick rest, I continued up the mall until 12th Avenue, and then decided to try to fit in one last pit stop. My friend had recommended the cherry blossom decorations inside the Waldorf Astoria, so I thought I’d pop in and grab one of their seasonal cocktails.
Good news: it was beautiful! Bad news: I wasn’t the only person who thought to get a drink at 4 PM on a Friday. Sadly, there was no open space at the bar, so I didn’t end up staying.
The silver lining though was that I now I had time to pick up dinner at my favorite chain pizza joint, &Pizza. (I discovered &Pizza in DC, but we actually have them in NYC, too. They just aren’t located anywhere convenient for me, so I never get to go here.)
With dinner in hand, I walked the final stretch to the train station. This part of the walk was by far the worst. Instead of going back to The Mall, I just walked the service streets. It was just a boring business district with no cherry blossoms. Lame.
I made it back to the station at 5:15 PM.
Train from DC to NYC
The DC train station is pretty nice, as far as train stations go. There are several shops on the main floor, and then a food court and Walgreens on the lower level. I grabbed a drink and some candy from the Walgreens and then ate my pizza at the tables in the food court.
My train was scheduled to depart at 6:05 PM. I left the foodcourt at 5:35. At that time, the track was announced and there was already a long line at the gate. I entered the queue right as they were opening up an overflow section for the rapidly growing line.
At about 5:45, they began boarding the train. Luckily for me, they opened the the main queue and the overflow queue at the same time. I was near the front of the overflow side, sp I got to board along with the people who were in the front of the main line.
I boarded the train, picked my seat, and settled in for the long journey home. The trip is about 3.5 hours, and I spent almost all of that time making reels and editing photos from my beautiful day in DC.
It was truly the perfect day!
DC Cherry Blossom Walking Route
I am a city walker, through and through. There is nothing that brings me more joy than exploring a place on foot. That is my way of warning you that my route calls for quite a bit of walking!
According to my watch, I walked just over 15 miles over the course of my full day. This map below is a clean route for the DC portion, and clocks in about 11 miles. (My extra miles were picked up from wandering around and from the NYC portion of my trip.)
Note: If you wanted to cut down this route, I’d start by skipping the 4-mile loop around East Potomac Park. You could also take the Metro from the Amtrak station to the Tidal Basin (Red line to Metro Center, then Orange/Blue/Silver to Smithsonian), which would shave off another 3ish miles.
How to use this map
- Click on the icon on the map to view its details.
- To view the map in Google Maps, click the expand icon on the top right corner.
- Click the star icon to save the map to your Google account for later. To access the map next time, open Google Maps > click the Saved tab > click Maps.
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