In case you hadn’t heard, peak bloom is rapidly approaching. With the Tidal Basin set to be awash in a sea of pink flowers and tourists for the coming two months, here are the best ways to navigate DC’s distinctive spring holiday.
Walking
Bloom on the Basin: DC Cherry Blossom Tour
Starting at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial bookstore, this mile-long tour snakes its way around the Tidal Basin, going past the MLK, FDR, and Jefferson Memorials along the path. Tickets are free for those 5 and under, $20 for those under 16, and $35 for adults, and are available at the DC Design Tours website for select dates through March and April. 121 West Basin Dr SW.
Blossom Secrets Tour by Washington Walks
For those with an interest in local history and/or an aversion to crowds, this walking tour is for you. Starting at the Smithsonian Metro station, participants will walk alongside the National Mall as a tour guide explains the backstory of how then-First Lady Helen Taft came to be enamored with the pink flowers, before finishing off the tour at the Tidal Basin itself. Tickets are $35, and the tour is approximately 2 hours. 1200 Independence Avenue, SW.
DC by Foot Blossoms on the Basin Walking Tour
Starting at the DC War Memorial on the National Mall, this one-hour tour offers participants a chance to see the monuments and, of course, the blossoms themselves. Tours run from 10 am to 1:30 pm daily from March 21 to 28, but more dates may become available, weather permitting; tickets are $4.
Boating
Capitol River Cruises’ Cherry Blossom Cruise
One of the quicker options on our list, at just 45 minutes, this sightseeing cruise is a short but sweet jaunt on the Potomac, starting in Georgetown and making it to National Airport before turning back. Tickets start at $15 for kids, $21 for veterans, and $25 for those ages 13 and up, with multiple trips per day available from March 23 to April 14. 3050 K Street, NW.
Cherry Blossom Dining Cruises
Dinner with a view—or lunch or brunch: You have a few options at City Experience’s Cherry Blossom Dining Cruises. Patrons will set sail on the Potomac aboard a glass-enclosed boat for a two-hour cruise—three hours for dinner—featuring an on-board DJ and a cash bar. If you can rally for the brunch cruise, which sets sail at 10:30 on Saturdays and Sundays, there’s also unlimited mimosas. Semi-formal dress, please. 580 Water Street SW.
Cherry Blossom Water Taxi
With four options for docking, a rider on City Experience’s Water Taxi can travel through the area while seeing the cherry blossoms. The boat stops at the Wharf, Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria, and National Harbor, and passengers can book a one-way ticket or a round trip. Tickets start at $22, with departure times varying based on the day of the week and docking locations.
DC Cherry Blossom Hot Tub Tour
A hot tub with a one-of-a-kind view. That’s the pitch behind Sea the City’s DC Cherry Blossom Hot Tub Boat Tour. There are bluetooth speakers and a cooler on board, so you’re welcome to BYOB—but no hard liquor, please. Tickets start at $336, and tours run from Thursdays through Sundays starting March 9. 650 Wharf St. SW.
Embark DC Cherry Blossom Tours
Offering tours to parties of up to six people, Embark DC takes riders on the Potomac. While you won’t go into the Tidal Basin itself, the route still passes by the Jefferson Memorial and Hains Point, with a guide on board to educate you about the history of the blossoms. While some complimentary beverages will be served, guests are also welcome to bring whatever food or drink they want on board. Rates are $450 per hour from Monday through Thursday, and $500 per hour on the weekends.
Hotel AKA Alexandria’s Blossom Bliss
Take a luxury trip on the Potomac on a 72-foot yacht this cherry blossom season with Hotel AKA Alexandria’s Blossom Bliss cruise. While it’s not cheap—packages start at $4,450—the trip comes with “seasonally inspired gourmet cuisine” and two complimentary cherry blossom themed cocktails, according to the tour’s website. While trips are setting sail until April 13, make sure to plan ahead; you have to make your reservation at least two weeks in advance.
Other
Cherry Blossom Guided Tour with Pedego Alexandria
Beat the traffic, get some exercise, and see the cherry blossoms: a three-for-one deal, you might say. On this $69, three-hour guided tour, you’ll bike from Old Town Alexandria all the way to DC’s East Potomac Park, cutting through the flowers on your way there. Tours are running from March 16 to April 14; they depart at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm on weekends, and by appointment on weekdays. 210 North Lee St., Alexandria.
DC Cherry Blossom Guided Bus Tour
For those looking to see DC’s landmarks beyond the Tidal Basin area, this may be the tour for you. Starting at the Navy Memorial Plaza, riders on this four-hour tour will stop by the Lincoln and MLK memorials on their way to the Tidal Basin, and the Vietnam War and both World War memorials as well as the White House on the way back. And if you’re truly a novice to the District, don’t worry; there’s a tour guide. Tickets start at $58. 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
Nonpartisan Pedicab
Red or blue, the Nonpartisan Pedicab accommodates all. And that goes for the tour as well—the pedicab will pick you up and drop you off at a location of your choosing. Cherry blossom tours are 2-4 hours long, with rates for a trip going at $135 per hour for two adults, or $165 for three adults or two adults and two children. Call 703-231-9882 or visit here to book a trip.
