The 10 best places to see cherry blossoms across the US this spring

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Nothing quite captures the joyous arrival of spring quite like cherry blossom season. When you think of this fleeting floral spectacle, an ancient hanami (flower-watching) celebration in Japan may be the first image that comes to mind. However, there are plenty …

Mar 3, 2025 - 15:03

The 10 best places to see cherry blossoms across the US this spring

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Nothing quite captures the joyous arrival of spring quite like cherry blossom season.

When you think of this fleeting floral spectacle, an ancient hanami (flower-watching) celebration in Japan may be the first image that comes to mind. However, there are plenty of destinations within the U.S. where you can view those puffs of flawless pink and white blossoms.

From Washington, D.C.’s Tidal Basin to the serene Japanese Garden of Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, sakura displays are accompanied by elaborate Japanese cultural events and traditions.

It’s a poignantly short window of opportunity — and Mother Nature is notoriously unpredictable — but you can expect peak blooms to occur in late March and early April (though this varies slightly from north to south).

Here are 10 of the best places to see cherry blossoms in the U.S. this spring.

Washington, DC

dc cherry blossoms — JOHN BAGGALEY/GETTY IMAGES

The capital’s annual three-week National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place from March 20 to April 13, and the National Park Service forecasts Washington, D.C.’s peak bloom to occur from March 28 to 31.

More than 3,000 trees span fields and gardens within city limits, but the headline act unfolds at the Tidal Basin, where blossoms photogenically frame some of the nation’s most cherished landmarks. More than 1.5 million people converge on the city each year to witness the spectacle, so be prepared to jockey for a good viewing spot.

The festival is a pink petal extravaganza featuring elaborate parade floats, marching bands, a kite festival, celebrity entertainers and a “Pink Tie” ball. Along the banks of the Anacostia River, “Petalpalooza” on April 5 showcases local musicians and artists with live performances, art walks and installations; there are also family-centric activities and a fireworks show at 8:30 p.m.

Celebrations culminate with the Japanese Street Festival — the largest of its kind in the country — on April 12 and 13. Along Pennsylvania Avenue (between Third and Seventh streets), you’ll find martial arts demos, J-pop, traditional food-and-beverage vendors and the Ginza Marketplace.

If you want to see gorgeous blooms — and beat the crowds — head to the U.S. National Arboretum, which is about 30 minutes from downtown.

Where to stay: Salamander Washington DC (formerly the Mandarin Oriental), between the National Mall and The Wharf, is a short walk from the Tidal Basin. The hotel’s Cherry Blossom Views package comes with views of the basin and a cherry blossom-themed afternoon tea service for two in your room or suite; it also offers private walkway access to the Tidal Basin. Cash rates for the Cherry Blossom Views package in a standard king room start at $760 per night.

Macon, Georgia

One of the nation’s most extravagant and proudest cherry blossom displays occurs in this central Georgia city. Macon celebrates the blossoms with a 10-day International Cherry Blossom Festival (March 21 to 30) that dates back to 1982.

More than 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees bloom here from mid- to late March, and the “pinkest party on Earth” features hundreds of events, including the Cherry Blossom Ball, wiener dog racing, tribute bands and dance parties.

Where to stay: A solid budget option for families, Springhill Suites Macon by Marriott offers rooms starting at 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points or $109 per night. Spacious, functional rooms come with microwaves and fridges, and you’ll find an indoor pool and a fitness center.

Nashville

Nashville might be best known for its country music scene, but it also hosts the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival. The celebration features a 2 1/2-mile Cherry Blossom Walk, which begins in Nashville Public Square. Visitors will also find children’s activities, martial arts, sumo suit wrestling, a “Pups in Pink” parade, traditional Japanese music, dancing and vendors selling Japanese specialty fare.

The city’s passion for cherry blossoms dates back to 2008 when the Consulate-General of Japan for the south-central U.S. transferred from New Orleans to Nashville and donated 1,000 cherry blossom trees. This year, the festival will take place April 12.

Where to stay: Hotel Indigo Nashville — The Countrypolitan has chic rooms and an ideal location, just a two-minute walk from Nashville Public Square. There’s also live music every night and a design that takes its cues from Nashville’s commercial history. Cash rates in mid-April start at $396 per night, or you can redeem as few as 80,000 IHG One Rewards points per night.

Philadelphia

Philly’s Fairmount Park is home to more than 1,600 sakura trees, which the people of Japan donated to Philadelphia in 1926; the gift honored 150 years of American independence.

The family-friendly Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia — which will take place from April 5 and 6 this year — draws more than 17,000 visitors over two days. It features kimono dressing, origami tutorials, sushi-making classes, martial arts, taiko drumming, live music performances and a traditional tea ceremony.

Where to stay: Base yourself at the W Philadelphia and combine glorious cherry blossom viewing with a tour of Philadelphia’s historic sites. Just a 10-minute walk from Rittenhouse Square and 20 minutes from the Liberty Bell, this glam Marriott Bonvoy property starts at $357 or 74,000 Bonvoy points per night during the festival.

San Francisco

In San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, you’ll find cherry blossom trees cascading photogenically over the bridges and the jewel box tea house in its beloved Japanese Tea Garden. (It’s the oldest public Japanese garden in the U.S., dating back to 1894.)

Spring’s top event is Japantown’s Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival. The cherry blossom event is second only to Washington, D.C.’s festival in size: It draws more than 220,000 people over two weekends in April. This year, the celebration takes place from April 12 to 13 and 19 to 20.

Cultural activities include taiko drum performances, bonsai displays, tea ceremonies, doll making, flower arranging, a Japanese food bazaar with a beer garden, a dedicated children’s village and traditional art vendors and workshops. Most events take place on Post Street.

Where to stay: Hotel Kabuki, a JdV by Hyatt property in Japantown, features 1930s and 1940s Japanese-style pop art. Bookend cherry blossom festivities with Southeast Asian specialties at the on-site restaurant, Nari, and then retreat to the hotel’s meditation garden. As a Category 5 Hyatt property, the hotel offers award rates in April starting at about 17,000 World of Hyatt points per night or $266 in cash.

Seattle

The Emerald City ushers in the spring season with a three-day celebration of Japanese culture along with cherry blossom viewing at a handful of locations. Across the Pacific Northwest, cherry blossom season generally peaks the third week in March.

The largest and oldest festival of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival dates back to 1976, when Japan’s then-Prime Minister Takeo Miki donated 1,000 cherry trees in honor of the U.S. bicentennial. Cultural events include traditional music performances, silk threading, origami demonstrations, kibori wood carving, Japanese cuisine and games.

This year, the festival runs from April 11 to 13. The best place to view the blossoms is at the Liberal Arts Quadrangle at the University of Washington, where 130 Yoshino cherry trees line the quad’s stately lawns and Gothic buildings. You’ll also find cherry trees along Azalea Way at Washington Park Arboretum, as well as alongside the bridges and walkways in the Japanese Garden.

Where to stay: The Hyatt Regency Seattle is one of TPG’s favorite Seattle hotels for its low points rate and its proximity to can’t-miss downtown attractions, such as Pike Place Market and the Seattle Art Museum. As for blossom peeping, it’s just a 12-minute drive to the University of Washington. If you decide to rent a car and you are a Globalist member, the hotel will waive your nightly self-parking fee of $40. Also, you’ll receive complimentary access to the Regency Club, which offers a full breakfast, evening canapes and panoramic skyline views. Rates start from about $186 or 15,000 World of Hyatt points per night in April.

Portland, Oregon

cherry blossoms portland — DANITA DELIMONT/GETTY IMAGES

The best place to see cherry blossoms in Portland is Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park beside the Willamette River. More than 100 cherry trees bloom across the park’s northern recesses, adjacent to the Japanese American Historical Plaza; the plaza commemorates the 120,000 Japanese Americans who were deported to internment camps during World War II.

In the hills of Portland’s Washington Park, the city’s beloved Japanese Garden is hailed as the nation’s most beautiful. It hosts a number of popular cultural workshops, including ikebana (flower arranging) and wine tastings.

At the end of March, cherry blossoms explode along the garden’s serene walkways that lead visitors to pagodas, bridges, waterfalls and koi ponds. Reservations are recommended, and tickets cost $21.95 for adults. The striking Umami Cafe, designed to resemble Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera temple, is a lovely spot for traditional Japanese tea.

Where to stay: Opened in 2023, The Ritz-Carlton, Portland is in a prime downtown location blocks from spots like Powell’s Books and Kiriko, a boutique that sells handmade clothes using vintage Japanese textiles. The property recently opened a new food hall, The Flock, with eight vendors including ZabPinto Thai Kitchen, The Nest and Vine wine bar and Prime Tap House. At the end of March, rooms start from about $437 or 82,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Traverse City, Michigan

michigan cherry blossoms — MEGAN RENAE STUDIOS/TRAVERSE CITY TOURISM

A late bloomer, Traverse City’s bucolic hillsides are awash with blossoms in early May. Counties farther from the water (Acme and Williamsburg) see the first blush; they are followed in mid-May by blooms in the more northern regions: Leelanau County, Old Mission Peninsula, Northport and the Mission Point Lighthouse.

In Leelanau, you can combine prime cherry blossom viewing along county Road 633 (south of Suttons Bay) with excellent wine tasting at one of 20 award-winning wineries. In Benzie County, Joyfield Road (between state Route 22 and U.S. 31) is another popular route dotted with farms and orchards that deliver those classic northern Michigan vistas.

An even bigger deal is when the cherry trees start producing fruit in the summer. Traverse City’s National Cherry Festival, which dates to 1925, runs from June 28 to July 5. Drawing more than 500,000 visitors, it’s one of the nation’s largest festivals, and it’s packed with family-friendly activities, including midway rides. The robust, eight-day entertainment schedule also includes performances from local and regional musicians.

Where to stay: The 150-year-old Old Mission Inn exudes timeless charm and character. With a picturesque porch overlooking East Grand Traverse Bay, it’s ideally located on Traverse City’s Old Mission Peninsula. Each of the individually styled rooms and suites is filled with artwork, antiques and period furnishings, like four-poster beds. Rates start from $225 per night during cherry blossom festivities.

Brooklyn, New York

brooklyn cherry blossom — ANDRIA PATINO/GETTY IMAGES

At the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 26 cherry tree species fringe the green lawns of the Cherry Esplanade. One of the season’s highlights is the double-flowering Kanzan cherries, which generally bloom toward the end of April.

The Cherry Walk winds behind the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, one of the oldest and most visited Japanese-inspired gardens outside Japan. It’s dotted with traditional architectural elements, including a red wooden torii, ornate bridges, stone lanterns and a Shinto shrine. Advance tickets are recommended and cost $22.

Hop on the subway and head south about 30 minutes to the historic Green-Wood Cemetery. In addition to being the final resting of famous New Yorkers like Leonard Bernstein and Jean-Michel Basquiat, it is also an accredited arboretum with 172 cherry trees that blossom each spring across its 478 acres. The cemetery is open to the public and free to visit.

Where to stay: In 2021, Ace Hotel debuted its second New York outpost in central Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill. As much a local hipster paradise as a destination for travelers, it hosts pop-up parties in its cool lobby. The property also houses a sultry bar and well-appointed rooms that feature eclectic artifacts, such as custom Tivoli radios, guitars, turntables and vintage furniture. Ace Hotel does not have a loyalty program. Cash rates in April start at $359 per night.

St. Louis

CASSIDY MOODY/MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN/FACEBOOK

Midwesterners can head to the 14-acre Japanese garden within the Missouri Botanical Garden to admire the pink blossoms this spring. The garden offers a wide variety of cherry trees, including vibrant Kanzans and more than 40 weeping Higans. March and April are the peak times for flower viewing, but some trees here start blooming as early as February.

The garden offers extended evening hours every Thursday in April, so you can admire the cherry trees at sunset. Access to the extended hours is included in the botanical garden’s $16 general admission fee. If you’re looking for a cultural experience, reserve a spot in the garden’s Sake and Sakura event on April 4 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. You’ll get a taste of Japan through a curated sake and Japanese whisky tasting while enjoying views of the trees.

Where to stay: The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza St. Louis is one of the best hotels in the city, and it’s just a 10-minute drive from the botanical garden. The hotel sits on the corner of St. Louis’ massive 1,300-acre Forest Park, so on days you’re not heading for the cherry trees, you can visit the park’s zoo, planetarium, historical landmarks and picnic areas. Guest rooms start at about $272 per night in March.

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