This Is When Washington, D.C. Cherry Blossoms Will Peak in 2024

We may be experiencing a bonus day of winter with 2024’s Leap Day, but don’t worry. The National Park Service (NPS) wants you to know that spring is approaching. Specifically, the NPS says Washington DC’s famed cherry blossoms will peak sooner than you think. 

An NPS spokesperson shared during the live unveiling of the dates that “this has been a particularly puzzling year to read the trees” due to a warmer-than-average January. And, because of this, the trees never reached dormancy, making this year a difficult one to predict. But even with that caveat, the NPS has projected the dates for the 2024 peak bloom to fall between March 23 to March 26.

Peak bloom, the NPS explained in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure, is when 70 percent or more of the trees “surrounding the Tidal Basin have opened their buds, gracing DC with those fluffy light pink blossoms.” 

According to the NPS, more than 3,000 cherry trees surround the Tidal Basin, a grove that began in 1912 after Tokyo’s Mayor Yukio Ozaki sent a few over as a gift. The trees you’ll find in the Tidal Basin include varieties of Yoshino and Kwanzan trees. This duo makes the perfect pair, as the Kwanzan trees typically bloom two weeks after the Yoshino, extending the season long enough for everyone to enjoy.  

The peak bloom time in Washington DC has remained relatively stable over the last two decades, with the blooms usually hitting their high notes toward late March and early April. In 2022 and 2023, the blooms peaked just two days apart, on March 21 and March 23, respectively. 

As for how to make the most of your time visiting the blooms, almost every hotel in the region has something special going on for the season. That includes Conrad Washington, DC, which is offering guests access to its Cherry Blossom Chief Concierge, aka the hotel’s chief concierge Jeffrey Morgan, who is on-hand to give all his insider advice. Morgan also created the Cherry Blossom Celebration package that includes a one-hour photo session among the blooms, dinner at the hotel, and a bespoke picnic basket.

The Hilton Washington, DC National Mall The Wharf is also offering cherry blossom-themed deluxe rooms, while the Capitol Hill Hotel is giving guests a special cherry blossom welcome amenity, VIP cherry blossom turndown, access to the hotel’s bike fleet, daily continental breakfast, and late check-out between all of March and April.

This year’s Cherry Blossom Festival is also perfectly timed, taking place between March 20 and April 14. Guests are welcome to participate in the Pink Tie Party, which kicks off the festival on March 15, and the Bloom Kite Festival, which invites attendees to take flight with their own kites on March 30, 2024.

See all the happenings and start plotting a trip at nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.