Where to find the most Instagram-worthy spots at the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Best places in DC for Cherry Blossom Photos, Take Cherry Blossom Photos like a Pro!
Don’t get stuck in the bottleneck of tourists - come check out the best spots to take photos at the National Cherry Blossom Festival, no matter the crowds. Here are my favorite spots for the most instagrammable photos of DC’s cherry blossoms. Enjoy the photos below, and don’t forget to check out my cherry blossom fine art print shop!
South side of the Tidal Basin
Check out both sides of the Jefferson Memorial along the water (bathrooms available there too!). Low-hanging branches on the east side of Jefferson yield stunning, artistic photos highlighting both the cherry blossoms and our national monuments.
Tidal Basin Paddle Boats
There’s nothing more adorably iconic in DC than the swan paddle boats floating peacefully on the Tidal Basin. They are located on the east side of the basin, just off 14th Street.
Capitol Building - Mall Side
In one direction you’ll be able to photograph the Capitol Building, and in the other direction, the National Mall and Smithsonian Castle peeking out over a cluster of cherry blossom trees. You’ll want a telephoto lens for this, the museums on the Mall are pretty far away from this spot.
FDR Memorial
The least crowded side of the Tidal Basin during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the FDR Memorial has dozens of trees sprinkled throughout. You’ll also have spectacular views of the Jefferson Memorial from this (west) side of the basin, and the ground slopes so you can stand up higher than the crowds and easily take great photos.
Walk from MLK Jr Memorial to the Jefferson Memorial, and on your way you’ll discover the location for iconic photos of the National Cherry Blossom Festival with the Washington Monument in the distance. It’s extremely easy to avoid getting too many people in your photos thanks to the basin’s curve in that spot. This area is gorgeous any time of day, from sunrise (below) to sunset.
Kutz Bridge on Independence Ave
The north side of the Tidal Basin has the most space to walk around, and gorgeous views across the water of the Jefferson Memorial, and the pink cherry blossom trees in all their glory. Stay to the west of Kutz Bridge and you’ll see the Japanese Lantern (first cherry blossom tree memorial) and a wide-open grassy space - that’s your spot!
There are tons of low-hanging branches so you can get those crisp, detailed close-ups of the delicate cherry blossoms. These branches also offer a spectacular backdrop for portraits (see below: yours truly!)
Small Pond across the street from the Tidal Basin
Between Independence Ave SW and Kutz Bridge is a small pond (separated from the Tidal Basin by Kutz Bridge) completely surrounded by cherry blossom trees on one side. Plenty of low-hanging branches make it easy to photograph individual blossoms, or step back a few feet and artistically frame the Washington Monument with pink flowers.
MLK Jr Memorial - view of the Washington Monument
Staying on the north side of the Tidal Basin, you’ll have great views through white and pink cherry blossom trees of the MLK Jr Memorial. The Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument are visible too, by turning in other directions.
BONUS!
Smithsonian Castle's Enid A. Haupt Garden on Jefferson Drive SW (entry on Independence Ave).
When the magnolias are in bloom just before the cherry blossoms reach peak bloom, the entire garden is pink. It’s breathtaking and while it can attract crowds, not everyone knows about it, so you might get lucky and have the garden almost all to yourself like I did.
