Photo: Midori · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Midori · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Seasonal
Kyoto, Washington DC, and the world's best spring displays. How to time the blossoms and plan the trip.
Cherry blossom season is the world's most beautiful two weeks: the trees bloom, the petals fall, and for a brief window the city is transformed. But the window is brief and the timing is fickle; this is a trip that rewards planning.
Here are the essential destinations, and how to get the timing right.
Japan's cherry blossom season (late March to early April, varying by year) is the original and still the best: the Philosopher's Path, Maruyama Park's night illuminations, the temple gardens. The blossoms are a national obsession; the hanami (flower-viewing) parties are the point.
Photo: Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Book accommodation early; blossom season is Japan's peak tourist season. Our Kyoto guide has the temple details; time the trip for the blossoms and the city does the rest.
The Tidal Basin's cherry trees (a 1912 gift from Japan) bloom around late March, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival turns it into a weeks-long celebration. The monuments framed by blossoms are the iconic American spring image.
Photo: MBisanz · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
It's free, it's central, and it pairs with the Smithsonian museums. Check our Washington DC pages for festival events during the bloom.
The blossoms are weather-dependent; the forecasts (Japan's sakura forecasts are detailed and updated) are essential. Book refundable where you can, and have a backup plan: the cities are worth visiting even if you miss peak bloom by a few days.
The broader lesson: seasonal trips reward the planners. Check our city pages for spring events; the blossoms are the headline, but the season's festivals are the supporting act.
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