1-Day Cherry Blossom Itinerary

The National Cherry Blossom Festival one of the biggest festivals in Washington DC; every March and April the city celebrates the gift of Japanese cherry trees from Tokyo - donated  to celebrate the friendship between the United States and Japan. It's definitely a worthwhile visit, The blossoms are a fleeting and uniquely beautiful moment in Washington DC; there are only a few weeks every year that one can see the blossoms, and that timing is dependent on the weather. 

These beautiful blossoms manage to bring out 1.5 million visitors every year. However, so the crowds of people can make it tough to appreciate the full beauty of the blossoms. To help guide your day, we here at Urban Atlas have designed a one-day all-cherry blossom itinerary that will let you go all in on the blossoms. 

The Washington Monument and cherry blossoms from East Potomac Park - CC: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

6 AM: Cherry Blossom Sunrise

The most dense pack of cherry blossom trees it at the Tidal Basin, and the most scenic time to take in these blossoms is at sunrise or sunset. However, while sunset will be overflowing with people, sunrise is quite serene. So get out of bed early, and get down to the Tidal Basin and appreciate the serenity and beauty of the cherry blossoms at dawn.

7:30 AM Wharf Breakfast

The DC Wharf is new on the cherry blossom scene this year - the multi-year development project opened it's first phase in the fall of 2017. These are now the closest restaurants and bars to the Tidal Basin - and you should definitely take advantage of them. The only real option at this early hour is Kith and Kin, the African-Caribbean outpost in the new InterContinental Washington DC at The Wharf. Another option, if you happen to be a bit later (or a bit patient) is the more reasonably priced Pearl Street Warehouse's Diner, which opens at 8:30 AM. 

Kith and Kin; 801 Wharf Street, SW; https://kithandkindc.com/; opens at 6:30 AM.

Pearl Street Warehouse; 33 Pearl Street SW; https://www.pearlstreetwarehouse.com/diner/; opens at 8:30 AM.

9 AM: A Cherry Blossom Bike and/or Walk

Bikers amid the cherry blossoms in East Potomac Park - CC: Rudi Riet

Once you have digested breakfast, it makes sense to dive back into the Cherry Blossom festivities. The 3+ mile circle circuit of East Potomac Park down to Hains Point and back is packed with Cherry Blossoms but they are more spread out, leading to a much more relaxed blossom viewing experience. 

At this hour, Capital Bikeshare is a great option; you can get a 24-hour pass for just $8, and that will cover you for unlimited 30 minute rides. There are some stations on East Potomac Park, make sure to download the app first.

Click here for more information on Capital Bikeshare.

11:30 AM: Cherry Blossom Boat Ride 

During the Cherry Blossom Festival, DC Cruises runs a ferry that is half sightseeing and half transportation between the Georgetown waterfront and the Tidal Basin. On the route between these stop, the route will treat you to great views of the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin as well as the numerous monuments along the path. The ferry costs $25, and gets you a round trip that can be used in both directions. For those preferring to stay on land, it's only a little more than a 2 mile trip along the water, an easy bike or walk. 

DC Cruises; picks up near the Tidal Basin at the intersection of Ohio Drive SW and West Basin Drive SW; http://www.dc-cruises.com/cherry_blossom_cruises.php

12:30 PM: Georgetown Lunch

As you transit between the Tidal Basin cherry blossoms and the Dumbarton Oaks cherry blossoms, Georgetown in the sensible stopping point for lunch. We have two suggestions, Chaia for relatively inexpensive vegetarian but extremely flavorable tacos; or Pizzeria Paradiso - a great local wood-fired pizza chain with a great selection of beers and wines. Both should be quick, though Chaia will definitely be faster. 

Chaia; 3207 Grace St. NW; opens 11 AM Monday-Friday, and 10 AM Saturday and Sunday; https://www.chaiadc.com/

Pizzeria Paradiso; 3282 M St. NW; open 11:30 AM Monday - Saturday, noon on Sunday; https://www.eatyourpizza.com/

2 PM: Dumbarton Oaks

Magnolia in the foreground, Cherry Blossoms in the background at Dumbarton Oaks. CC: DC Gardens

The Dumbarton Oaks historic estate was the residence of Robert and Mildred Bliss. In 1940 the The Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection was founded, and the research institute was donated to Harvard University in 1940. It supports research in the fields of Byzantine, Pre-Columbian, and garden design and landscape architecture studies. 

While being only a few blocks from the the commercial center of Georgetown, it is a quiet and serene place. Most importantly, the garden houses a great collection of flower, trees, shrubs, and other plants - to include a beautiful collection of Cherry Blossoms. For only $10, you can take your time wandering the garden and enjoying the quiet and that isn't available at the Tidal Basin at this hour. If you need a break from the outdoors, the museum is free to access and currrently features a Cherry Blossom rare book collection and an exhibition in Machu Picchu in popular culture among others. 

Dumbarton Oaks Garden; 1703 32nd St. NW; open Tuesday through Sunday; the garden is open between 2 PM and 6 PM; the museum is open from 11:30 AM to 5:30 PM; https://www.doaks.org/

6 PM Wander East Potomac Park at Sunset

The Wharf as seen from East Potomac Park

Catch the Union Station-Georgetown circulator on Wisconsin, and hop off at Washington Circle. Here you can either walk back to the Tidal Basin or grab Metro to the Smithsonian station. Once you arrive, our suggestion is to enjoy East Potomac Park and Hains Point - the sunset colors, along with the lights of Washington National Airport or the Wharf DC, is a great and quieter way to enjoy the sunset than Tidal Basin, which will be packed a this hour.

Once you arrive, our suggestion is to enjoy the setting sun from East Potomac Park and Hains Point; the colors, along with the lights of Washington National Airport or the Wharf DC, make it a great place to enjoy the blossoms amidst the sunset. It will also be significantly more quiet than the Tidal Basin as well. 

8:30 PM: Ramen Dinner

Hailing from Japan, along with the Cherry Blossoms, is Ramen. Fortunately, Washington DC is going through somewhat of a Ramen revolution, with many different and excellent options. However, the ramen shop on the first floor of Daikaya remains the best (and most accommodating) ramen in town; from the more sedate Shio and Shoyu ramens, to the Spicy Miso, their ramens never dissapoint. Vegetarians and Vegans also have a great option with Vegetable Ramen as well. One of the challenges is that the ramen shop does not take reservations and the line can often be long. If waiting isn't your preference, you can make a reservation at sister-ramen restaurant Haikan, up near the U Street corridor.

Daikaya (1F Ramen); 705 6th St. NW; https://www.daikaya.com/; no reservations

Haikan; 805 V St. NW; https://www.haikandc.com; reservations encouraged

11 PM: Cherry Blossom Bar

Cherry Blossom Pop-Up Bar - CC: Joe Flood

To finish your cherry blossom filled day, there is no better option than to grab a drink, say a Cherry Blossom Gin and Tonic in a room with 90,000 individual blossoms. The bar, playing on the Japanese-American relationship, incorporates numerous elements of Japanese culture into the design and the drinks. One bar resembles a teahouse, another is made to resemble Tokyo's Memory Lane, and there is a 10-foot animatronic Godzilla that blows smoke out of its mouth. 

Cherry Blossom Pop-Up Bar; 1839-1843 7th St. NW; open 5pm to 12:30 AM Sunday through Thursday, and till 1:30 AM on Friday and Saturday; Through April 30th. https://popupbardc.com/

By Special Request: 1 Day DC Itinerary

CC: Phil Roeder

A special request has been made of the Urban Atlas team. A friend's cousin and boyfriend are coming to DC for 24 hours - arriving this Friday afternoon and departing Saturday evening. They are German, and in their mid-20s, and want the "full DC Experience." So Urban Atlas has put together this one-day itinerary. 

Fridays, 5 PM - A Beautiful Evening on the Mall - Jazz in the Garden and biking tour the mall on Capital Bikeshare

Friday's weather is supposed to be perfect for an August Friday. Spending a DC summer evening on the mall is the perfect way to start a quick DC jaunt. 

Start with Jazz in the Garden - it is a DC ritual and a unique opportunity to enjoy the National Mall. Every Friday during the summer - from May 19th through August 25th, the National Gallery of Art (NGA) hosts a free jazz concert in its Sculpture Garden. It's a great opportunity to take advantage of the (sometimes) enjoyable DC summer evenings. It also may be the only time to (legally) enjoy alcoholic beverages on the National Mall - available for purchase at the Pavilion Café. You can also bring your own food or purchase some at the Café. Be sure to get there early - it can get very crowded if you don't arrive early to carve out your own spot. 

Once you've had enough Jazz, it's time to experience the rest of the National Mall. The Mall is best experienced out in the open. However, while the Mall is walkable, it isn't small, as the walk from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial is about 2.5 miles. Fortunately, there are a number of excellent and affordable ways to traverse the mall. For those interested in exploring on their own, Capitol Bikeshare unlimited 30 minute rides with stations near all the big sites along the mall (and throughout the city.)

Friday 9:30 PM - A Late Dinner with Andres

Famed chef Jose Andres kicked off his career by opening Jaleo in Washington in 1993 at age 23, helping to kick of the tapas craze in the United States. It has impressively remained one of the highest regarded restaurants in the city despite having been open for almost 25 years. Of course, Andres has become one of the most notable celebrity chefs in the country, with 19 restaurants in Washington, Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Puerto Rico. Despite the competition in DC, often coming from his other 8 Washington area restaurants, Jaleo remains an icon that people keep returning to. A few reservations are still available for this Friday!

Friday Midnight: Point of View

While DC has some iconic views, it does not have a particular notable skyline, except in rare cases. This is because of the strict height restriction on buildings in DC, leading to mostly uninspired views of the tops of buildings. One notable exception to that is the POV bar atop the W Washington. With rare views of the White House and other monuments, it is provides a unique view of Washington. While it is definitely an expensive place to get a drink, it’s hard to compete with view.  If you are looking for a more traditional location for a drink and maybe a snack, Old Ebbitt Grill is just a block away and offers one of the more classic DC bar experiences.

POV: 515 15th St NW; Open until 2 AM on Friday and Saturday.

Old Ebbitt Grill: 675 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005; Open till 3 AM on Friday and Saturday.

Saturday 9AM: (Eastern) Market Breakfast

Like many older cities, Washington had many markets throughout town; through the years and downturn of center city, many were lost to history. Eastern Market, however, has been mostly in operation for 136 years. Rebuilt after a 2007 fire that required the 19th century building to be internally gutted and rebuilt, a new and improved Eastern Market emerged in 2009. 7 days a week the south hall houses a number vendors peddling fresh produce and flowers, to baked goods, meats, poultry, cheese and deli products. On weekends, the hall is joined just outside by a farmers market and vendors selling handmade arts and crafts and antiques. It’s a perfect place to grab breakfast and wander amid the vendors people watching. 

Eastern Market: 225 7th St SE Opens 9AM Sundays, 7 AM Tuesday - Saturday. Closed Monday. 

Saturday 11AM: Air and Space

When people think of the Smithsonian Museums, or see a Smithsonian Museum in the movies (Captain America 2: Winter Soldier), the museum they are thinking about is the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. The most visited Smithsonian Museum with 7.5 million visitors in 2016, this American icon on the south side of the National Mall is full of unique sites that draw in visitors including Apollo 11 module, the Friendship 7 capsule which was flown by John Glenn, the Bell X-1 which broke the sound barrier, and the Wright brothers' plane near the entrance. As it is the most popular Smithsonian, early arrivals are helpful as well as a well planned itinerary. 

Just as a reminder, there is a second Air and Space Museum out by Washington Dulles airport, which is where the Space Shuttle resides. That is unfortunately a 45 minute drive away. 

National Air and Space Museum: 600 Independence Ave SW, Open 10AM to 5:30 PM.

Saturday 12:30 PM: Capitol Views 

One of the most notable landmarks in the country, the U.S. Capitol remains high on the many people’s visit list for good reasons - its combination of history, grand spaces and architecture, along with its current day importance, is tough to match. The only real way to see the building is by tour, which takes you through an impressive array of rooms and spaces, from the Capitol rotunda itself to the crypt where George Washington was supposed to be buried, to the whisper hall in the old House of Representatives chamber where former President John Quincy Adams was rumored to spy on his political opponents (now the hall of statues). To access the Capitol, enter through the Capitol Visitor’s Center, located on the east side of the building. The center is an impressive and expensive ($621 million) underground entryway to the Capitol that was completed in 2008.

Capitol Visitor Center: First St and E Capitol St NE. Tour reservations strongly recommended and best made online.

Saturday 2:30 PM: Wander Adams Morgan and Experience Ethiopian Food

This itinerary has been very focused on "traditional" DC, so let's take the rest of the time in this itinerary to get outside of "federal" DC and see something else. Adams Morgan, especially during the day, does not live up to it's party atmosphere. Even at night, the neighborhood has become much more relaxed. So it's a good place to wander, drop into a bar or a coffee shop and grab a drink, and to eat some food. On your way into Adams Morgan, especially if you are heading north from the Dupont Metro Station, definitely stop by Pleasant Pops for a delicious upscale popsicle, which will help keep you cool in the August sun. Definitely note the vintage stores and the "help" stores, but your final destination is one of the newly reopened and relocated gems of DC. Zenebech has returned to DC and has reopened its doors in the heart of Adams Morgan. It represents some of the best Ethiopian food in the city, and remains affordable and delicious. I can't think of a better way to depart, on a stomach full of injera.

Pleasant Pops: 1781 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009

Zenebech: 2420 18th street NW Washington, DC 20009