The Best Spots to Catch D.C.’s Stunning Cherry Blossoms This Season

Every spring, parts of Washington D.C. turn a pretty shade of pink as the city's cherry blossom trees begin to put on their stunning show. People come from all over the world to witness this beautiful event, and to participate in the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival.

But, for amateur photographers and fans of the flowers, finding the best places to get a glimpse of these flowers can be tricky. That's why we put together a list of the spots that just about everyone agrees are the best places to see the D.C. cherry blossoms.

Continue reading to learn where they are.

If you're looking to get an eyeful of the creamy pink and white flowers, you'll want to follow the advice shared on the official Washington D.C. visitors website, and head to one of these locations:

• Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
• The Jefferson Memorial
• The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
• Hains Point Loop Trail
• The Japanese Lantern
• The Tidal Basin (the water's edge and/or paddle boat)
• The Gardens of Dumbarton Oaks
• The U.S. National Arboretum

Of course, those aren't the only places you can see the cherry blossoms in the city. But, according to the insiders, those are the spots where you'll have the best views, and the best chances at snapping a nice photo of the synchronized bloom.

Of course, if you want to see the cherry blossoms in all their glory, you'll need to go while the blooms are at their peak. According to the National Park Service (NPS), the arrival of the cherry blossoms will vary from year to year, depending on what type of weather the city is having.

But, typically, if you want to catch the best views of the blooms, you'll want to head to D.C. during the last week of March or the first week of April.

From there, visitors will have a few days to enjoy the blossoms before they begin with wilt and wither. Of course, if the temperatures are cooler, you may have a few extra days to take in the sights, but intense winds or rains can cut that window shorter, so it's important to keep an eye on the weather as you're planning your trip.

If you've ever wondered why D.C. has such a large number of cherry blossoms around the city, you may be interested to know that they were shared with the city as a gift from Japan.

In 1912, the country's officials delivered the tree, which is also known as a "Sakura," as a symbol of friendship between the two nations. The initial gift consisted of 2,000 trees, and it was facilitated by the mayor of Tokyo, according to the NPS.

Sadly, that first batch fell victim to an infestation in transit, and all but a handful of trees had to be destroyed. Not deterred by the change of events, Tokyo's mayor sent another batch of trees over. This time, he upped the number to a stunning 3,020 trees.

It took several years for all of the trees to be planted, but as you can see, they still stand strong today, and they reward locals and visitors alike with the appearance of the spring blooms.