Travel Guide: See Blooming Cherry Blossoms in Washington D.C.
Dazzling cherry blossoms, world-class dining, and a trove of cultural gems make for an ideal spring getaway to the country’s capital.
Catch a picture-perfect view of the Washington Monument behind a wall of flowering cherry blossom trees at the National Cherry Blossom Festival. / Photo courtesy of National Cherry Blossom Festival
EAT
Island Flavors
Dining in the District? Grab a seat at Cane on H Street. Inspired by cooking his native Trinidadian cuisine with his mother, chef Peter Prime and his sister, Jeanine, debuted their first restaurant as a modern take on the Caribbean island’s street food. (Their next venture, St. James, promises the same tastes in a more spacious space in the U Street corridor.) The Michelin award–winning fare is a melting pot of African, Indian, Spanish, French, and East Asian flavors, evident in menu items including the Herbivore paratha tiffin box—pillowy Indian bread served with potato and channa curries and tomato and eggplant chokas. Pair it with a signature rum cocktail such as the Cane Fever, with pineapple-habanero shrub.
There’s no shortage of Trinidadian delicacies at Cane. / Photo by Kelly Marshall
STAY
Artsy Abodes
There’s no shortage of new hotels in the city, and Lyle in swish Dupont Circle is one standout. The art deco–chic rooms blend a neutral palette with natural materials (see: the eye-catching burl wood headboards and modish rattan seating). Meanwhile, new to 16th Street is the 10-story boutique Kimpton Banneker Hotel. Rooms impress with a curated collection of local art and luxe Frette linens, but it’s the landmark views of the White House and Washington Monument from the year-round rooftop bar, Lady Bird, that you won’t want to miss.
Stay in or out at the Kimpton Banneker Hotel’s rooftop lounge and bar. / Photo courtesy of Kimpton Banneker Hotel
SEE
Pops of Culture
The allure of springtime in DC is, of course, the 3,800 blooming cherry blossom trees lining the Tidal Basin. This year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival is back in-person from March 20 to April 17 after two years of virtual events. Join the 10-block parade down Constitution Avenue, or a day of live music at Petalpalooza. And to mark the Smithsonian Institution’s 175th anniversary, many of its (free!) museums are celebrating with special exhibits, such as “Futures”—a speculative look at our future (think: exosuits and underwater homes)—at the newly reopened Arts and Industries Building.
nationalcherryblossomfestival.org; aib.si.edu/futures.
