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Spring is in the air in Washington DC! If you are thinking about coming to see the beautiful cherry blossoms, now is the time to start getting serious about making plans. Since hotels are plentiful in DC, here is our list of the 10 best hotels for Washington DC Cherry Blossom Festival.

When selecting your hotel, keep in mind that Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the only Washington area airport that has direct access to downtown DC via Metro. If you fly into IAD, you can still use the Metro, but it’s a bit trickier.

(SEE ALSO: How to get from IAD to DCA (or downtown Washington DC)

If you fly into Baltimore (BWI), there is an express bus from the airport to the Greenbelt Metro station. Or, as a reader pointed out in the comments, you can take a shuttle from the airport to the BWI Marshall Rail Station to catch an Amtrak to Union Station in downtown DC.

a white building with columns and a body of water with white flowers

Walking Distance (under 1.5 miles) to Tidal Basin

If you are within walking distance to the Tidal Basin, you are also an easy walk to the National Mall. Being in this area would be perfect if your trip is a short one. You can see and do more within a short walk or Uber ride. Many of the hotels in this area charge a high fee for parking but having a car isn’t necessary. Ride sharing is common and Metro stations are a short walk from each hotel I’ve suggested below. Half of our suggestions for the best hotels for the Washington DC cherry blossom festival fit into this category.

a train station with people walking on the tracks

Easy Metro Access

The closest Metro stop to the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin is the Smithsonian stop at approximately .6 miles. The Orange, Silver, and Blue lines service this station without having to make any transfers. I would suggest finding a hotel close to one of those lines in Arlington, Virginia. You will likely save some money/points on your nightly rate but hotels likely still charge for parking. This category holds the other half of our suggestions for the best hotels for cherry blossom festival viewing.

 a group of cars parked on a road

Further Into Suburbs

The further out you get from DC, the longer it will take you to travel to the cherry blossoms. While it seems like it shouldn’t take long to drive 10-15 miles but if you hit a bad batch of traffic, it could triple your drive time.

Now, hotels further out will likely be less expensive and parking is generally very inexpensive or free. You could always drive to a metro station that has parking like Vienna, Wiehle-Reston, Shady Grove, Franconia-Springfield, or Van Dorn.

If you are selecting this option, I’m guessing one of your top reasons is due to cost. Before you make your final choice, consider all of your necessary costs. You will either need to pay for parking in DC or the Metro plus a train ticket. Visit this site for more information on Metro fares.

I didn’t include any specific hotels on our list of 10 best hotels for Washington DC cherry blossom festival in this category. Personally, I would only select a hotel further into the suburbs if I were trying to stick with a budget or visiting friends or family who lived close to the hotel.

Important Dates for Cherry Blossoms

The National Park Service (NPS) closely monitors the blooming cherry blossoms each year. You can see when peak bloom has been over the past 14 years by visiting their website. Official dates for the National Cherry Blossom Festival are March 20-April 15, 2018. The peak bloom prediction was JUST announced this morning! It’s expected to be March 17-20. Keep an eye on the NPS Facebook and Twitter for more updates on bloom status.

Going to see the cherry blossoms is truly an amazing experience. I was incredibly surprised by the beauty the first time I saw them in person. No matter how crazy it gets trying to get to the cherry blossoms, remember to take a deep breath and enjoy the beauty around you.

Have you stayed at any of these best hotels for the Washington DC cherry blossom festival? 

If you travel to the beautiful Washington DC Cherry Blossom Festival, here are 10 hotels to stay on near all the things to do


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