Discover Where and When to See Cherry Blossom Trees in Seattle
Similar to Washington DC, Seattle is famous for its beautiful cherry blossoms. People travel from all over the US to see Seattle in bloom as the spectacle absoltuely transforms the city. With this guide, we want to help you plan a Seattle trip filled with color, making the most of Cherry Blossom Season.
You can visit Seattle at any time of year and have a good time, but it’s especially beautiful when the cherry blossom is in full bloom. If anything we say inspires you to explore Seattle with us, consider our collection of Private Tours of Seattle, and please get in touch if you have any questions!
When is the Best Time to see Cherry Blossoms in Seattle?
Let’s cover the time of year first of all. Seattle’s cherry blossom season isn’t set in stone, as slight differences in the weather from year to year can change when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. This adds a touch of mystery and anticipation, but it can make it a little trickier to plan a visit bang on time!
However, on average, you can usually expect cherry blossoms to be at peak bloom between mid to late March. At the time of writing, we’re looking ahead to 2024; it’s likely that the cherry blossoms will be at peak bloom right on schedule, but something might change between now and then as global weather is more than a little strange right now…
If you live in the US and you want to time your visit to coincide with the very best of the cherry blossom season (highly recommended), then we suggest waiting until February as this will allow you to gauge the best possible time to arrive.
If you’re from farther afield, it might be harder to hold off booking flights and accommodation; for these people, we recommend banking on mid to late March.
Where to See Cherry Blossoms Around Seattle
If you’re looking for the very best cherry blossom locations in Seattle and the surrounding area, then the best option is to book one of our lovingly crafted Seattle Customized Tours. Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll design the perfect cherry blossom tour in Seattle just for you. It’s our pleasure and privilege to create your dream Seattle experience.
If you’d like to plan your own cherry blossom tour of Seattle, here are some of the best places to visit…
Cherry Blossom at the University of Washington Campus
In the Quad of the University of Washington campus (pictured above), you’ll find what many agree is the best display of cherry blossoms. The trees stretch out over the entire quad and the falling blossoms fill the air and cover the floor like elaborate pink confetti!
The only drawback of visiting the University of Washington campus around cherry blossom season is that it’s the most popular spot, so it is packed with people. This makes it harder to get good photos, but it also makes for a great, celebratory atmosphere.
For updates on the state of the cherry blossom bloom here, follow @uwcherryblossom on Twitter.
Cherry Blossom at Seward Park
Seward Park is the original home of the Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival, making it one of the best places in the city to see this springtime spectacle. There aren’t as many cherry trees here as at UW campus, but it’s still absolutely stunning.
The very first cherry tree was planted here in 1929, and 3,500 cherry trees were planted throughout Seattle in the following year. Looking back to that time, we wonder if they understood how iconic these trees were going to become for the city.
The Japanese Garden in Point Defiance Park
If you want to enjoy some cherry blossom but you would prefer to avoid the biggest crowds, then head just an hour out of Seattle to Tacoma, where you’ll find the Japanese Garden in Point Defiance Park.
In 1959, the city of Seattle was gifted several Japanese cherry trees by the Consul General of Japan, the Honorable Kiyokazu Ota, along with the City of Kitakyushu in Japan. They were planted in the Japanese Garden in Point Defiance Park.
This is a stunning park in its own right, well worth visiting. And if you’re looking for more beauty with a distinctive Japanese feel, check out Kubota Gardens, which we mention in our guide titled 5 Incredible Things to do in Seattle for Families.
If a Japanese aesthetic is what you’re looking for and you don’t want to leave Seattle, you may also like to visit the Japanese Tea Garden at the Washington Arboretum. This 3.5 acre Japanese garden was constructed between 1958 and 1960 under the supervision and design of Kiyoshi Inoshita, Juki Iida, and Nobumasa Kitamura. (Just another incredible sight you can ask us to add to your custom Seattle adventure!)
There are many more places to see cherry blossom in Seattle, but we’ve covered our favorites. If you’ve been inspired by anything we’ve written about here and you’d like to ask a few questions about our tours, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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