Pleasant Walk Around the Tidal Basin, Washington DC

The loop around the Tidal Basin is the gentlest walk in Washington — a flat path under the famous cherry trees, ringing the water past four memorials.

Washington DC · Walk · about 45 min · 2.1 miles · Pleasantness: Very High

Why this route is pleasant

• Flat, paved loop right at the water's edge
• Ringed by the famous Japanese cherry trees
• Passes four monuments in two miles
• The Jefferson Memorial reflected across the basin
• Constant water views and open sky

What you'll see

• The Jefferson Memorial across the water
• The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
• The FDR Memorial's water-and-stone rooms
• Cherry blossoms in late March / early April

Best time to go

Peak cherry-blossom bloom in late March, or sunrise any time for empty paths and soft light.

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