From New York to Washington for $25: Visit Cherry Blossom Parks and the Tulip Festival

Spring is already in full swing across the region. If you're dreaming of flowers, sunshine, and a change of scenery, now is the perfect time to head south. New Yorkers have the opportunity to briefly trade the city streets for the blooming gardens of Washington, D.C. Train tickets are available from as little as $25, reports SecretNYC.

Cherry blossom season is about to begin in the US capital, and the National Mall will host its first-ever large-scale Tulip Day.

Amtrak tickets from $25

You can find a cheap trip on routes North-Eastern Railway Corridor.

Amtrak offers a flat rate Night Owl. It applies to trips during off-peak hours.

If you book a train that departs between 19:00 PM and 07:00 AM, you can buy a one-way ticket in a Coach car for only about $25.

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The route runs from Moynihan Train Hall in New York City to Union Station in Washington, D.C.

These flights are ideal for travelers who want to maximize their time in the city during the day or arrive early in the morning before the tourist attractions are overcrowded.

For booking and details, please visit the official website Amtrak website.

150,000 tulips on the National Mall

The main flower news of this year is the first festival Tulip Day Washington.

This tradition began in Amsterdam in 2012, initiated by Dutch tulip growers to mark the start of the season.

Over time, the festival appeared in other cities around the world, such as:

• San Francisco;
• Antwerp;
• New York, where the event was held in Union Square for several years in a row.

Now the festival will be held in the US capital for the first time.

On March 15, the National Mall near the Smithsonian metro station will be transformed into a massive temporary greenhouse. Approximately 150,000 tulips will be planted there.

In a Dutch-inspired tradition, visitors can wander through the flower display and pick 10 tulips for free to create their own bouquet.

However, due to its great popularity, tickets to the flower picking area were distributed as early as the beginning of March, and they quickly sold out.

Even without a flower-picking ticket, you can still see the exhibition. The vibrant tulips look especially striking against the backdrop of the US Capitol.

When will the cherry blossoms bloom in 2026?

If you miss Tulip Day, don't worry. The capital's main floral event is still to come.

The U.S. National Park Service predicts that the peak cherry blossom season in 2026 will be between March 29 and April 1.

At this time, approximately 70% of the Yoshino cherry trees around Tidal Basin will be fully blossomed. A dense white and pink "flower dome" will appear over the water.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival itself will be held from March 20 to April 12.

The program will also include:

• Blossom Kite Festival - March 28;
• The festival's grand parade is on April 11.

Another flower spot near the Jefferson Memorial

Those who want to see more flowers should visit the Floral Library, also known as the Tulip Library, located next to the Jefferson Memorial.

The garden was created in 1969 as part of an urban beautification project initiated by Lady Bird Johnson. It features 93 flowerbeds with various varieties of tulips from the Netherlands.

They usually begin blooming at the same time as the cherry blossoms or a little later, so visitors can see a second wave of blooms.

Washington in spring is one of the most vibrant spectacles on the US East Coast. So grab some comfortable shoes, charge your camera, and set out on a floral journey.