Metro Celebrates Cherry Blossom Season, March 20 - April 13, 2025

Smithsonian Metrorail Station is the closest station to the Tidal Basin. It’s about a 10-minute walk.
To avoid crowding, consider L'Enfant Plaza, Archives, or Federal Triangle. All three stations are about a 20-minute walk to the Tidal Basin.
Spread out on the train platform to reduce crowding.
Travel during non-rush hours on weekdays. On weekends, go early in the morning or early in the evening. This will help you avoid crowds.
Look up your cost to ride.
Pay for your ride: Mobile Wallet | SmarTrip.
Use our online Trip Planner.
New riders | Metrorail | Rules and manners
Learn about Metro’s safety initiatives.
Think about getting a 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day pass. These passes offer unlimited travel on Metrorail and Metrobus.
Metrobus is free when transferring to/from rail with an automatic transfer discount.
Parking is free at all Metro garages and lots on weekends. This makes it easy and cheap to park and ride downtown.

For your safety:
- Spread out on the train platform to help reduce crowding.
- Always stand back from the platform edge.
- When boarding trains, move into the middle of the car to allow others to board.
- At station stops, move away from the doors to allow others to exit.
- Do not hold or block train doors at any time – they are not like elevator doors.
- To report suspicious activity or unattended items on Metro, call 202-962-2121 or text "MyMTPD" (696873).
Metro connects to two different airports.
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on the Blue and Yellow lines
- Washington Dulles International Airport on the Silver Line
Metro connects to Amtrak at several points.
- Union Station and Rockville on the Red Line
- New Carrollton on the Orange Line
- King St-Old Town on the Blue and Yellow lines

Cost to Ride
Pay for your ride: Mobile Wallet | SmarTrip.
Everyone who rides Metro needs a SmarTrip card (physical card or mobile wallet).
One-way rail fares range from $2.25 - $6.75 depending on the distance traveled. Fares vary based on ride length, day, and time you ride.
Children: Two kids aged 4 and younger can ride free with a fare-paying adult. Kids aged 5 and older must pay the regular fare.
Consider the 1-Day Unlimited Pass option for $13.50. This includes unlimited rides on bus and rail.
Normal parking fees apply ($3 - $5.20 depending on the location). Add enough value on your SmarTrip card to pay for parking upon exit.

Metro teamed up with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Together, we offered a special keepsake SmarTrip card.
The artwork is by artist Anna August and is titled “Bloom.” It has cherry blossoms and the Jefferson and Washington monuments. These are two well-known landmarks by the Tidal Basin.

To see where the train and buses are located, visit wmata.com/live and click on the "Special Edition" tab.

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View real-time service information at wmata.com/MetroPulse.

Contact our Customer Care team via chat or phone at 202-GO-METRO (202-466-3876). Automated information is available 24/7.
Visit wmata.com/contact for more details.