Korea Cherry Blossom Guide: Bloom Dates, Best Spots and Festivals

The Korea Meteorological Administration records the official flowering date for each city using a designated reference tree: “blooming” is the day at least three flowers open on one branch, and full bloom (when the trees look their best) usually follows four to seven days later. Seoul’s reference tree stands in the grounds of the Seoul weather station. Detailed forecasts with predicted bloom and full-bloom dates for dozens of cities are published from February by private weather companies and repeated by the Korea Tourism Organization and the news, with updates through March.

Blooming has moved earlier with warmer springs. Seoul’s official date used to fall in mid-April; in recent years it has usually come between late March and early April, and in 2021 it was the earliest on record. Treat any forecast more than four weeks out as a guide: a cold snap in mid-March can push the bloom back by several days, and a warm spell can bring it forward.

These ranges are based on recent seasons; check the forecast for your year before booking, and expect each place to run a few days earlier or later.

Jinhae, now part of Changwon on the south coast, is the most famous cherry blossom town in Korea, with hundreds of thousands of trees lining its streets. The Jinhae Gunhangje Festival (named for the naval port) is the country’s biggest blossom festival, usually running for about ten days from late March or the first days of April, and it draws millions of visitors. Expect military band parades, a naval base open to the public on some days, food stalls and night lighting.

The two classic spots are Yeojwacheon stream, where the trees arch over a narrow stream and “Romance Bridge” (famous from a K-drama), and Gyeonghwa Station, an old railway station where the blossom hangs over the tracks and a train is parked for photos. Jehwangsan Park has a monorail and a view over the town, and Anmin Hill above the town gives a view of blossom-lined roads.

Jinhae is about an hour by bus from Busan’s Seobu (Sasang) terminal, or you can take the KTX to Changwon and a local bus. During the festival, traffic is gridlocked: arrive before 9am, use public transport and stay in Busan or Changwon rather than Jinhae itself, where rooms sell out months ahead. Check the festival’s dates each year on the Visit Korea site.

In Busan, the best-known blossom walks are Dalmaji-gil above Haeundae (a cliff road with sea views), Oncheoncheon stream in Dongnae, and the long cherry-and-canola road at Samnak Ecological Park on the Nakdong River. The Namcheon-dong apartment complex near Gwangalli is a local favourite for its blossom tunnel.

Gyeongju is arguably the best place in Korea to combine blossom with sightseeing. Trees ring Bomun Lake, line the roads between the royal tombs of Daereungwon in the historic centre and cluster around Wolji Pond and Bulguksa temple. Rent a bike for the flat roads around the tombs, and see the Bomun Lake promenade in the early morning before the tour buses. The city also holds a cherry blossom marathon in early April.

Further west, the Simni Cherry Blossom Road between Hwagae Market and Ssanggyesa temple in Hadong, and the riverside roads at Gurye along the Seomjin River, are lined with trees for several kilometres. In Daegu, Palgongsan’s roads and the Dongchon riverside bloom in early April.

Jeju blooms first, usually in the last week of March, and is the home of the Jeju king cherry (wanggeunnamu), a native species with large flowers. In Jeju City, Jeonnong-ro street and the campus of Jeju National University are the main spots, with a cherry blossom festival on Jeonnong-ro. The island’s signature spring view is Noksan-ro (Gasi-ri) in the east, where a road runs between cherry trees and yellow canola fields; Seogwipo’s canola flower festival and the canola fields at Seongsan Ilchulbong and Sanbangsan also peak in late March and early April. On the south coast around Seogwipo, the blossom can come a few days earlier than in Jeju City.

Seoul’s peak is usually in the first half of April. The main places:

• Yeouido Yunjung-ro: about 1.7km of old cherry trees along the road behind the National Assembly, closed to traffic for the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival in early to mid April. Take Line 9 to National Assembly Station. Expect very large crowds at weekends.
• Seokchon Lake: the lake beside Lotte World Tower and Lotte World in Jamsil, ringed by about 1,000 trees with the tower behind, and its own festival. Jamsil Station, Lines 2 and 8.
• Namsan: the roads around Namsan Park up to N Seoul Tower, with blossom views over the city, less crowded than Yeouido.
• Palaces: Gyeongbokgung, Changgyeonggung and the Changdeokgung rear garden have blossom against palace roofs; the palaces sometimes open for evening visits in spring.
• Seoul Forest and Olympic Park: Seoul Forest and Olympic Park have open lawns for picnics under the trees.
• Riverside walks: Yangjaecheon stream in Gangnam and the Jungnangcheon stream in the northeast give long, flat blossom walks with fewer tourists.

Blossom season is the busiest domestic travel period of spring. Weekends at Yeouido, Seokchon Lake and Jinhae are packed from late morning; go on a weekday at 7 or 8am, or after dark, when the trees are lit. Book accommodation in Busan, Gyeongju and Jeju a month or two ahead for late March and early April, and KTX seats at least a few days ahead for weekends. Flights to Jeju fill at the same time.

Hanami-style picnics are common: bring a mat, food and drinks to the parks, keep to designated lawns and take your rubbish home, because bins are scarce. Do not climb trees, pull branches down for photos or pick flowers. Drones are banned over central Seoul, including Yeouido near the National Assembly. A light jacket is needed in the evening, since early April nights in Seoul can fall below 10°C (50°F), and fine dust (yellow dust) days are common in spring, so check air-quality forecasts and carry a mask.

Korea’s flowering calendar runs from March to May, and autumn is just as spectacular:

• Plum and cornelian cherry (early to mid March): white plum blossom at Gwangyang’s Maehwa village and yellow sansuyu at Gurye, both on the Seomjin River.
• Canola (late March to April): Jeju’s yellow fields, plus Busan’s Nakdong riverside and Samcheok’s coast.
• Azaleas (April to May): pink jindallae azaleas cover hillsides in April, and royal azaleas (cheoljjuk) bloom in late April and May on Hwangmaesan, Biseulsan in Daegu, the ridges of Jirisan and Hallasan’s upper slopes.
• Tulips and wisteria (April to May): Everland holds a spring tulip festival and Taean’s tulip festival fills fields by the sea; wisteria tunnels bloom in May.
• Autumn foliage (October to November): the second great season. Colours reach Seoraksan in early to mid October and spread south to Naejangsan in late October and early November; Seoul’s palaces and ginkgo-lined streets turn gold in late October to early November.

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