Best Time and Place to See Cherry Blossoms in Korea

The northern hemisphere of the globe is preparing to wake up from the winter season and as the weather gets warmer, we start feeling the arrival of spring from the sweet scent of flowers in the air. And it is the time for South Korea cherry blossom festivals🌸🌸. If you are thinking of a romantic and unique experience in the spring of 2019, look no further. Many people associate Japan as the destination for cherry blossom festivals, but South Korea offers a variety of cherry blossom festival options that are of its own kind.
We have gathered the best time and places to witness Korea Cherry blossom’s full bloom! After the freezing weather of Winter, it’s time to welcome the pink hues of spring! At the beginning of March, you can already spot cherry blossom in Korea.
Wondering when is the best time to see the full bloom of cherry blossom in South Korea? Here’s our thorough guide for Cherry blossom forecast in Korea

Korea Cherry blossom Average Blooming Date Forecast:

Reference – Korea Cherry blossom forecast 2018:

**We will update 2019 Korea cherry blossom forecast once credible information becomes available.
You can enjoy the cherry blossoms in two ways, through the festivals held all over the country and also the activities that are connected to it!

Festivals:

1.  Jeju King Cherry Blossom Festival, Seogwipo

If your heading to Jeju to see cherry blossoms, you’ll be seeing the biggest and most luxurious one. Jeju is blessed with the petals of King Cherry Tree blossoms which can be seen all over the Island. Full bloom of the King Cherry Tree blossoms lasts for only 2 to 3 days so make sure you pick the right dates on going to the festival. For prime spot in viewing, you should go to Seogwipo’s downtown area and Jeju Sports Complex.
How to get there:
You can take the Airport Limousine bus (route 600) from Jeju International Airport in heading to Seogwipo where the festival will be held.
Or you can go to the King Cherry Blossom Festival which is just 20 mins away by bus from Jeju international airport.
Jeju King Cherry Blossom Festival
Address: 2814 Yongdam 1-dong, Jeju Island
Dates: End of March to around 10th of April
How to go: Take 365/465/325/316 bus towards Yongmun Maeul(용문 마을)
Highly recommend to grab a taxi. It will cost only about 3,500KRW.
You can also book a ➡ private van from us for a hassle-free stroll.

2. Jinhae Gunhangje Festival (진해군항제, Jinhae Cherry Blosom Festival)

Jinhae is a historic place as a naval port and they hold a ceremony to commemorate Admiral Lee Soon-shin at Bugwon Rotary. With over 300,000 cherry blossom trees expected to bloom every Spring, Jinhae is the perfect pick if you want to fully experience cherry blossoms. It is also considered one of the biggest cluster of cherry blossom trees in the world. There is a parade performed by the Jinhae Military Marching Band.

This is one of the most well-known marching band performances in South Korea. You will find many special events during the festival period including Paldo Pungmul Market and various arts and cultural performances.  Jinhae Gunhangje Festival was held from March 30 to April 9 for 2018. The romantic vibe is all over the place that every angle has an instagram worthy spot. No worries about food because carts are all over the place selling famous Korean street foods such as tteokbokki, tornado potato and more.


How to go to Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival:
From Seoul to Jinhae, it takes about 4~5 hours by bus. Intercity bus run from Seoul to Jinhae, however we highly recommend you to book a round trip one day tour package instead for a hassle free travel. One way ticket for Intercity bus from Seoul to Busan costs 20,900KRW for normal bus(41,800KRW for return) and 30,700KRW for premium bus(61,400KRW for return). It sells very quickly during the Cherry Blossom Peak Season so you might struggle to secure seats.
Book your seats on  Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival one day shuttle bus here.

If you want to experience the mesmerizing night view of Cherry Blossom, Book this instead
🌸[From Busan] 2019 Jinhae Cherry Blossom Night Viewing Evening Tour
– 35,000KRW(31USD)/pax (From Busan)
=> Book Now!

3. Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival & Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Marathon

Take part on a marathon while surrounded by the sakura flowers in Gyeongju. On April 6, 2019, the marathon will begin at 8:00 am KST. There will be two options, half and full course. For the half course, you can choose either to participate on 5km or 10km and anyone who’s healthy can join. But for the full course, those above 18 and healthy that agreed to the form can participate. You can register until March 15, 2018. For more information visit their website here.
Price:
Full, Half, 10km (KRW 30,000)
5km (KRW 20,000)
Disabled person (KRW 15,000)
How to get there:
Gyeongju Express / Intercity Bus Terminal → Walk to Bus Terminal Adjacent Bus Stop → Take Bus No. 100 or 150 and get off at Front of Bomun Maeun-tang Bus Stop → Walk approx. 8min. to Bodeok-dong Citizen’s Center.
Instead, you can book a hassle-free  Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival One Day Tour with round-trip shuttle bus if you’re from Busan or you picked it as the meetup point. There will be English/Chinese speaking staff throughout the tour.

🌸[From Busan] 2019 Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival One Day Tour
– 39,000KRW(35USD)/pax (From Busan)
=> Book Now!

4. Yeongdeungpo Yeouido Spring Flower Festival (영등포 여의도 봄꽃축제)

If you don’t want to travel outside Seoul, this is the perfect one for you. It’s also the biggest cherry blossom festival in Korea. Along Yeouido, you can witness more than 18,000 of cherry blossoms trees that are 30-35 years old alongside the Han River. You will find other Spring flowers like azaleas, forsythia or royal azaleas in full bloom.
Each year, the Yeongdeungpo-gu district host many exciting events for the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival. The arrays of events including #Samulnori and cartoon character parades or marching band performance create festive vibe alongside the Han River.
The event programs and the festival dates will be available on the Yeongdungpo-gu official website.


Don’t ever worry about packing your own snacks or drinks for the walk, you will see plenty of food vendors that you serve your need, from the fresh fruit juice or coffee to sandwiches, pancake or authentic Korean snacks.

How to get there:
Yeouido Station (Subway Line 5 or 9), Exit 5. Take Bus 162, 262, or 461 to National Assembly Bus Stop.
➡  One day cherry blossom tour near Seoul

5. Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival 

If you fancy a romantic walk and more excitement, your choice is the Seochon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival (the dates are yet to be announced. Expect around early-mid April). The cherry blossom trees ring around the entire lake and you will reach the Lotte World Magic Island. There are many shopping spots around this location, including the Lotte department store and the Lotte World Mall. You will find some high-end designer stores and exquisite restaurants.

For other festivals:

Gyeonggido, Gangwon or Chungcheong cherry blossom festivals also provide relatively outdoorsy and countryside experiences. You can arrive at the destination by train or bus. However, I highly recommend booking a shuttle as it can get complicated and time-consuming to travel outside of Seoul but it is definitely worth the trip!

Activities:

1. Hangang River Ferry Cruise

The best way to end the day is to hop on a cruise on the Han River. Live music on the boat takes the ferry riders to the fantasy land. The breezes from the boat are sweeter on the ferry with the whole city as the backdrop. It is the best spot to capture the spectacular Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain Show or the firework.
For booking information, please click ➡ Hangang River Ferry Evening Cruise.

2. Lotte World Adventure: 

The Lotte World Adventure is right by the Seokchon Lake and the Magic Island is on the lake, which adds a flair to the experience. Shopping and finding great restaurants around this area are super easy that you will never want to leave this area. I would say, it is one of the best time to visit this amusement park since it is an outdoor park on the lake. While you are up on the roller coaster, you will have the view of beautiful cherry blossom trees. This is the recipe for the best day.

➡ Lotte World Discount Ticket Lotte World Discount Tickets are now available!