Cherry blossoms

Korea’s cherry blossoms open in late March on Jeju and the south coast and in early April in Seoul. Seoul’s long-term average is first flowers on 8 April and full bloom on 10 April, but in 2026 the official tree bloomed on 29 March. The 2027 forecast should appear in late February; until then, book flexible dates around the turn of March and April.

Blossom season is short: full bloom usually comes within a week of the first flowers, and rain or wind can strip the trees a few days later. Most visitors see it best by starting in the south and moving north, for example Jeju or Busan in the last days of March and Seoul in the first week of April.

When do cherry blossoms bloom in Korea?

The table shows the 2026 forecast, made in February, next to what was observed. Forecasts are dates for the first flowers, not the peak.

Place	2026 forecast, first flowers	2026 forecast, full bloom	Observed / long-term average
Jeju (Seogwipo)	25 March	After 1 April	—
Busan	25 March	1–9 April (south)	—
Jeonju, Gyeongju	28 March	1–9 April (south)	—
Gangneung	1 April	—	—
Seoul	3 April	Around 10 April	Bloomed 29 March 2026; average 8 April, full bloom 10 April
Incheon	7 April	—	—

Forecasts by Weather i via VisitKorea (26 February 2026); Seoul observation and averages from the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA); checked 15 October 2026. In the 2026 forecast, about nine days separated the first blooms on Jeju from Seoul. The season ran early: the forecast put most places two to seven days ahead of normal, and Seoul ended up ten days ahead.

The KMA calls a tree “in bloom” when one branch of its official tree has at least three fully open flowers, and “in full bloom” when 80% of the tree’s flowers are open. Seoul’s tree stands at the Seoul weather station in Jongno and has been observed since 1922. For monthly temperatures and recent Seoul bloom dates, see the best time to visit Korea.

When is the 2027 forecast released?

There is no 2027 forecast yet. In 2026 the private forecaster Weather i published its national bloom forecast on 26 February, and the Korea Tourism Organization republished it in English on VisitKorea the same day. Expect the 2027 version around the same time.

From mid-March, the KMA’s Korean weather site (weather.go.kr) shows live bloom status for the main cherry and azalea sites under its spring-flowers menu. Festival dates come even later: in 2026 Seokchon Lake’s dates were announced on 25 March, a week before it opened. So book on the usual windows below (Jinhae around the turn of March and April, Seoul’s festivals in the first ten days of April) and adjust once the forecast appears.

Which cherry blossom festival should you plan around?

These are street festivals in public places; at Seokchon Lake, entry and performances were free in 2026, while food trucks, the market and hands-on booths charged.

Festival	2026 dates	Where	Getting there
Jinhae Gunhangje	27 March – 5 April	Jinhae, Changwon (Yeojwacheon stream, Gyeonghwa Station)	Free weekend shuttle buses on three routes; bus-only lane in the centre
Yeouido Spring Flower Festival	3 – 7 April	Yunjung-ro (Yeouiseo-ro), Seoul	Yeouinaru (Line 5) or National Assembly (Line 9); roads closed to traffic
Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival	3 – 11 April	Seokchon Lake, Songpa, Seoul	Jamsil (Line 2, Exit 2) or Seokchon (Line 8, Exit 1), about 5 minutes on foot

2026 dates from VisitKorea, Seoul Metropolitan Government and the organisers’ announcements in Korean press; checked 15 October 2026. 2027 dates are not yet announced; the 2026 dates were published in March. If your dates are fixed, the Jinhae weekend and the Yeouido festival week are the busiest days of the season, so book rooms in Changwon, Busan and Yeouido early.

Jinhae Gunhangje is the country’s largest blossom festival and the 2026 edition was the 64th. The town has about 360,000 cherry trees. Beyond the blossoms, the programme includes a military band and honour guard festival on the opening weekend, a naval base open to visitors and a fireworks show over Jinhae Bay. Changwon lies just west of Busan, so Jinhae fits into a Busan stay.

Yeouido is Seoul’s classic blossom walk: the riverside road behind the National Assembly becomes a pedestrian zone during the festival, and in 2026 traffic controls ran from the afternoon of 1 April to 14:00 on 8 April. The KMA observes a second official cluster of trees here, which bloomed on 29 March 2026 (average: 6 April). See Yeouido Hangang Park.

Seokchon Lake has about 1,000 king cherry trees around a loop path, with Lotte World Tower reflected in the water. The 2026 festival ran for nine days with free evening concerts.

Best cherry blossom spots by city

Seoul

Besides Yeouido and Seokchon Lake, the palaces make good blossom stops that combine with sightseeing: Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung are in the city centre (see Korea’s palaces). Blossom peaks in Seoul usually last only a few days, so plan the palaces and the river on the same day if the forecast looks right.

Busan and the south coast

Busan blooms about a week before Seoul. Jinhae, in neighbouring Changwon, is the big draw, and Busan itself has streets of cherry trees around Haeundae’s Dalmaji-gil and along the Nakdong River. For late visitors, Busan Democracy Park has double cherry blossoms from mid to late April.

Gyeongju

Gyeongju mixes blossoms with royal tombs and temples. Bomun Lake has a shoreline path for walking and cycling under the cherries, usually at its best in early April. In the centre, cherry trees surround King Michu’s tomb at Daereungwon and line the 550 m stone-wall path outside the tomb park.

Jeju

Jeju is usually first. Jeonnong-ro in Jeju City, about ten minutes by car from the airport, is a street lined with king cherry trees with a small festival; the 19th edition was under way on 29 March 2026. Noksan-ro in Seogwipo pairs cherry trees with yellow canola fields, best seen by car.

Missed the peak? Late double cherry blossoms

Double cherry blossoms (gyeop-beotkkot), with heavy, ruffled pink flowers, open two to three weeks after the ordinary trees. If your trip falls in the second half of April, they are the best bet.

• Gaesimsa Temple, Seosan: in 2026 its double cherries were in full bloom by 18 April and its rare green-tinged blossoms were expected to peak around 20 April.
• Busan Democracy Park: mid to late April, reached by bus 38 to the Jungang Park–Democracy Park stop.

Tips for a cherry blossom trip

• Book flexible. A refundable room or a flexible rail ticket lets you shift a day or two once the late-February forecast appears.
• Go early or on a weekday. Festival weekends in Jinhae and Yeouido are packed; mornings are quieter and the light is softer.
• Pack layers. Seoul’s April averages are 17.9 °C (64 °F) by day and 8.0 °C (46 °F) at night, which feels cold if you are coming from Singapore, Manila, Kuala Lumpur or Mumbai. Bring a light jacket.
• Southern-hemisphere visitors: April is autumn in Australia, so this is a chance to see spring twice in one year.
• Use the subway. Roads around Yeouido close during the festival, and parking near every big site fills up.