Best Cherry Blossom Spots in Seoul:
The City’s Most Magical Spring Views

Spring is one of the most beautiful times to visit South Korea. Hence, I planned our first trip to coincide with the cherry blossom season. While Japan is the most famous for its Sakura, South Korea also offers an impressive display of blooms. In addition, visiting Korea during blossom season often means relatively fewer crowds and cheaper travel compared with Japan.

With Seoul being the gateway to the country for most visitors, it’s also one of the easiest places to experience the cherry blossom season. After the cold winter months, the city wakes up as thousands of cherry trees start blooming across parks, palace gardens, riversides and mountain trails.

Locals and tourists alike love the spring season. People head to parks for picnics, attend spring festivals, take plenty of photos and simply enjoy walking around the city in the pleasant weather.

Cherry blossom season is brief though, and timing a visit to coincide with peak bloom can be tricky. Fortunately, many of Seoul’s best blossom locations are right in the city itself, making it easy to include them in your itinerary.

If you’re planning a trip, you can also read my complete guide to visiting Seoul.

Tips for Seeing Cherry Blossoms in Seoul

When Is Cherry Blossom Season in Seoul?

Cherry blossom timing changes every year depending on weather conditions, but Seoul usually begins to see blossoms in late March or beginning of April, with peak bloom roughly a week later.

• First blossoms: late March or early April
• Peak bloom: early to mid-April
• Bloom duration: roughly one to two weeks, with peak bloom of about 5-7 days.

Actually, peak bloom is not the only time to view cherry blossoms – the season lasts from the first blossoms to when the petals are falling and covering the ground. Every stage is beautiful in its own way.

But overall the season is still short, lasting only about 2 weeks. So checking bloom forecasts before traveling can make a big difference. The best source for this is the Visit Korea tourism website, which compiles data from weather agencies including the Korea Meteorological Administration.

Besides, there are two big cherry blossom festivals happening in Seoul every year:

• Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival, which takes place when the trees along the Han River reach peak bloom. The times of the festival also fluctuate according to the forecast. The festival usually lasts a few days. Therefore, keep checking the dates.
• Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival is going on around the lake near the Lotte World.

Keep in mind that any sort of forecast and the data from previous years are only indications. No one can really predict exact times. Hence, it’s important to be flexible.

I am suggesting this based on our experience: during our 2-week trip we only managed to catch the blooms at the end of March. After this terrible rainy weather ruined everything. At the beginning of April, we barely saw any blooms anymore. This wasn’t expected, as the full bloom was supposed to continue some more time. But forecasts can’t account for all possible weather conditions.

Cultural Significance of Cherry Blossoms in Korea

Cherry blossom season in South Korea is not just a beautiful occurrence, it also has cultural significance. As soon as the blossoms start appearing, parks and riversides fill with people meeting friends, going on dates, or simply enjoying time outdoors after the cold winter. Picnics under the trees are especially popular. Then there’s spring festivals with performances, food stalls and evening light displays.

Seasonal foods are also very popular. Bakeries and cafes offer cherry-blossom themed treats, like pink rice cakes, pastries, drinks and ice cream. The blossom itself is sometimes used for flavouring or decoration, but often the products simply celebrate the arrival of spring.

Cherry blossoms also appear frequently in Korean pop culture. In many Korean dramas, spring scenes are filmed under blooming trees. You will notice this during romantic moments – apparently, first love is celebrated under the cherry blossoms. First one that comes to my mind is Goblin, then there’s Doom at Your Service, also Lovely Runner – I haven’t finished this one yet, but it’s beautiful.

How to Avoid Crowds During the Cherry Blossom Season

Not surprisingly, during this short period, all cherry blossom locations can get quite crowded. However, there are several things you can do to avoid the crowds.

Start early in the morning: Popular spots like Yeouido and Seokchon Lake become very crowded later in the day. After 3pm is also when the festival events normally happen. Therefore, if you come before 9am, you will likely have quite peaceful experience.

Visit on weekdays: If you can manage to avoid weekends, you are more likely to have fewer crowds. However, given the short window for the bloom, this may not be very easy.

While avoiding crowds can be nice to experience peaceful walks, it’s also important to join the festivals and feel the joy surrounding you. The lively events, busy stalls selling all sorts of foods and trinkets, people having picnics – it’s all part of the experience. So consider this as well and come during the crowded times.

Best Cherry Blossom Spots in Seoul

Below are some of the best places to see cherry blossoms in Seoul, including both famous viewing spots and a few quieter places that are equally beautiful.

Yeouido Hangang Park

Yeouido Hangang Park is the most famous among the cherry blossom spots in Seoul. Nearly two thousand cherry trees line the road next to the Han River, forming long tunnels. During peak bloom the area becomes very busy with food stalls, street performances and art installations.

When we visited during cherry blossom season, the Han riverbank was lively with festival events, including K-pop performances, martial arts demonstrations and lots of food stalls. It was crowded and energetic. We spent a few hours here just watching the performances and enjoying the vibes. We only left when we got pretty tired from the noise.

Seokchon Lake

Seokchon Lake is another picturesque cherry blossom spot in Seoul. Walking paths circle the entire lake, which has hundreds of cherry trees. The lake is especially interesting with Lotte World and Lotte Tower in the background, creating beautiful scenery.

A festival is organized around the lake every year. It usually lasts a few days with performances starting every afternoon. We didn’t catch the festival though. We visited in the morning, as we didn’t have much time and were going to head to Yeouido Festival later in the day. This actually turned out to be a pretty nice thing, as we walked around the lake in peace without the crowds and enjoyed the nice weather.

Namsan Park and N Seoul Tower

Namsan is one of my favorite places in Seoul and it becomes even more beautiful during the cherry blossom season.

If you’re visiting N Seoul Tower, I highly recommend walking at least part of the way up or down. The trails are one of the best parts of the experience. Several walking trails on the mountain are lined with cherry trees. Walking along these paths while petals fall around you feels amazing. Plus, some of these paths are so quiet, considering you are still in the middle of a huge city. One particularly scenic and peaceful path begins near the National Theatre of Korea, where stairways and forest trails pass through blooming trees.

During our visit, many of the blossoms were unfortunately already fallen, but it meant the ground along the trails was covered with pink petals.

Check out my travel guide to Namsan Park.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Seeing cherry blossoms around historic palace grounds adds something special to the experience. Gyeongbokgung, the largest royal palace in Seoul is magnificent with its massive gates, elegant courtyards and mountain backdrop. During spring, cherry blossoms appear around some of the palace ponds and gardens providing gorgeous photo opportunities.

We arrived early to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Afterwards, we headed inside immediately as the ceremony was ending, which helped us avoid the crowds somewhat. While blossoms here were not as dense as in the city parks, the setting makes them particularly photogenic.

Here is my detailed guide for visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Changdeokgung Palace and the Secret Garden

Changdeokgung is another palace known for its cherry blossoms. It’s a smaller and cozier palace compared to grander Gyeongbokgung.

The famous Secret Garden (Huwon) is located behind the palace. Access is only possible through a guided tour, which you either have to book in advance or arrive early to the ticket office to grab the tickets. Find details for buying tickets in my guide.

The garden is much larger than we expected, with paths winding between pavilions, ponds and small hills.

During spring, cherry blossoms and other flowering trees add color to the traditional setting. What we liked about it was its quiet atmosphere, as we were the only group in the whole park. On the other hand, it would have been amazing to be exploring without a group.

Another note though, I didn’t feel like cherry blossoms here were as amazing, as in other locations, like around Naksan Park or in Changgyeonggung Palace (we visited them during the same period). It may simply be that the blooms are better here at a slightly different time of spring. Nevertheless, the park is still quite nice.

Changgyeonggung Palace

Changgyeonggung is often overlooked compared to the other two palaces listed above, but it’s one of the most beautiful and my favorite palace for enjoying cherry blossoms.

The palace has wide garden areas and several ponds, the most scenic being Chundangji Pond, where cherry trees bloom around the water. Even some smaller courtyards had the blooms during our visit and it was lovely finding them all around in unlikely spots. Also don’t miss the cherry blossom trees stacked together near the Honghwamun Gate.

If you are visiting Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung Palaces, see my detailed travel guide.

Deoksugung Palace and Stonewall Road

The Deoksugung Stonewall Road is one of Seoul’s most romantic streets. It actually appears a lot in K drama Goblin, also in My Love From Another Star and many more. This walkway running along the palace wall is especially beautiful in Spring. The palace gardens themselves are also lovely with blooms.

Exploring this area, it was easy to see why this street appears so often in Korean dramas, it’s definitely picturesque.

Naksan Park and the Seoul City Wall

If you enjoy walking on the hills and finding scenic views, Naksan Park is a wonderful cherry blossom spot. It’s not too easy to get to though, as you would have to walk up from any public transport stop.

If you can manage though, the paths leading up to the park are lined with trees, and the historic Seoul City Wall provides amazing views over the city.

We followed the route from Daehangno to the wall and then to Ihwa Mural Village. Once you reach the entrance of the Naksan park, you go on climbing either by stairs or the walkway to your left. If you are here during the cherry blossom season, choose the walkway, as it’s lined with beautiful cherry trees. Once you climb on top of the hill, you will see the city wall snaking up and down the mountain. This was a great albeit tiring walk. I do recommend it.

Seoul Forest

Seoul Forest is one of the city’s largest parks. It’s also one of the most famous spots to enjoy cherry blossoms in a more relaxed environment.

Locals love this vast park for picnics. Cherry blossoms bloom across several areas of the park, making it ideal for slow walks during spring afternoons. Compared with the busier bloom locations covered in this guide, the park is more peaceful. However, it also requires more time on your itinerary. We didn’t manage to include it in our 5 days in Seoul, but if you want to cover all cherry blossom spots, then don’t miss this one.

Jeongdok Public Library (Bukchon)

This is a smaller but very charming cherry blossom location. The courtyard of Jeongdok Public Library, located near Bukchon Hanok Village, has a lot of cherry trees.

When we visited at the end of March, the blossoms were already in full bloom and the library yard was filled with people taking photos under the trees. Because it sits right next to the traditional hanok neighbourhood, it was pretty busy. Despite this, it’s definitely worth a visit.

Hongik University Campus

If you are already exploring the lively streets of Hongdae, Hongik University campus will be pretty close. Cherry trees bloom around the campus during spring.

We didn’t stop here during our visit because we were busy exploring Hongdae itself and we loved it too much. Plus, we had already visited many cherry blossom spots, but if you are a cherry blossom enthusiast, it can be an easy addition to your itinerary.

Kyung Hee University

Kyung Hee University is one of the most famous cherry blossom locations in Seoul, especially among photographers.

The campus is known for its European-style buildings and wide stone staircases. The road leading up to the main hall is lined with cherry blossoms, making it one of the most photographed spots, as well as a popular k drama set – I have to name Goblin again first.

Other Popular Cherry Blossom Locations

Besides the main spots listed above, several other places in Seoul are also well known for cherry blossom viewing. However, they are more difficult to visit for travellers with up to 5 days in Seoul.

• Seoul Children’s Grand Park is a spacious park with wide walking paths lined with cherry trees.
• Seoul National Cemetery is a very impressive but lesser-known cherry blossom location in Seoul. I am personally not a fan of visiting cemeteries, however beautiful, but it’s a great quiet location for viewing the blooms.
• Yangjaecheon Stream is one of the most famous blossom walks, especially among the locals, while less popular with tourists, as it’s not on the beaten path.
• Ansan Mountain (Seodaemun) is a very popular hiking area for viewing cherry blossoms, but it’s very difficult to include it in any short Seoul itinerary. If you would like to see cherry blossoms in the outskirts of Seoul, such as Ansan mountain, plus other beautiful locations nearby, you can join this one-day tour.
• Boramae Park – if you visit Seoul by the end of April and miss the window, don’t despair, there are King Cherry Blossoms which bloom later. Boramae Park is one of the locations for this.

See Also

Seoul Travel Guide: Practical Tips and Itineraries

Plan your visit to Seoul with practical tips on when to go, where to stay, how to get around and what to see, plus itinerary ideas for 1–5 days.

Discover Seoul Pass: Suggested Itineraries

Hello I am Ket,

A traveler, planner, and sweet tooth behind Hit the Road Ket.

Travel isn’t just my passion – it’s a lifeline for my mental health. Having lived in three cities and explored 60 countries (and counting!), I created this blog to share my experiences, smart tips, and itinerary advice with fellow travel lovers.

I’m all about making the most of limited time, finding scenic routes, and turning every trip into something memorable – coffee in hand, of course.