Korea Cherry Blossom Season: When and Where to Go (2027 Plan)

What the official numbers say

KMA tracks Seoul's bloom on a standard tree at the Seoul Meteorological Observatory, with records since 1922. It declares bloom, 개화gaehwaFirst bloom, when three or more flowers are fully open on any one branch, and full bloom, 만발manbalFull bloom, when more than 80% of the tree's flowers are open. Yeouido's Yunjung-ro has been monitored since 2000.

Sources: KMA press releases of 4 April 2025 and 29 March 2026. In 2026, Seoul bloomed 10 days earlier than normal.

KMA publishes live bloom status for major sites on its Weather Nuri site (Theme Weather, Seasonal Observation, Spring Flower Bloom Status) at weather.go.kr.

Forecasts

Forecasts are published each spring for that year. The Korea Tourism Organization published its 2026 forecast on 26 February 2026, crediting the private forecaster Weather i, not KMA. It listed first-bloom dates of 25 March for Jeju and Busan, 28 March for Jeonju and Gyeongju, 1 April for Gangneung, 3 April for Seoul and 7 April for Incheon, with full bloom about a week later (VisitKorea). Seoul's observed bloom came on 29 March, five days before that forecast, so treat any forecast as an estimate.

There is no 2027 forecast yet. Use the normal dates above for planning, and expect plus or minus a week. If you can be flexible, book refundable lodging and decide your final dates after the spring forecast appears.

Yeouido, Seoul

About 1,800 cherry trees line a 1.7 km road in Yeouido (Seoul Tourism Organization). Use Yeouinaru Station (Line 5, exit 1) or National Assembly Station (Line 9). The Yeongdeungpo Yeouido Spring Flower Festival closes traffic on the main section. In 2026 VisitKorea listed 3–7 April, while Seoul Tourism Organization listed 8–12 April as tentative (VisitKorea). The sources conflict, and the dates follow the bloom, so confirm with the organizer.

Seokchon Lake, Seoul

A 2.5 km loop with Lotte World Tower behind the trees. Take Jamsil Station (Lines 2 and 8), exits 2 and 3. Seoul Tourism Organization listed the 2026 festival as 29 March to 6 April, free to enter (Seoul Tourism Organization).

Jinhae Gunhangje, Changwon

The Jinhae Gunhangje festival ran 27 March to 5 April 2026, hosted by Changwon with the Admiral Yi Sun-sin Commemoration Military Festival Committee. About 360,000 cherry trees bloom in Jinhae, and visitors can enter the Naval Academy and Naval Base Command, which are normally closed (VisitKorea). Yeojwacheon Stream and Gyeonghwa Station are nearby blossom sites. The 2027 dates are not announced. Check the organizer's site, jgfestival.or.kr, or call +82-55-546-4310.

Gyeongju

Cherry trees line Bomun Lake, and the Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival has been held around the Daereungwon stone wall road. VisitKorea lists the 2023 edition as 31 March to 2 April (VisitKorea), and the city's tourism page calls it an annual early-April event (Gyeongju City). No 2027 dates are announced.

Jeju and later blooms

The Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival was listed for late March 2026 along Jeonnong-ro, a 10-minute drive from the airport. Later in April, Busan's Democracy Park has double cherry blossoms from mid to late April, and Gaesimsa in Seosan peaks from late April to early May (VisitKorea).

• Seoul spots: use the subway. See the Seoul subway guide.
• Jinhae: KTO's station page says the main blossom sites around Anmin Road and the Naval Headquarters are a 15-minute walk from Jinhae Station, and recommends walking over taxis during the festival because of traffic (VisitKorea). See KTX and trains for train options.
• Gyeongju: check train and bus times on the official booking sites.

• Bloom weekends are the busiest. Go on a weekday morning.
• Evening illumination draws crowds at Yeouido, which runs until about 10 pm, according to the Seoul Tourism Organization.
• Rain and wind end the bloom quickly. Seoul's 2026 reports warned that weekend rain could shorten viewing (Korea JoongAng Daily).
• Have a plan B in a second city or at a palace.

Mornings and evenings are cool. Bring a light jacket and layers, comfortable shoes and a compact umbrella. See Korea in March and Korea in April for weather and holidays.