Korean Cherry Blossom: Best Spots

The most iconic place to witness the Korean cherry blossom season is in Jinhae around late March to early April. This small naval port on the south coast is home to the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, the country's biggest cherry blossom celebration, drawing well over a million visitors in a single week. The main attractions are Yeojwacheon Stream, where blossoms arch over the water from the banks, and Gyeonghwa Station, a disused railway line that turns into one of the most photographed tunnels of pink in the country. Make sure to get there early in the morning if you want a photo without the crowd.

You don't need to leave the capital to see spectacular blossoms. Yeouido, an island in the middle of the Han River, is home to the Yeouiseo-ro cherry blossom road, a kilometre-long avenue of trees that turns into a tunnel of pink each spring. It's the centrepiece of the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival usually taking place around mid-April, and because it's right in the city, it gets busy quickly. Evenings are particularly popular, when the trees are lit up and food stalls line the street. For a quieter experience, walk along the Han River park just south of the road rather than fighting the masses directly beneath the trees, or get there early to avoid the crowds.

Korea's ancient capital is beautiful at any time of year, but cherry blossom season around early to mid April adds something a little extra. Bomun Lake Resort, on the edge of the city, is ringed with cherry trees that reflect in the water, and the path around Cheomseongdae, one of Asia's oldest surviving observatories, becomes lined with blossoms too. Because Gyeongju is smaller and less busy than Seoul or Busan, it's a good choice if you want the flowers without the large crowds.

Blossom season in Korea starts here, on the southern island of Jeju around late March, usually a week or two before it reaches the mainland. Jeju's King Cherry trees, a variety believed to have originated on the island, tend to bloom fuller and earlier than those elsewhere in the country. Jeonnong-ro, a road lined with cherry trees near Jeju City, and the paths around Seogwipo are among the best spots, often with Hallasan's peak still capped in snow behind the pink blossoms, a spectacular view you won't see anywhere else in South Korea.

Back in Seoul, Namsan Mountain offers a more immersive cherry blossom experience as you walk the trails through the trees, taking in the views of the blossoms against the city skyline, eventually leading up to N Seoul Tower. The city's palaces are definitely worth visiting too as Changdeokgung's Secret Garden and the surrounding grounds both fill with blossoms. It's the perfect destination for a view of ancient architecture among the pale pink flowers- one of the most striking sights in the city.

• Watch the forecasts, not the calendar. Blossom dates shift year to year, and several Korean weather sites publish cherry blossom forecasts each spring that are far more reliable than picking a fixed date in advance.
• Go early or go late in the day. Peak bloom spots get crowded fast by mid-morning so sunrise visits or evening light (especially where trees are illuminated after dark) tend to be calmer and more photogenic.
• Follow the bloom south to north. If your trip spans a couple of weeks, you can chase the blossoms as they move up the peninsula, starting in Jeju and finishing in Seoul, catching several of the country’s peak seasons.
• Pack a picnic. Locals treat cherry blossom season as a reason to sit outside with friends and food. Riverside parks and palace grounds are full of picnicking families once the trees are in bloom, why not grab a picnic blanket and join in?

Cherry blossom season only lasts a couple of weeks in any one place, but with a little planning you can follow it up the country and see Korea at its most exquisite, from ancient stone towers to modern riverside parks, all dusted in a pastel pink.