Korea in Spring | Weather, Cherry Blossoms, 10 Festivals

Check out this ultimate guide to Korea in Spring for an unforgettable trip.

I grew up in Seoul for 16 years, and I’m ready to share everything I love so dearly about my hometown! My entire family is still in Korea, and I visit them every year 🙂

In this guide, we’ll go over all your questions so that you can 1) decide if you should go to Korea in the spring, and if so, 2) figure out what to do!

With that, let’s dive into the ultimate guide to Korea in Spring!

☀️Weather | Is spring a good time to visit Korea?

Is Spring in Korea still cold?

Seoul is pretty cold in early March, but you can expect more mild temperatures starting late March and early April.

	Average Daily Temperatures in Seoul
March	43.3°F / 5.7°C
April	54.5°F / 12.5°C
May	64°F / 17.8°C

Source: Weatheri

Which is the best month to visit Korea?

October is the most popular month to visit Korea. You’ll get to skip the humid af summers and the bone-chilling winters. In addition, you can enjoy the foliage too.

If you want to avoid the large crowds, spring can be a great alternative.

👖What To Wear | What to wear in Korea in spring

What to wear in Korea in March (43.3°F / 5.7°C)

March is the beginning of spring, but it’s not quite warm just yet. A down jacket is a good choice, light and easy to carry. Whether you like a short puffer or a longer down jacket that covers your bum is your choice (depends on how easily cold you get!).

Puffer (Uniqlo Powder Soft Down Jacket, $99.90)
Warm top (Uniqlo Heattech T-Shirt Scoop Neck, $19.90)
Sweater (Quince Cropped Cable Crew Sweater, $49.90)
Cardigans (Quince OverSized Cable Cardigan Sweater, $69.90)
Courdroy pants (Quince Organic Stretch Corduroy Straight Leg Pants, $59.90)
Beanie (Quince Merino Wool Ribbed Beanie, $29.90)
Gloves (Quince Cashmere Lined Leather Gloves, $39.90)

What to wear in Korea in April (54.5°F / 12.5°C)

In April, the weather starts getting noticeably warmer for the first time in the calendar year.

However, it’s good to keep a light scarf and beanie around for layering purposes, especially for the mornings and evenings.

Trench Coat (Quince Comfort Stretch Long Trench Coat, $129.90)
Sweater dress (Quince Eco-Knit Ribbed Mock Neck Sweater Dress, $59.90)
Light Scarf (Quince 100% European Linen Scarf, $29.90)
Beanie (Quince Merino Wool Ribbed Beanie, $29.90)

What to wear in Korea in May (64°F / 17.8°C)

As the transition to warmer weather begins, light jackets combined with a cotton sweater or top are the way to go.

Closer to June, midi skirts are a nice way to celebrate the end of spring.

Leather jacket (Quince Motorcycle Jacket, $150)
Cotton sweater (Quince Fisherman Crew Sweater, $49.90)
Skinny jeans (Quince High Rise Skinny Jeans, $50)
Silk skirt (Quince 100% Washable Silk Skirt, $59.90)
Cotton skirt (Uniqlo Cotton Tiered Skirt, $14.90)

🌸Cherry Blossoms | What month is Cherry Blossom in Korea in 2025?

Late March to Early April will be the peak time to view cherry blossoms in Korea in 2025.

In 2024, cherry blossoms bloomed in Seoul between April 3 and 8.

In 2025, people are surmising that the cherry blossoms might bloom up to a week earlier, but it’s too early to know for sure.

🎎Public Holidays | Are there public holidays in Korea in the spring?

Yes, there are 3 public holidays that happen to land across 2 days in 2025 in Korea in the spring.

Mar 1, 2025: March 1 Independence Movement Day – Commemorating the Koreans who nonviolently demonstrated against Japanese colonial rule on Mar 1, 1919 (Korea was a Japanese colony until the Japanese surrendered in WW2 in 1945)
May 5, 2025: Children’s Day – Encouraging kids to grow up wisely and courageously & promote the love of children
May 5, 2025: Buddha’s Birthday – 37% of Koreans are religious, of whom 16% are Buddhist. Since Buddha’s birthday is according to the lunar calendar, the “exact” date changes yearly.

🎊Festivals | Are there festivals in Korea in the spring?

Yes, there sure are!

Pop down for the 1) best cherry blossom festivals, 2) flower festivals and 3) cultural festivals in and outside of Seoul!

The flower festivals in Seoul and beyond celebrate the natural beauty of the spring flowers, from the pink blush of cherry blossoms or the yellow blooms of sansuyu flowers.

1. Best Cherry Blossom Festival in Seoul: Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival (여의도 윤종로 벚꽃축제)

I smile ear-to-ear like a kid when I walk past beautiful cherry blossoms. It never gets old!

The best place in Seoul to admire cherry blossoms is at the Yeongdeungpo Yeouido Spring Flower Festival. This narrow one mile (1.7km) strip next to Yeouido Hangang Park is lined on both sides with 1,600 cherry trees!

This festival typically happens in early April (when full bloom is expected). In 2024, the festival was from March 29 to April 2.

Get off at Yeouinaru Station Exit 5, and you’ll see cherry blossoms to your left and right. (Tip: Don’t take a taxi, since the roads will be closed for the festival.)

Walk to the park for views of the Han River (which divides Seoul in half) once you’re satisfied with all the blooms!

Ready to explore? Scroll down for the most famous cherry blossom festivals outside of Seoul.

2. Seoul Cherry Blossoms & Flea Market: Seokchon Lake Park (석촌 호수벚꽃축제)

The promenade surrounded Seokchon Lake (in Seoul!) are lined on both sides with cherry blossom trees.

The festival also includes a flea market of about 20 vendors, as well as live music and local art performances.

There’s also several cherry blossom-themed photo booths, like a booth where you can sprinkle (fake) cherry blossom leaves in the air for those TikTok-worthy twirls.

If you have kids, you might consider pairing festival with a visit to Lotte World amusement park, since it’s right across from Seokchon Lake Park!

When: Mar 27-31 last year
Where: 136 Samhaksa-ro, Songpa District (서울특별시 송파구 삼학사로 136) – 10 min walk from Jamsil Station, Exit 3
Cost: Free

3. Military Parades & More: Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival (진해 군항제)

A 3 hour train ride from Seoul is a town full of cherry blossoms called Jinhae (360,000 cherry blossom trees, to be exact).

The Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival (aka Jinhae Gunhangje Festival) lasts about 10 days in late March to early April and attracts more than 2 million visitors per year.

It’s held in honor of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin (1545-1598), a historical icon lauded in Korea for his wins against the Japanese navy during the Imjin War during the Joseon Dynasty.

What To Do

For over 60 years, the town of Jinhae has hosted an annual cherry blossom festival that’s timed with the full bloom. The festival includes tons of performances and even a dedicated Cherry Blossom double-decker bus route (it’s only $2!).

The convenient bus route will take you to all the best spots, which include Gyeonghwa Station and the Yeojwacheong Romance Bridge by the Yeojwacheon Stream.

The festival includes several performances and cultural events. Last year, there was live music, EDM and even a K-Pop dance competition.

There’s two super notable military events. The first is the Jinhae Military Music Festival, where the Korean and US military come together (don’t miss the air show by the Korean Air Force!).

Second is the Memorial Parade, where the Korean military march in honor of Admiral Yi.

What To Eat

You won’t need to worry about dining because there’s plenty of food vendors to pick from.

The festival organizes a 1) Cherry Blossom Food Market at the Jungwon Rotary near Kyunghwa Station.

In addition, the two main markets in the neighborhood are 2) Jinhae Central Market (진해중앙시장) and 3) Gyeonghwa Market (경화시장).

From tteokbokki (spicy Korean ricecake) to ice cream, these traditional-style markets have so much to offer.

How To Get There

The easiest way to get your logistics in order is by booking a tour package (including options where you can elect to book your own accommodation).

If you’re a DIY traveler, you can rent a car or take the high-speed rail KTX from Seoul Station and then transfer onto a public bus. Once you’re at Masan, you can enjoy the circular Cherry Blossom bus route!

When: March 23 to April 1 last year
Where: Jinhae Station (4 hours from Seoul by KTX High Speed Rail and public bus)
Official Website: Jinhae Gunhangjae Festival

4. Shilla Dynasty Tombs: Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival (경주 대릉원돌담길 벚꽃축제)

Walk along the cherry blossom lined stone road along the impressive hill-like graves of the Shilla Dynasty royalty at the Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival.

The Daereungwon Tomb Complex, home to 23 royal graves, is an interesting historical site in of itself.

Many visitors will rent Korean traditional hanbok and take photos with the cherry blossoms by the stone road that looks out onto the tombs.

That’s because you can’t walk on the grass (off the path) in the tomb complex, so it’s easier to take photos with the blossoms from the stone wall.

The most popular spots for photos of the beautiful cherry blossoms include by King Michu’s tomb (미추왕).

By the way, you’re not allowed to get off the pathway in the tomb complex and onto the grass (so most people take photos outside of the graves, by the stone wall perimeter).

Can’t get enough of the cherry blossoms? A 15 minute drive away from the graves are 36,000 cherry blossom trains along Bomun Lake.

Once you’re done snapping pics, head over to the festival’s flea market to peruse small gifts and enjoy the street performances during the day and the light show at night.

The festival dates are timed around when the cherry blossoms are expected to be in full bloom.

It’s totally worth considering a trip to Gyeongju, as it’s a popular weekend trip destination for Koreans (outside of the cherry blossom season, too).

When: Mar 29-31 last year (13:00-22:00)
Where: Daereungwon Doldam-gil (3h journey from Seoul via KTX high-speed train ride, then public bus)
Cost: Free

5. Magnificent Tulip Sculptures by Beach: Taean Tulip Festival (태안 세계튤립꽃박람회)

There’s a magnificent tulip oasis by the beach: it’s the Taean Tulip Festival.

Over 2 million tulips are arranged exquisitely at Korea Flower Park. Last year’s theme was peacocks, culminating with two massive peacock statues and their colorful feathers passionately expressed with tulips of different colors and heights.

That’s not all at this tulip festival. There’s also a tropical botanical garden and a mini animal farm where you can feed goats, sheep and more.

Kids will also love the little tractor train that zooms around the park.

From the observatory tower, you’ll see Kkotji Beach and the ocean, too.

There’s also a fair chance that the cherry blossoms will still be in bloom during the festival.

The Taean Tulip Festival is a 2-3 hour drive from Seoul. Renting a car or booking a tour will be your best bet.

When: April 10 to May 7 last year
Where: 400 Kkotjihaean-ro, Anmyeon-eup, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do (충남 태안군 안면읍 꽃지해안로 400 – 3h drive from Seoul)
Cost: Adults 9.60 USD (14,000 KRW), Under 24 years – 7.50 USD (11,000 KRW)

6. Plum Blossoms & Traditional Foods: Gwangyang Maehwa Festival (광양매화축제)

Take a long stroll and take in the sweet scent of the plum blossoms at Gwangyang Maehwa Festival.

The tart, green fruits of plum blossoms are used in traditional Korean cuisine and food, like maesil wine and in herbal teas.

The festival costs 3.40 USD (5,000 KRW), but you’ll get a gift card that you can redeem to spend with the local gift and food vendors, including traditional maesil products!

There’s events planned throughout the festival period, including various live music performances and barefoot races on top of ice (you read that right!).

While it’s possible to get to the festival via public buses from Seoul, it will take a long time (we’re talking 6.5h+). Your best bet is to rent a car or book a tour.

When: Mar 10-17 last year
Where: Doonchi Parking Lot (둔치주차장). Since cars cannot go beyond this parking lot while the festival is happening, hop on their free shuttles, which will take you to the main festival (Jooheng Market, 주행시장).
Cost: 3.40 USD (5,000 KRW) – but you get the same amount back as a gift card for festival vendors

7. Striking Yellow Sansuyu Flowers: Gurye Sansuyu Festival (구례산수유꽃축제)

Celebrate the spring bloom early at Gurye Sansuyu Festival! The striking yellow sansuyu flowers (Cornelian cherries) bloom in March, earlier than most flowers.

Take the train and bus to this southwestern town 3.5 hours away from Seoul and take in the beauty of the sansuyus along the 1.5 mile (2.5km) circular walkway of the festival.

The Gurye Sansuyu Festival includes several concerts and live music performances. There’s also activities for kids, like a bow and arrow creation and shooting event.

There is a free shuttle bus service so you could take public transport to Gurye Sansuyu Festival. Here are some tour options.

Where: 45 Sanguan 1-gil, Sandong-myeon, Gurye-gun (3.5h drive from Seoul, or 3.5h public transport journey taking the KTX high-speed rail train ride from Seoul to Gurye-gu Station and the public bus).
Cost: Free
Website: Gurye County

8. Colorful Lanterns for Buddha’s Birthday: Lotus Lantern Festival (삼광사 연등축제)

About 40,000 colorful lanterns are lit every year in the Samkwang Temple in Busan in

celebration of Buddha’s birthday.

The paper lanterns begin in the 108 steps up to the massive temple complex, which can fit up to 10,000 people at a time.

You’ll be greeted warmly by a dragon lantern sculpture that roars out fire. Spectacular!

This event was named as one of CNN’s 50 most beautiful places to visit in South Korea and attracts about 1 million visitors every year.

The Lotus Lantern Festival is hosted in the 20 days leading up to Buddha’s birthday, which is a national holiday in Korea. His exact birthday depends on the year, since it is according to the lunar calendar.

You can get to the festival by taking the KTX high speed rail from Seoul to Busan Station (2.5h), then taking the public bus.

When: Mar 9-17 last year
Where: Samkwang Temple (4.5h drive from Seoul; or 3.5h from Seoul via KTX high speed train and public buses)
Cost: Free

9. Ocean Splits in Half: Jindo Miracle Sea Parting Festival (진도신비의바닷길 축제)

In this real life Moses phenomenon, the ocean parts every year by this island in southwestern Korea.

For just one hour, the difference between the high and low tides gives way to a 160ft wide walkable path that stretches 1.7 miles in what is normally pure ocean.

1 million people come to witness this wild natural phenomenon during the 4-day The Jindo Miracle Sea Parting Festival.

Although the ocean only totally parts for an hour every year, you can still walk the partially submerged path on most early mornings and evenings of the festival.

There’s a cute Korean folklore story behind this yearly parting of the sea. It goes something like this…

When a mighty tiger attacked Jindo, the townspeople fled to a nearby island.

Sadly, Grandma Ppong was left behind amidst the chaos, but she survived.

Grandma Ppong prayed day and night to the Dragon King to be reunited with her family, whom she missed sorely.

That is, until one day, when the ocean miraculously parted.

The townspeople, realizing that there was now a path to Jindo, rushed to search for Grandma Ppong.

When they found Grandma Ppong, she said that she had no more wishes because her prayers were answered and she was finally reunited with her loved ones. She then took her last breath.

Since taking the train and public buses to the festival would take 6 hours, I’d recommend renting a car or booking a tour.

When: Mar 29 – Apr 1, 2025
Where: 74 Sinbiuibadat-gil, Gogun-myeon, Jindo, Jeollanam-do, South Korea (전라남도 진도군 고군면 신비의바닷길 74) – 4h drive from Seoul
Cost: 3.40 USD (5,000 KRW)
Website: Jindo County

10. Botanical Light Show: Garden of Morning Calm Festival (아침고요수목원 오색별빛정원전)

If you’re visiting in the early spring, head over to the Garden of Morning Calm to experience the magical light show that turns this botanical garden with 5,000 species into a colorful wonderland at night.

Prof. Sang-kyung Han opened the Garden of Morning Calm after he was inspired by the botanical gardens in the US while serving as an exchange professor.

While you’re there, it’s worth checking out Nami Island, too!

When: Dec 1, 2024-Mar 16, 2025
Where (1.5 hour drive from Seoul): 432 Sumogwon-ro, Sang-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Costs: Adults (11,000 KRW, 8 USD), Youth: Middle School to High School (8,500 KRW, 6 USD), Kids (7,500 KRW, 5.50 USD)
Tours: Tour including Strawberry Farm visit; Tour including Petite France and Italian Village

Korea in Spring (Conclusion)

In this Korea in Spring guide, we went over all the info so that you can decide 1) if spring is the right time for your trip, and 2) 10 festivals to plan your trip around!

Best Cherry Blossom Festival in Seoul: Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival (여의도 윤종로 벚꽃축제)
Seoul Cherry Blossoms & Flea Market: Seokchon Lake Park (석촌 호수벚꽃축제)
Military Parades & More: Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival (진해 군항제)
Shilla Dynasty Tombs: Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival (경주 대릉원돌담길 벚꽃축제)
Magnificent Tulip Sculptures by Beach: Taean Tulip Festival (태안 세계튤립꽃박람회)
Plum Blossoms & Traditional Foods: Gwangyang Maehwa Festival (광양매화축제)
Striking Yellow Sansuyu Flowers: Gurye Sansuyu Festival (구례산수유꽃축제)
Colorful Lanterns for Buddha’s Birthday: Lotus Lantern Festival (삼광사 연등축제)
Ocean Splits in Half: Jindo Miracle Sea Parting Festival (진도신비의바닷길 축제)
Botanical Light Show: Garden of Morning Calm Festival (아침고요수목원 오색별빛정원전)

Thanks for checking out my article about Korea in Spring!

Korea in Spring | Weather, Cherry Blossoms, 10 Festivals