I got lucky enough to see cherry blossoms in peak bloom while I was traveling in Seoul!

With cherry blossom predictions being unreliable due to global warming, if you are trying to plan your Seoul trip around the cherry blossoms (and only have a few days in Seoul), there really is no advice I can give other than to hope you are lucky. If it is hotter than expected, cherry blossoms will open quicker and fall faster. If it rains, cherry blossoms will wilt and fall faster. If it’s too cold, cherry blossoms won’t open as quickly. And once the flowers bloom, they only last a few days.

The only thing you can do is map out cherry blossom locations and try to plan your non-cherry blossom related activities around them, so you don’t waste a trip out if the cherry blossoms have already fallen.

When I visited Seoul in April 2024, the cherry blossoms were delayed because of the cold. I arrived in Seoul maybe a 5-7 days after the predicted blooms, so with the delay because of the cold, I was able to catch the tail-end of the peak bloom. That being said, certain areas/trees already had their cherry blossoms fallen, while others were at their peak.

Let’s dive into my recommended spots for cherry blossoms in Seoul! I’ve included Naver links for each of the locations. If you’re traveling to Korea, Naver Maps is a must for directions. You can read more in my dedicated Naver article below.

1. Hapjeong (합정)

This would be my #1 recommended spot for cherry blossoms. If you go to this street (Hulujeong-ro, 희우정로) in Hapjeong, the entire street is lined with cherry blossoms. Although locals will flock to this street during peak bloom, because the street is so long, it doesn’t feel crowded. This area is close to Mangwon and Hongdae, an area you’ll likely visit during your trip, so even if there are no cherry blossoms left, there is still plenty to do in the area.

I recommend going before sunset so you can see the blooms during the daytime. Then, get some dinner or do some shopping and head back to this street after the sun sets so you can see the cherry blossoms at night time as well. The vibe is completely different at night time, as the cherry blossoms are illuminated under the street lights. Both day and night are equally beautiful!

Exact location details: The street is Hulujeong-ro (희우정로). This street is mainly residental. This is a long street, therefore I’m linking a random convenience store on the cherry blossom part of the street that you can use to get directions to: https://naver.me/xQeTCKWo

2. Seoul Forest (서울숲)

Seoul Forest is located close to Seongsu, which is known as the “Brooklyn” of Seoul because of its boutiques and trendy cafes. Although a bit further out from central Seoul, you can coordinate spending a morning and afternoon in Seoul Forest and Seongsu.

Seoul Forest is large, and there are plenty of cherry blossoms and spring flowers to see. If you arrive at main entrance, you will see all these tulips once you walk in a bit.

You can also sit under the cherry blossom trees in these picnic tables. I brought a gimbap from a store in Seongsu and ate it here.

If you walk further in to the park to the trails, there will be lots of cherry blossom lined paths. However, make sure you go to the footbridge to be IMMERSED in the cherry blossoms! (Next section)

Location: 서울숲, Naver link

3. Cherry blossom footbridge at Seoul Forest

As I mentioned earlier, Seoul Forest is large and you probably won’t stumble upon this footbridge unless you know it exists. This footbridge is worth the trek inside Seoul Forest. Let these pictures do the talking:

You can walk along this bridge and be immersed in head to toe cherry blossoms.

You could also stand in the path below and have a friend take a picture of you from above (on the bridge).

Exact location details: You will want to head to Seoul Forest Kkotsaseum Pasturage 서울숲꽃사슴방사장 (Naver link), which is the part of the park where the footbridge is located. There’s a gated area where there’s deer. There is also a road outside one of the entrances if you wanted to get dropped off by a taxi. Look for Gate 11 (Naver link for Gate 11), and the footbridge is just up that path (see picture above).

4. Jeongdok Library (정독도서관)

Located closeby to Anguk / Gyeongbokgung / Insadong area is a library with beautiful cherry blossom trees in the outside courtyard. This is located in a hilly area of Seoul, and you’ll need to do some walking in steep areas to get here from any subway stations. I stayed at a hotel in Insadong, so this was walking distance from my hotel, and I went early in the morning to see the blossoms.

There is a courtyard outside the library filled with beautiful trees.

I particularly loved this bench area where you could sit under the cherry blossom trees.

If you walk up to the buildings, there are lots of cherry blossoms there as well. There is a weeping cherry blossom tree that I was hoping to see, but unfortunately the blossoms already fell by the time I got there!

Location: 서울특별시교육청 정독도서관, Naver link

5. Seokchon Lake (석촌호수)

Seokchon Lake is a lake with a circular, paved path surrounding the lake and a famous k-drama spot: Lotte World amusement park! This is another spot located far out from central Seoul in the Jamsil (잠실) area.

The day that I went, it was not sunny and most of the blossoms were on their way out.

Most of the trees were quite tall, too. There were so many people walking/exercising the trail – I felt as if I were “in the way” whenever I stopped to take a photo. The location is also pretty far out from central Seoul. Therefore, this is a less recommended spot compared to the previously mentioned locations.

Location: 석촌호수, Naver link

Other spots

These were the 5 locations that I was able to visit that had a large concentration of cherry blossoms while they were still in bloom. Of course, if you go at the right time, you’ll probably see random cherry blossom trees in bloom when you’re walking around Seoul (in fact, I saw lots on the highway while taking the bus from the airport to my hotel!)

Here are some other locations that I had bookmarked, but didn’t get a chance to visit:

Yunjungno Cherry Blossom Walkway (윤중로벚꽃길) at Yeouido Hangang Park, Naver link
Grey Lab (그레이랩), a cafe famous for its cherry blossoms, Naver link