Spring is one of the best times to travel to Korea. Everywhere you look, the trees are starting to shake off winter’s grip, blooming in a brilliant, if fleeting, beauty. The mountains are also beginning to regain their green hues and these first couple of months are vividly colorful. Korea also has a longer spring blooming season and you can see flowers during most months out of the year, depending on where you are and type of flower. Our friend was so excited to see the cherry blossoms, but since she was arriving nearly a month after they were gone, we made it a point to find some flowers. That’s her featured in the cover photo below enjoying the rhododendron trees!
Seoul has plenty of blooming trees in the springtime, but we are huge advocates of getting out of the capital and exploring the rest of what Korea has to offer. The public transportation system is getting easier and easier for foreign travelers these days, so why not! Below are our favorite flower locations that are unusual and not as well known. Check them out and let us know if you have heard of any other awesome locations that you recommend in the comments below!
Hwagae Cherry Blossom Festival
Hwagae is hands down our favorite location to be during the springtime in South Korea. The entire Hadong area is simply covered in these trees. If you can make it early enough in the morning, driving through the tunnel of blossoming trees is simply stunning. Later in the day, traffic starts to become a bigger problem, so we suggest getting there on a Friday night and either camping along the stunning river along the base of Jirisan Mountain, or go ahead and book a pension if you aren’t into roughing it.
Every spring in Hwagae is their annual cherry blossom festival and the four kilometers of river leading up to Ssangseongsa temple is the place you want to be. Tunnels of blossoms with petals falling down around you like snow will make you feel like you are in a different world. For us, the temple was a bit too crowded so we stuck to walking along the river, picnicking on its banks, eating the street food at the local vendors, and taking countless photos among the tress and tea fields. Check out our video here!
How To Get To Hwagae
The fastest way to get there is from Gurye. You can take bus number 111-5 for forty minutes from the Gurye Bus Terminal. Ride for fourteen stops and get off at the Hwaji stop that is at the start of the Hwagae Stream. You could also take a taxi from Gurye, which takes around twenty minutes if you get an early enough start to beat any traffic. Expect to pay around 20,000won, however and getting a taxi back might be more difficult so a bus would be better for the return trip.
Festival Date
The blossoms bloom at different times every year, so be sure to do a quick search to double check when this year’s festival will be held. This year, 2019, the Hwagae Festival is March 29 – 31 but there will likely be festivities still going on as long as the trees are in bloom. Check out the forecast for this year’s updated schedule of the blossoms to see where and when the flowers will be in peak bloom across the country! For future forecasts, google “벚꽃 개화 예상시기 (YEAR)” and search the images for the updated forecast.
READ MORE:
How To See The Hwagae Cherry Blossom Festival
Jeju Camellia Hill
There are so many blooming flowers on Jeju anywhere you look that you definitely will not be disappointed! The natural beauty of Jeju can be seen all around, but our favorite spot for blooming flowers is on Camellia Hill. In mid December, you can see the camellia flowers in this park in full bloom. Red petals simply blanket the ground as the flowers bloom, wilt, and fall from the trees.
In late spring, hydrangeas, my personal favorite, bloom wild. These little balls of petals are so much fun and walking through them feels like you are Alice having fallen through the rabbit hole into Wonderland. Seriously though, this place looks beyond magical! Check out Banbi’s blog post for more photos and a cute map of the park.
How To Get To Camellia Hill
From the Seogwipo, just grab a taxi. It’ll take around twenty minutes to get there and you won’t have to wait for buses which saves a lot of time. Expect to pay around 15,000won.
When To Go
The flowers start blooming in mid to late June. My go to way for knowing if weather is good or flowers are blooming is to check the photos people are uploading to Instagram using the location’s hashtag. Sounds a bit strange, but it has worked well for me in the past!
Anyang Art Park
This is certainly our favorite hidden gem outside of the busy capital of South Korea. The Anyang Art Park is gaining in popularity, but it is still pretty low key with loads to see, do, and eat. During springtime, the park comes alive with flowers and blossoms as the river is lined with cherry blossom trees and temples have blooming azaleas!
The park is known for its quirky art installations throughout the woods and along the stream. Some of the larger installations are quite interesting and fun to photograph. If you decide to come, we recommend planning to spend the whole day here as the park and installations are spread out and there is simply just so much to see, do, and eat! Check out our post here for more information about the Art Park.
How To Get To The Anyang Art Park
By subway, take Line 1 south to Gwanak Station near Anyang. From there you can walk, but it is a bit far and it will likely take you around thirty minutes to get to the center of the park. If the sun is too hot and walking isn’t your thing, exit the station and walk east toward the main highway and flag down a taxi. Tell the drive to take you to 안양예술공원 (Anyang Yesol Park). By bus, you can take bus 10, 12, 15, or 16 southeast from the main highway just outside of Gwanak Station.
When To Go
Check out the forecast for this year’s updated schedule of the blossoms to see where and when the flowers will be in peak bloom across the country! For future forecasts, google “벚꽃 개화 예상시기 (YEAR)” and search the images for the updated forecast.. In 2019, the flowers are predicted to bloom the first week of April.
Daegu 월곡역사공원
There are plenty of places in Daegu that you can find flowers this spring, but our favorite place that we have found has to be this city park with the King Cherry Blossom trees. Most of the trees in Korea have the small pink or white blossoms that, although very pretty, pale in comparison to the king cherry which actually originates from Jeju island.
If you are in Daegu this spring, don’t miss out on this magical park! The King Cherry trees are stunning and they have been planted to form tunnels of these giant fluffy blossoms. Be sure to check out our favorite Daegu native bloggers @mylittlechan for more inspiration and locations around the city to see blooming flowers. They only speak Korean, but if your reading skills are adequate / know how to use the google translate feature on their website, you should be just fine navigating!
Photos by My Little Chan
How To Get To 월곡역사공원
Take the one line to Sangin Station and take exit 6. From there walk straight (east) for two city blocks and turn right. Walk straight for five minutes and the park will be on your left. It should take around ten minutes of walking total!
When To Go
The King Cherry Blossoms bloom a little later than the smaller ones. Expect them to be in full bloom early to mid April.
Gwangyang Maehwa Festival
Just across the river from Hadong, the annual Gwangyang Plum Blossom Festival is certainly one you shouldn’t miss while in Korea. The small rural village perched on the side of a mountain is famous for their plum wine, which means during spring the entire village and mountain are covered in the blooming trees. If you hike up high enough, you’ll get the perfect view looking out across them all.
Be sure to get there early! Traffic can be a problem, but parking is the biggest problem. If the lot is full, drive across the bridge into the city of Hadong and turn right. Beside the river is a park with a parking lot that should have available spaces to park in. This is definitely last resort scenario as the village is a 30 minute walk from here. Otherwise, enjoy the trees, the food vendors, and festival! Check out our post here for more information!
How To Get There
You can get there in about forty five minutes from the Gwangyang Bus Terminal. There are a lot of buses that go in that direction, so look for the ones that will take you to 노인복지관 정류장 승차 stop.
When To Go
The festival starts mid March and lasts for two weeks! This year, 2019, it will be running from March 8 – March 17.
Jeonju 완산공원
In Jeollabukdo, Jeonju is certainly the most popular destination for tourists. A bit off the beaten path, however, is 완산꽃동산, a beautiful mountain park which is simply covered in blooming cherry blossoms and, most notably, tall azalea bushes. This spot is simply perfect for sitting under the azaleas and having a picnic amongst the bright colors of the flowers.
Go early to reserve your spot for a picnic and hang out for the afternoon. It is a bit of an uphill hike, but the path is paved. Be sure to check out our post all about things to see and do in Jeonju for your visit before you go!
How To Get To 완산공원
The easiest way to get here is to grab a taxi from anywhere in the city! The buses are a bit convoluted and you might have to transfer a few times. Parking can be done along the neighborhood at the base of the park if you decide to drive.
When To Go
The King Cherry blossoms and red azaleas come into full bloom early to mid April.
Cheongsando Island
If you are looking to get a little more adventurous, why not check out the Cheongsando Island canola fields? The island is fifty minutes away from Wando via ferry, but is seriously the perfect weekend getaway. Pack up your camping gear or day trip and return for camping or a pension on Wando beach. The fields are everywhere and certainly a welcome escape from the bustling Korean cities.
Be ready for a bit of walking when you arrive. The island is quite large and to see all the fields of yellow, you’ll need to explore a bit. The island has a total of eleven hiking courses that stretch more than forty kilometers! Check out this blog post for more information about the courses and the ferries!
How To Get To Cheongsando
From Wando Passenger Terminal, take a ferry to Cheongsando Island. Check the below map for information about ferry times. The ferry terminal may change the times, so be sure to double check the website for up to date information.
When To Go
The month of April is the best time to go see these flowers before they are harvested!
Suncheon Bay And Gardens
The Suncheon Garden features gardens modeled after several different countries. It is best enjoyed in the springtime when the flowers are fresh and it is not too hot. Go early in the day as there is a ton to see and the gardens are quite large so there is a lot of walking involved.
Suncheon has also preserved its famous mudflats and bay area and you can enjoy walking through the tall reeds and watching the little mudskippers and crabs dance around in the muddy waters. You can reach the bay area by taking the Sky Cube car from the Suncheon Gardens. The elevated cubes wind their way above the river and rice fields for ten minutes before reaching their destination at the bay. Don’t forget to hike up the small mountain at the end of the boardwalks! Twenty minutes to the top and spectacular views of the circular shapes the reeds form. There is a free and secret entrance to the bay that is less crowded as well. Check it out, here.
How To Get To Suncheon Garden Expo
It takes around twenty minutes to get there via bus from the Suncheon Train Station. There are a lot of buses that will take you there, so just search the sign board at the bus stop for Suncheon Garden Expo (순천만국가정원). A taxi takes half the time and will cost you around 4,000won to get you there. You can take the Sky Cube to get to the bay or just grab a cab which will take around fifteen minutes.
Our Garden Expo Tip
The flowers will be best to see late April and early May! The flowers bloom early, but waiting for the trees to start turning green will make it so much better!
Gurye Cornelian Cherries
These unusual yellow flowering fruit trees bloom abundantly in Gurye in the Sansyu Village during springtime. It tastes like a tart cherry, but in Korea they mostly just dry them and use them to make tea. Koreans will tell you most things are “healthy”, even if they truly aren’t, however these little cherries are actually high in vitamin C and have anti-oxidants which are anti-inflammatory!
Healthy benefits aside, these trees are incredibly beautiful and have been planted abundantly throughout the village. There’s a lovely little stream running here and the perfect place for a day of relaxing, eating, drinking, and enjoying the flowers. Be sure to get here early! Parking can be difficult if you arrive too late in the day.
Photos from Egloos
How To Get The Gurye Sansu Village
Certainly the best way to get to this village if you do not have a car is to take a taxi. A taxi will get you there is around twenty minutes if you can leave early enough in the day. The buses to this village make a ton of stops and will take around an hour from the bus terminal. Tell the taxi driver “산수마을.”
When To Go
These trees are early bloomers and the festival is going on from March 8 – 17 this year (2019). Double check the Visit Korea website for updated information as dates are subject to change every year.
Did we miss anything that you consider a must see or must do in springtime in Korea? Have you traveled to South Korea? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
READ MORE SPRING IN KOREA:
How To See The Hwagae Cherry Blossom Festival
Gwangyang Maehwa Plum Flower Festival
Yeosu City Guide – Spring Flowers
Finding Spring Blossoms in Seoul
17 Amazing Rural Korea Getaways
How to Get Out and Explore Rural Korea
50 Quintessential Korean Bucketlist Items
Gorgeous!
I follow the “Korean Beauty” page on Facebook, which has posted a few photos from Gurye recently. They call it Sansuyu village (산수유). You are lucky to live in Yeosu and have a car!
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