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If you’re lucky enough to be in South Korea during cherry blossom season, you’ve won the travel lottery. For less than 2 weeks every year, Korea becomes blanketed in a soft pink blanket of cherry blossoms. There are countless great spots for viewing cherry blossoms across the country, but where is the best place to see cherry blossoms in Korea? Jinhae, a small district on the southern coast, takes the crown as Korea’s top cherry blossom destination.
Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival: Why Should I go?
Jinhae is a district in Changwon City in southern South Korea. It’s famous for its cherry blossom festival, which attracts over 1 million tourists every year. The festival is Korea’s largest and most famous cherry blossom festival. Jinhae is home to over 360,000 Yoshino cherry blossom trees that were planted during the Japanese occupation.
The festival is actually meant to celebrate the Korean military, as Jinhae is the main base for Korea’s Navy. There are many interesting programs throughout the festival related to the Navy, such as events, performances, and parades. You can check the event schedule on the official festival website (English available!). When you arrive at the festival, pick up a pamphlet for the most up-to-date information on festival events.
Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival: When Is It?
The festival is held for 2 weeks every spring when the cherry blossoms come out. The dates depend on the cherry blossom forecast that year. In 2025, the dates were March 28th – April 6th.
The best time to see the cherry blossoms is about a week after the first bloom. If you can, try to visit the festival on a weekday. It will be significantly less crowded than on the weekends!
Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival: How to Get There
Seoul to Jinhae
If you’re taking a day trip from Seoul, I highly recommend taking a guided tour, like this one that I did. It’s a long trip, so having a guide and a bus to take you around is the most efficient option.
If you want to do it yourself, you can take a 4-5 hour bus from Seoul Nambu Bus Terminal to Jinhae Bus Terminal. You can also take a train, but there is no direct option. Take the KTX from Seoul Station to Masan Station, where you can transfer to a Mugungwha train for Jinhae. This option takes about 4 hours.
Busan to Jinhae
From Busan Seobu Terminal, take a 1-hour bus to Jinhae Bus Terminal. Alternatively, book a guided tour for ease and convenience.
The best activity and excursion booking platforms for South Korea are Klook and GetYourGuide. Both websites have thousands of trustworthy travel experiences with verified user reviews. I use Klook and GetYourGuide to book almost all my excursions in Asia, and I highly recommend them for booking your trip to the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival.
Need to find the best hotels in Seoul and Busan as a home base for your Jinhae trip? Check out my blogs on where to stay in Seoul and where to stay in Busan to find the best accommodation for your preferences. As a professional travel advisor and former Seoul local, I’ve vetted or personally stayed at these suggested properties.
Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival: Where to Go
Gyeonghwa Station (경화역)
This former train station is one of the most famous places to see cherry blossoms in Jinhae. Trees line the train tracks, making it the perfect place for a photo-op. There’s also an out-of-service train that you can take pictures with and walk through.
Gyeonghwa Station is slightly out of the way of downtown Jinhae, where most of the other spots are. You can walk the 3km/1.8 miles, or you can take a short taxi or bus.
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Yeojwa Stream (여좌천)
Other than Gyeonghwa Station, Yeojwa Stream is the other most famous place to see the blossoms in Jinhae. Cherry blossoms hang over the stream, which is often decorated with flowers, lights, or other displays.
There are lots of street food vendors next to the stream, including the famous cherry blossom ice cream. If you need a coffee break, Bobos Cafe (보보스카페) has yummy drinks and treats with views of the stream.
A word of warning – this is the most crowded spot, so try to come early or late on a weekday to minimize crowds.
Jungwon Rotary (중원로터리)
This is an intersection that serves as the main festival site. It’s where most of the events and performances take place, and there are lots of festival tents with food, souvenirs, and festival information.
Jehwangsan Park (제황산궁원)
Right down the road from Jungwon Rotary are the colorful owl stairs leading to Jehwangsan Park. The observatory at the top is a great place to get views of Jinhae, the ocean, and all the cherry blossoms from above. You can take the monorail if you don’t feel like climbing the stairs.
Other spots
When you arrive at the festival, pick up a pamphlet for a map of all the major cherry blossom locations. Less famous but still noteworthy spots include:
- Jinhae Public Stadium
- Bukwon Rotary
- Jinhaeru
- Jinhae Jungang Market
- Naval Academy
- Naval Jinhae Base Command
- US Naval Jinhae Unit CFAC
Whether you wandered through paths of blossoms, ate cherry blossom ice cream, or immersed yourself in cultural events and performances, a trip to see Jinhae’s famous cherry blossoms won’t disappoint. You’ll quickly understand why the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival holds the title of Korea’s best cherry blossom festival. Until next spring, Jinhae!
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