5 Must-Visit Spring Travel Destinations in South Korea
① The Representative Flower Festival of South Jeolla Province
Gurye in South Jeolla Province stands out as Korea’s prime spring travel destination. When spring comes, the Gurye Cornelian Cherry Festival is held as the cornelian cherry flowers bloom on the foothills of Jirisan. The cornelian cherries start to show their beauty in March. You can also enjoy the cherry blossom path along the Seomjin River and the bright yellow cornelian cherries.
The cherry blossom drive along the Seomjin River has been selected as one of Korea’s 100 most beautiful roads. This year’s Gurye Cornelian Cherry Festival will occur from March 9th to March 17th. The festival plans to create a lively atmosphere with various street performances, Trot song performances, and traditional Korean music performances. Traditional game experience events and traditional tea tasting will also be held.
The street is full of various experiences, making it a great family travel destination to visit with children.
- Address: 45 Sangwan 1-gil, Sandong-myeon, Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do
- Festival Schedule: 03.09 – 03.17
The Gwangyang Maehwa Festival is held in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province. Gwangyang is a travel destination where you can enjoy the plum blossoms along the Seomjin River. It is also known as one of the country’s most beautiful plum blossom spots.
Plum trees grow along the Seomjin River in Seomjin Village in Gwangyang. In March, white plum blossoms cover the neighborhood. The Gwangyang Maehwa Festival is a representative spring festival that attracts over a million tourists annually.
There are exhibitions, performances, and experience events along with the plum blossoms. You can participate in the plum party, barefoot walk along the Seomjin River, and plum highball experience.
- Address: 1563-1 Seomjingang Maehwa-ro, Daap-myeon, Gwangyang-si, Jeollanam-do
- Festival Schedule: 03.08 – 03.17
- Admission Fee: $3.76
② Famous Spring Travel Destinations in Gyeongnam
Not only Gwangyang but also Yangsan are famous for their plum blossoms. The Wondong Maehwa Festival takes place in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do. The Wondong Maehwa Festival will start on March 9th.
Every March, the Wondong area becomes a spectacle as plum blossoms bloom. The area is famous for its beautiful natural scenery, and in spring, it is adorned with plum blossoms. The scenery of plum blossoms harmonized with the Nakdong River is quite stunning. The entire Wondong Village, where the plum blossom festival is held, turns into a festival venue. During the festival, there is food, and you can experience streets and flower viewing.
In addition to the plum blossom festival, the Wondong Water Celery Festival, which runs from February 23rd to April 30th, is also in full swing in Yangsan.
- Address: 2220 Wondong-ro, Wondong-myeon, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
- Festival Schedule: 03.09 – 03.17
Jinhae is a place where a representative spring festival is held. In Jinhae, you can enjoy one of the nation’s top cherry blossom festivals. Every spring, the “Jinhae Gunhangje Festival” begins. At the end of March, various places in Jinhae will be covered with cherry blossoms.
Many people are likely looking forward to the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival as spring begins. Jinhae, filled with 360,000 cherry trees, is a cherry blossom attraction throughout the city. Famous places to enjoy cherry blossoms in Jinhae include Yeojwacheon, Jehwangsan Park, Jangboksan Park, and the Environmental Ecology Park.
Among them, the “Romance Bridge” of Yeojwacheon has cherry trees lined up along a 1.5km (approximately 0.93 miles) stream. It’s a place that offers a romantic atmosphere where you can enjoy beautiful cherry blossoms more than anywhere else. It was also introduced in “50 Places to Visit in Korea,” selected by the U.S. broadcaster CNN.
Last year’s Jinhae Gunhangje Festival attracted 4.5 million tourists. This year, it is expected that a large number of tourists will revisit Jinhae.
- Address: 217 Yeojwa-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
- Festival Schedule: 03.23 – 04.01
③ Jeju Island’s Canola Flowers Already in Full Bloom
In Jeju, the canola flowers are already in full bloom. You can’t leave out canola flowers when traveling to Jeju in the spring. The yellow canola flowers are in full bloom in areas such as Sanbangsan and Seongsan Ilchulbong. Jeju has various canola flower attractions, so you can enjoy a more abundant trip when spring comes.
The Seogwipo Canola Flower Festival is held in the Canola Flower Square area in Gasi-ri, Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo-si. Noksan-ro, selected as one of the 100 most beautiful roads in Korea, is full of canola flowers and cherry blossoms along its 10km (approximately 6.21 miles) path. This is a representative spring drive course on Jeju Island, which many tourists visit yearly.
This place is considered the first of the ten scenic views in Gasi-ri Village. During the festival, it operates as a pedestrian-only road, so you can enjoy a walk while admiring the canola and cherry blossoms.
In Jeju, you can enjoy canola flowers at Hueree Canola Flower Field, Eongdongmul Valley, Seopjikoji, Seoubong Beach, and Udo.
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