Seoul in March

The first thing that comes to travelers’ minds when they think of Seoul in March is the beautiful sight of cherry blossoms. But, if you're not a flower fan, is Korea still worth visiting in March? Scroll down to find out! (I've been several times.)

Spring and Fall are 2 of the BEST times to visit Korea, in my opinion.

In March, we're just leaving the cold of February and winter behind but it's not as wet as Korea in summer, so you can (generally) enjoy blue skies, crisp weather and the sight of beautiful flowers, not just cherry blossoms.

The weather makes it ideal for outdoor activities, such as:

• hiking (one of Korea's favorite activities!)
• wander around the Korean traditional hanok villages, such as Bukchon-Dong, Ikseon-Dong, and Insa-Dong
• admiring the BEAUTIFUL greenery (just look at the photo above)
• simply wearing a hanbok and taking photos. (Tip: that gets you free entry into Gyeongbokgung Palace! Click here for my 29 other top South Korea travel tips- or click here for solo female travel tips.)

However- and this is a big but- the air pollution in spring can be awful. I was actually going to go to Korea in spring 2026 but decided to move it to fall because of the dust pollution.

Cherry Blossoms Forecast

Some of the best places to see cherry blossoms in Seoul are:

• Seoul Forest (1 of my favorite places to hang out)
• Seokcho Lake in Gangnam
• Changdeokgung Palace's Secret Garden.

Tip: if you are staying in Myeondong, the Secret Garden will be the closest for you.

Note that in 2026, cherry blossoms in Seoul are forecast for early April- to see them in (late) March, you can try Busan, Jeju Island, Gwangju, and Daegu. Do note, however, that it's very hit-or-miss. Whether you get to see cherry blossoms is quite up to chance (unless you're willing to rush here and there for them.) For example, I was in Jeju and Busan during the predicted cherry blossom season in 2023, but the wind had blown all the flowers down from the trees before I could see them!

Dates: Typically held end of March/ early April.

Address: Yeouiseo-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 영등포구 여의서로

Free to enter.

Don't forget to print out the Korean name and address to show the cab or bus driver or in case you need to ask for directions!

This festival is one of the most popular festivals in Seoul- there will be huge crowds to view the various spring flowers such as, azaleas, forsythia, royal azaleas and, of course, the cherry blossoms trees lining Yeouido Street. (There are 1700 cherry blossom trees there!)

Food trucks, activity zones, performances and many more ensure that travelers have a fun-filled day! (Just note that it can be unenjoyable if it's too crowded- try to go early in the morning!

Dates: Last year it was held March 21 -23, 2024

Address: 271, Eungbong-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 서울 성동구 응봉동 271번지

How to get there: Take a subway to Eungbong Station (Jungang line, exit 1). After exiting, turn left, then walk along the road (you'll see the train line.) At the 1st junction, turn right, before turning left at the very next junction. Continue straight and you'll see stairs that lead up the mountain. The journey should take 10-15 minutes.

A little hidden gem in Seongdong-gu, Eungbongsan Mountain has an annual Forsythia Flower Festival. The bright yellow blossom reach their full bloom in the beginning of April.

This is also a great place for a hike! There is:

1. a short popular walking path from the stairs of Eungbongsan to a platform with a pedestrian path leading to Yongbigyo Bridge, and then on to Seoul Forest.

2. a longer and popular path at the riverside across Jungnangcheon Stream, Hangang Waterside Park to a footbridge leading straight to Seoul Forest.

Tip: The pavilion at the top has incredible views of Han River, Seoul Forest, Jamsil Park and other parts of Seoul.

Dates: Generally late March- early April (TBC)

Address:   Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do

Jinhae is famous for its Yoshino cherry trees which were initially planted by the Japanese during their occupation of Korea. (They had a naval presence here.)

There are many (often military related) events and performances around Jinhae to enjoy The only popular thing to do is to take photographs whilst strolling to:

• Yeojwa-cheon ((여좌천) Yeojwa Stream- the setting for the 2002 Korean Romance Drama (로망스))
• Gyeonghwa Station ( (경화역)- note that this station is no longer in operation so you can take photos on the tracks. The 2 points are approximately 3 km away from each other and the 2 main spots for taking photos with the flowers.)

Enjoy walking along the stream up to Jenwangsan Park and along the “Owl Road” to the Observatory Deck, where you will be treated to panoramic views of Jinhae City and the sea.

Don’t forget to try cherry blossom ice cream, pork BBQ or hotteok from the many food tents in the festival grounds.

Tip: The easiest way to get to Jinhae from Seoul is via a guided all-day tour. Note that the festival gets VERY crowded- go during weekdays if possible! (If you're not a huge cherry blossom fan, the festival isn't that different from other Korean festivals.)

Although the weather in March is milder, if you're sensitive to cold it can still be rather chilly. (My Mom still needs her winter coats!) Here are some indoor activities in Seoul for when you need to warm up:

South Korea is well known for its beauty industry.

My Mom & I never fail to get a massage, hair cut/ treatment and facial on all of our trips. You can get some cheap treatments, but they can also be quite pricey, and not all are great. Here's my review of all the Seoul facials and Seoul hair salons, such as Juno, I've tried to hope you choose the right 1 for you.

Our favorite place for a facial is Sulwhasoo because the experience is more luxurious (we're not in Korea all the time after all) and I prefer using Korean brands in Korea. (I've tried treatments at some "cult" Korean brands like Jungsaemool (before they did their worldwide expansion- apparently a lot of celebs use them (or did when I tried them)) and Shangpree- but I was very disappointed to be honest.

I'm not sure if it's because I was a tourist or if that's their general standard, but they were amongst the worst treatments I had ever gotten (in the whole world.) With Sulwhasoo, they're always professional and you get a very consistent standard of service- you can read more about the Sulwhasoo facial here.) Just note that they book up super quickly.

We wanted to do 2 treatments on our last trip but they could only fit us in once- and I booked months ahead!

For foodies such as myself, Korean cooking classes provide the perfect opportunity to learn to cook famous Korean foods such as:

• kimchi
• Korean stews (jjigae)
• bibimbap (rice with seasonal vegetables and a sunny-side fried egg
• bulgogi (marinated grilled meat) and more. 

As an Asian food blogger, it's no surprise that one of my favorite experiences was learning to make kimchi in a hanok in Bukchon-dong! (Click here for my Seoul Kimchi Class review.) The other was taking a Seoul food tour.

You can also visit the Museum Kimchikan in Insadong, kimchi visitors can learn and taste samples of different varieties of kimchi or take a Kimchi making class. 

Address: (Just outside) Bukchon Hanok Village

You can learn Najeonchilgi, the Korean traditional mother-of-pearl technique. In this class, you can make your own hand mirrors, trays, coasters, key chains and hair ties.

You choose what you want to make and pay accordingly- click here for my review of the Mother of Pearl class. It was fun but note that the finishing wasn't impressive- they didn't put enough varnish on the products, so it was quite rough to the touch.

Have you seen the Kodrean drama Full House?

It's an old-but-gold Korean romance drama, starring Rain. In the show, the lead actress lost her house because her besties stole her personal stone stamp (dojang 도장) and used it to sell her house.

In Korea, the dojang/ stamp is a personal sign that can be used to sign documents. You can make your personal dojang in this class (I don't think it's legally binding though.) The class is aptly held in Insa-dong, an area popular with Korean culture lovers.

If you can't understand why someone would want a stamp, why not turn your Korean name (or any Korean words) into a necklace?

• March 1: Independence Movement Day (삼일절 (Samiljeol).) This is a public holiday and there will be exhibitions, concerts and parades during to remember the patriots who have died defending their country against Japanese occupation. (Not to be confused with Korea's National Liberation Day in August!)

Any questions about the best things to do in Seoul Korea in March? Let me know in the comments!