In springtime in Korea, cherry blossom trees bloom everywhere. Many places celebrate this event with a festival, but even without a festival, places with cherry blossoms attract thousands of people. Ask a Korean where the best places to see cherry blossoms in the spring and you will probably hear them say Gyeongju, or Jinhae. This article will discuss my favorite of these two destinations, Gyeongju, and my next article will discuss the festival held at Jinhae.

Gyeongju is worth a trip anytime of year to see a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Read my previous article Gyeongju Historic Areas. I believe the best time of the year to visit is either in the fall when the tree leaves have turned colors or in the spring when the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom.

I found three places that people view cherry blossoms in Gyeongju. One place is terrible, one place is okay, and one place is amazing.

Near Gyeongju National Museum

I’ll start with the terrible place because it’s the first thing you will see when coming out of the bus station in Gyeongju. As you look across the river, you will see the river bank lined with cherry blossom trees and below them, bright yellow golden-bell trees.

I recommend appreciating these particular trees from a distance. The view from across the river is much more appealing than the one available to those to venture for a closer look. The reason is that hidden behind the tree line is a very narrow road with no sidewalks and full of bumper to bumper cars and pedestrians. The amazing thing is that people actually stop to take their photos amid this chaos.

A couple posing for a photo among the flowers

A comparatively much better place to spend your afternoon is in the other direction, towards the Cheomseongdae ancient observatory and the tombs. In this area you will find a field of green topped with yellow flowers and a background of giant cherry blossom trees.

People here can enjoy a leisurely walk through the fields while taking photos of themselves and their loved ones. If you have never been to Gyeongju before, this is a good opportunity to explore the surrounding area as it has many ancient kings’ tombs, Anapji Pond, Seokbinggo ancient freezer, and a national museum.

Outside of Bulguksa. Picnics under cherry blossoms.

If you have been to Gyeongju before, I recommend spending as little time in this area as possible to allow you to spend the most time possible in the part of Gyeongju which has the best place to view cherry blossoms. The place to go is the area just outside of Bulguksa Temple. You can get there by getting on a bus that stops on the main road in front of the national museum.

Outside of Bulguksa. Enjoying some privacy under cherry blossoms.

The area outside of Bulguksa Temple is a virtual cherry blossom tree forest. There are so many cherry blossom trees that everywhere you look is filled with blooming trees. There is a walking path that meanders through the area, and in between the walking paths are grassy patches where people spread out their blankets and have their picnics.

A vender prepares roasted nuts and dried fish snacks.

I highly recommend bringing some kind of plastic mat and something to cushion your seat for you to relax on. You will see some vendors selling things like corndogs, ice cream, traditional Korean snacks, beer and other beverages, but you’ll be best served by bringing food you know you will like.

There are some traditional Korean restaurants across the street from Bulguksa Temple where you can order full meals with menus in English. Also, there are motels in the area in case you aren’t in a rush to leave or want to visit the cherry blossoms again the following day.

A group of Buddhist monks walking through the cherry blossoms

Sitting at my desk and looking back, my visit to Bulguksa Temple to enjoy the cherry blossoms was one of the most enjoyable moments of my time in Korea. I highly recommend others to make the same trip I did, with the exception of crossing the river. I plan to return to Bulguksa Temple this spring fully prepared to have a picnic feast under the cherry blossoms with good friends. I took my trip to Gyeongju on April 5-6, but since flowers bloom according to the weather, you’ll have to pay attention to the weather. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to call the tourist information office at Bulguksa Temple to ask if the flowers are in bloom.

Resources
Gyeongju (Wikipedia)
Gyeongju (Korea Tourism Organization)

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