What to do in Korea in spring 2026

Where to fly in spring 2026? Put aside trivial assumptions for another year, as Korea will be the best option this year. It's not just about the increased popularity of this destination in recent years, not about K-pop Demon Hunters, and not even about kimchi and ramyeon, which are always abundant here. Spring Korea is a special mood, special vibrations in the air that spread from noisy stadiums and floating cherry petals. However, our list will include both, as from March to June, Korea hosts a huge number of events worth attending. We've compiled everything into one list and added a link to tickets to Seoul so you can get there easily and quickly.

Festivals

Fly thousands of kilometers, and additionally weave festival experiences into your trip, with dates that perfectly align with yours? Sounds like a flawless plan. Especially since unique events reflecting local flavor and traditions take place all over Korea in spring.

Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival

Let's start right with cherry blossoms. It would be a mistake to think that you only need to fly to Japan to observe its magical white or pink haze (after all, even St. Petersburg has its own corner with these trees). In Korea, an entire festival is held in the city of Jinhae in honor of the cherry blossoms.

Among the noteworthy places at the Gunhangje Festival, we highlight Naesumyeon Ecological Park, Yeojwacheon Stream, Gyeonghwa Station, Jinhae Tower, and Jinhaeru. An excellent option is to take the Jehwangsan Monorail to the top of Jinhae Tower, which offers a magnificent panoramic view of the city and the endless sea. In the center of the district, around Jungwon Rotary, there are historical buildings, as well as 360,000 cherry trees, for which, in fact, it is worth heading here.

Dates: March 27 – April 5, 2026.

Yeouido Spring Flower Festival

When Seoul residents talk about spring flowers, they mean cherry blossoms; when they talk about cherry blossoms, they recall the annual festival in Yeouido Park. Over 1,600 Yoshino cherry trees, native to Jeju Island, unfurl their buds along the Han River. Add to them nearly 90,000 flowers, including azaleas, forsythias, and spiraeas, and the final picture transforms into something phenomenal. You can stroll along the Yunjeung-ro circular road, enveloped in a magical aroma at this time, or admire the blossoms from the south side of Yeouido Park.

Dates: first half of April.

Lotus Lantern Festival / Yeondeunghoe

Yeon Deung Hoe, also known as the “Lotus Lantern Festival,” originally held Buddhist significance but has now become a cultural event for all residents of Korea. Tourists can and even should attend, because the warmth and light of true wisdom, embodied in a symbolic lantern, unite people of all faiths. The festival has a history of over 1,200 years and is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Key events of the festival include: the first lantern lighting ceremony, a large-scale parade with thousands of people carrying handmade lotus-shaped lanterns through the center of Seoul (specifically, along Jongno Street), thematic exhibitions, and a grand closing ceremony.

Dates: May 16-17, 2026

Rose Festival, Jungnang Rose Park

As you may have noticed, Koreans love everything that can bloom and smell fragrant. So, an entire festival in Seoul dedicated solely to the rose seems quite logical here. However, it looks more fantastic and fairytale-like: in May, the area around Cheonggyecheon Stream transforms into a lush garden with a five-kilometer rose tunnel. The path is literally covered by arches, generously entwined with strong stems and adorned with hundreds of vibrant buds. Photo zones for especially picturesque shots, concerts, and fashion shows are included.

Dates: May 16-18, 2026

Green Tea Festival

“Yes, yes, with flowers – we get it, but what about something equally beautiful, yet less ephemeral?” you might ask, and we'll answer: in this case, Korea has a green tea festival. It takes place in Boseong and coincides, as you might guess, with the annual tea leaf harvest. Visitors can participate in the process themselves, learn how to properly brew the drink, stroll through tea plantations, and even enjoy a green tea foot bath.

Dates: early May.

Events

Well, will there be anything truly “special” in Korea this spring? Of course, yes. Concerts and festivals are unique events, and you need to plan your trip around them, but such an experience will elevate your overall vacation impressions to a new level.

BTS World Tour

Spring 2026 is the perfect time to visit Seoul, because it's during this period that the legendary BTS's world tour kicks off! And what is Korea without K-pop music? This is the group's first full performance after a four-year (!) hiatus due to the military service of all seven members. The “home” concerts promise to be special – with maximum energy and unique moments that won't be replicated at overseas stadiums. The album Arirang will be released on March 20, so you'll have time to immerse yourself in the new hits before hearing them live.

Dates: April 9, 11-12, 2026

Seventeen World Tour

Another popular and successful K-pop group, however, will conclude its New_World tour in April, quite symbolically – at its starting point, a venue in Incheon. The group is known for its complex choreography, vibrant live performances, and active participation in music creation, production, and staging. However, if you're a fan, you already know all this perfectly well. And if not, the show is still worth attending, as the group's concerts are famous for their interactivity and massive visuals: for two evenings, the venue will be enhanced with panoramic LED screens, a movable stage, and stadium-scale effects.

Dates: April 4 and 5, 2026

Kraftwerk Multimedia Tour in Seoul

Is Korean pop music not your cup of tea? There's also a concert option for you that can spice up your spring strolls through Seoul and add vibrancy. The Kraftwerk Multimedia Tour is a rare opportunity to see a living legend of electronic music, pioneers of techno and synth-pop, in an immersive multimedia show format. The group combines minimalistic live setups with hypnotic visuals – screens surround the hall, synchronizing with robotic rhythms and vocoder voices. In Seoul, a city of neon and technology, the atmosphere will be amplified: the compact Myunghwa Live Hall will ensure proximity to the stage.

Date: May 4, 2026

Buddha's Birthday

This is the final part of the previously mentioned Lotus Lantern Festival, which is usually held on the weekend before Buddha's Birthday. On this day, the city is filled with a festive atmosphere, Buddhist services are held in temples, and the streets are brightly decorated. Parade participants first head to Dongguk University, one of Korea's main Buddhist universities, and in the afternoon, dance performances and ceremonies take place, followed by the lantern parade.

Date: May 24, 2026

Places

We've covered festivals and concerts, but what else can you do in Korea in spring, without strict date restrictions? We have two interesting options.

Suncheon

Spring is the perfect time to visit Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park. The beauty of this place is unconventional: it's not grand waterfalls or endless mountain ranges, but dense thickets of reeds that dance, rustle, obeying the breath of the wind. Convenient wooden boardwalks are laid over the marshy fields, from which hypnotic patterns that appear and disappear on the surface are clearly visible. It is in spring that the stems have a particularly bright, fresh hue, and the weather is favorable for long walks.

Seoraksan National Park

Do mountains still beckon more strongly? Then head to Seoraksan National Park. In late spring and early summer, waterfalls and mountain streams are especially full, and azaleas and cherry blossoms bloom all around. This is an ideal time for hiking, visiting ancient temples, and relaxing in the Cheoksan hot springs. Take a cable car and look down from above at the majestic walls of Gwongeumseong Fortress, the area of Small Park, Juhangnyeong Valley, and Ulsanbawi Rock.