Korea Spring Festival - Best 8 Spring Festival you Should not Miss!

Spring is around the corner! Each year, various fascinating spring festivals are held across Korea, which makes the warm flowery season the best time to visit the country.

Let's explore eight travel-worthy spring festivals around Korea that you should not miss as you have fun in Korea at its best time of the year!

Plum blossom is the Spring flower starter that signifies the beginning of the flowery season, so the Gwangyang Maehwa Village should be your first destination when you visit the country in Spring. Also known as Seomjin Village, the Gwangyang Maehwa Village is renowned for its many plum trees. 

Every Spring, the village holds the plum blossom festival from 10 to 19 March this year. You can walk along the uphill path to appreciate the picturesque view of more than 100,000 plum trees in full bloom enveloping the entire village. 

There is also a hanok cafe inside the town, where visitors can sit and enjoy a relaxing afternoon tea in the traditional Korean architecture surrounded by cotton-like flowers.

 In addition, you can try a wide variety of plum delicacies made by local villagers, such as plum tea, plum juice, and even plum ice cream, which will double the joy of your spring excursion! 

One of Korea's most popular must-do activities during Spring is undoubtedly viewing the signature Spring flower, cherry blossoms. Being crowned as the "museum without walls," Gyeongju is the capital of the Silla Dynasty. The rich historical and cultural heritages make the city one of Korea's best spots to view cherry blossoms. 

The historical town holds the Cherry Blossom Festival every Spring. This year, the festival spans from 25 March to 16 April. Not only can you enjoy the spectacular view of cherry blossoms together with the beautiful historical monuments as you take a stroll along the Daereungwon Stone-walled Road. 

You can also take part in different community activities under the pink-white wave of flowers ranging from orchestra, busking performance, to the famous Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Marathon, which attracts thousands of runners every year. 

Well-known for its unpolluted nature, Taean is home to thousands of flora. Each year, the county's Tulip Park presents the Taean Tulip Festival, which runs from 12 April to 7 May this year. The Taean Tulip Festival was named one of the top 5 tulip festivals in the world by the World Tulip Summit Society in 2015 and 2017! 

The award-winning festival features over 1.5 million tulips of different colors and sizes. It also features many beautiful spring flowers, including hyacinths, daffodils, and lilacs. The festival venue is divided into sections and nicely decorated according to the annual theme. 

Apart from enjoying the magnificent sight of flowers in full bloom, you can also participate in various educational activities, such as tulip appreciation classes, photography workshops, and craft-making sessions. Local food and drinks are also available in the venue, offering an excellent opportunity to taste local specialties while surrounded by the breathtaking sea of flowers.  

Are you looking for a trip to a flowery mountainside? Wonmisan is where to go. Located in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do, Wonmisan runs the annual Azalea Festival around mid-April, lasting two to three days. Hike up the mountain to get dazzled by the splendid display of 150,000 azalea bushes and enjoy a picnic amongst the blanket of pink and purple flowers. 

The fiesta also features local bands and orchestra performances and a broad spectrum of hands-on interactive activities such as traditional handcrafting, flower pancake cooking, and caricaturing that visitors can participate in. If you are lucky enough, you can spot a few gigantic cherry blossom trees in full bloom amongst the azalea! 

Spring is not just about flowers. Join the Hampyeong Butterfly Festival, the world's first eco-friendly fiesta, from late April to early May every year. This festival features the spectacular view of thousands of butterflies fluttering around the flower garden. It offers a golden opportunity to closely examine the diverse species of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and flowers in the region. 

The festival boasts a fantastic display of nine thousand insects worldwide and a magical event in which butterflies encased in bottles are released into a beautiful flower garden. Attendees can also participate in various paid and unpaid ecology and wildlife-related activities such as feeding parrots, milking cows, and catching loaches, as well as extraordinary performances such as traditional herding demonstrations and plays.

During the season of verdant splendor, many traditional festivals take place in Korea - providing an opportunity for people to appreciate the beauty of nature. If you are a fan of ceramic arts, Mungyeong Traditional Chasabal Festival is something you want to take advantage of. 

The festival takes place from late April to early May in Mungyeong Saejae Open Set Studio in Gyeongsangbuk-do, the birthplace of Korean tea culture and an area well-known for producing high-quality ceramic bowls (chasabal). 

Visitors can learn and experience traditional Korean tea culture and ceramic arts by participating in interactive activities such as teaware exhibition, tea ceremony, meeting ceramic artisans, and even making your ceramics. 

You can also hike at the Mungyeong Saejae trails and the mountain trails people took from Busan to Seoul in ancient times. Are you ready to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and go for an artistic time travel to the past?

Every April, the vibrant coastal city of Busan invites people to the spirited celebration of Spring and the ocean. Held in the Gwangalli beach area, a popular tourist spot, the Gwangalli Eobang Festival promotes the local fishing village culture of the Joseon Dynasty era by featuring various exciting activities. 

Visitors can join the fishing activities where they can try to catch fish with nets or even bare hands. Even if fishing is not your cup of tea, you can participate in various cultural activities like cooking contests, seafood tasting, folk dance performances, and parades. 

The festival's highlight is a night show of 30 fishing boats floating on the water with blazing torches. Join the seaside fiesta this Spring to feel the lively attitude of the fishermen! 

In conclusion, the beauty of Korea's spring festivals lies in their diversity - from traditional cultural events to modern celebrations, there is something for everyone to enjoy during this season. With eight of the best festivals available, you will have a memorable experience as you explore what Korea has to offer. 

Whether you're looking for a chance to celebrate with friends or family or just for an excuse to get out and about, these spring festivals provide plenty of fun and adventure worth marking on your calendar.