Cherry Blossoms in South Korea

South Korea’s capital and by far its largest city with a metropolitan area home to over half the country’s entire population, Seoul is one of East Asia’s major centres of culture and commerce. A contrasting mix of bleeding edge technology and tradition, an incredible work ethic and serene Buddhist temples, utterly unique youth subcultures and conformity, it is a truly fascinating city.

Bisected by the Han River into the northern historic ‘Gangbuk’ and modern southern ‘Gangnum’ halves, Seoul is further divided into 25 districts, known as gu, each with an area and population comparable to a small city. With these each having their own centre, the whole metropolis has no true core, much like Los Angeles. Thankfully getting around is easy as Seoul enjoys an incredibly comprehensive, modern and genuinely pleasant metro system.

Sites to see include five major palaces, numerous temples and many museums. Food lovers will be spoilt with delectable street food, busy markets and great restaurants while numerous and vast nightlife districts play host to one of the liveliest city scenes in the world. Getting out of town, the surrounding mountains reward hikers with spectacular city views.

Changdeokgung Palace was the second royal villa built following the construction of Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1405. It was the principal palace for many of the Joseon kings and is the most well-preserved of the five remaining royal Joseon palaces. The palace grounds are comprised of a public palace area, a royal family residence building, and the rear garden. Known as a place of rest for the kings, the rear garden boasts a gigantic tree that is over 300 years old, a small pond, and a pavilion. It is one of the historic attractions that represent the beauty of Korea.

The Yeouido Spring Flower Festival is held on Yeouiseo-ro Road in mid-April when the azaleas, forsythia, royal azaleas and other spring flowers are in full bloom. The celebration is famous for its 1,886 Korean cherry trees which are lit up at night with various coloured lights. There is also a great atmosphere and a wide range of street performances and art exhibitions taking place.

On this river cruise you will traverse the heart of Seoul from east to west. Take a break from the busy urban atmosphere and relax on board as you take in the views of this remarkable city.

Once the capital of the great Silla kingdom which ruled much of the Korean Peninsula between 57 BC and 935 AD, Gyeongju was at its height one of the largest cities on earth.

Known as ‘the museum without walls’, the city Gyeongju is strewn with historic temples, tombs, pagodas and statues. Some of the most notable remains are the 8th-century Bulguksa Temple and nearby Seokguram Grotto – the latter of which contains one of the finest Buddhist sculptures in the world – the earthen mound tombs in Tumuli Park and a number of preserved fortresses and palaces.

Built in the 8th century on the slopes of Mount Toham, Bulguksa is a Buddhist temple complex and UNESCO World Heritage Site which contains a number of Korea's most revered national treasures. The grounds are designed to represent the land of Budda with three areas – Birojeon (the Vairocana Buddha Hall), Daeungjeon (the Hall of Great Enlightenment) and Geungnakjeon (the Hall of Supreme Bliss) – along with stone terraces, bridges and pagodas which show the incredible masonry skills of the time.

Large ancient tombs of kings and noblemen of the Silla Kingdom can be seen around Gyeongju at the Daereungwon tomb complex. There are 23 large tombs located here, the most famous being Cheonmachong and Hwangnamdaechong.

Gyeongju Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond was the secondary palace site which was used by the crown prince. It also served as a banquet site for important national events and important visitors. After the fall of the Silla dynasty, the site was abandoned and forgotten. The pond was referred to as Anapji during the Goryeo and Joseon period. In the 1980s, pottery fragment with letters Wolji (a pond that reflects the moon) carved onto it was found, revealing the true name of the pond. After the discovery, the site was renamed to the current Donggung Palace and
Wolji Pond.

Bomun Lake is a manmade lake built on the site of an old fortress in Mount Myeonghwalsan in the east of Gyeongju. Unlike other cities or towns where cherry trees are only found in certain areas, Gyeongju is packed with cherry blossoms. When spring arrives, the whole cityscape turns pink with the beautiful blossoms. The combination of the stunning trees reflected in the waters of Bomunho Lake and the trees of Bulguksa Park gracefully adorning the nearby temple make for particularly stunning sights. When the light breeze blows, cherry blossoms gentle flutter down like satin snow flakes.

Busan is South Korea's second-most populous city after Seoul, and is the economic and cultural centre of southeastern Korea. Its port is among the world's busiest and this energy can be found on its streets where gleaming high-rises fill the gaps between green mountains and the beach while elegant bridges span across the sea. There's an energetic restaurant and nightlife scene, thronging fish markets and some scenic hikes, it is a fascinating city where you can see many sides of modern Korean life.

Jinhae Gunhangje is held in the area of Jungwon Rotary and downtown Jinhae and here you can marvel at the beautiful cherry blossoms.

Gamcheon is a beautiful village of brightly coloured houses built in staircase-fashion on the foothills of a coastal mountain. The many alleys cutting through this community are vibrantly decorated with murals and sculptures created by the residents, among which you can find a small museum, art shops, tea rooms and workshops.