Following on from my trip to Daegu to catch the cherry blossoms (and see Daegu), I spent the following weekend chasing them in Seoul area. Spring was so sudden. One day it was cold and trees bare and then with a blink of an eye, spring buds started appearing.

The cherry blossoms were the same. Warmer weather came a little earlier this year meaning that some cherry blossoms festivals had to be moved forward at the last minute. The cherry blossoms can be seen around everywhere although there are some famous spots in Seoul.

On Saturday, I stayed local in my town. Having lunch at an Australian inspired cafe with a friend and lounging the afternoon away at a cafe and then strolling around. We seemed to have come at the right peak time as the paths were filled with people. As full as they seem, the winds also made a lot of the petals fall.

The next day, I planned my way around Seoul. I would only have time to hit up 2 spots. In the morning, I went to Yeouido where the trees lined the Hangang Park area. If you want to avoid, the crowds, it’s best to go early. There was still plenty of walking space but many picnic go-ers already on the waterfront. The day looked gorgeous and the air was clean (halleluyah) but a forest fire ended up breaking out at about noon, washing the sky a cloudy white.

In the afternoon, I went to Namsan Park and walked up to the N Seoul Tower. This is one of my favourite walks in Seoul and my big tip is to start from Dongguk University station. There will still be stairs but not as many as from the Myeongdong end.

The wide roads can accommodate cyclists, pedestrians and the bus that goes to the peak, it is a great leisurely stroll past all the cherry blossom trees. In the summer, there is decent leaf cover from the sun.

The next day, I woke up and noticed the cherry blossom trees were less noticeably white. Winds and rain arrived and as quickly as they came, they were quickly gone.