Last Updated on February 9, 2018 by Christine Kaaloa

Did you know April snows pink in the town of Jinhae?

Yup, it does because the town is absolutely a flood with cherry blossoms and ech spring, during the months of late March to early April, Jinhae holds their annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

A pink cherry blossom parade in Jinhae

Jinhae is at the southern tip of South Korea and is a coastal city with a well-known naval academy and port. When it comes to cherry blossoms (or gunhang) blooming in spring, Jinhae is the first and foremost town to see it in for sheer magnitude!  Arriving, you’ll find the whole town and its surrounding mountains colored with new arrival of cherry blossom trees.  The mountain-side is cascading in an impressive flurry of light pink.

Tip: For a less crowded and more laid-back atmosphere, you might try Gyeongju, instead.

Best spots to see Jinhae cherry blossoms?

On the way to the Port of Jinhae

Walking towards the sea is like walking under an umbrella canape of ripe blossoms, which occasionally rain with pink flurries when a strong wind blows. It’s romantic, as if you’re in a Korean drama scene.  I personally, have never experienced anything like it before.  Keep walking and you’ll get to the boat dock where you take an excursion aboard an old Korean battle boat. There will be many men from the nearby naval academy to assist or provide information.

Mt.Jehwang Park

The best spot to see the city swathed in dainty pink is the 9 story observation tower on Jehwangsan Park. The tower, symbolizes a Korean naval warship. It sits at the top of a 365-step staircase with a wonderful view of the city and the coastline. On the first and second floors of the tower is the Jinhae City Museum. You can take a cable car lift from the base of the mountain (near the tents) to get there or walk. The walk itself, isn’t steep nor will it wind you if you rest to take photos along the way.

Anmin Road (from Changwon to Jinhae)

From Changwon to Jinhae, Anmin Road is a cherry blossom lined street that runs 5.6-km length.

Yeojwacheon stream, Changwon

It’s said that Yeojwacheon Stream area has the most beautiful cherry blossoms of all. It’s bridge is the film location of the Korean drama, Romance (2002). .Yeojwacheon is a 1.5-km cherry blossom tunnel

What else can you expect to see at the festival?

Aside from the cherry blossoms, the festival itself is pretty standard. There’s food tents and vendors selling a variety of knick-knacks, from household goods, hardware (hardware? The old ajosshis must love it), fortune tellers and shoes.  There’s food tents where you can get pajeon (Korean pancakes), jigaes (stews), meat and dried seafood.

Korean families love to come out and enjoy the day either picnicking on the festival grounds or perusing the tents.

How to get to Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival:

Getting to Jinhae wasn’t a straight shot, however. We had to take two buses (to Jinju and then) to Jinhae bus terminal and then a 10 minute taxi drive into the center of the town.

For a tourist map of Jinhae, you can pick one up outside the bus terminal at the tourist booth. The festival runs shuttles to various highlight spots around the town. Main festival area is within 10 minute walking distance of the station.  You will need to take a bus or taxi to Jinhae (approx 20 min by taxi) around 20,000 won

Getting to Jinhae from Daegu

Daegu Seobu Bus Terminal > Jinju Bus Terminal > Jinhae Bus Terminal

Daegu Seobu Bus Terminal > Jinju Bus Terminal
Departure Times: 06:30 07:00 07:50 08:20 09:10 10:15 11:00 11:40 12:20 12:50 13:30 14:10
14:50 15:30 16:00 16:50 17:40 18:20 19:30
Travel Time: 120 minutes
Fare: 8,100 KRW

Jinju Bus Terminal > Jinhae Bus Terminal
Departure Times: 07:20 15:40
Travel Time: 90 minutes
Fare: 6,300 KRW