Seasons & Festivals
Cherry blossoms, monsoon, autumn leaves, winter, festivals and holidays.
Guides for this section are being researched and checked. Meanwhile, start with the Start Here page or the Getting Around guides.
About this section
Korea has four sharply different seasons, and the season changes the trip: what to pack, how crowded trains are, and which sights are at their best.
Spring (roughly April–May) brings cherry blossoms, which open in the south first and move north over a few weeks. Popular blossom spots get very crowded on weekends.
Summer is hot and humid, and the monsoon (jangma) usually brings heavy rain for several weeks in early-to-mid summer. Late summer can bring typhoons, especially to Jeju and the south coast.
Autumn (roughly October–November) is for many people the best time to visit: dry, clear weather and mountain foliage. It’s also peak hiking season.
Winter is cold and dry in Seoul, milder in Busan and Jeju, with ski resorts in Gangwon Province.
Holidays matter. The two big family holidays, Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (harvest festival), follow the lunar calendar. Trains sell out well in advance and some shops and restaurants close for a few days. Check the dates before you book.
Seasonal guides and festival calendars, with sources and a facts-checked date, will be published here. For train bookings at busy times, see Getting Around.