At a glance
| Dates | Expected Mar/Apr 2027Late March to mid-April 2027, timed to the cherry bloom at the lake (5–9 Apr 2023, 27–31 Mar 2024, 2–6 Apr 2025, 3–11 Apr 2026). Songpa-gu announced the 2026 dates on 24–25 March 2026, about ten days before opening; nothing announced as of 19 October 2026. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2027: Late March to mid-April 2027, timed to the cherry bloom at the lake (5–9 Apr 2023, 27–31 Mar 2024, 2–6 Apr 2025, 3–11 Apr 2026). Songpa-gu announced the 2026 dates on 24–25 March 2026, about ten days before opening; nothing announced as of 19 October 2026. |
| Admission | Free. Flea-market goods, food trucks and some hands-on booths are paid.Entry and performances: Free (2026 prices) |
| Venue | Seokchon Lake (East Lake and West Lake), Songpa Naru Park서울특별시 송파구 송파나루길 206 (신천동) |
| Nearest station | Jamsil Station (잠실역), Seoul Subway Lines 2 and 8, Exit 2 or 3About 5 minutes to the West Lake path (about 283 m from Exit 2) |
| From Seoul | In Seoul · SubwayFull route |
| Organizer | Songpa-gu Office송파구청 |
| Usual timing | Five to nine days in late March or early April, set each year by the cherry bloom at the lake (5–9 Apr 2023, 27–31 Mar 2024, 2–6 Apr 2025, 3–11 Apr 2026). Songpa-gu announces the dates only about ten days ahead; the 2026 dates came on 24–25 March. Browse March / April festivals. |
| Last checked | 19 October 2026Checked against 31 sources · See sources |
Bloom forecast: Flower festivals set or move their dates by the bloom forecast, so this window can shift by a week or two. Check again a few weeks before you go.
What it is like
Seokchon Lake is the old southern channel of the Han River, closed off in the 1970s when the river was reshaped around Jamsil; the park around it opened in 1981. It comes in two halves, the East Lake and the West Lake, joined by a path under the Jamsil Hosu Bridge. Lotte World's Magic Island sits in the West Lake and Lotte World Tower rises over the shore. About 1,000 king cherry trees (Songpa-gu also counts about 1,100 of four kinds, including weeping and double-flowered cherries) line the path of about 2.5 km, and at peak bloom it becomes a tunnel of blossom with the tower behind it.
Songpa-gu holds its Lake Cherry Blossom Festival (호수벚꽃축제) when the trees peak, so the dates move every year: 5–9 April in 2023, 27–31 March in 2024, 2–6 April in 2025 and 3–11 April in 2026, when the run was stretched from five to nine days to spread the crowds. The programme is modest: an evening opening on the East Lake waterside stage, afternoon busking, a closing 'full bloom' concert, a fashion show at Seoul Nori Madang, a flea market, food trucks, hands-on booths and free exhibitions in the district's small lakeside galleries. Entry and performances are free.
After dark the whole path is lit, with a blossom gate at the entrance and photo zones along the way. In 2026 Lotte added pink lighting on the East Lake from 27 March and a light show on the hour from 19:00 to 21:00.
The honest caveat is the crowd. Songpa-gu's big-data count was 9.01 million visits to the lake and the streets around it over 17 days in 2026, about 260,000 of them by foreign visitors. The path is narrow, so safety staff keep it one way (counterclockwise in 2025), tape off bench and railing sections and move people on from photo spots by loudspeaker. At weekends and in the evening expect to shuffle rather than stroll, and to queue at every photo zone. The bloom is also a gamble: in 2023 most blossoms had fallen before the festival opened, and it was renamed the Lake Spring Festival.
Highlights
- About 1,000 king cherry trees around a lakeside path of about 2.5 km, with Lotte World Tower rising behind them
- Night lighting along the whole path, a blossom gate and photo zones; in 2026 Lotte's pink 'Wave Pink Road' on the East Lake and a light show on the hour from 19:00 to 21:00
- Evening opening (3 Apr 2026, 18:00) and closing 'full bloom' concert (11 Apr 2026, 18:00) on the East Lake waterside stage, with busking every afternoon in between
- Cherry Blossom Fashion Week with about 200 models at Seoul Nori Madang on the West Lake (5 Apr 2026)
- Free exhibitions at The Gallery Hosu, Songpa-gu's lakeside art museum, and a 32 m 'wall of cheering' screen at the Hosugyo Gallery under Jamsil Hosu Bridge
- Flea market, food trucks and family shows (bubbles, circus and magic) at the Cherry Blossom Theatre
Who it suits. Best for first-time visitors to Seoul, photographers and couples who want the city's best-known cherry blossom walk, with a skyline behind it and a subway station five minutes away; less suited to anyone who dislikes crowds, needs fixed dates months ahead or wants a quiet stroll, because millions come in a fortnight and the path is kept one way.
Getting there
From Seoul
Subway Line 2 or Line 8 to Jamsil Station, Exit 2 or 3: the West Lake path starts about 283 m from Exit 2, about 5 minutes on foot. Line 8 riders can also use Seokchon Station, Exit 1 (about 5 minutes), and Line 9 riders Songpanaru Station, Exit 2, about 430 m from The Gallery Hosu on the East Lake. A loop of both lakes is about 2.5 km and takes about an hour, longer when the path is busy.
From Incheon Airport
AREX to Hongik University Station, then Line 2 to Jamsil Station, Exit 2 or 3.
Last leg from Jamsil Station
Seoul Subway Lines 2 and 8, Exit 2 or 3. About 5 minutes to the West Lake path (about 283 m from Exit 2)
Getting home
The 2026 programme ended at 21:00, well before the last subway trains; Jamsil Station is about 5 minutes' walk from the West Lake.
Parking
Songpa-gu published no festival parking. KTO lists parking at Songpa Naru Park, but a travel guide reported that parking spaces around the lake are closed during the festival, so come by subway.
How to switch Naver Map and Kakao Map to English
Google Maps shows train, subway and bus routes in Korea but not walking or driving directions yet, so for the walk from the station Naver Map or Kakao Map is more reliable.
Before you go
1330 · Travel hotline
The Korea Tourism Organization’s helpline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock, and in several other languages from 08:00 to 19:00. Dial 1330 from a Korean phone, or +82-2-1330 from a phone registered abroad.
112 / 119 · Emergencies
112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free from any phone. Police on 112 can add an English or Chinese interpreter to the call.
T-money card
Buy one at a convenience store such as GS25, CU or 7-Eleven and top it up there with cash. It pays for subways and buses in most cities, and for most taxis.
Maps
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for walking and bus directions; Google Maps does not yet give walking directions in Korea. Both apps can be switched to English. Naver Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → Language (Japanese and Chinese also available). Kakao Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → App settings → Language. If the option is missing, change your phone’s language and reopen the app. Small shop names and some reviews stay in Korean.
Trains and buses
Book trains on Korail’s English site and express buses on Kobus. Holiday weekends sell out first.
Checked 18 October 2026.
Tickets, prices and practical details
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry and performances | Free | |
| Flea market, food trucks and hands-on booths | — | Paid (KTO listing); prices not published |
- Booking
- No booking; everything is walk-up. In 2026 Songpa-gu posted a daily bloom and crowd update at 14:00 on Instagram and YouTube from 27 March to 10 April.
- English on site
- No English festival information from Songpa-gu was found. The Songpa Tourism Information Center is at 206 Songpanaru-gil, on the north side of the East Lake.
- Crowds
- Extremely crowded at peak bloom: 9.01 million visits to the lake and nearby streets over 17 days in 2026 (8.62 million over 2–13 April 2025). Safety staff keep the narrow path one way, tape off some sections and move people on from photo spots by loudspeaker.
- Best time to go
- Early on a weekday morning, before the crowds; come back after dark for the lighting (in 2026 the light show ran on the hour from 19:00 to 21:00). Check Songpa-gu's bloom updates before you go.
- What to bring
- Comfortable shoes for a loop of about 2.5 km, a light jacket for the evening, and patience at the photo zones.
- Toilets
- Public toilets on the East Lake side; in 2026 Songpa-gu posted a map of open toilets around the lake on its social media. In 2025 there were information booths and first-aid stations at both the East and West Lakes.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Late March to mid-April 2027, timed to the cherry bloom at the lake (5–9 Apr 2023, 27–31 Mar 2024, 2–6 Apr 2025, 3–11 Apr 2026). Songpa-gu announced the 2026 dates on 24–25 March 2026, about ten days before opening; nothing announced as of 19 October 2026. | expected | The dates follow the bloom and have moved by more than a week from one year to the next. |
| 2026 | 3–11 Apr 2026 | ended | East Lake waterside stage for the opening, busking and closing concert; Seoul Nori Madang on the West Lake for the fashion show |
| 2025 | 2–6 Apr 2025 | ended | Fireworks were cancelled because of the wildfires and the political situation. Because the bloom ran late, a Seoul city citizen report says the festival period was extended to 13 April; Songpa-gu counted 8.62 million visits to the lake and the Lotte World Tower area over 2–13 April. Visitors were asked to walk one way, counterclockwise; about 200 safety staff and volunteers worked with the police and fire services, with information booths, first-aid stations and a lost-child shelter. |
| 2024 | 27–31 Mar 2024 | ended | Brought forward nearly ten days on 2023 because of the early bloom. The lights were mounted above head height after complaints about glare from ground-level lights in 2023. About 23% of the budget went on safety, with more than 200 safety staff a day and real-time crowd analysis. |
| 2023 | 5–9 Apr 2023 | ended | Renamed the Lake Spring Festival (호수의 봄축제) because early heat had brought most of the blossoms down. The first in-person edition in four years (the 2021 festival was online); 20% of the budget went on safety. |
Before or after the festival
Places you can fit in before or after the festival without missing the shuttle or the last train or bus back.
- The Gallery Hosu (더 갤러리 호수)Before
Songpa-gu's free public art museum on the East Lake, opened in November 2024, with two exhibition halls (about 1,400 m²) on the basement and ground floors, billed as Seoul's only museum on a lake. Go in the afternoon before the evening lighting: it is open Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–19:00 and closed Mondays and public holidays. Tip: a docent tour starts at 15:00 Tuesday–Sunday.
Getting there: On the East Lake path at 166 Songpanaru-gil, on foot; or Line 9 Songpanaru Station, Exit 2, about 430 m; free
The observation deck on floors 117–123 of Lotte World Tower, about 500 m up, reached by a sky shuttle from B1 in about a minute, looking straight down on the lake and the blossoms. Open daily 10:30–22:00 (last entry 21:00), Friday and Saturday to 23:00 (last entry 22:00), so it works after dark, once the path is lit; adult timed tickets are about ₩29,000–31,000 (KTO data lists both). Tip: timed tickets can be booked 14 days ahead; the walk-up Fast Pass costs ₩50,000.
Getting there: Lotte World Tower stands beside the West Lake at Jamsil Station (Lines 2 and 8); on foot
- Songridan-gil (송리단길)After
A street of small restaurants, dessert cafés, gift shops and bookshops running from the East Lake to Songpanaru Station, with Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Western food. Go for dinner after the evening walk; the subway runs well past the end of the programme, and Line 9 Songpanaru Station is at the far end of the street. Tip: Songpa-gu counted these streets in its 2026 festival visitor total, so expect queues at peak bloom.
Getting there: On foot from the East Lake; the street ends at Songpanaru Station (Line 9)
Questions travelers ask
When is the Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival 2027?
Not announced as of 19 October 2026. The dates follow the bloom: 5–9 April 2023, 27–31 March 2024, 2–6 April 2025 and 3–11 April 2026. Expect late March to mid-April 2027; Songpa-gu announced the 2026 dates on 24–25 March, about ten days before opening.
Is the Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival free?
Yes. Entry and performances are free; flea-market goods, food trucks and some hands-on booths are paid.
How do I get to Seokchon Lake by subway?
Take Line 2 or Line 8 to Jamsil Station, Exit 2 or 3, and walk about 5 minutes to the West Lake. Line 8 riders can also use Seokchon Station, Exit 1, and Line 9 riders Songpanaru Station, Exit 2, near the East Lake.
Do I have to walk one way around the lake?
At busy times, yes. In 2025 Songpa-gu asked visitors to walk counterclockwise and closed some bench and railing sections; in 2026 safety staff again kept the path one way. Allow about an hour for a loop of both lakes, longer when it is crowded.
When are the cherry blossoms lit up?
The whole path is lit after dark during the festival. In 2026 the programme ran 10:00–21:00, and Lotte ran a light show on the East Lake on the hour from 19:00 to 21:00. Songpa-gu has not published the exact lighting hours.
How can I check whether the blossoms are out?
In 2026 Songpa-gu posted a daily update at 14:00 on its Instagram and YouTube from 27 March to 10 April, with a five-step bloom index and views of the crowds. Seoul's cherry trees usually bloom in early April.
What else is there to see nearby?
Lotte World Tower and its Seoul Sky observatory, the Lotte World theme park (its Magic Island is in the West Lake), Seoul Nori Madang on the West Lake, and The Gallery Hosu on the East Lake (Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–19:00, free).
Sources and verification
Facts checked
19 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2027 edition. Confidence in the current facts: medium.
- KTO festival listing (ktriptips mirror, Korean): 석촌호수 벚꽃축제kto — 2026 dates 3–11 Apr; 공연시간 10:00–21:00; performances free, flea market, food trucks and hands-on booths paid; address 송파나루길 206; coordinates 37.5119, 127.1042; phone 02-2147-2800; host Songpa-gu Office; about 1,000 king cherry trees; listing first registered 5 Apr 2012
- Herald Economy (US edition), 24 Mar 2026: 송파구 '2026 호수벚꽃축제' 4월 3~11일 개최news — 2026 dates 3–11 Apr, nine days (five in 2025); safety staff to 12 Apr; 3 Apr 18:00 opening on the East Lake waterside stage with Gummy; busking 4–10 Apr; 5 Apr fashion week with about 200 models at Seoul Nori Madang; 11 Apr 18:00 concert; Cherry Blossom Theatre; exhibitions; 32 m screen under Jamsil Hosu Bridge; lighting on the whole 2.5 km path
- Herald Economy (US edition), 24 Mar 2026: Yeouido vs Seokchon Lake spring festivalsnews — Opening 18:00 on 3 Apr at the East Lake waterside stage; nine days instead of five to spread visitors; safety staff kept to 12 Apr; 2.5 km path lit
- Insight, 25 Mar 2026: 2026 Lake Cherry Blossom Festival announcednews — Songpa-gu announced the 2026 dates on 25 Mar; 3–11 Apr; 2.5 km lit path; 11 Apr 18:00 full-bloom concert; 5 Apr fashion show with about 200 models
- Kair News: 송파구, '호수벚꽃축제' 개최 (2026)news — About 1,000 king cherry trees; performances free, some hands-on programmes and food paid; night lighting and photo zones
- MTN, 2 Apr 2026: 석촌호수 벚꽃 축제 내일 개막news — Lotte 'Spring in Jamsil' 27 Mar–12 Apr; pink 'Wave Pink Road' lighting on the East Lake; light show on the hour 19:00–21:00, new in 2026; Lotte World Tower façade in blossom colours; 8.62 million visitors over 2–13 Apr 2025
- Herald Economy (US edition), 28 Apr 2026: '2026 호수벚꽃축제' 17일간 901만 명 방문news — 9.01 million visits over 17 days (pink lighting 27 Mar–2 Apr, festival 3–12 Apr); 260,000 foreign visitors (130,000 in 2025); SK Telecom and Shinhan Card data; area includes Bangi Matgol, Songridan-gil and Hosudan-gil
- Herald Economy (US edition), 26 Mar 2026: Songpa-gu bloom countdown on social medianews — Bloom countdown 27 Mar–10 Apr 2026, daily at 14:00 on Instagram and YouTube; five-step bloom index; crowd views; card news on open toilets around the lake
- Seoul Mediahub, 7 Apr 2026: 봄이 호수 위에 내려앉은 날, '호수벚꽃축제'municipal — Venue 송파나루길 206; free entry; Line 2 Jamsil Station Exit 2 or Line 8 Seokchon Station Exit 1, about 5 minutes; safety staff and an ambulance on standby; queues at photo zones; food trucks and flea market
- Seoul Mediahub, 13 Apr 2026: 안전하게 즐기면 행복 200% 충전되는 서울 벚꽃 명소municipal — 2026: safety staff kept visitors walking in one direction; loudspeaker announcements; taped-off areas; crowd 'caution' alert; dense crowds on a weekday afternoon
- Seoul Mediahub, 15 Apr 2025: 벚꽃 구경과 전시 관람, 둘 다 잡았어요municipal — 2025: Songpa-gu recommended one-way counterclockwise walking; bench and railing sections closed; festival period extended to 13 Apr for the late bloom; lights on the full 2.6 km; 1,100 trees; The Gallery Hosu at 송파나루길 166, Tue–Sun 10:00–19:00, closed Mondays and public holidays, free; Songpanaru Station Line 9 Exit 2, about 428 m
- Seoul Mediahub, 3 Apr 2025: 석촌호수 벚꽃축제가 돌아왔다municipal — 2025 dates 2–6 Apr; free; programme by day; about 200 safety staff and volunteers with police and fire; one-way guidance on the path; information booths and a lost-child shelter; Line 2 Jamsil Exit 2 or Line 8 Seokchon Exit 1, about 5 minutes
- Seoul Mediahub, 4 Apr 2025: '호수벚꽃축제' 안 가면 후회municipal — 2025 dates 2–6 Apr; information booths and first-aid stations at the East and West Lakes; about 1,000 king cherry trees
- Kuki News, 2 Apr 2025: 2025 호수벚꽃축제news — 2025 dates 2–6 Apr; opening on 2 Apr with tree lighting; stage 13:00–19:00 on 3–5 Apr; 6 Apr full-bloom concert; Philip Colbert exhibition; fireworks cancelled (wildfires, political situation); 2.6 km of white lights; about 1,100 trees of four kinds
- Kuki News, 27 Mar 2024: 아름다운 봄, 벚꽃이야기 호수벚꽃축제news — 2024 dates 27–31 Mar; programme by day (Soyou, HI-KEY); blossom gate, mascot photo zones, flea market; 2.6 km of lights above head height after 2023 glare complaints; 1,100 trees; 23% of budget on safety; more than 200 safety staff a day; crowd analysis platform
- Seoul Mediahub, 28 Mar 2024: 2024 호수벚꽃축제municipal — 2024 opening 27 Mar 18:00; 2023 dates 5–9 Apr; 2024 moved up nearly ten days; East and West Lakes about 2.6 km
- Kuki News, 6 Apr 2023: 호수의 봄축제news — 2023 dates 5–9 Apr; renamed because blossoms had fallen; opening 18:00 on 5 Apr; concert 17:00 on 9 Apr; 1,120 trees lit along 2.6 km; 20% of budget on safety; first in-person festival in four years
- Seoul Mediahub, 5 Apr 2023: 석촌호수 벚꽃은 이미 만개municipal — 2023 dates 5–9 Apr; Lines 2 and 8 Jamsil Station, 283 m from Exit 2; a loop of the East and West Lakes takes about an hour
- Seoul Shinmun, 1 Apr 2014: 꽃 다 질라… 일주일 앞당긴 벚꽃축제news — 2014 festival opened 4 Apr, brought forward for the early bloom (usually after 10 Apr); about 1,000 king cherry trees; more than 300,000 visitors
- Kyunghyang Shinmun, 5 Apr 2016: 석촌호수 벚꽃축제news — 2016 festival 8–10 Apr; about 1,000 king cherry trees; more than 600,000 visitors a year
- Wikipedia: Seokchon Lake Parkother — Park opened 26 Nov 1981; lake left from the Han River's former southern channel after 1971 works; East and West Lakes joined under Jamsil Hosu Bridge; public toilets on the East Lake; Songpa tourist information centre on the north side; Seoul Nori Madang and Lotte World's Magic Island on the West Lake; 2021 festival held online
- 여기유 (KTO TourAPI data): 송파구 호수벚꽃축제other — 2026 dates 3–11 Apr; 운영시간 10:00–21:00; fees; 송파나루길 206 is the Songpa Tourism Information Center; data from KTO
- KTO tourist data (ktriptips mirror, Japanese): 松坡ナル公園（石村湖）kto — Japanese KTO forms 石村湖, 東湖, 西湖; parking available at the park; cherry blossom festival every spring
- KTO tourist data (ktriptips mirror, Traditional Chinese): 松坡渡口公園(石村湖)kto — Chinese KTO forms 石村湖, 東湖, 西湖, 樂天世界; no festival title given
- NOL World: 2026 Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival in Seoulother — English listing '2026 Lake Cherry Blossom Festival', 3 Apr (Fri)–11 Apr (Sat) 2026; 206 Songpanaru-gil; 5 minutes from Jamsil Station Exit 3 (Line 2)
- Lotte World Tower: Jamsil sightseeingother — Seokchon Lake from Jamsil Station Exits 2 and 3; April cherry blossom festival with performances, booths and markets
- The Soul of Seoul: where to see cherry blossoms in Seoul (updated 7 Mar 2026)blog — Jamsil Station Exit 2 or 3; arrive early in the morning to avoid crowds; Seoul Sky in Lotte World Tower; Seoul trees usually bloom in early April
- trvlogue: Seokchon Lake cherry blossom parking guide (2026)blog — Parking spaces around the lake temporarily closed during the festival; public transport recommended; nine-day 2026 festival
- Seoul Mediahub — 석촌호수에서 이젠 문화생활도 즐기세요! 더 갤러리 호수 개관 (16 Dec 2024)municipal — The Gallery Hosu: Songpa-gu public art museum opened 22 Nov 2024 at 166 Songpanaru-gil; two halls about 1,400 m²; Tue–Sun 10:00–19:00, closed Mondays and public holidays; free; docent tour 15:00
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 롯데월드타워 서울스카이kto — Seoul Sky: floors 117–123, about 500 m, sky shuttle B1→118F about 1 min; Sun–Thu 10:30–22:00 (last entry 21:00), Fri–Sat to 23:00 (last entry 22:00); adult ₩29,000 timed ticket bookable 14 days ahead (₩31,000 also listed); Fast Pass ₩50,000; homepage seoulsky.lotteworld.com (updated 12 Mar 2026)
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 송리단길kto — Songridan-gil: restaurants, dessert cafés, gift shops and bookshops from the Seokchon Lake East Lake to Songpanaru Station (updated 4 Aug 2026)
What we could not confirm
- First year the festival was held (KTO's listing dates from April 2012, and a 2014 report already treats it as an established festival)
- Exact night-lighting hours (the 2026 programme ran 10:00–21:00 per KTO; when the path lights switch off was not published in the sources opened)
- Songpa-gu's own festival notice on songpa.go.kr was not found or opened; programme details come from KTO data, Seoul city's Mediahub and news reports
- Whether the 2025 festival was formally extended to 13 April (a Seoul Mediahub citizen report) or only the lighting and safety operation
- Whether the one-way rule is counterclockwise every year (stated for 2025; 2026 reports say only 'one direction')
- Official Japanese and Chinese names of the festival (KTO's foreign-language pages name the lake 石村湖 but give no festival title)
- Parking and road closures during the festival, wheelchair access on the lakeside path, rain policy and pet rules were not published
- Seoul Sky adult ticket price: KTO data lists both ₩29,000 and ₩31,000; the official site was not opened.
- The Gallery Hosu hours are from its opening (December 2024); not rechecked on a Songpa-gu page.
Changes: 2026-10-19 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-19 — Added a Wikimedia Commons photograph of Seokchon Lake with cherry blossoms in April 2020 (Ox1997cow, CC BY-SA 3.0). · 2026-10-20 — 2027 window in the summary and FAQ aligned with the expected window (late March to mid-April). · 2026-10-30 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: no train or bus clock times found, unchanged; prices: no exact forward-looking fees found, unchanged.
