Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival and HongDae Area, Seoul, South Korea

Another popular place to enjoy cherry blossoms in Seoul is Seokchon Lake, where rows of cherry trees surround the lake. 1275

Seokchon Lake Park: South Korea, Seoul, Songpa District, 송파나루길 206

Gyeongui Line Forest Park: 133 Donggyo-ro 51-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Hongdae Street: 347-20 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Hongdae Shopping Street: 365-9 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Hongdae Solnaegil: 399-24 서교동 Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Date Picture Taken: Apr, 2026

After seeing the cherry blossoms in Yeouido, I went to Seokchon Lake to enjoy another of Seoul’s famous cherry blossom spots. Since the blossoms last for such a short time, I wanted to see as much of them as I could before they disappeared.

There were far more people here to see the cherry blossoms than there had been in Yeouido, making the area feel much more crowded and festive.

Cherry trees surround the large lake, with a walking path that allows visitors to stroll around the entire lake beneath the blossoms.

Lotte World Tower is also located right beside Seokchon Lake, rising above the cherry blossoms and providing a dramatic backdrop to the scenery.

I continued walking around the adjacent lake, which is connected to the other half of Seokchon Lake and also surrounded by cherry trees.

From Seokchon Lake, I took the subway across Seoul to the Hongdae area.

Gyeongui Line Forest Park (경의선숲길)

Gyeongui Line Forest Park is a long, narrow urban park created along the route of the former Gyeongui railway line after much of the railway was moved underground. The park stretches for several kilometers through neighborhoods including Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong, with walking paths, lawns, trees, cafés, restaurants, and shops alongside it.

The section around Yeonnam-dong is particularly popular with young people and is sometimes nicknamed “Yeontral Park,” a play on New York’s Central Park.

From Gyeongui Line Forest Park, I continued on foot toward the lively streets of Hongdae.

The streets of Hongdae are lively and energetic, filled with shops, cafés, restaurants, bars, street performers, and young people enjoying one of Seoul’s most popular entertainment districts.

After wandering through the streets of Hongdae, I walked toward Unplugged Hongdae to see if there was a live performance I could watch.

Unplugged Hongdae is a small live-music café and bar where local musicians perform in an intimate setting, reflecting Hongdae’s long tradition as a center for Seoul’s independent music scene.  Unfortunately, I would have had to wait about an hour for the next performance, so I decided to leave and continue exploring Hongdae.

By the time I left, it had grown darker outside, and Hongdae was beginning to take on its lively nighttime atmosphere.

As it got darker, I came across a couple of street performances, adding to Hongdae’s lively nighttime atmosphere.

Hongdae Shopping Street is one of Seoul’s liveliest shopping and entertainment areas, filled with fashion and cosmetic shops, cafés, restaurants, bars, and street performers. It is especially popular with young people and becomes even more lively in the evening.

HAHA & KIMJONGKOOK 401 Butcher Restaurant

After exploring Hongdae, I began walking away from the busy shopping streets toward the nearest subway station.

On the way to the subway station, I unexpectedly came across a street lined with beautiful cherry trees in full bloom.

Later, I found out that this street was Hongdae Solnaegil (홍대솔내길), a pleasant tree-lined street near Hongdae that was especially beautiful with the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Hongdae Solnaegil is also lined with many modern restaurants and cafés, making the cherry blossom street a lively place to eat, drink, and relax.