Don't miss the cherry blossom: where to go to admire it in 2025

In traditional Japanese culture, there is a special holiday called the O-hanami festival. It is celebrated during the few days when the cherry blossom tree blooms, giving it a deep philosophical meaning. The country receives a lot of tourists during this time.

However, Japanese cherries do not grow only in this eastern country. You can admire the pink flowers in different parts of the world. Lonely Planet has revealed the places where the most sakura trees are grown and their blossoms can be admired endlessly. OBOZ.UA has added one more location to the list – it can be visited without leaving the borders of Ukraine.

Yoshino, Japan

People all over Japan have been celebrating the spring cherry blossom since at least the eighth century. They gather under the blossoming trees, have picnics, enjoy traditional moti cakes with cherries, and socialize with each other. There is no shortage of places in Japan where you can enjoy sakura blossoms, with Maruyama Park in Kyoto being perhaps one of the most popular. However, if you want perfect pink views, head to Mount Yoshino in Kansai. It is home to about 30,000 cherry trees. They are expected to bloom around March 28 and reach their peak by April 4. In Kyoto, the peak of flowering is expected around April 5. To extend the season, take tickets to the north of Japan – cherry trees in Sapporo do not bloom until early May.

Washington, DC, USA

Back in 1912, the mayor of Tokyo presented the American capital with 3000 cherry trees as a symbol of US-Japanese friendship. Since then, Washington has developed its own tradition of admiring the cherry blossoms. For this purpose, a special National Festival is organized, which lasts for a month and includes parties and performances scheduled around the peak of flowering. You can admire the blossoming trees near the Tidal Basin. Its two-mile promenade is covered with foamy pink petals. However, there is no shortage of people here. The National Arboretum, where sakura trees grow in more than two dozen plots, is a little less crowded. This year's National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., is scheduled for March 20-April 13.

Macon, Georgia, USA

Are you in America and want to admire the sakura as if you were in Japan? Head to the sleepy southern town of Macon, Georgia. It is home to 350,000 sakura trees. In the spring, visitors can take part in a long list of events dedicated to their blooming. They even include dog sledding races, as well as contests, performances, and a parade. The best way to see the blossoms, though, is to follow the cherry blossom trail. The Macon International Cherry Blossom Festival will paint the city in pastel colors from March 21 to 30.

Vancouver, Canada

Vancouverites' love affair with cherry blossoms began after World War I, when the mayors of Kobe and Yokohama, Japan, donated 500 cherry trees to the Vancouver Park Board. It was a way to honor Canadians of Japanese descent who fought on the war's fronts. Now there are about 43,000 cherry trees throughout the city. Of course, there is also the local cherry blossom festival (VCBF). Take a stroll through David Lam Park to see the specially illuminated branches in bloom or map out a self-guided tour of the petals using the VCBF search engine. The main event of the festival is the Sakura Days Japanese Fair, which takes place in mid-April. Various events dedicated to Japanese culture, including food and drink tastings, are held all day long in the Van Dusen Botanical Garden. The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival takes place from March 28 to April 23.

New York, USA

Although New York City is called the "concrete jungle," there is no shortage of lush parks. In April, 40,000 decorative sakura trees bloom in their midst. In Manhattan, magnificent trees can be seen along Riverside Park, named after the Cherry Walk plant, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park. You can also find more than 200 cherry trees planted in the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. Many trees grow in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. To avoid the crowds, take a walk through Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, where 172 sakura trees are located in its quiet. Most trees bloom from late March to early May.

Paris, France

The lush cherry blossoms in the Trocadero garden frame the romantic Eiffel Tower in spring. Even more cherry trees can be found in the Tuileries garden just a few steps from the Louvre. This natural wonder also blooms in the Jardin des Plantes botanical garden and along the Promenade Plantée. For a dreamy date with the blooms, take a 45-minute trip outside the city center to the Parc de Sceaux, with its floral-framed chateau reminiscent of Versailles. The cherry blossoms in Paris appear in early to mid-March, but most of the petals don't open until late March or the first week of April.

Valle del Jerte, Spain

In the western region of Extremadura in Spain, which is famous for its cherries, 1.5 million different cherry trees bloom in spring. Their petals will make a trip to the Valle del Jerte especially memorable, especially if you stay in the central Cabezuela del Valle district. The flowers paint the hillsides in a milky white color for about two weeks – a stunning sight against the backdrop of the snow-capped Gredos Mountains. The Fiesta del Cerezo en Flor (Cherry Blossom Festival) celebrates the season with markets, tastings, and other gastronomic events. The event will start on March 21 in Rebollar and end on April 13 in Cabrero.

Stockholm, Sweden

Even in the northern capital, sakura trees are grown to be admired every spring. In 1998, the city planted 63 cherry trees along this central square, creating two pedestrian walkways where visitors can enjoy a royal view of the mirror pond. The outdoor seating at Tehuset, a cafe under the elms on the south side of the park, is particularly inviting: The official cherry blossom day in Stockholm usually occurs in late April, when Kungsträdgården hosts family workshops and performances in honor of Japanese culture, but expect to see the trees blooming in the middle of the month.

Jeju Island, South Korea

Korea celebrates its own holiday dedicated to the cherry blossom. It is called beotkkot. A 10-day festival is dedicated to it in the city of Jinhae, where 360 thousand trees grow. The cherry blossom street at Gyeonghwa Station is the main attraction of the city these days. Cherry blossom trees along the abandoned railroad line form a picturesque pink tunnel. The capital Seoul also hosts the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival, when more than 1,600 cherry trees planted along the Han River bloom in the park of the same name. But the best place to go to admire the cherry blossoms is Jeju Island, home of the royal cherry, whose petals are so lush that they resemble thick soap suds. The Jeju Island royal cherry usually blooms by the end of March.

Uzhhorod, Ukraine

In Ukraine, the sakura capital is the warm Transcarpathian city of Uzhhorod. Most of the trees can be seen in the old part of the city. Also, visit Masaryk Square on Svobody Avenue near the transport bridge. Sakura trees are also in bloom on the streets adjacent to it. In the city on the Uzh, you can even find a whole alley of sakura trees. It is one and a half kilometers long and stretches along Pravoslavna and Kyivska embankments. The peak of sakura flowering in Uzhhorod is in the second half of April.

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