The annual cherry blossom season is a great time to travel and enjoy the arrival of spring. It’s a time-honoured tradition, in fact, to travel with the sole purpose of appreciating spring’s blooms. The Japanese even have a word for it: hanami, or flower viewing, which denotes the simple pleasure of looking at a single cherry tree or group of trees in bloom. Now why doesn’t the English language have a word for such a lovely thing to do in life?
Cherry blossom travellers can participate in the cherry blossom festival in Japan or choose a more budget-friendly destination, but if you’ve never experienced the ephemeral beauty of an entire street lined with fluffy, fragrant, petals of every shade of pink imaginable, or felt the brush against your cheek of a thousand petals floating like pink snowflakes in the wind, you’re definitely missing out!
Cherry blossoms are one of the worlds’ best reminders of the fleeting passage of time: their nuanced, subtle scent and the joy of seeing all the variations of fluffiness seem to make us feel a little happier. Trying to catch the ideal bloom time and syncing your travel plans can be pretty tricky, so we’ve curated a few cherry blossom destinations and blossom viewing tips to prepare you for spring.
Best destinations to see cherry blossoms in Canada
Although many Canadians travel to Japan during the blooming season, staying in Canada is a much cheaper alternative, and equally lovely! If you’re lost for ideas, there are many popular spring festivals in Canada for some staycation inspiration. Remember, you still need travel insurance even when travelling within Canada. Your provincial health plan won’t cover everything if you have an accident or illness while outside of your home province.
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Spring comes early to Canada’s South West Coast, and Vancouver is also home to Canada’s only official cherry blossom festival. Vancouver’s blooming season varies every year, so keep your eyes peeled during the month of March to ensure you don’t miss it! Look out for some great events to witness Vancouver’s blossoms in all their glory, including the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra’s Cherry Blossom festival!
Other favourite cherry blossom viewing activities and spots in Vancouver, BC:
- Tree Walks & Talks is a great way to learn about the history of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival and the early blooming Cherry Blossom varieties, such as Somei Yoshino, Oshima, and Akebono cherry blossoms.
- Cambie Street: The boulevard is lined with centenarian cherry trees, again a legacy made possible by Vancouver’s early Japanese communities. Learn more about the history of Vancouver’s cherry blossom trees and planting practices, take the Cambie bus, drive or bike instead of taking the Canada Line to see them though! The underground skytrain was built around their roots (so you won’t see them if you’re a train passenger).
- YVR: The cherry blossom trees just off of the Arthur Laing Bridge are especially beautiful during this season, and they’re a great way to welcome visitors to Vancouver while watching the planes land!
- Sakura Days Japan Fair is also popular at the VanDusen Botanical Garden.
The cherry blossom season also includes the beginning of flowering plum and giant magnolia (otherwise known as “tulip trees”) blooming periods too. If you love magnolias, be sure to check out the most beautiful flowering magnolia tree at the corner of Fraser, 16th avenue and Kingsway (coincidentally next to some great Vancouver classics: Les Faux Bourgeois, Matchstick café and Osteria Savio Volpe).
Victoria, BC, Canada
Although Victoria doesn’t have an official cherry blossom festival, BC’s capital city has many spectacular cherry blossom treed-neighborhoods within walking distance from the tourist sites. Don’t miss the beautiful homes around Beacon Hill Park and Cook Street. Stroll along Ross Bay Cemetery and Dallas road too. James Bay is only a short walk behind the Legislature buildings near Victoria’s downtown harbor. For serious garden enthusiasts willing to pay for more bloom viewing, no visit to Victoria is complete without seeing Butchart Gardens.
Cherry blossom travel outside Canada
Osaka or Kyoto, Japan
If you choose to opt for the traditional, historic route for experiencing cherry blossoms, planning a trip to Japan during sakura season is for you; the most serious of hanami travellers. Book ahead for next year’s cherry blossoms at least 6 months in advance. Crowds will be unavoidable, but Japan’s ‘pink clouds’ will be worth it.
If you do pursue cherry blossom season in Japan, follow these tips to make your trip planning easier.
- Try to avoid travelling on weekends, which are busy with domestic tourists coming from other parts of the country. Instead, opt for midweek stays in Kyoto for a quieter experience and a better chance of accommodation availability.
- Try Osaka instead of Kyoto for cheaper rates and more vacancy
- If you’re having trouble finding availability for your travel dates to Japan, try Korea for another ‘old world’ hanami experience.
Washington, DC
For those looking for a trip within North America, the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC is another option. This festival reminds visitors that the Cherry trees planted are a symbol of enduring friendship between Americans and Japanese. The festival includes a fundraiser party, opening ceremony, 10 mile run, kite festival, parade, interpretive signs and booking resources for visitors. There’s a 5 to 6 day period of full bloom (don’t worry, there’s a buffer hanami period before and after, so you’ve got a good chance of seeing the cherry blossoms)!
Other notable cherry blossom destinations include:
- Paris, France – As if you needed another reason to visit the city of love, come mid-March to late-April, the walkways of Trocadero are sure to make those Eiffel Tower photos stand out from the crowd.
- New York, New York – While strolling the streets of NYC, don’t forget to stop and smell the blossoms! Central Park, in particular, comes alive during the spring season, boasting with cherry blossoms along the east and west sides of the Reservoir, and the southeast corner of the Great Lawn Oval.
- Dublin, Ireland – Is Ireland on your bucket list? During the spring season, take advantage of viewing pastel blooms just outside the heart of the city at Herbert Park, known to have the highest concentration of cherry blossom trees in Dublin.
- Stockholm, Sweden – The Kings Tree Garden (Kungstradgarden) is another excuse to add Sweden to your bucket list.
- Curitiba, Brazil— did you know that Brazil has the largest population of Japanese people outside Japan? Makes sense that Brazil would have a spectacular cherry blossom festival too, right?
- Hamburg, Germany – Celebrate Kirschblutenflest every year in May along Alster Lake.
Have any ideas for an English equivalent of hanami, the art of cherry blossom viewing, or maybe a new word for “the act of travelling to see cherry blossoms around the world”? Share your ideas below!
Safe cherry blossom travels,
Linnea
