The Most Instagrammable Cherry Blossom Spots

There are no flowers quite like cherry blossoms. They come in hues from bright pink to almost white and fill the air like wisps of cotton. They provide a stunning background for photos, which of course you already know if you are on Instagram.

Nothing will set your Instagram ablaze quite like a photo of some gorgeous cherry blossoms. Your followers will see that pop of pink and immediately smash that like button. And you don't even have to go abroad to get a decent cherry blossom photo. Though many of the spots we've selected are in other countries, there are also opportunities to get the ultimate 'gram all across America.

The Active Times has raked the internet searching for the most Instagrammable places to photograph cherry blossoms, and it turns out there are a ton. So instead of taking those tired bikini shots in Cabo for an Instagram thirst trap that won't work, change your spring break plans and head to any of these super Instagrammable cherry blossom spots.

The old city in the onetime capital of West Germany features a tunnel of gorgeous cherry trees that are perfectly picturesque. Altstadt throws a celebration for these trees in late April with an open-air festival that features live music, food, and cherry blossom-everything!

Botanical Garden of Curitiba (Curitiba, Brazil)

Many Japanese expats in Brazil live in Curitiba, and as you would imagine, cherry trees decorate the streets and parks. The city's botanical garden has an amazing collection, making the city the best place in Brazil to witness cherry blossoms. Other famous places include Praça do Japão, Jardim Botânico, Parque Tanguá, Anita Garibaldi Street, Iguaçu Street and Pasteur Street. The best time to see them is in the winter, especially in July.

Branch Brook Park (Essex County, New Jersey)

You'll want to snap a few shots of the cherry trees in Branch Brook Park. Whether you're strolling under the beautiful blooms or partaking in the Cherry Blossom Challenge Bike Race or the Cherry Blossom 10K Run, you're sure to get a shot full of pink flowers.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Brooklyn, New York)

This garden has one of the most diverse collections of cherry trees — more than 40 different varieties. The Botanic Garden puts on a Sakura Matsuri Festival in the spring, which features dozens of performances celebrating contemporary and classical Japanese culture. The 2019 festival is being held April 27 and 28.

Copenhagen Sakura Festival (Copenhagen, Denmark)

This year's Sakura Festival in the Danish capital is being held the weekend of April 27. The blossom festival began in 2005 when a Japanese business with Danish ties gifted the city 200 flowering cherry trees to honor the bicentennial of the famous author Hans Christian Andersen. The weekendlong event takes place in Langelinie Park.

 

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden (Dallas, Texas)

This Texas arboretum offers an annual Dallas Blooms Festival. During that time, their selection of Prunus x yedoensis (aka Yoshino cherry) trees bloom. The window to catch them in their full glory is very small, only about a week. So, we recommend calling ahead of time to check so you can secure that awesome Instagram.

Fiesta del Cerezo en Flor (Jerte Valley, Spain)

The more than two million cherry trees in the Jerte Valley form a beautiful blanket of snow white flowers covering the hills. From far away, it looks like winter is not over. The region is totally transformed into an arena for celebrating the Fiesta del Cerezo en Flor with majestic views, exhibitions, and markets. More than 50,000 people attend every year.

Gucun Park (Shanghai, China)

This massive park hosts an annual Cherry Blossom Fair full of pretty blooms. "This is an ideal area for gathering and photos," commented one visitor on their Trip Advisor page.

Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival (Hirosaki, Japan)

This spring festival is famous in Japan for its display of cherry blossoms. The flower is a symbol of fragility, life, and beauty in Japan. People religiously follow the blossom forecast, which has already reported flowerings. More than a million people gather every season under the 2,600 trees of different varieties around the park's 400-year-old castle. The festival is held yearly from April 23 to May 5.

Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park (San Francisco, California)

In April, all the cherry trees really blossom at the Japanese Tea Garden inside San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The park itself is absolutely stunning, but its beauty is enhanced by the spring-hued blooms. If you're in the Bay Area, there's also the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in San Jose from April 13 to 21. It's a massive celebration of Asian traditions. Despite the name, the focus is not on flowers, but you'll still get some incredible photos.

Jingae Gunhangje Festival (Jinhae, South Korea)

Known for being South Korea's biggest festival, the Jingae Gunhangje first began as a memorial service to celebrate a South Korean naval admiral. Now it's the country's major spring festival and it's one of the best places to snap a photo of some pretty cherry blossoms. It's a gorgeous place to photograph during the day, and the blooms are illuminated with lights at night, so you can still enjoy their beauty in the evening.

Kungsträdgården (Stockholm, Sweden)

The cherry blossoms in the open plaza of Kungsträdgården — which means "king's tree garden" in English — are stunning. There are more than 60 trees that have been planted there since 1998. The spring season is a real feast for locals and tourists alike, who love to go there for a picnic and to enjoy the dazzling sights.

International Cherry Blossom Festival (Macon, Georgia)

Macon is home to the International Cherry Blossom Festival. Every March, the city becomes a pink, cotton-spun paradise as more than 300,000 Yoshino cherry trees bloom in all their glory. This year, you can witness the gorgeous candy floss-hued paradise for yourself from March 22 to March 31.

Maruyama Park (Kyoto, Japan)

Japan's historic former capital city is a perfect place to be surrounded by sakura blossoms. In Maruyama Park alone, there are over 680 kinds of cherry trees. The blooms begin mid-March and stick around until early April, so you might want to book your trip to Japan ASAP.

Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis, Missouri)

This beautiful public garden is mostly known for its more than 7,500 orchids. But it also has more than 200 different cherry trees, 20 of which are of "Centennial varieties." They are descendants of the trees gifted to the U.S. from Japan in 1912. The Higan cherry trees and their fiery pink blossoms are among the most popular.

Shillong (Meghalaya, India)

While many countries have cherry blossoms that bloom in April, India's main cherry blossom attraction blooms in November. There are thousands of cherry blossoms across the forests of Shillong, and your best bet to see them is by bike or on foot.

State Capitol State Park (Salem, Oregon)

Oregon's capital is known as the Cherry City because of the cherry orchards that used to be found all around the valley town. Salem had its first Cherry Festival in 1903. The trees can now be found in the State Capitol State Park, and there are more than 150 Akebono flowering cherry trees lining Capitol Mall in the city, which is only about 45 miles from Portland.

National Cherry Blossom Festival (Washington, D.C.)

This year's blossoms are expected to reach peak bloom on April 5, so you might want to head to D.C. fairly soon. This yearly celebration should be on the bucket list of anyone who admires gorgeous flowers. The capital has been celebrating the cherry blossoms since 1912, when more than 3,000 cherry trees were gifted by Tokyo's mayor as a sign of friendship.

University of Washington (Seattle, Washington)

The 29 cherry trees on the University of Washington's quad were planted in 1962 and have since become an iconic feature of the university. The campus is dotted with other cherry trees as well as similar-looking plus, but the species planted on the quad (Somei-yoshino) usually blooms first before the others, creating a spectacular early-spring display. The university provides annual updates on when the trees are expected to bloom; this year's peak bloom is expected to occur the third week of March.

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (Vancouver, Canada)

Vancouver is home to more than 40,000 cherry blossom trees, many of which arrived as gifts from governments and companies in Japan. No wonder the city gets so into the sakura celebration. Hundreds of blossoms at a time can be found in different parts of Vancouver and its 50 parks. The city holds a yearly Cherry Blossom Festival, and the 2019 festival begins April 4 and ends April 28. Two of the favorite spots for pictures are Stanley Park and the Queen Elizabeth public garden, one of the most beautiful gardens in North America.

More From The Active Times:

Visit These American Gems Before the Word Gets Out

The 20 Best National Parks to Visit in the Winter

The Coolest Hidden Waterfalls in the World

The Most Scenic Winter Drive in Every State

How to Afford Your Dream Vacation