Desperate to see Cherry Blossom Season but can't get to Japan? Here are the Best Destinations to View them in the UK!

Study Reveals the Best Destinations to View Cherry Blossom Season in the UK 

•  London is most favourable with seven locations in the top 10

•  Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire is the number one area outside of London 

​​​​Ornamental Japanese cherry blossoms are nature's confetti and one of the reminders that Spring is on its way.  

Residents in Japan celebrate the arrival of the cherry blossom, known in Japan as Sakura, every year with a blossom festival known as Sakura matsuri, with visitors from around the world trying to catch a glimpse of the petals in full bloom.  

If you can't make it over to Japan for this year's Sakura season, the UK has plenty of bloomin' marvellous places to see the flowers in action.  

To give you some destination inspiration, Japanese snack subscription box company Sakuraco analysed categories like average Google review score, annual sunshine hours, annual rainfall and number of Instagram hashtag mentions to reveal which locations across the UK are the best to visit this cherry blossom season.   

Best places in the UK to travel to for Cherry Blossom Season

London leads the pack with seven locations in the top 10, but it's the Royal Botanic Gardens taking the number one spot, with a high score of 8.1. 

London's botany HQ scored the highest for the number of Instagram mentions (10), as well as scoring highly for low rainfall (8.3) and average Google review score (7.5). It was beaten only by RHS Garden Rosemoor in North Devon, which received the highest score for average Google review (10).   

If visiting between the end of March and the beginning of May, many can expect a good chance of great blossom displays. Kew Gardens also has its own Cherry Walk. Starting at the Rose Garden it has two parallel rows with 15 trees a piece form a blushing runway to Temperate House.  

London, Image by Ana Gic from Pixabay 

If it's been a mild spring, the blossoms arrive earlier, and a cold spring means it won't flower until later. Different varieties of cherry blossom tree bloom at different times, and they only last around two weeks. So, if you're looking for that perfect Instagram shot, be quick, as it might be there the following weekend.  

Regents Park is the second-best location to view Cherry Blossoms this Spring, scoring 7.7 overall. It received the highest score for sunshine hours (10) and a high score for average Google reviews (7.5).  

The cherry blossom trees on Chester Road in Regent's Park were removed in 2015 because they suffered from a bacterial disease. They were replaced with a similar variety to help improve the uniformity and aesthetic of Chester Road.   

Kensington Gardens (6.7), Greenwich Park (6.4), and Battersea Park (6.3) complete the top five favourable locations to view blooming cherry blossoms this spring.  

Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire (6.3) is the top location outside of London, ranking sixth. It scored highly for sunshine hours (10) and low rainfall (10). Containing more than 300 fruit trees, the orchard at Wimpole Estate puts on an unrivalled flower display, with blossom appearing on the apple and pear trees.  

Cambridge, Photo by Abhishek K. Singh on Unsplash

Sheringham Park, Norfolk (6.1) and RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey (6) are the other top locations outside of London to visit cherry blossom this Spring, ranking eighth and ninth, respectively. 

Rounding up the top 10 is the Kyoto Garden, Holland Park in London, scoring six overall. It scored the best for average sunshine hours (10) but poorly for its Instagram popularity (0).  

The city of Kyoto gifted the garden to the British capital in 1991 to commemorate the longstanding friendship between England and Japan. The garden was designed by renowned landscape architects featuring tranquil teared waterfalls, a serene pond full of beautiful koi carp, and its cherry blossom trees in the springtime.  

Wallington, Northumberland (5.2) just misses out on the top 10 and is the highest-scored northern location for cherry blossoms. The Cherry Orchard at The Alnwick Garden has the world's most extensive collection of 'Taihaku'. Comprising of 329 trees, they all bloom together for up to two weeks around the end of April.  

 

From ornamental magnolias in gardens to hawthorn scattered across the countryside, get your camera ready and discover some of the best places to see blossom. 

Ayumi Chikamoto, Founder at Sakuraco commented on the study:   

"The 2023 cherry blossom season is drawing closer, and in anticipation, we thought this study provides the perfect inspiration to see what the best of the UK has to offer for the Sakura season."  

To view the complete study, click here