Everyone knows that the cherry blossoms bloom in Japan during the springtime but did you know that there are cherry blossoms in London too? In London, sakura season usually last from late March / early April until late April / early May, depending on the weather. The main window and best time for spotting London cherry blossoms is April.
Different varieties of cherry blossom trees bloom at different times some bursting with deep pink blooms, others a pale cotton candy colour, and still others with a snow white blossom. They only bloom for a couple of weeks, however, so you will have to be quick!
Fortunately, however, cherry blossom season tends to coincide with the magnolia trees springing into life bringing extra colour to London’s streets after a long, grey winter.
So, as we get ready for what is probably the prettiest time of the year in London (with the exception of Christmas of course!), mark down the following locations and plan your route to take in the prettiest London cherry blossom spots.
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The best London cherry blossoms spots
Hanami, meaning “flower viewing” is a popular pastime in Japan when families and friends gather to enjoy the cherry blossom together. Take a look at the map below for London’s best cherry blossom spots and enjoy your view own Hanami outing.
Cherry blossom trees at Kew Gardens
One of the top places (if not the best spot) to see gorgeous cherry blossom trees is Kew Gardens. Come spring time, London’s biggest botanical garden is in full bloom with dozens of candy floss-coloured trees decorating the famous gardens.
Head to the rose garden behind the famous Palm House and you will find lots of different varieties of cherry blossom tree. Follow the path around and it becomes Cherry Walk, a straight path lined with beautiful blooms.
The section between King William’s Temple and Temperate House is particularly magical, decorated with dozens deep pink cherry blossom trees. Frame your shot right and you’ll get the Pagoda in too.
Closest tube: Kew Gardens
Cherry blossom trees in Kensington Gardens
The biggest of the Royal Parks in Central London, Hyde Park sadly does not deliver when it comes to cherry blossoms but fortunately its neighbour, Kensington Gardens, does. Springtime transforms this green space (a former King’s playground) into a colourful cacophony of beautiful pink and white blooms.
Enter via the Lancaster Gate entrance through a thicket of cherry trees decorated with blush pink and pale white petals. From here walk towards the Albert Memorial, at the southern end of the gardens, where you’ll find more beautiful cherry blossom trees.
Closest tube: Lancaster Gate
Cherry blossoms at Olympic Park
The London Blossom Garden opened in 2021 in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as a living memorial to “commemorate the city’s shared experience of the Coronavirus pandemic”. Other blossom circles were created in the cities of Nottingham, Newcastle and Plymouth.
The garden has been planted with 33 blossom trees, each representing a London borough, including the City of London.
There are eight different varieties of cherry blossom tree, including hawthorn, cherry, cherry plum, and crab apple blossom, which have been planted in three close circles. Visit during cherry blossom season and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful canopies of colourful blossom.
Closest train: Hackney Wick (overground). The easiest entrance is via Eastcross Bridge.
Cherry blossom trees at Alexandra Palace
North London residents head to Alexandra Palace, otherwise known as Ally Pally, for beautiful blush pink blooms. It’s also a great spot for views over the city. Visit with a picnic on a sunny day and grab a seat (there are plenty of benches) for an al fresco lunch.
Not far way is Kenwood House and Hampstead Heath. While you won’t find any cherry blossoms on the heath, the gardens are filled with magnolias, rhododendrons and camellias.
Also nearby is the welcoming neighbourhood of Crouch End. Look for Cecile Park, a road lined with double pink flowering cherry trees and one of the prettiest in the city.
Closest transport: Overland to Alexandra Palace followed by a bus. Check the Citymapper app for journey details.
Cherry blossom trees in St James’s Park
There aren’t as many cherry blossom trees in St James’s Park as you would think. A number of trees sit around the lake but for your best blossom views – and photos – you want to go towards the Buckingham Palace end of the park where a series of graceful cherry trees lean elegantly over the lake. These are often among the first cherries to flower in London.
Another spot worth visiting is the grove of cherry trees near Storey’s Gate where half a dozen or so pink cherry trees stand in front of the Treasury building.
Closest tube: Charing Cross or Green Park. From both these stations its a 10-12 minute walk to the park.
Cherry blossom trees in Greenwich Park
Greenwich Park is not only one of London’s best parks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s also one of the prettiest places to enjoy beautiful blossoms in London.
Walk up Greenwich Park Hill, beyond the Royal Observatory and Planetarium and, just beyond the cricket pitch, you’ll come upon a road leading towards Ranger’s House. If the Georgian villa looks familiar it’s because it is used as the facade for the Bridgerton family residence in the popular Netflix series, Bridgerton.
This road is lined with beautiful trees, creating a stunning Japanese-style cherry blossom tunnel.
Closest transport: Cutty Sark (DLR) followed by a 20 minute walk or the train to New Cross Gate followed by Bus no. 53. Check the Citymapper app for travel details.
Cherry blossom trees in Regent’s Park
Cherry blossom trees are scattered throughout Regent’s Park but for the best views head to the Chester Road entrance. Trees were planted along this road, one of the main entrances to Regent’s Park in the 1930s, the same time that the Queen Mary’s Rose Garden were created.
The cherry trees were replaced with 100 white Sunset Boulevard-variety cherry blossoms in 2015 and today come into bloom with single white cherry blossom edged in pale pink. The south end of Avenue Gardens is another good spot, where the blossoms are decidedly more pink.
Cherry blossom trees at St Paul’s Cathedral
You won’t see a lot of cherry blossom trees outside St Paul’s Cathedral but the ones that are standing there – to the south of the cathedral in St Paul’s Churchyard – make for very pretty photos. Get your framing right and you’ll get the pink branches in bloom with the iconic dome behind them.
Closest tube: St. Paul’s
Cherry blossom trees at Kyoto Garden, Holland Park
One of London’s best hidden gems, is Holland Park’s Kyoto Gardens.
This Japanese-style garden first opened in 1991 and was a gift from the city of Kyoto in Japan. The park is lovely at any time of year owing to its tiered waterfall, stone lanterns, various Japanese varieties of plants and its koi carp pond, but it really comes to life during spring when the cherry blossoms bloom.
A short walk from Holland Park is Blithfield Street, a tiny residential road decorate with pink and white blooms during cherry blossom season.
Closest tube: Holland Park
Cherry Blossom trees in Hackney
Another great place for enjoying London’s cherry blossoms is Springfield Park and Daubeney Fields in east London. The 101 Japanese cherry trees were a gift from Japan in 2022 who sent 6,500 cherry trees to the UK. The trees have been planted across the country in parks, gardens and schools.
In Springfield Park, the cherry blossoms have been planted closed to the River Lea. In Daubeney Fields, the cherry trees can be found at the northern end of the park.
Closest transport: South Tottenham train followed by the 349 or 476 bus.
Cherry Blossom in Battersea Park
One of the best places to see cherry blossoms in London south of the river is Battersea Park, home to a picture-perfect avenue of beautiful cherry blossoms appropriately called Cherry Tree Avenue.
Take a snap of the dusty pink blossoms with the Battersea Power Station in the background. Afterwards, head across the river to Chelsea Embankment where elegant white blossoms provide the perfect frame for Albert Bridge.
Closest transport: Battersea Park overland station
Redcliffe Road in Chelsea
Admittedly, this corner of Chelsea is not the easiest to access owing to the lack of London Underground stop but if you do make the trip, you will be rewarded with one of the prettiest spring views in town. Lined with stunning townhouses and cherry blossom trees, Redcliffe Road is the closest thing you’ll find to a real life film set in London.
Closest transport: Buses numbers 328, C3 and N31 travel to Redcliffe Road.
Cherry Blossom in Notting Hill
Notting Hill is home to some of London’s prettiest and most famous streets year-round but during cherry blossom season the west London neighbourhood really pulls out the stops.
Stanley Crescent is the star attraction during the spring months when the entire semi-circle is decorated in pale pink cherry blossom flowers. Don’t miss the purple house on Portobello Road either; the tree outside is one of the first in the season to bloom.
Notting Hill is also famous for its wisteria, which blooms shortly after the cherry blossoms. Head to Bedford Gardens for the best in show.
Closest tube: Notting Hill Gate
Cherry blossoms in Herne Hill
In South London, make a beeline for Winterbrook Road in Herne Hill. This picturesque residential street hides some of the best cherry blossoms in London. This road along with nearby Stradella Road are lined with gorgeous Yoshino Trees that blooms with rose-tinged blossoms in spring time. Both residential streets sit off Half Moon Lane.
Closest transport: Herne Hill station
