Matador Network’s Ultimate Guide to Where to Travel This Fall
Fall is possibly the best season in which to travel, but one many people overlook. The math alone makes the case: in many destinations, airfare and hotel rates drop once summer winds down, and the crowds and families that crowded park trails and dreamy resorts all summer are noticeably thinner. And then there’s the weather, with so many destinations hitting that perfect blend of cool mornings, warm afternoons, and far less of the heat and humidity of summer trips.
The season also changes what there is to see; in many cases, it creates a new reason to travel. In autumn, most wildlife are more active, creating a perfect window for viewing trips. Colorful foliage changes the hiking trails in destinations from Colorado to North Carolina, and many communities celebrate the fall bounty with wine, harvest, and decadent food festivals.
But not all fall trips are about activity. In the US, school is back in session in late August, creating a great window for adults-only trips or couples’ getaways without the crowds. And the shorter days make you feel better about fitting in a few indulgences, like unhurried meals, sunset spa treatments, or cozy cocktails around a campfire. You don’t feel like you need to stretch every second out of every day.
All that is to say, Matador Network loves fall travel. So to celebrate the season, we rounded up some of the best places in the world for a fall trip, from November celebrations in Mexico City to borderline-magical encounters with grizzly bears in Canada. Here’s where we recommend going when you need to escape to somewhere new this fall.
See you out there,
— the Matador Network editorial team
Most people treat January as the time for a reset, but there’s a strong case to be made that fall is the best time to do it, before the holidays and new year begin. In autumn, the crowds in popular destinations thin, prices often drop, and weather in many places becomes far more pleasant. A fall wellness trip means daytime hikes, afternoon treatments focused on creating the best you possible, and evenings cool enough for a hot springs soak or dry sauna session. These are the best places travel in autumn recover from a busy summer or get a jump-start on winter.
Autumn is when wine harvests happen, apple-picking festivals pop up from New York to California, and farm stands and pumpkin patches start getting extremely busy. While harvest festivals used to be about stocking up for winter, today, they’re the perfect time to get outdoors and try the freshest and most local foods a region has to offer. While attending huge events like Oktoberfest in Munich is certainly a bucket-list item, the sheer number of destinations that have their own fall celebrations means you won’t have to go far to find an event to attend.
In some parts of the world, especially those further north, autumn is without a doubt the busiest time of the year for wildlife. Bears are entering hyperphagia — a phase where they eat as much as possible to pack on the pounds before hibernation — and cooler temperatures bring animals down to lower elevations to graze. It also helps that in many of the best wildlife-watching destinations in the world, crowds thin out in the fall, creating more space for wildlife to reclaim the woods. Make sure to always practice proper wildlife safety and prioritize their comfort above your own desire to take a photo.
If there’s one type of travel synonymous with autumn, it’s trips to find fall foliage. But that doesn’t need to mean your standard hike in New England (though we certainly recommend that). These days, you can head to any number of mountain towns in Colorado for trips centered around changing leaves, local beer, and luxury hotels, or set your sights on destinations a few hours north of New York City for fall camping trips and vintage train rides. The limits are endless, but the foliage isn’t, so make sure you time your trip correctly if you want to see colors at their brightest.