For many of us with kids, fall means the return of school, fall sports, and routine. But if you have a fall break from school, or have younger kids, or homeschool and can get away – fall is an amazing time to travel! The crowds and heat from the summer are gone, autumn leaves bathe the world in gorgeous colors, and the price of lodging and flights is often less. Check out some of our favorite places to visit in the fall…
New England
If you don’t live in an area with great fall colors, we highly recommend taking a trip to New England during autumn at least once in your life. It truly is stunning. Check a fall colors map to see when the peak for fall colors will be if that is your priority. A week or two before and after the peak time is a great time to visit.
There are so many beautiful towns and cities to choose from! We could list dozens, but will highlight a few –
- Woodstock, Lincoln or Conway, New Hampshire – drive the famous Kancamagus Highway, which many consider the best drive to see fall colors in New England. Check for lodging deals in the area >
- Stowe, Vermont – a charming town in the Green Mountains. Although it is a popular time to visit, there are a few good deals on Expedia >
- Woodstock, Vermont – historic New England charm with rolling hills and covered bridges. There are some charming hotels and vacation rentals to choose from >
- Salem, Massachusetts – a historic town on the coast north of Boston, with a bonus of Halloween celebrations. It’s also close to Boston if you want to explore the city. We prefer doing a vacation rental in Salem or Marblehead >
One thing to note – this is a high tourist season for these areas. Others on this list are chosen because fall is a less crowded time. But there is a reason it’s a popular time to visit!
New York City
Fall is a great time to visit the city! There will be fewer tourists than during the summer or during the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. The weather is more temperate, the leaves in Central Park will be changing colors, and it’s a lovely time to walk around and enjoy the sights.
Learn about where we recommend staying and doing when visiting NYC with kids >
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This National Park in Tennessee near the border of North Carolina is one of our favorites, and it likes to show off in the fall! If you visit as the leaves are changing, the mountains transform into brilliant color. Walk up to Clingmans’s Dome for a 360 view of the surrounding mountains, drive the Roaring Fork Loop to see a gorgeous mountain stream surrounded by fall colors, or take a hike to a waterfall without having to deal with summer crowds.
Another bonus of this National Park is its proximity to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, which means there are many hotel and restaurant options, plus tourist attractions like Dollywood. Fall is a great time to visit Dollywood when it’s not too hot and the Harvest Festival is going on.
Asheville, NC (and surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains)
Similar to our recommendation for Great Smokies above, pretty much anywhere in the Appalachian mountains is gorgeous in the fall (and yes, that’s a lot of places – stretching from northern Alabama to Canada). Rolling mountains and hills covered in fall colors is amazing. However, I want to specifically highlight the area surrounding Asheville, NC as it also boasts some great events in the fall and farms where you can pick apples. This area has a great arts scene, many great hiking trails, the Biltmore Estate (visit in early November for an overlap of fall color AND Christmas decorations), and the Blue Ridge Parkway that takes you through gorgeous mountain vistas.
When considering where in the area to stay, consider what you’ll be doing most of. If you’ll be exploring downtown Asheville and visiting Biltmore, stay in Asheville proper. If you’ll mainly be exploring the great outdoors and doing some hiking and apple picking, consider staying near Hendersonville or Brevard.
Check out hotel prices in Asheville >
Or consider a cabin rental in the areas south of Asheville >
Washington, DC
DC is great in the fall because it is less hot and crowded than in the summer. Walking around the National Mall surrounded by fall leaves is beautiful. There are so many free museums and monuments to explore, making it a fun and affordable destination for families.
Check out where we recommended staying and what to do in Washington, DC with kids >
Sedona, AZ
Sedona always gives off a fall vibe with its orange/red/brown color scheme, but in actual fall the weather is perfect for outdoor activities. Summer can be too hot, winter too cold, and Spring can be unpredictable (our last Spring trip it was 75 degrees one day and snowing the next, but Fall is typically just perfect! There are so many great trails to explore in Sedona or you can do a Jeep tour.
Check out these lodging deals in Sedona >
Charleston, SC
Charleston is a beautiful historic city on the coast, but boy is it hot in summer! But fall is a great time to visit when the heat and humidity are a bit lower, but the water is still warm if you want to head to the beach or kayak in the intercoastal waterways. And if you like doing spooky things during Halloween season, Charleston’s ghosts tours are fun and teach you some interesting history while touring this beautiful city at night. You won’t see much fall color until late November but palmetto trees are beautiful year round!
Learn more about what we recommend doing and where we recommend staying in Charleston >
Outside the US
We are mainly focused on US destinations in the early days of this site, but fall is also a great time to travel internationally. Our family hasn’t done that in a long time because we usually have to keep our fall trips short because of school, but I’ll mention just a few ideas:
- Italy – especially the Tuscany area – gorgeous in autumn!
- Germany – Oktoberfest and fall colors
- Santorini, Greece – the weather is still warm enough, but far fewer tourists!
- Pretty much any major tourist city in Western Europe will be far less crowded than in the summer and still have decent weather.
