Where to travel for Autumn vibes

The best of the autumn colours and culture

Soft, diffuse light from a setting sun turns the surrounding mountains into a terracotta bowl. Forests turn from a mass of green to a fiery display of burnished bronze and honey-gold. One by one changing from ceiling to carpet, this is nature's final flourish before the onset of monochrome winter. And it's all the prettier for being only too brief.

Summer may be over, but that's no reason to pack away the suitcase for the year. Autumn brings milder temperatures, smaller crowds and that final, beguiling flourish of colour. Each place peaks at a different time, so we've ordered them by when's best; from mid-September in Banff to November in Kyoto. Follow them in order and you can chase autumn around the northern hemisphere.

Banff, Canada

Summer turns quickly to autumn in the Canadian Rockies. Banff is one of those places that's special all year, but the autumn is first among equals. There's nothing quite like the sight of its yellow-orange larches interspersed with the piercing turquoise of its lakes. Alone amidst a sea of evergreens, these conifers turn gold before dropping their needles altogether. Join in the "larch march" by day with alpine hikes, followed by cosy evenings sipping hot chocolate under a blanket.

Autumn is also one of the best times to see wildlife here. You'll hear the piercing whistle of the elk before you see it: its challenge to rivals echoing through the hills before the jousting begins. Later in the season, you'll see deer and sheep follow suit with their own sparring sessions. Meanwhile, bears both black and grizzly are hyperphagic - gorging themselves on thousands of calories to pack on fat before a long hibernation. Relatable.

A trip here wouldn't be fully complete without taking a guided horseback ride through the alpine pastures and mountain passes of Banff and Lake Louise surrounded by the colours of autumn.

When to visit: The window is actually fairly short in the Rockies. Colours start to change from  mid-September, when larch needles turn to gold. The aspen trees follow suit shortly after, and by mid-October, the descent into winter has begun.

Lake Jasna, Slovenia

Perched in the far north-west of Slovenia, Jasna sits between the Austrian border to the north and the Italian border to the west. Jasna sits just outside the small city of Kranjska Gora, itself nestled in the Julian Alps. This means a blend of snow-capped peaks and golden leaves that are quintessentially autumn.

Lake Jasna is actually not one, but two man-made lakes joined together. Just the right level of human intervention means the nature is incredibly accessibly without being spoiled. Take a walk through the alternating hot-and-cold pools along the Kneipp Path to feel refreshed, or dial the autumn energy up to maximum by curling up with a book in the lakeside library!

When to visit: Late-September through to mid-October gives you the best of autumn's burnished bronze, while temperatures remain mild, typically in the mid-teens.

Also try: Lake Bled. Slovenia's headline act has the same Alpine scenery as Jasna, although its fame draws more crowds. Lake Bled is only 45mins away from Jasna, so visiting both in one trip to Slovenia is extremely do-able.

Bavaria, Germany

As with most of the other destinations on this list, autumn in Bavaria brings vivid colours, moderate temperatures and crisp mornings. Experience Oktoberfest in Munich and enjoy wandering the wooded parks and leafy streets as they become carpeted with orange leaves.

Two places across wider Bavaria are autumn must-visits: Eibsee and Neuschwanstein Castle. Situated an hour apart from each other on opposite sides of the Ammergebirge nature reserve (if you're a hiker, spend some time here too). 

Eibsee is a glassy alpine lake that sits at the stone feet of Zugspitze, Germany's tallest mountain. In the still water of the lake you'll see reflected the face of the mountain, its green beard flecked increasingly with orange as the year wanes. In gloomy weather, it's rugged and atmospheric. Under clear skies, everything pops with vividness.

There's something Disney-esque about the tall turrets of Neuschwanstein. Or, more accurately, something Neuschwanstein-esque about Disney; this Bavarian castle being Walt Disney's inspiration for the 'Sleeping Beauty castle'. Lit up in gold under the autumn sun and nestled on its mountain perch amongst orange-green trees, it looks every inch the fairytale setting. Beyond the storybook-descriptions - a practical note. You can go inside the castle, but tickets sell out fast. Purchase tickets online well in advance, making sure to double-check opening times before you do.

When to visit: Higher mountain areas see the onset of Autumn by late-September. Mostly, though, early October is when you'll see the best of the autumn foliage.

New England, USA

Ask anyone from the USA where to go in search of classic autumn scenery; they'll tell you to head straight for New England. This isn't just the pursuit of tourists, after all. You'll find just as many locals as tourists on these winding roads.

And autumn travel in New England really lends itself to a road trip. The best way to do it is to begin north in Maine and head towards Massachusetts, following autumn's own journey south. Your journey will take you along wide roads flanked by the full spectrum of autumn colours: golden ginkgo, blazing scarlet maple through to the bottomless purples of ash trees.

Follow a gentle route from the breezy Maine coast to Acadia National Park for some classic lakeside views before immersing yourself in the granite crags, tranquil lakes and vast forests surrounding New Hampshire's White Mountains. Vermont may well be the highlight of the whole trip; the colours of its green fields, pumpkin-orange leaves and blue sky look like those Instagram photos with the saturation dialled up to 100.

Head down from the mountains through to the gentle slopes of the Berkshires. Enjoy its wide variety of museums and cultural sites, as well as its charming, old-fashioned villages. All of course backgrounded by a shifting mosaic of green and orange trees. Finally, head back east to the coast - either to Boston or, if you have the time, Cape Cod. Halloween-enthusiasts shouldn't miss a trip to Salem, too.

When to go: Head to Maine in late-September and go as long and lazily as you can manage. This is a route that's best travelled at nature's pace - slowly. Massachusetts won't break out its autumn wardrobe until mid-October, so there's no rush to head south.

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is a classic autumnal city break destination. It's architecturally one of Europe's prettiest cities, with an eclectic mix of styles ranging from 13th-century Gothic, Habsburg Baroque, fine Neo-Classical and drab Stalinist Functionalism. The diffuse late-afternoon autumn sun leaves the large stone slabs of Fisherman's Bastion glowing in honey-gold hues.

At this time of year, the weather is ideal for walking. Which is great, because you'll do plenty of it here! The intense heat of midsummer is long gone during the day, with temperatures hovering around the mid-teens. Mornings are bright and crisp, without the biting cold that comes later.

Autumn is also when the city's food scene really shines. Market halls fill up with the first batches of new-season produce that typifies autumn. Pumpkin, mushrooms and game meat all feature heavily on menus.

When to go: We'd recommend October, particularly early-to-mid October. The autumn colours hit peak vibrancy, the weather is clear, dry and mild and the crowds are long gone. September is also beautiful, and often holds on to balmy summer warmth. November, on the other hand, is typically miserable.

Transylvania, Romania

A more off-the-beaten-track destination than the others on this list, travellers heading to Romania in autumn are well rewarded. Transylvania packs in mist-shrouded mountains, flame-coloured forests and charming medieval towns boasting a blend of Gothic castles and cosy cafés.

Possibly more than any other destination on this list, an autumn trip to Transylvania isn't just about seeing the vermillion forests or misty mountains. There's a tonne of rich culture here. Transylvania has formed part of no fewer than 4 countries since the Middle Ages, and this frequent changing-of-hands has endowed it with a melting-pot mix for architecture, cuisine and local traditions.

Of course, for most people, the mere mention of Transylvania conjures up images of Dracula, vampires and Halloween vibes. And locals have really leant into it. Throughout the region you'll find ghost tours and Dracula-themed parties that often run until the early hours, accompanied by plentiful food and drink. A night-time visit to Bran Castle is a must, too.

However, Transylvania is so much more than this. The region remains deeply connected to authentic Romanian folklore and customs. Rural areas (such as Bran) still celebrate traditional harvest festivals like Răvășitul Oilor (the Sheep Fair), which heralds the return of the shepherds from the mountains.

Celebrations held on the 25th of October known as the 'Fire of Sumedru' see the Transylvanian hills ablaze with towering bonfires; the air thick with the scent of woodsmoke and the sound of villagers jumping over the flames and sharing traditional harvest food.

When to visit: Throughout October the weather actually stays relatively mild. For the best of the festivities, late-October is prime time.

Kyoto, Japan

Autumn is a wonderful time to visit Kyoto, and Japan more broadly. It's both more affordable and less-crowded than visiting during cherry blossom season in the spring. While catching the brief cherry blossom can be like threading a needle, the period of autumn colours lasts much longer.

What begins as a canvas of orange becomes a rich blend of colours as maple and ginkgo leaves assume their signature hues. Red temple roofs are accented by maple leaves that hit the ground like crimson confetti while the honeyed tones of the ginkgos complete the signature autumn scene.

There's a reason that the celebrated Japanese haiku master and Kyoto-admirer Bashō wrote:

First day of spring-

I keep thinking about

the end of autumn.

Eikando Temple is our top pick. Visiting Kyoto you'll be spoiled for choice on places to visit;  Eikando should be the one non-negotiable. Here you'll find that traditional vignette of rippling ponds crossed by worn stone bridges - all surrounded by leaves of bright crimson, burnt-orange and lemon-yellow intermingled with evergreens like an Impressionist painting. It's the autumn spot in Kyoto.

When to visit: November is when the autumn colours reach their peak here, with places further south like nearby Nara keeping their rusty raiment into early December. Temperatures remain comfortable in November, with clear blue sky the norm.

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Autumn is the evening of the year, and it passes quickly wherever you are. But like all good evenings, it can be stretched if you know where to go: begin among Banff's golden larches in mid-September and you could still be standing under Kyoto's maples in November.