The Best Places to Visit in October, From Venice to Mauritius
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When it comes to the best places to visit in October, it's only natural that you may think of experiencing fall in New York or witnessing New England autumn leaves changing color. Which are valid trips to plan, for sure. (I personally recommend a road trip through Vermont.) But October is prime shoulder season in many parts of the world as well, a moment when the September stragglers have begrudgingly returned to the office and the Thanksgiving escapees have yet to descend on, say, Paris for Mercigiving. And don’t forget: Though it’s fall in the Northern Hemisphere, a trip to the Southern Hemisphere is a good opportunity to flip your season to spring, if the spirit so moves you—hello, Cape Town. Plus, fewer tourists means lower prices at hotels and airlines, making it a high-value time to travel. Below, we share some of the best places to visit in October, from the arts and culture in the green countryside of France’s Loire Valley, to the culinary virtues of beautiful Charleston in South Carolina.
This gallery has been updated since its original publish date.
Getty ImagesLoire Valley
The fall weather in October is a perfect time to explore the Loire Valley, a region famous for its vineyards, châteaux, and some of the most beautiful small towns in France. This year is a particularly exciting time to be there, given all the events happening in the area. Château d’Azay-le-Rideau is celebrating its 500th anniversary with an extensive program of festivities and art exhibitions; the third edition of the AR(t]CHIPEL festival will begin on October 20, featuring pieces from the Centre Pompidou (which will be closing its Paris location later this year for renovation work); and the International Garden Festival at the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire is already up and running until November 2, themed “Once Upon a Time in the Garden,” where visitors can explore gardens with designs inspired by fairy tales. If you can’t wait until October, you’re in luck: Le Festival de Loire, taking place from September 24–28, is the perfect way to experience heritage in the Loire Valley.
As for where to stay, Palais d’Or is a dreamy 18th-century palace perched within the enchanting medieval citadel of Loches, bookable via Oliver’s Travels, a collection of hand-picked villas across Europe and the globe. A few nights here will have you living the French château dream easily.
ChuckSchug/GettyAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Known as “the most photographed event in the world,” the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (October 4–12) does not disappoint, offering families and travelers the chance to get up close with hundreds of seven-story balloons ranging from cute animals to Darth Vader. You'll want to wake up before dawn to get a prime viewing spot for the Mass Ascension, when all the balloons rise together to the tune of “The Star Spangled Banner.”
You can crash later that night at Hotel Chaco, a sleek, contemporary property with locally inspired art and architecture in the heart of Old Town. That ideal location and perfect October weather means you can explore all the museums and markets downtown without breaking a sweat.
Simon Dannhauer/GettyBarbados
Barbados is one of our favorite Caribbean islands, with some of the best hotels and beaches (all of which are public) in the entire region. And then there’s the rum. Though it’s now ubiquitous across the Caribbean, the spirit was formally first distilled at the Mount Gay Rum headquarters in 1703. Head to its visitor center and you’ll be able to learn more of that history, as well as sample a range of great dark and white blends.
Head to Bathsheba Beach—one of those aforementioned Caribbean-wide bests—and spend a day surfing and wading through shallow pools carved by the shoreside coral reef. Then rest up at Sandy Lane, one of the most glamorous hotels on the island, complete with three golf courses and family-friendly activities galore.
Jon Bilous/AlamySalem, Massachusetts
October is synonymous with Halloween, so where better to book a trip than America’s unofficial witching capital? Snag a room at The Hotel Salem or The Merchant (they’re both owned by Lark Hotels, a company famed for its funky makeovers of countless New England inns) and then make your way into town. Salem celebrates its connection to the occult all month with a program of events, including horror film festivals, séances, and a fair with psychics on hand to read your future. (Check out the complete calendar of events for itinerary inspiration.)
During the festivities, it’s worth pausing to consider the history of Salem’s witch trials at the 1692 Salem Witch Museum. The museum recreates the trials using actual documents as the basis for its life-size stage sets, and hosts an exploration of witchcraft in all its forms through the ages.
Gary YeowellVenice
Once the summer crowds have gone and the moodier climes of fall approach, Venice reaches peak mystique and stillness. But that’s not to say Venice in October is boring—far from it. In addition to the perennial joys of a gondola ride and a bar crawl pursuing the city’s best cicchetti (Venetian bar snacks), this is the month to attend Venice Fashion Week, held from October 20–26, which spotlights artisan talents, emerging designers, and brands in the Veneto region, emphasizing sustainability and Italian artisanship. Beyond that, there are plenty of things to do in Venice like visiting the Peggy Guggenheim Collection for its extensive art collection or browsing the wares at the Mercato di Rialto—all of which can be done more comfortably in the autumnal weather of October.
Among the best hotels in Venice, the stunning Hotel Violino d’Oro is among the newest and chicest. A featured hotel in our 2024 Hot List, it’s a completely “made in Italy” project that not only showcases archival designs by Fortuny, Venini, and Martinelli Luce, but also supports young Italian artists and artisans—including the Micheluzzi sisters, whose Venetian glass vases decorate the hotel; and Allegra Santini, who created regenerated marble busts for the rooms. The locally minded, artisan-led philosophy extends to the bar, where lauded bartender Francesco Adranga shakes up creative cocktails using Gin Venice (one of the only gins made in the Venetian lagoon); and Il Piccolo restaurant, which serves gourmet dishes with an emphasis on plant-based and gluten-free options served, naturally, on Ginori porcelain.
Xavier Coiffic/UnsplashMauritius
Mauritius—sitting pretty off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean—is more than worth the journey. The island nation’s cultural offerings have recently stepped into the limelight thanks to the much-anticipated Intercontinental Slavery Museum, which opened in September 2023 to mark the country’s first step in recognizing and making amends for its colonial past. Art lovers have also been paying attention to the cutting-edge, contemporary art installations at the recently opened House of Digital Art (HODA).
Meanwhile, a recent revamp of seaside resorts has reignited the jet-set luxury of Mauritius’s heyday in the ’80s. Island classics Lux Belle Mare and Paradis Beachcomber unveiled massive restorations, while the all-inclusive, adults-only Hotel Riu Palace Mauritius just emerged from its own facelift. If you’re hoping to get even further off the grid, head to the outlying island of Rodrigues (about a 1.5-hour flight east of Mauritius) to enjoy secret beaches and even more historic hotels, like Play Mourouk and Cotton Bay Resort & Spa.
Mara Brandl/AlamyThe Bavarian Alps, Germany
An autumn trip to southern Germany is about so much more than Oktoberfest. Fall may be the best season to visit the Bavarian Alps, when the weather is perfectly cool and the mountains transform into a technicolor dreamscape. The season is prime for outdoor enthusiasts as well, with areas like Berchtesgaden and Lake Tegernsee lending themselves to some epic scenic hikes. Shutterbugs are never disappointed by the Disney-esque Neuschwanstein Castle, whose white turrets look best against a backdrop of deep reds and oranges.
Spend at least a couple of days tucked away in Hotel Bachmair Weissach, a modern alpine property located in the lake town of Tegernsee. With walls adorned with antlers, a cloistered courtyard, plaid carpets, and scalloped wood balconies off each of its 141 rooms, it will fulfill every romantic Bavarian fantasy you can think of.
Oleg Albinsky/GettyHudson Valley, New York
If you're looking to totally lean into the cider-sipping, sweater-wearing, pumpkin-picking vibe of fall, look no further than the Hudson Valley. Aside from offering primo leaf peeping opportunities, October is the best time to go apple picking or sample some hard cider made from local produce at Angry Orchard. Alternatively, take in a movie at the Four Brothers Drive-In Theater or celebrate Halloween with the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze on the grounds of Van Cortlandt Manor (advance reservations required). More than 7,000 pumpkins are displayed there each night, including a 25-foot-tall Statue of Liberty, all of which are carved onsite by a team of 1,000 volunteers.
Look to Warren Street in the heart of town for accommodations: either at the retro Rivertown Lodge, complete with wood fire burners and bicycles to borrow, or the Maker Hotel, filled with one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture and a restaurant serving up ingredients sourced from local farms.
Taryn Elliott/PexelsCape Town, South Africa
Cape Town is one of the best places to travel in October, as the month signals the height of springtime in the southern hemisphere. That means you can plan on tons of outdoor activities, from walking among spring blooms in Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden to touring vineyards in Franschhoek. You could also spend an entire trip hopping between Cape Town’s best beaches. Camps Bay Beach is worth visiting for the views of Lion's Head and the Twelve Apostles alone, as is Windmill Beach (a 10-minute walk from Boulders Beach) for its warm water and boulders you can jump off.
Stay at a darling of the Readers’ Choice Awards: Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel, a 15-room Georgian-era townhouse tucked away in a residential street in Gardens (a fashionable neighborhood known for its restaurants, bars, and interior shops). The street-level luxury suites come with their own spacious sun terraces and private pools, making you feel like you’re in an incredibly beautiful private home.
Jeff Engel/GettyAspen, Colorado
Aspen may seem like a bit of an obvious choice (hello, leaf peeping), but obvious isn’t always a bad thing. Hotel Jerome is a great place to set up camp, with a huge array of activities on tap for guests looking for an outdoor adventure—think horseback riding in the Rockies, riding a Jeep through alpine backcountry, and stand-up paddleboarding along the Colorado River. The hotel can also arrange day trips to the Maroon Bells, a pair of mountains that is one of the most photographed spots in the entire state (and backdrops for some of the best hikes in Colorado). In fact, professionals are known to flock to the shores of Maroon Lake well before sunrise to nab that stunning fall shot.
Francisco Estrada/Villa del PalmarLoreto, Mexico
We’re big fans of the Baja California Sur peninsula in Mexico, with its beautiful scenery and luxury resorts. While most tourists flock to Los Cabos, set your sights on the underrated city of Loreto. Located about 230 miles north of Cabo, the town is best known for its secluded, unspoiled setting on the Loreto Bay National Marine Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For stress-free planning, book a stay at Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa at the Islands of Loreto, where guests can enjoy scuba diving tours, cultural city tours, whale watching excursions, kayaking, surfing, and ATV desert tours. After a day spent adventuring, head back and unwind at the 39,000-square-foot Sabila Spa or one of the resort’s five swimming pools.
Peter Unger/Getty ImagesCharleston
As a Readers' Choice Awards favorite, Charleston is a good idea at any time of year, but the fall is a great time to go: With temperatures ranging between a low of 65°F and a high of 77°F, taking in the small city's artistic and culinary delights will be easier to do in October. As a rising foodie capital on the region, the city is a fantastic place to eat, where a generation of young chefs are bringing new techniques and flavors to established Southern culinary traditions. Some of the can't-miss spots are Bintü Atelier, Charleston's first African restaurant where dining feels comforting rather than decadent; and Kultura, where chef Nikko Cagalagan's dishes are a love letter to the Philippines, inspired by the setting of Charleston.
In the hotel scene, the most exciting arrival is that of The Nickel, Charleston’s newest boutique hotel that just opened this month. It's from the same folks who created nearby The Pinch, which made a splash in 2022—and this younger sibling follows in its stylish footsteps. With 50 rooms and suites, a cocktail bar open only to guests, and a rooftop spot that will open by the end of the month, it's the most exciting place to bed down in town after making your way through a list of the best things to do in Charleston.
