Why this guide: about 5,400 people a month search Google for “best places to travel in october” (US, DataForSEO Labs, September 2026). This is the answer we would give a client, written to be booked from.
The short answer
- FoliageVermont and New Hampshire, Quebec's Laurentians, Ontario's Algonquin, the Great Smoky Mountains, Kyoto and Nikko (late October), the Scottish Highlands
- Last warm seaCyprus, Malta, Crete, Rhodes, the Algarve, Andalusia, Turkey's coast, Sicily
- Reopening desertsMorocco, Egypt, Jordan, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Oman, Rajasthan
Foliage
New England's peak runs north to south through the month — Vermont and New Hampshire's White Mountains first week, the Berkshires and Connecticut mid-month; book the inns a year ahead for the Columbus Day weekend. Quebec's Laurentians and Charlevoix, Ontario's Algonquin Park and the Muskokas (first two weeks), the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Smokies (mid-to-late). Kyoto's maples begin in the last week and peak in mid-November; Nikko and the Japanese Alps peak in October. Scotland's Highlands and the Trossachs in gold and rust.
The last warm seas
The eastern and southern Mediterranean stays swimmable: Cyprus and Malta at 26°C, Crete and Rhodes into the third week, Sicily, the Algarve and Andalusia's Costa de la Luz, Turkey's Antalya and the Lycian coast, Tunisia. The Canaries and Madeira take over from November. Santorini's hotels begin closing in the second half; Mykonos earlier.
The deserts and the Gulf
Morocco's second ideal month — Marrakech at 26°C, the Sahara warm by day and cool at night, the date harvest; Egypt's Luxor and Aswan at 30°C with the Nile cruise season reopening; Jordan's Petra and Wadi Rum; Dubai and Abu Dhabi cooling to 33°C with the sea at its warmest and rates below winter; Oman's Muscat; Rajasthan's palaces and the Pushkar camel fair (dates move with the lunar calendar).
Trekking, festivals and the south
Nepal's post-monsoon season — the clearest skies of the year for Everest and Annapurna, and the Dashain and Tihar festivals; Bhutan's Thimphu Tshechu. Oaxaca and Mexico City prepare for Día de los Muertos (1–2 November) through the last week. Argentina's Buenos Aires in jacaranda spring; Patagonia's season opens; South Africa's Cape in spring flowers; Australia's Melbourne spring racing. Bali's shoulder; Thailand's rains ending in the south.
Booking it
New England and Algonquin foliage book a year ahead for the peak weekends; Morocco and Egypt two to three months out; Nepal's teahouses can be walked in but the lodges at Namche book. The engine's pages cover Boston, Montreal, Toronto (for Algonquin), Kyoto, Marrakesh, the Nile and Ras Al Khaimah; Vacation Packages bundle the flight, and the chauffeur booker handles Pearson, Logan, JFK and Charles de Gaulle.
Three things to get right
- New England: first week for the north, mid-month for the south; book the inns a year out.
- Cyprus, Malta and Crete for the last warm sea.
- Morocco and Egypt reopen — October is their second spring.
