Exploring a potential fall trip that skips the dreaded summer crowds and the chaotic holiday rush? Our guide to the Best Places to Travel in October and November covers 16 destinations worth the trip, from peak foliage drives in the Smokies and New England to warm beach days in Miami, Key West, and San Diego. We took the time to research places that are at their best this time of year, with festival dates, Christmas light openings, and the weeks when color peaks or rates drop. Use this Westgate Reservations guide to time your trip around the leaves, the lights, or the lowest prices, then book before the window between Halloween and Thanksgiving closes.
Fewer Crowds, Lower Rates, and Peak Fall Color
October and November might be THE MOST underrated travel window of the year. Seriously. Summer crowds are gone, the holiday rush hasn't started, and prices usually tend to drop just as the weather gets good almost everywhere. Mountain towns turn red and gold, beach towns cool off to cardigan weather, and holiday light festivals start switching on in early November. Is this not perfection?
Why Fall Is One of THE BEST Times to Travel
Once school is back in session, demand at most vacation destinations drops off, and fast. That means shorter lines at theme parks, easier dinner reservations, and much more room on the beach. Many resorts and hotels lower their rates between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, which makes fall a smart time to book a cheap vacation deal.
The weather most definitely helps too. Southern destinations that are brutally hot in July settle into the 70s and low 80s, while mountain destinations hit their best hiking temperatures. In reality, you get the best of summer and winter without the downsides of either.
October vs. November: What to Expect
October is all about fall color, harvest festivals, and Halloween. It's peak foliage season across much of the Appalachians and the Ozarks, and it's still super warm for the beach in Florida and the Carolinas.
November is quieter and usually cheaper, especially the first three weeks before Thanksgiving. Late foliage lingers in the South, the Atlantic hurricane season winds down, and holiday events like Silver Dollar City's An Old Time Christmas and Busch Gardens Christmas Town open their gates. If you want fall vacation deals, the stretch between Halloween and Thanksgiving is hard to beat.
Top Places to Travel in October and November
1. Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Best For: Fall foliage, hiking, scenic drives | Best Time to Go: Late October to early November
Top Things to Do: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cades Cove Loop Road, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Newfound Gap Road, Gatlinburg SkyBridge, Anakeesta, the Arts & Crafts Community, Dollywood in nearby Pigeon Forge.
The Smokies are the classic fall trip, for obvious reasons. Color starts at the highest elevations in early October and works its way down the mountains. That being said, the valleys around Gatlinburg usually peak from late October into the first week of November. That timing makes Gatlinburg one of the few places where you can still catch peak foliage after Halloween. And if you get to see it during one of your Gatlinburg vacations, it's absolutely incredible.
Stay at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Water Park, which sits minutes from the national park. After a day on the trails, the kids can burn off whatever energy they have left at Wild Bear Falls, a 60,000-square-foot water park with a retractable roof, so it stays open even when the mountain air turns cold!
Pro Tip: You'll need a parking tag to park for more than 15 minutes anywhere in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Buy it online before your trip so you're not hunting for a kiosk at the trailhead. And make sure you print it!
2. New England (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts)
Best For: Fall foliage, scenic drives, small towns | Best Time to Go: Early to late October, with southern and coastal areas holding color into early November
Top Things to Do: Vermont's Route 100 and Stowe, the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire, Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor in Maine, Salem's Haunted Happenings, the Berkshires, the Mohawk Trail, apple picking and cider donuts at local orchards.
No list of fall destinations is EVER complete without the beautiful New England. Color starts in the far north in late September and moves south through October, so where you go depends on when you go. Early October is prime time for northern Vermont, the White Mountains, and inland Maine. By mid-to-late October, the best color shifts to southern New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and the Maine coast.
The best advice is to plan a road trip that strings a few states together. The drive through New England states is shorter than you might expect, especially compared to a state as long as Florida. Drive the Kancamagus Highway through the White Mountains, spend a night in a Vermont village, and finish on the coast in Bar Harbor, where Acadia's granite cliffs meet red and orange hillsides. If you're in Massachusetts in October, Salem goes all out for Halloween with a month-long celebration of haunted tours, costume events, and witch history.
Pro Tip: Peak color can change week to week. Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine all publish fall foliage reports during the season, so check them before you lock in your route. Salem is very packed on October weekends, so take the commuter rail from Boston instead of trying to park.
3. Orlando, Florida
Best For: Families, theme parks, food lovers | Best Time to Go: Mid-October through mid-November
Top Things to Do: EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, Magic Kingdom, Universal Epic Universe, Halloween events at Disney and Universal, holiday kickoffs in November, Disney Springs, ICON Park.
Orlando in the fall is a different city from Orlando in July. The humidity finally breaks, afternoon storms become rare, and highs drop into the low 80s in October and the upper 70s in November. Crowds also thin out between fall break and Thanksgiving week, offering great opportunities to find Orlando resort deals at a crazy good price.
Food is the big draw this time of year. The 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival runs through November 21, with dozens of global marketplaces spread around World Showcase. Late October brings the last of the Halloween events, and the parks start rolling out Christmas decorations and holiday programming in early-to-mid November.
Book a villa at Westgate Town Center Resort, a few minutes from the Disney parks, for full kitchens and enough space to spread out after long park days.
Pro Tip: Visit Food & Wine on a weekday. Weekends draw big local crowds, and lines at the most popular marketplaces get long by mid-afternoon.
4. Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina
Best For: Fall foliage, scenic drives, breweries | Best Time to Go: Mid-October through early November
Top Things to Do: The Blue Ridge Parkway, Biltmore Estate, the River Arts District, downtown breweries and restaurants, Pisgah National Forest, Graveyard Fields, Looking Glass Rock, the Omni Grove Park Inn.
Asheville sits in a perfect spot for fall color. The higher peaks along the Blue Ridge Parkway turn first in early October, then the color rolls downhill toward town through late October, with the valleys often holding on into early November. That long season gives you more flexibility than almost anywhere else on this list.
Spend your days on overlooks and waterfall hikes, then head back into town for dinner and a flight at one of Asheville's many breweries. In early November, the Biltmore Estate starts its Christmas season, with Candlelight Christmas Evenings that light up America's largest home for the holidays.
Asheville and the surrounding mountain towns were hit hard by Hurricane Helene in 2024. Many local restaurants, shops, and galleries have since reopened, and visiting is one of the best ways to support the region's recovery.
Pro Tip: Asheville is filled with coffee shops with free Wi-Fi. If you're a coffee drinker, don't miss out on some of the best coffee you'll ever have.
5. Branson, Missouri
Best For: Families, Christmas lights, live shows | Best Time to Go: Late October for color, November for Christmas
Top Things to Do: Silver Dollar City's An Old Time Christmas, Table Rock Lake, Branson Landing, the Branson Strip's Christmas shows, Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, Branson Scenic Railway.
Branson offers two seasons in one trip. In late October, the Ozark hills around Table Rock Lake turn orange and red, and the lake is quiet enough to rent a boat without fighting for space. Then in early November, the whole town flips to Christmas mode.
Silver Dollar City's An Old Time Christmas runs from November 7, 2026, through January 2, 2027, with millions of lights, Broadway-style holiday shows, and a brand-new nighttime parade debuting this year. Over on the Strip, most theaters swap in Christmas productions starting in November, so you can see a holiday show almost every night of your trip.
Stay at Westgate Branson Woods Resort for a wooded setting minutes from the shows, or Westgate Branson Lakes Resort if you'd rather be closer to the water.
Pro Tip: Silver Dollar City's operating days and hours shift throughout the Christmas season, and some of the bigger coasters may close on cold nights. Check the park calendar before you buy tickets.
6. Zion National Park, Utah
Best For: Hiking, desert fall color, road trips | Best Time to Go: Mid-October through mid-November
Top Things to Do: Angels Landing, The Narrows, the Pa'rus Trail, Emerald Pools, Canyon Overlook Trail, the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, Kolob Canyons, the town of Springdale, a side trip to Bryce Canyon National Park.
Summer in Zion means triple-digit heat and packed shuttles. By mid-October, highs drop into the 70s, then the 60s in November, which is ideal weather for the park's steep climbs and long canyon walks. Fall color shows up here too. The cottonwoods along the Virgin River and the bigtooth maples in the side canyons turn gold and red against the red rock, usually peaking from late October into early November.
Spend one day on the classic Zion Canyon hikes, from the paved Pa'rus Trail to the climb up to Angels Landing. On another, wade into The Narrows, where the canyon walls close in to just a few dozen feet apart.
Zion is about two and a half hours from Las Vegas, so it's easy to pair with a stay at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Fly into Vegas, spend a few nights on the Strip, and road trip out to the park.
Pro Tip: Private cars aren't allowed on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive while the free park shuttle is running, which in 2026 is through November 28. To hike the popular Angels Landing, enter the day-before lottery online. If you plan to hike The Narrows in November, rent a drysuit or neoprene gear in Springdale, since the river water gets very cold. But, it's totally worth the experience.
7. Las Vegas, Nevada
Best For: Shows, dining, desert hiking | Best Time to Go: October through early November
Top Things to Do: Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, the Sphere, Fremont Street Experience, headliner residencies, pool days in early October, Hoover Dam.
Fall is when Las Vegas is actually pleasant outside. October highs hover around 80 degrees, so you can still squeeze in a pool day early in the month, and by November it's prime weather for hiking Red Rock Canyon or driving out to Valley of Fire. You get the shows and restaurants of the Strip plus the desert at its best.
The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino has a Las Vegas Monorail stop right on property, which makes getting up and down the Strip easy without a car. Check out our Las Vegas itinerary for help planning your days.
Pro Tip: The Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix takes over the Strip the weekend before Thanksgiving, November 19-21, 2026. Hotel rates jump and some roads close, so plan around it unless you're coming for the race.
8. Key West, Florida
Best For: Warm weather, nightlife, island time | Best Time to Go: Late October for Fantasy Fest, November for a quieter trip
Top Things to Do: Fantasy Fest, Mallory Square sunset celebration, Duval Street, the Hemingway Home, snorkeling the reef, Dry Tortugas National Park, a drive down the Overseas Highway.
Key West's biggest party of the year, Fantasy Fest, wraps up on October 25, 2026. This year's theme is "Musical Icons and Iconic Musicals," and the 10-day costume festival ends with the main parade down Duval Street on Saturday, October 24. It's an adults-first event, especially after dark.
If that's not your speed, come in November instead. The water is still warm, the festival crowds are gone, and the weeks before Thanksgiving are some of the most relaxed of the year on the island.
Pro Tip: Hotels in Old Town sell out months ahead of Fantasy Fest. If you're booking last-minute, look at Stock Island or the Lower Keys and drive or take a quick rideshare in.
9. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Best For: Beach days without the crowds, golf, seafood | Best Time to Go: October through early November
Top Things to Do: The Grand Strand beaches, Broadway at the Beach, the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk, Brookgreen Gardens, Huntington Beach State Park, the SkyWheel, dozens of golf courses.
Locals will tell you fall is the best time of year in Myrtle Beach, and they're right. The ocean stays swimmable well into October, highs sit in the mid-70s, and the beach is so empty compared to summer that you can set up wherever you want.
Fall is also peak golf season along the Grand Strand, with cooler temperatures and courses in great shape. Spend your Myrtle Beach vacation evenings on the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk, where you can eat fresh seafood over the water and catch live music most nights.
Book an oceanfront suite at Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort and you can walk straight from your room to the sand.
Pro Tip: Many attractions shift to shorter off-season hours after October. Check opening times before you go, especially for water sports rentals and boat tours.
10. Napa and Sonoma, California
Best For: Wine tasting, couples, food | Best Time to Go: Late October through November
Top Things to Do: Winery tastings, the Napa Valley Wine Train, hot air balloon rides, Oxbow Public Market, the Sonoma Plaza, Calistoga's hot springs, farm-to-table dining.
Harvest in wine country usually wraps up by late October, and that's when the valleys start to change color. Vineyards turn gold and red row after row, the weather stays mild, and the September harvest crowds have moved on.
November is especially good for a slower trip. Tasting rooms are calmer, winemakers have more time to talk, and lodging prices start dropping ahead of the winter low season. Split your time between Napa for the big-name estates and Sonoma for a more laid-back, small-town feel.
Pro Tip: Most Napa wineries now require tasting reservations. Book them before you arrive, and stick to two or three stops a day so you're not rushing.
11. Williamsburg, Virginia
Best For: History, families, holiday lights | Best Time to Go: Late October for fall color, mid-November for Christmas Town
Top Things to Do: Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown Settlement, Yorktown, Busch Gardens Christmas Town, Merchants Square, the Colonial Parkway, Williamsburg Premium Outlets.
Williamsburg feels made for fall. Colonial Williamsburg's tree-lined streets turn orange and gold in late October, and the cool weather makes it easy to spend a whole day walking between historic trades shops, taverns, and costumed interpreters. The Colonial Parkway connecting Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown is one of the prettiest fall drives in Virginia.
In mid-November, Busch Gardens transforms into Christmas Town, running on select dates from November 13, 2026, through January 3, 2027, with more than ten million lights, holiday shows, and rides that stay open after dark.
Westgate Historic Williamsburg Resort is about a mile from Colonial Williamsburg and a short drive from Busch Gardens, so you can easily do both.
Pro Tip: Christmas Town requires a separate ticket unless you're a Busch Gardens pass member. Buy online ahead of time, since weekend nights in December sell out.
12. Savannah, Georgia
Best For: Ghost tours, architecture, couples | Best Time to Go: October through November
Top Things to Do: Forsyth Park, the historic squares, River Street, Bonaventure Cemetery, ghost tours, Wormsloe Historic Site, Tybee Island.
Savannah is often called one of America's most haunted cities, and it leans all the way into that reputation in October. Ghost tours run nightly through the historic district, and Bonaventure Cemetery's moss-draped paths feel extra atmospheric in the fall light.
Even if ghost stories aren't your thing, fall is the right time to visit. Highs in the 70s make it comfortable to wander through the city's 20-plus squares, and the oak canopy at Wormsloe is one of the most photographed spots in Georgia for good reason.
Pro Tip: Savannah's historic district allows open containers in plastic to-go cups, so you can grab a drink and stroll between squares.
13. Cocoa Beach, Florida
Best For: Rocket launches, surfing, easy beach trips | Best Time to Go: October through November
Top Things to Do: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, rocket launch viewing, Cocoa Beach Pier, surfing lessons, Port Canaveral, Jetty Park, Canaveral National Seashore.
Cocoa Beach is Orlando's closest beach, about an hour from the theme parks, and fall is when it shines. Summer heat breaks, the Atlantic picks up enough swell for good surfing, and launches from Cape Canaveral happen so often now that there's a good chance you'll see one during your stay.
Westgate Cocoa Beach Resort sits right on the beach with two-bedroom suites, the Wakulla Water Play Experience, and a complimentary shuttle to the Cocoa Beach Pier. It also pairs well with an Orlando trip if you want a few beach days on either end.
Pro Tip: Launch times often shift by hours or days. Follow the launch schedule closely, and head to Jetty Park or the beach in front of your resort for a clear view of the liftoff.
14. San Diego, California
Best For: Year-round sunshine, beaches, families | Best Time to Go: October through November
Top Things to Do: La Jolla Cove, Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, Coronado Beach, the Gaslamp Quarter, Old Town, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve.
When the rest of the country starts reaching for coats, San Diego is still in the low 70s. Fall is actually one of the warmest stretches of the year here. The summer marine layer that keeps mornings gray is mostly gone, and the ocean holds onto its summer warmth into October.
Spend a morning watching the sea lions at La Jolla Cove, an afternoon in Balboa Park's gardens and museums, and an evening on Coronado Beach as the sun goes down behind the Hotel del Coronado.
Pro Tip: Many of Balboa Park's gardens and outdoor spaces are free to explore. Save your budget for one or two museums or the zoo.
15. New York City, New York
Best For: City foliage, Halloween, the start of the holiday season | Best Time to Go: Late October through mid-November
Top Things to Do: Central Park, the Village Halloween Parade, the TCS New York City Marathon, Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park, Broadway shows, the High Line, a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Fall color comes late to Manhattan. Central Park usually peaks in early-to-mid November, well after most of New England has dropped its leaves, and the cool, dry weather makes it easy to walk the city for hours.
The calendar is packed this time of year. The Village Halloween Parade marches up Sixth Avenue on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 7PM, and anyone in costume can join in. The next morning, the TCS New York City Marathon sends more than 50,000 runners through all five boroughs on Sunday, November 1. Bryant Park's Winter Village opens October 28 with free admission to the skating rink and dozens of holiday shops, and on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade marks its 100th edition.
Pro Tip: Hotel rates spike on marathon weekend and Thanksgiving week. For the best prices and the best leaves, aim for the week of November 9. If you're in town for the Macy's parade, go see the giant balloons being inflated near the American Museum of Natural History the night before. It's far less crowded than the parade route.
16. Miami, Florida
Best For: Beaches, nightlife, food and culture | Best Time to Go: Late October through November
Top Things to Do: South Beach, the Art Deco Historic District, Wynwood Walls, Little Havana and Calle Ocho, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Key Biscayne, an airboat or tram tour in the Everglades, Miami Book Fair.
Fall is when Miami finally gets comfortable. The rainy season winds down in October, and by November the humidity drops and highs settle around 80 degrees. The ocean stays warm enough for swimming, and the beaches are much calmer than they'll be once the winter crowds arrive in December.
Start with a morning on South Beach and a walk past the pastel hotels of the Art Deco Historic District. Spend an afternoon in Wynwood looking at murals, then head to Little Havana for a cafecito and Cuban food along Calle Ocho. If you're visiting November 15-22, Miami Book Fair brings author talks, readings, and a street fair to downtown.
Pro Tip: November marks the start of the dry season in the Everglades, which means fewer mosquitoes and more wildlife gathered around the water. It's an easy day trip from the city. Hurricane season officially runs through November 30, so travel insurance is still worth considering.
Plan Your Fall Getaway Before the Holidays Hit
October and November give you a rare mix of good weather, smaller crowds, and lower prices. Chase fall color in the Smokies or the Ozarks, catch the start of the holiday season in Branson or Williamsburg, or skip the cold altogether with a beach week in Miami or San Diego.
Just don't wait too long. The window between Halloween and Thanksgiving goes fast, and the best rates disappear once holiday travel starts booking up!
For more travel guides and vacation packages, read more on our Westgate Reservations blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
For fall foliage, it's hard to beat New England, Asheville, or Gatlinburg and the Smokies. Orlando and Savannah offer comfortable weather and fewer crowds. For festivals, there's the Village Halloween Parade in New York City and Fantasy Fest in Key West. Zion National Park is at its best for hiking.
Florida is your best bet, with Miami, Key West, Orlando, and Cocoa Beach all staying in the upper 70s to low 80s. San Diego is another good option, with highs in the low 70s.
November is usually cheaper, especially the first three weeks before Thanksgiving. Many resorts and hotels lower rates after Halloween. Avoid Thanksgiving week itself, when prices jump again.
Head south. The lower elevations around Gatlinburg and Asheville often hold color into early November, and so does coastal New England. Napa and Sonoma vineyards turn gold and red after harvest, and Zion's cottonwoods often stay colorful into early November too.
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