The best holiday destinations in October
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October can be many things. It can be the dreamy scent of bonfire smoke on restorative air; pumpkins on porches; blazing leaves. Or, Down Under, it might be the abundance of spring – and a fine time to explore new Aussie cooking. In much of Asia, rain and humidity are abating, so both riotous cities and off-grid escapes are at their best. And with the steamy, congested summer a distant memory, it’s the savvy traveller’s time for a classic California road trip, or an in-demand beach break. We’ve got October holiday ideas from sustainable touring to festivals, or simply just for escaping the British weather. For more, see our guide to where is hot in October.
Our choices for the best holiday destinations in October
Getty ImagesReykjavík, Iceland
Temperature: 7°C high; 2°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 3 hours
Time difference: GMT+0Reykjavík is a no-brainer for those seeking a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse of the Northern Lights, with several ‘light-hunting’ expeditions setting off from the city. Yet, this mesmerising natural phenomenon is far from easy to find, so it’s important to pick the right time of the year to go. October brings darker, longer nights before the bitter sub-zero climate hits, meaning you can enjoy the light-hunting season in more comfortable conditions. The skies also tend to be clearer at this time of the year, improving your chances of spotting the glowing display. Take advantage of fewer tourists during this month, too, by exploring the abundance of natural and man-made wonders Iceland’s capital has to offer. Highlights include embracing traditional bathing culture at Sky Lagoon spa’s geothermal pool or visiting the 73-metre tall Hallgrímskirkja church tower for breathtaking panoramic views.
Where to stay: As the only five-star hotel in the city, Reykjavik Edition promises a stylish stay in the heart of the scenic downtown. We also love 101 Hotel, which showcases the design scene across hotels in Iceland.
Getty ImagesMunich, Germany
Temperature: 14°C high; 5°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 1 hour 50 minutes
Time difference: GMT+2As the home of Oktoberfest, does this destination even need justifying? Actually, Munich’s world-famous beer festival begins in September to catch the longer days and warmer weather. However, true to the name, the festivities continue until the first Sunday of October each year, with 38 tents serving beer sourced strictly from local Munich breweries. Expect a hearty celebration of Bavarian culture, including nostalgic fairground rides, folk music performances and a family-friendly puppet theatre. If your trip falls after Oktoberfest, there’s plenty more to keep you entertained. The season’s golden leaves transform the city into something truly out of a German fairytale, so explore the beautiful nature in its vibrant autumn colours. Visit the 210-acre grounds of Munich’s old Olympic Park or take a day trip to Rottach-Egern, one of Germany’s most charming small towns located on the shores of Lake Tegernsee.
Where to stay: Like Berlin, Munich is home to several big hitters, including Mandarin Oriental and Rosewood. Bayerischer Hof is another glamorous classic on our list, with a renowned jazz club, four-floor spa and double Michelin-starred restaurant all under its roof.
James BedfordCyprus
Temperature: 27°C high; 16°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 4 hours 30 minutes
Time difference: GMT+2Perfect autumn beach destination: Europe, a Mediterranean island, but so far south-east it has the climate of the Middle East. Enter Cyprus. A rich history and eclectic culture, a blissful climate and fantastic beaches. Away from the dramatically beautiful coastline and the beachfront hotels is the lesser-explored interior, the Troodos mountains – the Cotswolds of Cyprus – with their vineyards and hillside villages and friendly tavernas.
Where to stay: Anassa is one of our favourite hotels in Europe, particularly for families. For a more adult stay, try the glossy beachside Amavi in Paphos. For more options, see our pick of the best hotels in Cyprus.
Ferrantraite - Getty ImagesLos Cabos, Mexico
Temperature: 33°C high; 23°C low
Season: dry
Flight time from UK: 15 hours 20 minutes
Time difference: GMT-7Beachy Eden ‘Cabo’ is all about switching off in style. This sun-drenched spot is always hot hot hot: where smart hotels such as the One&Only have restaurants by elite chefs such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten and host birthday parties for starry guests including Jennifer Aniston. In winter, all and sundry come for the weather (it rains in summer). Praise be for October, then, when the mercury’s high but occupancy low. Los Cabos is actually two towns at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula – Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. The latter retains more traditional charm, and has the chicest hotels: mid-century fans will love Thompson’s The Cape. Don’t miss Puerto Raiz in San José del Cabo, an outdoor foodie hub with two restaurants and a distillery, set within 13 acres of orchards and gardens. All produce is sourced onsite – including for the distillery’s spirits and cocktails – while cheese, meat and seafood come from local purveyors in neighbouring Baja towns such as La Paz and Todos Santos.
Where to stay: One&Only Palmilla, an elegant retreat and one of the best hotels in Los Cabos.
Mauritius, Indian Ocean
Temperature: 25°C high; 20°C low
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 12 hours
Time difference: GMT+3It's springtime in Mauritius in October; the weather is warming up after a long, warm winter. But it's not yet humid or rainy. Huge Indian Ocean-sized flowers are bursting in bloom and animal hoots and chattering come riffling out of the rainforest. There’s not a lot you can do about the carbon-belching flight to Mauritius, but, once you’re there, you can opt for a sustainable stay. Mauritius Conscious Travel offers solar-powered glamping with vegetarian meals sourced from an onsite garden, plus motor-free day trips by sea kayak, mountain bike and climbing rope. If anyone offers you a trip to Mauritius at any other time of year, we urge you not to turn it down. But October is definitely a goodie.
Where to stay: For a private stay, Maradiva is a smart all-villa resort. At Shangri-La Le Touessrok, guests can enjoy exclusive access to a private island. See more of the top hotels in Mauritius.
nevodkaProvence, France
Temperature: 20°C high; 12°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 2 hours by plane; 6.5 hours by Eurostar
Time difference: GMT+1Everybody goes to Provence in summer. But for food, for tranquillity, for scenery, October is deeply delicious, its vineyards a vibrant ochre, morning mists shrouding the glades of the Luberon at dawn. Autumn is the season of wine and truffles and food festivals, when Provence’s slow-paced villages are uncrowded except for locals, markets heaped with harvest spoils. And the weather is still largely warm and dry – ideal T-shirt weather for country walks and bike rides.
Where to stay: Hôtel Crillon Le Brave is a classic favourite; while Coquillade has just reopened after a facelift, a restored Provençal village in the Luberon, with spoiling suites, a destination spa, and its own vineyards.
e55evuMálaga, Spain
Temperature: 24°C high; 15°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 2 hours 45 minutes
Time difference: GMT+1On Spain’s sunniest costa, Málaga’s exuberant young crowd has injected a fresh energy into this little seaside city, earning it a reputation for being a pocket-sized Barcelona, where you’ll find sizzling art and food scenes and late-summer heat. Its charming old town, though small, is packed with buzzy little restaurants and boutiques selling artisan-made fashion and homewares; there’s a museum dedicated to Picasso and a theatre run by Antonio Banderas, both Málaga natives. More modern kicks are found at the regenerated port with its Rubik’s-Cube-like Pompidou Centre. And why not explore Málaga carbon-free – Urban Bicycles rents out the most beautiful handmade mint-green bikes for cruising along the promenade, which runs from the city centre to the beach bars north of the city.
Where to stay: At the 18th-century Palacio Solecio, which opened in 2020 after a full overhaul to become the city’s most beautiful hotel, and the latest in Pablo Carrington’s stable (along with Formentera’s Gecko Hotel & Beach Club and Mallorca’s Cap Rocat).
Vangelis PaterakisThe Greek islands, Greece
Temperature: 24°C high; 16°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 3 hours 40 minutes
Time difference: GMT+2The more southerly of the small Greek islands – the Dodecanese and the Cyclades – are still hot and sunny well into October – and there are some sensational beaches on which to enjoy it. Rhodes, with the lovely cobbled Lindos and parties in its ancient ruins. Milos, which has some of the best beaches in the Greek Islands. We love unspoilt Symi, Nisyros and Patmos; while Santorini and Mykonos are eternal big-hitters. Pick any one, they're all lovely. Or go island-hopping around them all. Just remember: cruise ships are an issue on the Greek islands, disgorging thousands into small port towns and diverting visitors to just a small number of shops and restaurants. If you’re island-hopping, opt to do it by sailboat instead: this is not only more environmentally friendly, but smaller vessels can take you to more off-the-beaten-track beaches, coves and towns.
Where to stay: We have a long list of the best Greek island hotels to choose from. In terms of the newest openings to know about, Once in Mykonos Luxury Resort is a chilled hideaway for young families and dapper partygoers. Another name to note is Oku Kos, which effortlessly combines local culture with relaxation.
Getty ImagesJapanese Alps, Japan
Temperature: 20°C high; 9°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 13 hours 45 minutes
Time difference: GMT +9The masses might go mad for cherry blossom season, but arguably Japan’s most arresting sight is its Alps in autumn. Vibrant reds, oranges and yellows sprawl across the ranges, reflected in jade-green lakes and rivers. Hiking trails get very busy, but the outstanding vistas more than make up for it, and the ever-organised Japanese excel at high-altitude mountain huts, where you can get a private room and bento box-style dinner. Afterwards, the spa towns around Takayama are adept at soothing aching limbs. Upmarket ryokans, such as Fukuji Onsen’s Yumoto Choza, offer both outdoor and indoor hot-spring baths, fine-dining kaiseki dinners and gorgeous traditional rooms with tatami mats and sliding paper screens.
© Marco BottigelliNingaloo Reef
Temperature: 33°C high; 16°C low
Season: spring
Flight time from UK: 16 hours 45 minutes to Perth direct, then 1 hour 50 minutes to Learmonth for Ningaloo.
Time difference: GMT+8Off the coast of Western Australia, the country’s most pristine coral reef has become known as a marine superhighway. Diving and snorkelling trips are technicolour dreams, teeming with fish, turtles and sharks, and Ningaloo Reef is one of only a handful of places in the world where you can swim alongside whale sharks and humpback whales, when they journey alongside the reef on their on their way to feeding grounds in the Antarctic. Or take a boat out as they breach, dramatically, out of the water around you.
Where to stay: Guests can walk straight from their safari tent at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef – the only hotel in the Cape Range National Park – into the marine-rich waters of the reef. The tented camp’s local guides will unearth the wonders of sea and bush, and arrange experiences such as swimming with whales.
PhotogilioMadagascar
Temperature: 14–26ºC
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 13h 30m (one change)
Time difference: GMT+2Marking the turn of winter into spring, October is a wonderful month to visit this storied Indian Ocean island. The weather is dry and warm, the nights are cool, the jacarandas are in bloom, and it is egg-laying season for turtles and birthing season for lemurs – poster girls for Madagascar’s unique and diverse indigenous wildlife, which is found in abundance from the country’s ancient forests to its dreamy white-sand beaches.
Where to stay: On cast away fantasy Nosy Ankao off Madagascar’s north coast, Miavana is the best eco-lodge in the country: a five-star private-island resort dedicated to conservation, with expert guides to take guests lemur-and turtle-watching, fishing and diving. Abercrombie & Kent offers the 13-night Classic Madagascar trip from £5,960pp.
Getty ImagesDarjeeling, India
Temperature: 17°C high; 10°C low
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 13 hours 20 minutes
Time difference: GMT +5.30This month marks the end of monsoon season, and an excellent time to visit India’s most famous hill station as the rain and fog peel back to reveal extravagant Himalayan views. Top of the list should be a sunrise visit to Tiger Hill, to see the frosted peaks of the world’s third-highest mountain, Mount Kanchenjunga, bathed in a peachy glow. The effect is said to be best in mid-October; keep your eyes peeled and you’ll even spot Everest on the left. Other than that, it’s a relaxing time tasting the ‘Champagne of teas’ at local plantations, riding the UNESCO-listed steam railway (affectionately known as ‘the toy train’) and taking afternoon tea in Victorian-style heritage hotels.
Where to stay: Ging Tea House is among the oldest tea estates in the region, from which you can take lovely guided hikes. Or see more hotels across India for gorgeous monsoon views. Do remember that water scarcity is a huge problem in Darjeeling, so look for hotels with responsible practices around conservation (such as rainwater harvesting), and be mindful of how much you use.
Getty ImagesVienna, Austria
Temperature: 15°C high; 5°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 2hrs 25 minutes
Time difference: GMT+1Though Austria’s capital is better known for grand imperial palaces and an even grander musical legacy (Mozart and Beethoven), one of the city’s finest assets is its urban vineyards. Forget a designated driver, just take the tram to the pretty outer suburbs, where rows of vines spread across grassy slopes, as skyline views and the Danube stretch out below. October marks the harvest, when the vineyards are at their greenest and winemakers open up their operations to enquiring minds (and mouths). There are several designated wine trails to follow, where vintners hand out samples from both cellar and kitchen, and autumn’s mild, sunny days are ideally suited to frolics in the fields.
Where to stay: Park Hyatt Vienna, a magnificently grand stay – one of our favourite hotels in Vienna.
RYAN KYTEAustin, Texas
Temperature: 27°C high; 14°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 10 hours 25 minutes
Time difference: GMT-6Austin’s other festival happens in October: Austin City Limits, in Zilker Park – an altogether easier shebang to negotiate than SXSW if you’re not in the industry. And autumn brings glorious weather to Texas – blue skies, mild warm days, low humidity – which is just right for a road trip out of the USA’s coolest, weirdest state capital across the high Texan desert to find historical charm in San Antonio and more weirdness, along with knockout art and sensational food, in Marfa. Rent bikes at Lance Armstrong’s Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, fired up by a farm-sourced, single-origin, Fair-Trade, shade-grown, home-roasted coffee from the shop’s Juan Pelota Cafe.
Where to stay: The Texas-based Bunkhouse group has places to stay in Austin and San Antonio, including Austin’s Carpenter Hotel in a former union hall near Zilker Park and beautiful Hotel Havana in a riverside house in San Antonio, while avant-garde hotelier Liz Lambert, a true original, is behind the out-there trailer park El Cosmico in Marfa.
Getty ImagesChurchill, Canada
Temperature: 1°C high; -5°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 21 hours 30 minutes
Time difference: GMT -6Better to be a visitor than a resident in Arctic Churchill, which in autumn earns the dubious honour of becoming “polar bear capital of the world”. As the surrounding Hudson Bay freezes, these massive mammals – male polar bears can weigh as much as 10 men – invite themselves over, in search of seals. Great news for wildlife watchers, who can board specially reinforced tundra buggies to get up close to earth’s largest land carnivore; not so great for the people of Churchill, who are apt to find polar bears hanging around like delinquent youths at the local bus stop. The largest groups gather in October. Consider a tundra buggy safari with Frontiers North Adventures, respected locally for thoughtful initiatives including creating the town’s first recycling programme; employing staff and sourcing supplies from within the community; and investing in causes such as Churchill’s Canadian Junior Rangers and non-profit conservation outfit Polar Bears International.
Getty ImagesAtacama Desert, Chile
Temperature: 25°C high; 5°C low
Season: spring
Flight time from UK: 21hrs
Time difference: GMT -4The world’s driest desert isn’t the hottest, but it is perhaps the most starkly beautiful – so Mars-like that actual Mars rovers are brought here for test drives. Red canyons and sand dunes, whooshing geyers and steaming volcanoes, salt flats and hot springs stretch out as far as the eye can see. It’s largely devoid of a drinking water supply or any natural shade, so there are few settlements, which means no pollution, explaining why it has also lately garnered buzz as a premier stargazing destination. The fabulously remote Explora Atacama, for example, has a private observatory as well as a spa and bespoke-bred horses. October, shoulder season, offers a holy trinity: empty vistas unspoiled by fellow visitors, lower room rates and temperate daytime conditions. Don’t ignore the highland hamlets and historic sites in the Atacama region – spending your tourist dollars here helps to sustain local and indigenous communities and preserve their heritage.
Where to stay: Hotel Wara, a spacious and rambling escape in the desert. Explora Atacama, meanwhile, is a gorgeously rugged ranch turned spoiling escape, with a spa, an observatory and an exemplary restaurant.
Watch a video of a dramatic ride across the Atacama Desert
Francesco LagneseRome, Italy
Temperature: 22°C high; 12°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 2 hours 30 minutes
Time difference: GMT+1Tutti Italia is on holiday all month long in August. You might think that would make Rome relatively quiet, with every Roman gone to the beach, but it's not; it's unbearably busy and unbearably hot. July, too, is unbearably busy and hot; so is much of June. May and September used to be quieter, but lots of people realised that and now they are busy too. Winter can be a bit miserable, though Christmas is quite busy. So October, by default, becomes our month of choice to visit Rome, when it is less busy, still lovely and warm, and you can selfie at the Trevi Fountain in that magic late-summer sunlight without quite so many tourists ruining the view.
Where to stay: Hotel de' Ricci, a retro-cool hotel in an artsy neighbourhood and one of the best hotels in Rome.
Getty ImagesThe Lake District, UK
Temperature: 10°C high; 2°C low
Season: autumn
Travel time from UK: 3 hours by train from London
Time difference: GMT+0Even when it rains – and it does rain here, a lot – the Lake District must be one of the most wistfully beautiful places in the world. Never more (many would say) than in fiery autumn, when mist and woodsmoke mix in the morning and good days are pin-sharp, bright with red-gold trees and bracken covering the fells. If only someone could capture such beauty in words.
Where to stay: Foodies will love the Michelin-starred restaurant at Gilpin Hotel & Lake House. For a quant village stay, check in to The Black Bull Inn. For a private stay, we love the look of this cosy Airbnb near Ullswater. For more, check out our list of the best Airbnbs in the Lake District.
Tara DonneNew England, USA
Temperature: 17°C high; 7°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 7 hours 15 minutes
Time difference: GMT-5As above, except with less rain, and leafpeepers (for that is what they call them here) tend to drive to look at the Fall foliage rather than put on walking boots. Combine the fiery Vermont countryside with a Boston city break.
Where to stay: Castle Hill Inn, the best places to watch the boats become silhouettes against the Atlantic Ocean, one of the best things to do on Rhode Island.
Getty ImagesBotswana
Temperature: 35°C high; 16°C low
Season: dry
Flight time from UK: 14 hours
Time difference: GMT+1You can make a convincing case for Botswana as the world’s greatest safari destination. The government’s “low impact, high experience” mandate makes for more intimate camps; Serengeti-like jeep scrums just aren’t a thing. Then there’s the Okavango Delta, an immaculate wetland wilderness teeming with life. (Conservation is so successful that South Africa relocates endangered rhino here.) Tourism tails off in October because of rising heat, but the flooded Okavango is water-cooled, while a lack of vegetation – munched over the dry winter – puts game-viewing at its peak. Prices drop towards the end of the month, and the new, solar-powered Qorokwe Camp by Wilderness Safaris, sitting on its own lagoon, is a slick pick. A bush walk with the San – the indigenous people of the Kalahari desert – conserves their culture in more ways than one, fostering both education for visitors and employment for the San. But do your research before booking: some tours can be less than respectful.
Where to stay: Xigera Safari Lodge, a lodge putting a swish edge on sustainability, or read about the best Botswana safari holidays in the Okavango Delta.
Oliver PilcherSeville, Spain
Temperature: 26°C high; 14°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 2 hours 45 minutes
Time difference: GMT+1A hot destination right now, the winds of change are finally blowing through old Seville – and October is the best time to visit for fresher air, when the winding streets are a little less sultry but no less romantic. Culturally there's a lot happening, from pop-up galleries and cafés to a gastronomic revolution.
Where to stay: For a taste of truly regal extravagance, book in to Hotel Alfonso XIII. For more, see our edit of the best hotels in Seville.
Getty ImagesHawaii
Temperature: 29°C high; 24°C low
Season: summer
Flight time from UK: 18 hours
Time difference: GMT-11With the summer crowds gone, low rainfall and mellowing prices before the winter holidays, what better time to head for Hawaii? Of course, there’s more to the archipelago than Big Island: Kauai for secret swimming holes and charming local bars; Oahu for top food and surf; and even Maui, with its ever-popular 30 miles of beach, has some hush-hush stuff up its sleeve – seek out the rural artists’ community at Makawao, or go on an agri-visit to Surfing Goat Dairy, a farm on the slopes of a volcanic crater. Given the amount of importing that goes on here – and that goes for hotels, restaurants and shopping chains as much as groceries – shopping local helps the Hawaiian people maintain an identity that is uniquely their own. Buying locally made fashion not only guarantees designs that are true to the culture, but supports master weavers and artisans: see the likes of Hana Hou (Big Island); Native Intelligence (Maui); Na Mea Hawaii (Oahu); and Ohana Shop (Kauai).
Where to stay: Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, an alluring escape.
Getty ImagesPerugia, Italy
Temperature: 18°C high; 8°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 2 hours 35 minutes
Time difference: GMT+1It’s not difficult to get excited about a place that holds an annual 10-day festival celebrating the world’s favourite sweet treat. Every October, Umbria’s capital in central Italy hosts cooking classes, exhibitions and (most importantly) tasters to celebrate the town’s most famous export – chocolate. It’s a diabetic’s purgatory, a sweet lover’s dream and a local staple. The Belgians have their pralines, Oaxaca has its drinking chocolate and the Swiss have Lindt – but Perugia is home to baci. The word translates as “kisses”, and the story goes that a young chocolatier created a special sweet for her paramour, wrapped in a love letter and – naturally – sealed with a kiss. Today, baci somewhat seductively resemble a nipple, and still come wrapped in romantic proverbs and poems. Perugia is also a town rich in history and art, set on a hilltop peppered with medieval aqueducts, curious cobbled staircases and views that appear out of nowhere.
Where to stay: Find boutique hotels in Tuscany and Umbria, Italy
Getty ImagesThe Galapagos Islands
Temperature: 25°C high; 19°C low
Season: dry
Flight time from UK: 13 hours
Time difference: GMT-7Out of this world all year round – there is no other wildlife like this on earth. However for maximum nature shows, it's peak season for fish and birds from June until the end of October in the Galápagos Islands. It's also when there's least rain. Wait until October and most of the other tourists will have gone back to work; plus the sea should have warmed up a bit in case you were thinking of taking a dip (and you should) to get up close to the phenomenally varied marine life. And while most visitors explore the Galápagos via small cruise ships, it is possible to book land-based tours, where you’ll stay on several islands and take small- boat excursions by day. This means eating at locally run restaurants, visiting land-based businesses (such as farms), and exploring the human history of the islands, too.
Where to stay: Finch Bay, one of the island’s longest-standing hotels as recommended in our expert's guide to the Galapagos.
Jacky Wong - EyeEm - Getty ImagesTaipei, Taiwan
Temperature: 27°C high; 22°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 13 hours 30 minutes
Time difference: GMT+7Yet to draw the trend-obsessed like Tokyo, or shoot to relevance like Seoul, the Taiwanese capital is a broadly undiscovered, just-as-thrilling blend of both. From Taoist temples to record-setting skyscrapers, flashy shopping malls to throbbing, neon-lit night markets, it’s a fascinating cultural smash: all cheap street-side beers and grilled cuttlefish on a stick one minute; a bonkers club with a waterfall on the dance floor the next. Towards the end of October the rain stops, humidity dials down and skies clear, so you can take in the glitzy cityscape, best viewed from the 230ft Miramar Ferris Wheel, or the 89th floor of once-world's-tallest tower, Taipei 101.
Where to stay: There’s more bling at the W, where room categories have names like Fabulous and Extreme Wow.
Suttipong Sutiratanachai - Getty ImagesVietnam
Temperature: 31°C high; 25°C low
Season: summer
Flight time from UK: 12 hours
Time difference: GMT+6October is the beginning of dry season in Vietnam’s north and south, where monumental natural spectacles and buzzing city scenes both abound. Up top, hill station Sapa is the gateway to misty treks; the capital Hanoi is all chaos, condensed-milk coffees on low plastic stools and some of the best food you’ll ever taste. Down at the bottom, the Mekong Delta is a whole world bobbing on canals and streams; and Ho Chi Minh City is where the bohos go – don’t miss The Café Apartment, a nine-storey block stuffed with fairy-lit mini-boutiques and craft coffee stores. High season creeps up in November, so it’s also the last chance for lower rates. In Sapa, the most popular activities are trekking the terraced slopes and staying with hill tribes, and the best way to do both is with Sapa O’Chau. This social enterprise, founded by a single mother from the Black Hmong tribe, is a nonprofit homestay and trekking service, which puts funds back into the community: improving village schools, providing English classes to Hmong guides and street vendors, distributing winter clothes to local children, and more.
Where to stay: An Lam Retreats in Ninh Van Bay, one of the best hotels in Vietnam.
Getty ImagesAdelaide, Australia
Temperature: 21°C high; 12°C low
Season: spring
Flight time from UK: 21 hours
Time difference: GMT+8:30Sydney and Melbourne – so yesterday. It’s Adelaide’s time to shine, and how. The wine-producing Adelaide Hills had long overshadowed South Australia’s coastal capital, but a vital new food scene is changing all that. And thank the Hills’ surrounding farms for fresh finds that Adelaide’s urban rivals can only covet. All that natural bounty is paired with October’s crisp air, as the beginnings of spring slough off winter’s edge. If you fancy getting off-grid, CABN has a number of tiny houses tucked into the South Australian wilderness, less than an hour’s drive from Adelaide’s CBD. These solar-powered minimalist escapes also have composting loos and rainwater catchment, and sit close to conservation parks, heritage bushland and wine country.
Getty ImagesMendocino, California
Temperature: 14°C high; 12°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 11 hours
Time difference: GMT-8October is when Northern California finally gets its act together, dropping the fog and chilly winds that never fail to surprise under-dressed tourists, opting instead for more Cali-appropriate shimmering sunshine and bright, blue skies. It’s also the ideal time to make the road trip to one of the state’s best-kept secrets, Mendocino County: a thrilling coastal drive 160 miles north of San Francisco, with enough dramatic sea cliffs, lanky redwoods and crashing ocean to put Big Sur to shame. Mendocino town looks like a slice of New England picked up and dropped off on a California headland, and recalls its 1950s bohemian heyday with a surplus of art galleries and no chains. That hippie spirit also lives on in the Mendocino wine region, known for the country’s biggest haul of organic vines. Try a true taste of Mendocino at Harbor House Inn, where the 25-seat dining room hosts an ever-changing, hyper-local menu that has been awarded the county’s first-ever Michelin star. Everything you eat here has been sourced from within a 30-mile radius.
Where to stay: Half an hour up the coast, The Inn at Newport Ranch is a place of wild extremes. Or see more of the best hotels in California for more ideas.
Aleksandar Tomic - Alamy Stock PhotoDubai, United Arab Emirates
Temperature: 35°C high; 24°C low
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 7 hours
Time difference: GMT+3Summer is when Dubai hibernates: as the desert city heats up to 40 degrees Celsius and beyond, even skyscrapers seem to perspire, the al-fresco fun packs up and everyone bolts for the AC-cooled inside. But in October Dubai springs to new life: beach clubs reopen, restaurant terraces are jammed and a dip in the Arabian Gulf no longer feels like swimming in a scorching-hot spring. Temperatures in the high 20s also make a desert excursion less like an episode of Bear Grylls’ Born Survivor. Enough of the world’s biggests and tallests? Poke into the boutiques, galleries and Foster + Partners-designed buildings of the freshly minted Dubai Design District.
Where to stay: Al Maha, an exclusive desert haven set within a conservation reserve. See more of our favourite hotels in Dubai for more ideas.
David Jallaud - Getty ImagesBhutan
Temperature: 19°C high; 8°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 10 hours
Time difference: GMT+5The remote Himalayan kingdom known for its Gross National Happiness Index, pristine peaks and precariously perched Tiger’s Nest Monastery, makes a point of exclusivity – foreign visitors face a hefty daily tariff for the privilege of stepping within its borders. The payoff, of course, is the rare purity of a nation largely untouched by the outside world. Given that much of Bhutan’s pleasures are found in hikes to sacred mountains and remote temples, the cool mountain air and clear skies of October make it a prime time to visit. The Six Senses Bhutan – comprising five different lodges – adds a touch of luxury to some of the country’s most scenic valleys and forests. The daily tariff ensures that Bhutan only deals in sustainable tourism – limiting visitors in this way protects the kingdom’s culture, land and traditions. But you can make sure the money you spend goes directly to the Bhutanese you meet by shopping in local markets, eating in neighbourhood restaurants and sleeping in heritage properties or homestays.
Getty ImagesJordan
Temperature: 26°C high; 13°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 5 hours
Time difference: GMT+2Perhaps the most captivating country in the Middle East, Jordan has an embarrassment of spectacular things to see: ancient and awe-inspiring Petra, the Roman city of Jerash, the Dead Sea, the Red Sea, great desertscapes where you can stay overnight in a Bedouin camp. In October there are still bright sunny days that light the rock of Petra up rose-red; but it is cool enough to journey into the Valley of the Moon on camel or horseback by day, and warm enough to sleep out under the starry sky by night. Don’t miss the opportunity to camp out in Wadi Rum. A co-operative of Bedouin tribes runs the majority of trekking and camping trips, and they rely on tourism to hold onto their traditional way of life.
Getty ImagesThe Turkish Coast
Temperature: 26°C high; 13°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 4 hours
Time difference: GMT+2Turkey's beautiful Aegean and Bosphorus coasts are still hot in October, the beaches uncluttered by holidaymakers. There's a distinctly Greek feel to these regions, and between the coves you'll find dreamy boutique hotels that are good value for money out of season, and unexpectedly boho fishing villages. Alaçati is one of our favourites; and picturesque Selimiye, an hour from Dalaman, tipped (by us) as the new Kalkan. Likewise Istanbul – too prickly, too hot in summer – is more pleasant to explore out of season.
Where to stay: Mandarian Oriental in Bodrum, a glamorous, starry beach base. Alaçati is a good spot for small boutique hotels – a better bet for eco-friendliness than a sprawling coastal resort. The Stay Warehouse is a super-cool, adults-only converted brewery built from regionally sourced, recycled wood, bricks and glass, and the restaurant serves platters of local fruit, olives and cheese.
Getty ImagesMenorca
Temperature: 23°C high; 16°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 2 hours 25
Time difference: GMT+1Mallorca and Ibiza get the lion’s share of the Balearic spotlight. But little Menorca is just as beautiful. In the summer, this tiny island’s roads are largely closed to private vehicles to avoid congestion and protect the natural environment – especially around the most beautiful beaches. By October, things have calmed down, and most summer tourists have left. More fool them: Menorca is still warm and sunny well into the autumn, and the sea – warmed by the Mediterranean sun all summer – is still pleasant to swim in. In shoulder season, you can explore at your own pace.
Where to stay: at Menorca Experimental, a handsome, pared-back hideout from the Parisian Experimental Group, or at Christine Bedfor, a smart townhouse in Mahon.
Getty ImagesSicily
Temperature: 21°C high; 14°C low
Season: autumn
Flight time from UK: 3 hours 20
Time difference: GMT+1Sicily’s long been drawing Italo-philes after something a little different to the mainland – more rugged, more fierce – but the White Lotus effect has really ramped up tourism to this little island over the past few years. See what all the fuss is about by planning a trip in October when the oppressive summer heat has finally died down, and the peak-season crowds have melted away. The landscape here is extraordinary; cities plonked at the bottom of smoking volcanoes, glossy islands cast away in the sea, and gently crumbling grandiose architecture that hints at a patchwork of influences from Moorish to Norman. You’ll also find some of Europe’s best food here; fat tubes of cannoli and refreshing granita that you won’t stop talking about even after you leave.
Where to stay: In Palermo, we love Villa Igea (which was featured on our 2023 Gold List) or stay at Grand Hotel Timeo, A Belmond Hotel, set against the backdrop of Mount Etna.