The best luxury autumn destinations for 2026

Summer may get all the attention, but seasoned travelers tend to keep their big trip for later in the year. Come September, the families have flown home and the restaurant that laughed at you in July suddenly has a table for two. Add Kyoto's maples, Tuscany's first white truffles and a rather kinder climate in the Gulf, and there's a good case for waiting. Here's where to go between now and December, and where to stay when you get there.

New England, USA

Best for: a proper foliage road trip

Nobody takes autumn quite as seriously as New England, where people will happily rearrange a weekend around a hillside. The color travels south as the weeks go on, beginning in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom and northern New Hampshire in the last days of September. The rest of Vermont, the White Mountains and the Berkshires usually follow in the first half of October, leaving Connecticut and the coast to finish things off late in the month. The 35 mile Kancamagus Highway is the drive everyone wants, which is exactly why you should do it midweek with a private driver at the wheel. Save some time for Woodstock too, a Vermont town of white clapboard churches and covered bridges.

Where to stay: Twin Farms is a 300 acre, adults only retreat in Barnard, about 10 miles north of Woodstock. Everything is included, and with a gas fireplace and soaking tub in the treehouses, you may not see much of those leaves after all. Autumn is busiest season, so recommend to book in advance.

The Cotswolds, England

Best for: a restful long weekend

You needn't cross an ocean for good autumn color. Roughly two hours' drive from London, the Cotswolds are at their coziest now, with morning mist in the valleys and fires lit in the pubs by late afternoon. Bourton on the Water and Bibury lose most of their summer crowds, though quieter Painswick and Lower Slaughter are the ones to linger in. There's no need for an itinerary. A long walk across the fields and an even longer lunch will do nicely.

Where to stay: Lords of the Manor is a honey colored former rectory in Upper Slaughter with eight acres of gardens and parkland to wander. Get an armchair by one of the log fires.

Tuscany, Italy

Best for: wine and white truffles

Autumn in Tuscany comes in two acts. First there's the vendemmia, which generally runs through September into October, with tastings and long lunches on estates across Chianti and Montalcino. Then come the truffles. San Miniato, between Florence and Pisa, gives over its historic center to a white truffle fair on the last three weekends of November (14 to 15, 21 to 22 and 28 to 29 November in 2026). It's surprisingly gripping to watch a dog sniff one out among the oak roots, so do try a hunt if you can. Further south, the Val d'Orcia is lovely in the early morning mist, and Montepulciano and Pienza are each worth an afternoon, the first for its Vino Nobile and the second for its pecorino.

Where to stay: Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco is a sprawling Montalcino estate that makes its own Brunello and has turned its old wine cellar into a spa. Harvest experiences run in September, while private truffle hunts end with a tasting or lunch at a family winery.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Best for: early winter sun

October is often still uncomfortably hot, but by November the terraces are back in use and an evening on the water finally sounds appealing after a long summer. Everything is pretty close by, so one day could take in the boutiques at the Dubai Mall, then the Palm Jumeirah and dinner under the stars at a desert camp. The comfortable weather usually stays until around March, so there's no need to squeeze it all into one November weekend.

Where to stay: Jumeirah Al Naseem has the Burj Al Arab in its sights and two kilometres of private beach shared with the rest of Madinat Jumeirah. Surely good to make some time for its lagoon.

Provence, France

Best for: harvest markets and hilltop villages

Lavender gets the postcards, but take Provence in autumn. After the grape harvest, the light is softened and the coaches mostly leave Gordes and Roussillon to their ochre cliffs and stone lanes. Around November, attention shifts to the olives. La Bastide du Laval, an organic estate and mill in the Luberon, is a lovely place to try the new season's oil, which is bright green, peppery and quite unlike anything from a supermarket shelf. The weekly markets are still in full swing as well, now stacked with chestnuts, mushrooms and the very last figs.

Where to stay: La Bastide de Gordes is built into the village's ancient ramparts, looking across a valley of vines that turn from green to orange as the harvest nears. Tables on the Orangery terrace are quickly snapped up, so reserve one early.

Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan

Best for: autumn leaves and a very good dinner

Kyoto's maples are usually at their best from mid to late November, or into early December if the year runs warm. The classic view is from Tofuku-ji's wooden Tsutenkyo bridge, looking down on around 2,000 trees. It opens at 8.30am in autumn and is packed later in the morning, so aim to be in line a little before then. You may be asked not to take photographs on the bridge, which is no great hardship. Eikan-do is the one to see after dark, when its maples are lit above the pond (expect a queue). Once you've had your fill of temples, the bullet train will have you in Tokyo in a little over two hours, ready for omakase at a small sushi counter. Ask your concierge to book well ahead, as the best seats go weeks in advance.

Where to stay: Hoshinoya Kyoto is reached only by private boat, a 15 minute trip from near Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama. Dinner is a seasonal kaiseki, and Mount Ogura's autumn colour is the view from the Floating Tearoom.

The Maldives

Best for: sunshine before the Christmas crowds

Time this one carefully, as autumn is a season of transition. The southwest monsoon fades through October and conditions improve steadily in November, until the last days of the month can feel like the dry season has already begun. A passing shower is a small price for having more choice of villas than you would in December. Check out the turtles and reef sharks on the house reefs. Don't forget to check your flight times before since seaplanes only operate in daylight and a late arrival might put you overnight in Malé.

Where to stay: Soneva Fushi is a 30 minute seaplane hop from Malé, in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Most villas are tucked away in dense greenery, though there are a few Water Retreats over the lagoon. The private sandbank dinner is an extra, and an easy one to justify.

Santorini, Greece

Best for: caldera sunsets with elbow room

Santorini in August can be hard work. By September, the Aegean is still warm from the summer, you'll have a fighting chance at a sunset spot in Oia, and swimming remains a pleasure into October. Evenings do turn cooler, so pack a light layer for dinner on a terrace. Boat trips thin out as October goes on, which makes September the better month for a private catamaran, with swim stops near the hot springs and lunch on board. Keep an afternoon free for the wineries too, where Assyrtiko is the crisp local white to ask for.

Where to stay: Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection clings to the cliffs of Imerovigli, at a comfortable remove from Oia. Its 22 metre heated infinity pool and Champagne bar both face the sunset. Do note that it closes after October, requires a three night stay and doesn't accept children under 14.

Costa Rica

Best for: rainforest and wellness

Costa Rica's two coasts seem to have agreed never to share a calendar. While the Pacific side has its wettest months in September and October, the Caribbean is often enjoying its driest, so head there first if you're travelling early. Pacific rains ease during November and the dry season arrives around December, leaving the forest thick and green. Wellness is a big part of the appeal at the country's luxury lodges, though the howler monkeys may have their own views on a lie in. Split your time between the cloud forest and the beach, and you'll get the best of both.

Where to stay: Lapa Rios Lodge has 17 open air bungalows set in a 1,000 acre private reserve on the Osa Peninsula, where the Golfo Dulce meets the Pacific. Yoga on the ocean view deck is included. Rain peaks here from August to October, so this is one to save for December.

Marrakech, Morocco

Best for: riads, hammams and a night in the desert

Summer in Marrakech can be punishing, but October and November bring warm days and cool evenings that are perfect for the medina. You could lose hours among the spices, lanterns and handwoven rugs of the souks, and quite possibly yourself, which is why a private guide is a good idea on a first visit. Afterwards, retreat behind the walls of a riad, where the noise of the street gives way to a quiet courtyard. The stony Agafay desert is 45 minutes to an hour's drive away, and from November the Atlas beyond it may be capped with snow.

Where to stay: El Fenn sits on the edge of the medina, with three pools, a hammam and a family of resident tortoises. The roof terrace looks towards the Koutoubia Mosque and buzzes day and night, so request a room away from it if you want to have a better sleep. If you are looking for desert stay, Scarabeo Camp has tents and dinner by lantern light.

Before you book

The secret of autumn travel has been out for a while, so the best rooms still go early, particularly in Kyoto in November, Vermont in early October and the Maldives in the run up to Christmas. Check the latest forecasts before you fix your dates. And do ask hotels directly about any shoulder season extras, as upgrades and late checkouts are often easier to come by once summer is over.

If it were down to one trip, we'd choose Kyoto in the third week of November, crowds and all.

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