Chasing Autumn: In-Depth Travel Guide to the World’s Best Fall Foliage

New England, USA (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine)

New England is autumn’s stage. The colors are vivid, the air smells of woodsmoke and apple cider, and every bend in the road looks like a postcard. But there’s more than leaf-peeping here.

Sightseeing & Hidden Gems

• Stowe, Vermont: Famous for ski slopes, but in fall the gondola ride offers panoramic foliage views. Take the back roads through Smuggler’s Notch — a narrow mountain pass that glows gold in September.

• Camden, Maine: Climb Mount Battie for a breathtaking overlook of harbor, sea, and fiery hills. Crowds head to Acadia, but Camden is quieter.

• Covered Bridges: Hunt down the photogenic ones in Woodstock, VT and Jackson, NH. Bring a thermos of cider and linger — locals often picnic right beside them.

Food & Drink

• Apple Orchards: Pick-your-own apples in Shelburne, VT or Bethel, ME. Don’t miss fresh-pressed cider.

• Cider Donuts: Try Cold Hollow Cider Mill (VT) or Congdon’s Doughnuts (ME). Hot, cinnamon-coated, and eaten with sticky fingers in the cold air — a rite of passage.

• Seafood Meets Fall: Lobster rolls don’t disappear after summer; try a warm buttered roll in Portland, ME while leaves turn along the coast.

Things to Know

Vermonters will joke about “leaf peepers” clogging roads. Want goodwill? Compliment the local maple syrup. Buy a jug from a roadside shack — the more hand-painted the sign, the better.

Quebec, Canada

In Quebec, autumn feels French, folkloric, and fiercely proud. Maple forests blaze red, towns celebrate harvest, and you can pair foliage hikes with croissants or poutine.

Sightseeing & Hidden Gems

• Laurentians (north of Montreal): Take the train to Saint-Jérôme, then rent a bike on the P’tit Train du Nord, a converted rail trail lined with villages and glowing maples.

• Eastern Townships: Less touristy than the Laurentians. Stay in Sutton for vineyards, cheese farms, and mountain hikes.

• Île d’Orléans (near Quebec City): A tiny island of orchards, farm stands, and sugar shacks — all with views of the St. Lawrence River framed in autumn hues.

Food & Drink

• Sugar Shacks: Try “tire d’érable” (maple taffy poured on snow, even in autumn). Many cabanes à sucre open for fall weekends.

• Cheese & Wine: Sample raw-milk cheeses in Saint-Benoît-du-Lac Abbey and Quebec wines in Dunham.

• Hearty Fare: Tourtière (meat pie) and pea soup taste better when the air turns crisp.

Things to Know

Locals swear by maple butter — a creamy spread sold in jars at farm stands. Spread it on croissants and you’ll never go back to Nutella. Pro tip: buy extra, it doesn’t make it home.

Bavaria, Germany

In Bavaria, autumn means two things: Oktoberfest and forests ablaze with copper and gold. But away from beer tents, you’ll find lakes, castles, and trails that make autumn unforgettable.

Sightseeing & Hidden Gems

• Neuschwanstein Castle: Tourists flock here, but the secret is hiking up the back trail from Füssen for a crowd-free castle view framed by golden trees.

• Lake Königssee: A jewel in Berchtesgaden National Park. Take the silent electric boat to St. Bartholomew’s Church; the surrounding larches turn gold by late September.

• Franconian Switzerland: North of Munich, dotted with limestone cliffs, caves, and tiny breweries serving beer you can only get on-site.

Food & Drink

• Oktoberfest Staples: Pretzels the size of your head, roast chicken, and Maßkrugs (1-liter beers).

• Alpine Fare: Käsespätzle (cheesy noodles) and wild mushroom soups fill menus in mountain huts.

• Quirky Treat: Zwetschgendatschi, a plum tart that signals autumn. Order it with heaps of whipped cream.

Things to Know

Try a “Brotzeitwanderung”: hike up a trail to a rustic alpine hut, then reward yourself with cold cuts, bread, cheese, and beer. Locals will cheerfully clink glasses with you at 10 a.m.

Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto in fall is living poetry: vermilion temples framed by red maples, golden ginkgo leaves drifting along stone paths, tea houses perfumed with roasted chestnuts.

Sightseeing & Hidden Gems

• Arashiyama: Tourists know the Bamboo Grove, but few climb into the surrounding hills — where early maples turn before the city. The Iwatayama Monkey Park has panoramic foliage views (and cheeky macaques).

• Philosopher’s Path: A stone walkway lined with temples and trees, especially peaceful in September before peak-season crowds.

• Kurama to Kibune Hike: A half-day mountain trek linking two villages, with shrines, cedar forests, and early fall colors. End with a dip in an onsen.

Food & Drink

• Seasonal Kaiseki: Multi-course meals change with the seasons — autumn brings matsutake mushrooms, chestnuts, and grilled river fish.

• Street Snacks: Roasted chestnuts sold on corners, or yatsuhashi (cinnamon mochi sweets).

• Matcha & Wagashi: Sip bitter green tea with maple-leaf-shaped sweets in temple tea houses.

Things to Know

Fall leaf viewing is called momijigari (maple hunting). It’s a contemplative practice, not just sightseeing. Locals bring bentō lunches, sit quietly under maples, and savor the silence. Blend in by slowing down — fewer selfies, more stillness.

Insider Travel Strategies for Foliage Trips

• Timing the Peak: Color can shift quickly — use local “foliage trackers” (many tourism boards update them daily).

• Driving vs. Walking: Don’t just do scenic drives. Walk trails, cycle rail trails, or even paddle lakes — colors look different from each angle.

• Stay Small: Instead of big hotels, book B&Bs, inns, or ryokans. Hosts often give the best local tips.

• Pack Right: A thermos, picnic blanket, and binoculars will turn any pull-off into a perfect afternoon.

Wherever you go — sipping cider under a covered bridge in Vermont, wandering Quebec’s villages, clinking steins in Bavaria, or meditating under Kyoto’s maples — late September proves that travel doesn’t always mean chasing summer sun. Sometimes, the best journeys are the ones where you chase the leaves as they turn.