Our best destinations for an autumn stay

Are you dreaming of a trip this autumn, away from overcrowded summer destinations and overly cold winters? From South Korea to Tanzania, via Jordan, Romania, Chile or Patagonia, certain regions of the world reveal their most beautiful face during this season. Soft light, sparse crowds, flamboyant landscapes or wildlife in motion: here is our selection of destinations where autumn feels like a rare escape.

Travelling to South Korea in autumn

In Korea, autumn has a name: danpung, the moment when the leaves change colour. It is undoubtedly the most romantic season to discover the country. The maples blaze with bright red, the forests and mountains oscillate between gold, ochre and copper, and the cities themselves are transformed: in Seoul, avenues lined with ginkgos are carpeted with golden leaves that crunch underfoot.

The climate plays a big part. After summer humidity and before winter's rigour, temperatures fluctuate between 10 and 20 °C, the sky remains clear, and rain is rare. Ideal conditions for walking, photographing, strolling.

Among the must-see sites to admire this transformation:

the palaces of Seoul, in particular Changdeokgung and its secret garden ;
Haneul Park, a former landfill turned grassy hill above the capital ;
the central avenue of Nami Island, immortalised by countless photographs ;
Seoraksan National Park, on the east coast ;
Naejangsan National Park, nicknamed "the mountain of a thousand colours" ;
Daedunsan National Park and its suspension bridges ;
Odaesan National Park as well as the historic city of Gyeongju.

To follow the colour wave, it's best to aim for the window from mid-October to mid-November. The peak of colours gradually descends from north to south, leaving several weeks to take advantage of it according to your itinerary.

Good to know: Korean autumn is also a festival season. The most striking ones:

the Andong Mask Dance Festival, a UNESCO-listed heritage ;
the Yudeung Namgang Lantern Festival, in Jinju, where thousands of lanterns float on the river ;
the Seoul International Fireworks Festival, on the banks of the Han River ;
the Icheon Rice Cultural Festival, a celebration of harvests.

Our recommended tours: Autumn colours in Korea and The great immersion in Korean autumn.

Travelling to Tanzania in autumn

Most travellers choose the dry season, from May to October, to travel to Tanzania. The conditions are excellent for classic safaris. But autumn opens another door, even more spectacular: that of the Great Migration.

This perpetual movement follows the rhythm of the rains. Herds migrate in search of water and fresh grass on a circuit that takes them each year from the Serengeti to the Kenyan Masai Mara, and back. Between October and December, nearly 1.5 million wildebeest, accompanied by zebras and antelopes, descend back towards the northern Serengeti after their time in Kenya. Witnessing this ballet — endless columns raising dust — remains one of the most striking experiences that the African savannah can offer.

Where herbivores flock, predators are not far behind. Lions, cheetahs, leopards, spotted hyenas and Nile crocodiles take advantage of this abundance to hunt. Sightings are then frequent and often spectacular, particularly around river crossings.

Good news for birdwatchers: the period from October to April coincides with the arrival of migratory birds from Europe, Asia and North Africa, which come to spend the winter at Tanzanian latitudes. Nearly 1,100 species have been recorded in the country, about fifty of which are endemic.

Travelling to Chile and Patagonia in autumn

Due to the inversion of seasons: in the southern hemisphere, our European autumn corresponds to the austral spring. In Chile, summer runs from December to February, winter from June to August. The months of October and November therefore mark the awakening of nature, just before the high season.

From September onwards, the sun reasserts itself in the North, where the climate remains subtropical, while the South, subarctic, retains its harsher landscapes. This is the ideal time to explore the country without the summer crowds and enjoy mild temperatures by the seaside.

October and November are perfect for:

discovering the coastal cities of the north, from La Serena to Iquique ;
strolling on the beaches between Bahia Inglesa and Caldera, renowned for their turquoise waters among the clearest in the South Pacific ;
staying on Easter Island to explore the moai in soft light ;
observing the marine fauna of Isla Damas, in the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve ;
venturing into the Atacama Desert, where the night sky is one of the purest in the world.

In December, summer sets in for good: this is the perfect season for hiking in the Andes Cordillera.

On the Patagonia side, the window from November to February corresponds to the mildest months of the year. The weather stabilizes, rainfall becomes rare and temperatures hover around 15 °C during the day. These are ideal conditions for trekking the trails of Torres del Paine National Park, navigating between fjords or approaching the Perito Moreno glacier on the Argentine side.

Travelling to Romania in autumn

More affordable flights, sites deserted by summer crowds, landscapes ablaze with colour and geographical proximity: the arguments for visiting Romania in autumn are plentiful.

The climate remains typically continental European, with marked variations depending on the region. The mildest areas are the Black Sea coast and the Bucharest basin, where the temperature can reach 23 °C in September, fall back to around 15 °C in October, then approach 12 °C in November. The Carpathians, on the other hand, cool down much faster: plan warm layers for mountain hikes.

Autumn lends itself particularly well to a road trip through Transylvania. The very name of this region — from the Latin trans silvam, "beyond the forests" — sums up the atmosphere you find there: medieval Saxon towns (Sighișoara, Brașov, Sibiu), beech forests ablaze with colour, misty valleys and castles perched on their rocky spurs.

It's impossible to travel through Transylvania without stopping at Bran Castle, popularized by the Dracula legend. Settling in there at the end of October, as Halloween approaches, adds a touch of thrill to your trip. Added to this are the markets of local produce: it's the season for plums (and țuică, the local brandy), mushrooms and sarmale, a dish of cabbage leaves stuffed with meat typical of the off-season.

Travelling to Jordan in autumn

For many seasoned travellers, autumn is simply the best season to travel through Jordan. After the stifling months of summer, temperatures become bearable again — between 20 and 28 °C during the day — and the light, more slanted, magnifies the ochre stones of ancient sites.

Nature, long dormant under the sun, returns to colour: wildflowers, wild grasses, fruiting shrubs dot the trails in the northern part of the country. Hikers will find their happiness here, especially since tourist traffic remains moderate compared to the spring peak.

This is the ideal season for:

embarking on a road trip along the mythical King's Road, which connects Madaba to Aqaba following a biblical route ;
taking on the Wadi Rum desert without suffering from the heat, and spending the night under a Bedouin tent in the middle of the red dunes ;
discovering the unmissable city of Petra, carved into pink sandstone, in soft light and with fewer crowds ;
exploring the Dana Nature Reserve, the country's largest biosphere reserve, and observing its wildlife (Nubian ibex, caracals, hyraxes) ;
enjoying activities around the Dead Sea without climate constraints: swimming and mud baths, thermal springs, hikes in nearby reserves, archaeological sites, paragliding, climbing.

FAQ

What is the best time to see autumn colours in South Korea?
The ideal window extends from mid-October to mid-November. The peak of colours gradually descends from north (Seoraksan) to south (Naejangsan), making it possible to adjust your itinerary according to your travel date.

Why travel to Tanzania in autumn rather than during the full dry season?
Because the period from October to December coincides with the return of large herds to the northern Serengeti. It's one of the best windows for observing the Great Migration and the predators it attracts, in a period less frequented than July-August.

What weather should you expect in Chile and Patagonia between October and December?
In northern Chile, the climate remains dry and sunny, with pleasant temperatures by the sea. In Patagonia, November marks the beginning of the austral summer: the weather stabilizes, rainfall becomes rare and temperatures hover around 15 °C, perfect for hiking.

Is autumn a good season to visit Petra?
Yes. Temperatures become mild again and the slanted light particularly enhances the façades carved into pink sandstone. Visitor numbers, more moderate than in spring, offer more peaceful visiting conditions.

Should you expect cold weather in Romania in November?
On the Black Sea coast and around Bucharest, temperatures remain around 12 °C. However, in the Carpathians and Transylvania, the air cools down much faster, especially at higher altitudes. It's best to bring warm and waterproof clothing for hiking.

Florine Dergelet