Itinerary

Four Fabulous Fall Trips

Cooler days, spectacular colour and fewer crowds make autumn the perfect time to travel. Here are unique getaways to book now

By Antonia Whyatt|September 4, 2026

Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière‑Malbaie National Park in Charlevoix, Que. | Tourism Charlevoix

CANADA: There’s no place like home for fiery foliage

CHARLEVOIX, QUEBEC

For the leaf peepers, you can’t do better than Quebec – the province has even created its own Fall Colours Map with the best seasonal displays updated in real time, making it perfect for tracking peak colour. If you prefer to immerse yourself in the scenery, put on your hiking boots and walk the Route des Montagnes. The 121-kilometre trail in the Laurentian foothills spans two of Quebec’s most scenic national parks, which dazzle with bright colours. For a more leisurely approach, the carriages of the seasonal Train de Charlevoix provide a decidedly cosseting experience. This luxury train travels along a meandering 125-kilometre track between Montmorency Falls Park (near Quebec City) and La Malbaie on the St. Lawrence. There is another incentive to come here, besides marveling at the scenery: Hugue Dufour, the first Quebec chef to earn a Michelin star in New York for his Queen’s steak house, has returned home to open a restaurant this summer, Le relais des Florent. The foodie world is already buzzing about it and now you can too.

Images from first to last: Route 170 in the Bas-Saguenay, Charlevoix region between Sagard and Petit-Saguenay; sunset views from the Le Germain Hotel & Spa Charlevoix; a room with a view and the spa hot tubs; a meal from the gardens; and the highland cows. | André-Olivier Lyra / Tourism Charlevoix; Le Germain Hotel & Spa Charlevoix

Sleep among ancient cedars and birch trees in the unique treetop accommodations at Repere Boreal. Alternatively, check in for a luxe getaway at Le Germain Hotel & Spa Charlevoix on the banks of the St. Lawrence River.

Images from first to last: The Rimrock resort is carved into the cliffs on Sulphur Mountain; the new Bathhouse spa’s meditation room; the outdoor infinity pool stretches towards Bow Valley; heated pathways link the outdoor spaces like the sauna; the indoor vitality pool. Courtesy of RimRock Resort

BANFF, ALBERTA

The drive, alone, from Calgary to Banff is worth the trip. With sweeping vistas of rocky outcrops that unfold into mountains, brilliantly blue rivers with yellow-leaved aspen quivering along their banks and high-altitude sunshine, autumn here is invigorating. Try to time your visit for larch season, when the forests around Banff turn spectacular shades of gold. The window is short – typically just late September into mid-October – and you can take in the autumn beauty either on a hike through the aptly named Larch Valley and Healy Pass or by rafting down the fast-flowing glacial Bow River. Another bonus to going during the fall season is that visitor numbers thin out and the animals become more present, with Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and majestic elk taking leisurely strolls through town. There is a grandeur to the Alberta Rockies that makes it hard not to gasp at every vista – no wonder Leonardo di Caprio bought a home here after filming The Revenant.

There is now another show-stopping reason to stop in Banff: The Rimrock Banff freshly re-opened this July. The hotel, built on Sulphur Mountain above the first hot springs that drew visitors to the area in 1886, carries more than a century of soaking, healing and hospitality in its bones. Now – after a $115M property-wide transformation – its sleek, modern thermal spa is fit for 21st-century indulgence.

EUROPE: For those who seek a cultural seasonal shift

MALTA

If you’re not quite ready to call it quits with summer, Malta is the perfect spot to keep the vibe going – the thermometer only dips below 20°C here in December. The island also offers a glimpse of the Mediterranean as it used to be – far from the overcrowded shores of islands such as Capri and Mykonos. Here, locals still go about their daily lives largely untouched by the tourism industry. The island’s cultural history is astonishingly rich, shaped by numerous civilizations, from the Neolithic peoples and Phoenicians to the Romans, Arabs and Italians. Lord Byron and Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote here, Caravaggio painted here, and a young Princess Elizabeth spent two blissful years on the island as a naval wife before stepping into her future role as Queen. More recently, the capital Valletta’s ancient, honey-coloured streets stood in for King’s Landing in the Game of Thrones. Oh, and did we mention peak swimming lasts through to the end of October, when the sea temperatures average a warm 23 C to 24 C?

Stay at thoughtfully designed Casa Bonavita, which opened in May this year. It was created by Maltese-born Suzanne Sharp, founder of London’s lauded The Rug Company, and her husband, Christopher. The couple have beautifully restored an 18th-century palazzo that feels less like a conventional hotel than an exceptionally stylish private home. The 17-room retreat is layered with antique furniture, hand-painted tiles, Murano glass and family heirlooms. And, as if the design credentials weren’t enough, chef Dex Oseman, who trained at London’s vaunted River Cafe, brings an equally impressive culinary pedigree to the table.

A traditional street scene on the island of Gozo, Malta; Gozo’s distinctive chequerboard of rock-cut salt pans extending into the sea.| Irena Carpaccio; Ray Ziak / UnSplash

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

It was hard to imagine Copenhagen could reach more of a foodie fever pitch than during the Noma years, when, at its peak, the restaurant reportedly received over 100,000 booking inquiries per day. However, even though Noma is no longer, the city has reached new culinary heights with former Noma chef Kristian Baumann leading the charge at Koan. Born in Seoul and raised in Denmark, he combines traditional techniques and ingredients, such as kimchi and Korean rice wine with Danish fjord shrimp, seaweed and seasonal produce. The influence ripples through the city, from Michelin-starred JATAK to OURI, where authentic dishes and the communal spirit of banchan (shared plates) offer a more relaxed – and considerably more affordable – way into the Korean food trend. While your stomach may be full, leave room in your suitcase for shopping. Denmark’s fashion scene is a masterclass in effortless cool, from cult Danish labels such as GANNI and Stine Goya, to equally covetable homeware designers, from Marimekko to HAY and Georg Jensen, to name a few.

Check into Hotel Sanders, a 54-room boutique hotel tucked behind the Royal Danish Theatre, where warm, low lighting, mid-century pieces, woven carpets and bespoke Danish furniture compromises hygge (the Danish word for the feeling of seasonal cosiness) at its best.