Fall foliage in Asia and Europe

Kyoto is easily Japan's most photographed autumn, complete with temple gardens, maple tunnels, and lantern-lit nights.

• Peak color is mid-November to early December
• Walk Tofuku-ji's Tsutenkyo Bridge over a valley of 2,000 maples
• See Eikan-dō and Kiyomizu-dera for after-dark illuminations
• Visit Arashiyama and Ohara for maples against mountain backdrops
• Arrive for the 8:30 AM opening; central temples fill up by 10:00 AM
• Book beds months ahead, as this is Kyoto's busiest season

Alpine lakes, waterfalls, and hairpin roads are only three hours from Tokyo, plus it is Japan's earliest autumn colors.

• Peak color: early to mid-October up at the highest elevations
• See Nikko town's shrines and Shinkyo Bridge turn in early November
• The Akechidaira Ropeway platform overlooks the Irohazaka hairpins
• Visit Ryuzu Falls and the Senjōgahara marsh boardwalk for easy walking
• The Irohazaka road jams badly, so be on the slopes early

Korea's jagged granite spires and ridge trails, where the autumn colors cascade down from the summit to the valley through October.

• Peak color: late September on Daecheongbong, mid-October below
• Head to the Sogongwon entrance for Sinheungsa Temple and Biseondae
• Take the Gwongeumseong cable car for the views without the climb
• Ulsanbawi Rock is quite a trek and mostly stairs
• Sokcho is the nearest town, twenty minutes away on the coast
• The cable car queue can get very long and may stop for high winds

Widely called Korea's finest foliage! This 1.6-mile (1 km) tunnel of 108 maples is one of the last places in Korea to change color in autumn.

• Peak color: late October to mid-November, the country's latest
• The famous Maple Tunnel runs from the gate to Naejangsa Temple
• Take the cable car up the ridge for the wider valley panorama
• Jeongeup is the closest town; Jeonju is the better overnight choice
• Weekday mornings are the only time the tunnel feels quiet

This misty Japanese-era logging mountain in Yilan hides Taiwan's largest wild beech tree forest. Its main trails run along abandoned railway tracks that once moved timber.

• Peak color: mid-October to mid-November for golden beech trees
• Taiwan Beech Trail, 2.3 miles (3.8km) each way from Cuifeng Villa
• Purple-leaf maples line the road around Taipingshan Villa
• Start walking before 11:00 AM, as afternoon fog hides the view
• Soak at Jiuzhize Hot Springs on the way back down 

The main spot to see Central Taiwan's maple trees, where autumn arrives in December, and the crowds are all locals.

• Peak color: late November through December, into January
• The Maple Trail passes Taiwan's largest Formosan sweet gum stand
• The Aowanda Suspension Bridge swings above the river
• The full loop is 3 miles (4.7 km), so allow at least four hours
• The trails are far quieter on weekdays

Sandstone towers, beech-filled gorges and Europe's largest natural arch are just 90 minutes north of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

• Peak color: mid-October to early November at this low altitude
• Pravčická brána, the main attraction, was in the Narnia movies
• Take a boat through the Wild Gorge on the Kamenice
• Edmund Gorge has reopened but caps daily entries
• Both gorges close on 1 November, so October catches everything

The city’s Gothic spires are framed by golden chestnuts and vineyards in autumn, with the best views free and just ten minutes from Old Town.

• Peak color: mid-October to early November
• Go to Petřín Hill and the Vyšehrad ramparts for city views
• Stroll in Letná and Stromovka Parks for long avenues of yellow leaves
• Průhonice Park, 20 minutes from the city, is the region's finest forest
• Charles Bridge at sunrise is the only time it's quiet
• Light fades by 4:30 PM in November, so do viewpoints by mid-afternoon

Come see the famous island church ringed by mirror-still water and beech-covered hills at Slovenia's most photographed autumnal location: Lake Bled.

• Peak color: mid-October to early November around the lake
• Go to Mala Osojnica viewpoint for the classic island-from-above shot
• Vintgar Gorge boardwalk, 1 mile (1.6 km) through rock to Šum waterfall
• Bled Castle and Straža Hill are for shorter, easier climbs

This lakeside village sits under golden larches, with the Dachstein mountains as the backdrop, with fall colors peaking in the last week of October.

• Peak color: mid to late October down at lake level
• Take the funicular above the salt mine to Welterbeblick Skywalk
• Walk Vorderer Gosausee for larches reflected beneath the Dachstein
• Arrive before 9:00 AM or stay overnight, as day crowds are heavy

Visit Slovakia's High Tatras at their quietest to see a golden larch forest below bare granite peaks, all accessible by cable car.

• Peak color: late September to mid-October, where the larch trees grow
• Take the cable car to Skalnaté Pleso, then to Lomnický štít
• Walk a stretch of the Tatranská magistrála toward Hrebienok
• Book the summit car online days ahead to ensure a seat
• Snow can arrive in October, so bring layers and grippy boots

This national park is Poland's wildest corner, with an ancient beech forest, open ridge meadows, wolves, and almost nobody else.

• Peak color: early to mid-October through the beech tree forests
• Go to Połonina Wetlińska and Połonina Caryńska for open ridge walks
• Visit Ustrzyki Górne or Wetlina as the practical valley base towns
• Drive the Wielka Pętla loop for roadside views without hiking
• The narrow-gauge forest railway from Majdan runs into autumn

The Bavarian Alps are a quintessential fall destination in Western Europe. You’re sure to be stunned by the emerald waters and limestone cliffs, with larch and beech trees changing colors on the shores.

• Peak color: mid to late October at valley level
• Boat across Königssee to the St. Bartholomä chapel
• Take the Jennerbahn cable car to 6,000 ft (1,800 m) for great views
• Hike the Hintersee and the Zauberwald trails at Ramsau

Despite its name, the Black Forest bursts into color for autumn. Enjoy the vibrant hues on trails in the beech and larch forests, and on vineyard slopes across this region.

• Peak color: mid to late October, earlier up on the high ridges
• Drive the famous switchbacks of the Schwarzwaldhochstraße (B500)
• Go to Mummelsee and Hornisgrinde, 3,820 ft (1,165 m), for wide views
• Visit Sasbachwalden and Gengenbach for half-timbered villages
• The Kaiserstuhl vineyards near Vogtsburg go red in late October

Visit the golden vineyards that produce famous wines like Riesling and stay in half-timbered villages from another era.

• Peak color: mid-October in the Vosges, late October on the vines
• Riquewihr is one of the more popular stops on the Route des Vins
• Route des Crêtes is 55 miles (89 km) of ridge to the Grand Ballon
• Villages fill up on weekends, so aim for Tuesday to Thursday

Experience Europe's grandest châteaux backed by oak forests, vineyards, and formal gardens. Estates like Chambord and Chenonceau burst into color in the autumn.

• Peak color: late October into mid-November down in the valley
• Stroll through Chenonceau's gardens and tree-lined avenues
• Chambord's walled estate has 13,400 acres of colorful forest
• Visit Villandry for terraced gardens above the Cher and Loire
• Château hours shorten from November, so double-check closing times

In Switzerland's larch valley, entire mountainsides glow gold for just a few weeks in October. Be sure to catch it in time!

• Peak color: roughly mid-October, and it lasts only about two weeks
• Ride the Muottas Muragl funicular to 8,055 ft (2,456 m) above the lake
• Walk Val Roseg from Pontresina, 4.5 miles (7 km) each way
• See the Lej da Staz Lake and the Stazerwald larches near St. Moritz
• The Engadin Larch Tracker app tracks when the leaves turn colors

Come to Belgium's forest heartland to see a river looping through beech-covered hills, with moody mist in the valleys and almost no visitors.

• Peak color: mid to late October in the beech and oak woods
• The Tombeau du Géant viewpoint at Botassart overlooks the Semois River
• Rochehaut's terrace looks straight down on quaint Frahan hamlet
• Bouillon or Vresse-sur-Semois serve as great base towns for day trips

Experience Scotland's tallest trees, its darkest lochs, and a forest lit up after dark. This is where the UK’s autumn starts.

• Peak color: mid to late October, the earliest in the UK
• The Hermitage at Dunkeld has 200-ft (60 m) Douglas firs
• Take autumn strolls around Faskally Wood and Loch Dunmore
• Kinnoull Hill has amazing viewpoints over the river and woodlands
• The Enchanted Forest lights Faskally each October into November
• Weekend show tickets sell out first, so book ahead

Come see oak and birch woods dropping straight into dark water. It is only about an hour from Glasgow and has far fewer visitors by October.

• Peak color: mid to late October around the lochs
• Drive the famous Duke's Pass (A821) between Aberfoyle and Callander
• Climb Ben A'an Hill, 1,512 ft (461 m), for a bird’s-eye view
• See Balmaha and Conic Hill, 1,175 ft (358 m), on Loch Lomond
• Sail on Loch Katrine on the SS Sir Walter Scott before winter
• Start at the forest park visitor center above Aberfoyle

This is England's classic autumn look: bracken-orange fells and mirrored lakes with oak woods crowding the shores.

• Peak color: late October into the first week of November
• Tarn Hows, near Coniston, is a flat 1.8-mile (2.9 km) loop
• See Ashness Bridge and Surprise View above Derwentwater
• Aira Force is a 65-ft (20 m) fall in Ullswater's oak woods
• Borrowdale and Grasmere for the densest woodland color

Visit these honey-stone villages, beech tree escarpments, and Britain's finest arboretums, which peak in color around mid-November.

• Peak color: late October to mid-November in the valleys
• Explore the Westonbirt Arboretum near Tetbury’s 600 acres of trees
• Acer Glade and Silk Wood hold Britain's top maple collection
• Batsford Arboretum at Moreton-in-Marsh is smaller and quieter
• Visit Broadway Tower, 1,024 ft (312 m) for sweeping views

New Forest is England's latest autumn color change, with ancient oaks, giant redwoods, and free-roaming ponies. The leaves are still glowing gold in November. 

• Peak color: early to mid-November, the last in the country
• See the romantic Rhinefield Ornamental Drive and its Tall Trees Trail
• Go to Bolderwood for deer and Blackwater Arboretum for dense color
• Lyndhurst or Brockenhurst make great base towns for exploring
• Don't feed the ponies, and note that picking fungi is banned

This is autumn in Wales at its most beautiful. Stroll through golden oak gorges to see waterfalls and valley mist under bare rock ridges.

• Peak color: mid-October to early November down in the valleys
• Visit Betws-y-Coed for Swallow Falls and the Fairy Glen nearby
• The Aberglaslyn Pass at Nantmor features oak woods above a gorge
• Nant Gwynant and the lower Watkin Path are good for a quieter walk