We pick out the 10 best autumn beauty spots across the globe, from the Lake District to Yosemite
There is nothing like the glorious explosion of autumn colours to give your spirits a lift as the winter darkness gallops towards us
WE loved basking in the late sunshine of the UK’s Indian summer.
But there is nothing like the glorious explosion of autumn colours to give your spirits a lift as the winter darkness gallops towards us.
Here CHARLIE REYNOLDS picks out some of the best leaf-peeping holidays across the globe.
Lake District, Cumbria
IF it’s vibrant and beautiful autumnal colours you are after, England’s largest national park – the Lake District – is the place to find them.
With stunning hilltop and lakeside views, autumn is perfect for a family getaway or romantic strolls by misty waters for couples.
The summer crowds have gone, so now is the time to enjoy literary spots in the park including Beatrix Potter’s house at Hill Top near Hawkshead – this year marks the 150th anniversary of her birth.
Let an expert guide you around the gorgeous scenery – see for more information – and combine it with the chance to enjoy coastal views too with a stay at Haven’s Lakeland Holiday Park in Flookburgh.
Surrounded by peaks, stunning woodland and views of Morecambe Bay, the park has plenty to keep kids entertained, including walks and nature trails.
There is also a World War Two airbase nearby if you fancy a spot of historic action.
Head there in half-term and four nights’ self-catering in a prestige caravan is from £408 for a family of four, arriving on October 24. Visit or call 0333 202 5305.
Lake Kawaguchi, Japan
JAPAN is famous for spring blossoms, but autumn is just as spectacular – and Kyoto is the place to visit.
The colours combine with the city’s temples and shrines to create some unforgettable views.
Lake Kawaguchi, in the Fuji-Hakone Izu National Park, has two rows of maple trees that form a beautiful tunnel in autumn known as the “maple corridor”.
Take a 12-day Land of the Samurai tour from £2,745. Includes 11 nights in 3★ hotels, seven breakfasts, one dinner, guided tours in Tokyo, Kamakura, Lake Kawaguchi, Kyoto, Himeji, Hiroshima and Miyajima
Island plus cable car to the top of Mt Misen. Valid for travel throughout 2016 and 2017. Flights from Heathrow with Air India start from £477 return. See .
Ardennes, France
AT this time of year the ancient forests of the Ardennes region of France come into their own.
This Gallic gem was the site of devastating battles in both World Wars. But strolling here in autumn it is hard to imagine it as anything other than idyllic.
From mid-September to mid-October, join a guided tour that treks deep into the woods in search of the wildlife – particularly the rutting deer.
The tours meet at 7pm at the tourist office Launois-sur-Vence and cost £14 per person. Call 03 24 35 02 69 to book. Get back to nature in the north with a stay at Cabane et Vallee near Haulme village in the Semoy Valley. These woodland cabins sleep up to four people from £120 a night. Various outdoor activities nearby ().
Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
FOR a holiday in paradise with stunning scenery that includes lakes, waterfalls and ancient woodlands gradually transforming into the richest of autumnal colours, give Croatia’s Plitvice National Park a try.
Croatia is a hugely popular holiday choice for Brits and the national park is just two hours from the capital, Zagreb. Stepping away from the woodland walkways, adventure out and explore the lakes on a more personal level by taking a guided route by electric boat.
Stay just six kilometres from the National Park with a week’s B&B at the 4★ Hotel Degenija. With flights departing from Heathrow on October 12, it costs £768 per person. That prices includes car hire.
See or call 01425 480 400.
California, USA
GRAB a sweater and head to California for some beautiful autumn colours.
Leaf-peeping in Yosemite National Park and Mammoth Lakes in the High Sierras is truly spectacular. The riot of yellows, oranges and reds set against dramatic rock formations are Instagram gold.
But don’t just admire the scenery. Adrenaline-fuelled rock-climbing, rafting and zip-lining are also perfect ways to take it all in. See .
America As You Like It has a seven-night fly-drive to California with three nights at Cedar Lodge, El Portal and Mammoth Mountain Inn with one night in San Francisco from £1,190pp, based on travel next month. Check out or call 020 8742 8299.
New Forest, Hampshire
AUTUMN in the New Forest National Park means a spectacular array of colours exploding through the highest concentration of ancient trees in Western Europe.
With the New Forest Walking Festival on from October 15 to 30, choose from 59 walks, trails and hikes. See /walking festival. And don’t miss the unique tradition of Pannage, where hundreds of pigs are set free to eat fallen acorns – which are poisonous to the forest’s free-roaming ponies.
Embrace nature by staying in the middle of the forest – the Balmer Lawn Hotel offers double rooms with bed and breakfast for £99 per night.
With spa, indoor pool and a great restaurant, it’s a spot of luxury in the woods. See .
Exmoor, Devon and Somerset
STROLL through the fallen leaves in one of Britain’s longest stretches of naturally wooded coastline.
Exmoor national park is at its best in autumn. With scenery ranging from open moorland to dramatic cliffs, there are treats at every turn.
Exmoor is home to England’s tallest tree, a Douglas fir at Nutcombe Bottom near Dunster. And autumn is rutting season for the park’s herds of red deer.
See /enjoying/autumn.
Soak up the atmosphere by staying in the heart of Exmoor. Castle Hill in Lynton, North Devon, has rooms from £70 per night, including breakfast.
For details see castlehill or call 01598 752 291.
Oxfordshire
THE Blenheim Palace estate has 2,000 spectacular acres, including gardens landscaped by Capability Brown and country trails that turn brilliant shades of orange and red in autumn.
The grounds are perfect for walkers and photographers, while the palace itself is not to be missed. Tour state halls, view artworks and the room where Winston Churchill was born, then catch a mini-train to the butterfly centre. It costs £24.90 for adults, £13.90 for kids (under-fives are free) or £59.90 for a family of two adults and two children.
Blenheim Cottage, by the estate’s back entrance, sleeps four in style, with open fires and antique furniture.
From £375 per night with up to four self-catering. To book, see .
Pitlochry, Scotland
GO stargazing in Galloway Forest Park, the UK’s only dark-sky park – that is, unaffected by light pollution.
Gaze out across the calm waters of Loch Trool and stay until night falls at Glentrool, then marvel at the star-studded sky. Wonder at the delightful woodland paths in Faskally Wood, five minutes from Pitlochry, while watching autumn stamp its hues across the region.
Set aside a night for Scotland’s premier light and sound event of the year: the woodland lighting experience in Faskally Wood is magical – see enchanted forest.org.uk for tickets.
Three nights’ stay at Rose Cottage on the Dunalastair Estate in Rannoch is from £299 based on up to five sharing. To book, visit .
New England, USA
FALL in love with the most celebrated destination of all for autumn colours, from the forests of Vermont to incredible views on the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire and the windswept maples on the coast of Maine.
American Sky offers an eight-night escorted Autumn Colours tour taking in all of these highlights and more.
Visit Boston, the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory, New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Cadillac Mountain in Maine’s Acadia National Park and many of New England’s prettiest coastal towns and villages.
From £2,249pp based on two sharing a standard room, with return BA flights from Heathrow. Available throughout September and October.
See .