The 12 Best Places to Visit in Asia in Fall

When cold weather sets in across the world, remember that there’s always a place with perfect weather in Asia. The largest continent on earth encompasses a wide range of landscapes and climates, from tropical beaches and bustling megacities to rolling grasslands and the world’s highest mountain ranges.

Fall is a particularly a special time to visit Asia. In sun-baked central deserts and high-altitude plateaus, scorching summer temperatures subside, and the monsoons stop battering the Himalaya. At lower altitudes, nature tinges mountains and valleys with shades of fire.

Fall in Asia also brings the chance to dive pristine reefs, hike to century-old temples and witness ancient traditions kept alive through incredible festivals. As someone who has lived in this region for close to 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of exploring it far and wide. Here are my picks for the best places to visit in Asia in fall.

1. Kerala, India

Best for monsoon-free escapes

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October to November is still shoulder season in Kerala, when India’s greenest state remains verdant after the last rains of the southwest monsoon dwindle in late September. Start with a bicycle tour through historic Kochi and the surrounding countryside. Then, hit the famed backwaters of Alleppey – more enjoyable with fewer tourists, and particularly intriguing if navigated on a kayak. For a place further off the beaten track, consider exploring the northern Malabar coast, where Vasco de Gama landed in 1498, then go inland at Wayanad to explore lush hill tracts and the Edakkal Caves, which are scribbled with Neolithic Age petroglyphs.

Planning tip: Renting a motorcycle in India is an amazing way to explore Kerala. Remember that a license in English or an international driving permit is required.

2. Nepal

Best for outdoor adventures

After the monsoon subsides, October and November are fabulous months to get out into the Himalaya in Nepal. Skies are clear with beautiful mountain views, temperatures are mild and the weather is dry – all ideal conditions for trekking. The most established (and busy) teahouse treks, such as the Annapurna Base Camp or Everest Base Camp treks, never disappoint. Or get off the beaten path on the challenging circular trek around Mt Manaslu, the world's eighth-highest peak at 5160m, at the Larkya La Pass.

3. Western Mongolia

Best for nomadic showmanship

Mongolia starts to get quite cold in October, bringing lower prices, fewer tourists and experiences less geared to tourists – including the Golden Eagle Festival. This annual gathering takes place in western Mongolia near Ölgii, where bring to life ancient Kazakh eagle-hunting traditions. The highlight is the competition, during which eagle hunters demonstrate their mastery over their birds of prey.

Getting there: Tour operators can help secure flights to Khovd, from where you’ll travel to Ulgii by car.

4. Hunza Valley, Pakistan

Best for autumn colors

Pakistan’s Northern Areas should be at the top of any serious mountaineer’s bucket list – and there’s possibly no better time to visit this rugged region than the fall, when these high-altitude valleys and meadows fire up with all shades of red and yellow. The Hunza Valley is possibly the most tourist-friendly and easy area to visit: it’s crisscrossed by the perfectly paved Karakoram Hwy, one of the most scenic roads in the world. You’ll pass right next to heart-stopping sights like 8126m-high Nanga Parbat; the barrage of ash-gray mountain cathedrals dubbed the Passu Cones; and the 4,693m-high Khunjerab Pass, the route’s end and the highest land border in the world. Here, you can peek at – or continue your journey into – China’s stunning Xinjiang province.

Getting there: Flights from Islamabad reach the valley’s hub, Gilgit, but cancellations are common. Established operators like Karakoram Bikers organize guided motorcycle or van tours through Hunza and nearby destinations like Skardu.

5. Penang, Malaysia

Best for culture

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Sultry Malaysia is a year-round destination – and it truly shines during the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar (between late August and September). This is when the local Chinese community believes that the gates of hell open and the “King of Hades,” Tai Su Yeah – an avatar of the goddess of mercy, Kuan Yin – returns to earth with hordes of unsatisfied spirits awaiting reincarnation.

For one month, the job of the living is to appease these hungry ghosts with prayer, good food and tons of spectacle – from Chinese opera and traditional potehi glove puppetry, to modernized song-and-dance shows performed by scantily dressed kotai singers, this is one of Asia’s quirkiest and most underrated festivals. Among close to 400 such locations spread across the country, Penang is possibly the best place to witness the spectacle. The celebrations end with crazy scenic bonfires, when devotees haul giant paper effigies of Tai Su Yeah onto pyres of paper ingots and hell banknotes, burning them all to send wealth and blessings to the dead.

Where to see it: The town of Bukit Mertajam on Seberang Prai, Penang state’s mainland, has one of Malaysia’s largest Tai Su Yeah effigies: it reaches 9m in height. It’s burned around September 6 – but the date changes slightly each year. Ask local sources, as the big ghost bonfire is rarely advertised online.

6. Four Rivers Trail, South Korea

Best for cycling enthusiasts

Early September through the end of October is an ideal time to visit South Korea, thanks to great weather and vibrant fall colors. What better way to experience the season than on a bicycle along one of the world’s most celebrated bike routes? The Four Rivers Trail traverses South Korea diagonally from Incheon to Busan over 633km on mostly flat paths that follow four major rivers (the Hangang, Nakdonggang, Geumgang and Yeongsangang). The path is perfectly maintained, with convenience stores, campsites, free toilets and other amenities found along its entirety. Between the end of September and the beginning of October, consider a diversion to Andong’s Hahoe Folk Village to attend the incredible Andong Mask Festival.

Planning tip: Once in Busan, a ferry is available to Fukuoka in Japan, making it possible to carry on cycling across the two sea-separated nations.

7. Hokkaidō, Japan

Best for hiking

The fall is a great time to experience Japan’s northern star, Hokkaidō . As early as mid-September, Daisetsuzan, the island’s largest national park, fires up with the first fire-red leaves in the whole country. By mid-October, a warm cast of yellows and reds has spread to the park's lower flanks. Enjoy the earliest fall colors by hiking at 2.291m-high Mt Asahidake, Hokkaido’s highest, or take it easy on the Kurodake Ropeway. The best? Soaking in the colors in a hot pool at Sōunkyō Onsen.

8. Banda Islands, Indonesia

Best for diving and history

New Yorkers should be extremely thankful to this remote Indonesian volcanic archipelago of 11 islets – for otherwise, they might still be residents of New Amsterdam. Confused? Few remember that at the end of the second Anglo-Dutch War, in 1667, the Dutch gave up their then colonial outpost in Manhattan to the British in exchange for the tiny island of Run, coveted for its nutmeg, once considered more precious than gold.

That colonial legacy is still evident on the central island of Bandaneira today, where Ft Belgica and Ft Nassau uphold that history. Above them, the almost perfect cone of the Gunung Api volcano soars on its own island in the middle of this remote archipelago – whose highlights include Pulau Ai, well-regarded for its superb diving; and Banda Besar, where descendants of the original Dutch planters still farm nutmeg. September to December is the driest season, when seas are the calmest and offer the best visibility.

Getting there: From October to December, Dharma Indah fast ferries take 4 hours to sail from Ambon. Otherwise, try to get one of the hard-to-book SAM Air flights.

9. Hexi Corridor, China

Best for archaeology and history buffs

October – when days are long and warm, rather than scorching as in summer – is a perfect month to experience one of the world’s best train journeys: traversing the Hexi Corridor across the deserts of bone-shaped Gansu province from Lanzhou to Dunhuang. This 1095km stretch of desert, hemmed in by the jagged Qilian Mountains, was once the only way in and out of the Middle Kingdom. It formed the initial section of the Silk Road, and is marked by incredible Buddhist sites such as the Big Buddha of Zhangye, the largest reclined statue in China; the Jiayuguan Fort, the western end of the Great Wall; and, of course, the Mogao Grottoes near Dunhuang, which contain 1000 years of some of the world’s finest Buddhist mural art.

Planning tip: A high-speed rail link connects Lanzhou and Dunhuang in about 7 hours, but it’s much better to spend a week train-hopping across Wuwei’s Tiantishan Grottoes, Zhangye, Jiayuguan and Dunhuang. Book train tickets online in advance.

10. Ha Giang Loop, Vietnam

Best for motorbike journeys

When North Vietnam’s mountainous crown crashes into southern China’s limestone, the result is like standing before a sea of petrified waves: the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, arguably one of Southeast Asia’s most dramatic landscapes. The fall season, from September to November, is the ideal time to embark on the famed Ha Giang Loop, thanks to the favorable weather; the golden hues of the rice harvest; and the opportunity to attend the Buckwheat Flower Festival in November, when green fields burst into bloom with purple and white petals.

11. Ladakh, India

Best for mountain scenery and Tibetan culture

Before the glacial winter sets in, consider a visit to Ladakh, India's northernmost region, to experience this singular place without crowds. Do come prepared for some cold – but nothing that a hot yak-milk tea cannot help. October is a great time to visit Leh, the region’s main city, since the summer tourist crowds and higher prices abate. From this base, make side trips to Tibetan gompas like Lamayuru, Hemis, Thiksey and Alchi, or travel to the dune-studded Nubra Valley, or the stunning 14,270m-high Pangong Tso.

Planning tip: October is also a good time to spot the elusive snow leopards of Hemis National Park, which holds two-thirds of India’s small population of these majestic cats.

12. Thailand

Best for visitor-free festivals and beaches

Between September and November, peak rainy season sets in in Thailand – which makes the country less crowded and cheaper than usual. And in November, on the night of the 12th full moon of the Thai lunar calendar, the gorgeous Loy Krathong festival takes place all over the country. This is when locals float lotus-shaped baskets made from banana leaves, flowers and a candle on rivers and lakes to pay homage to the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha, and ask for forgiveness for human pollution.

November is also a good time to enjoy Gulf Coast islands like Ko Tao and Ko Pha-Ngan. They are both at their lowest occupancy, making for a marvelous retreat indeed – if, that is, you can tolerate rough seas and brief rains. Expect cooler weather and vibrant tropical greens.