15 Best Places to Travel in October in Europe, Asia and Tropical Destinations

Choosing the right destination for your vacation is the crucial part of having a nice time and this list of 15 best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations can help you choose it. Since I love to travel, for me there is no bad time for traveling. Anywhere and anytime is perfect, as long as I’m on the road. If you add to that some good travel buddy, wherever you go, chances of having a great vacation are pretty high. Depending on your desires, best places to travel in October in the world will vary as well.

October is not the most popular month for vacations and traveling. The school year already began and families with children (usually) cannot travel but those who do not have kids (or who decide to bring the kids for the roadtrip despite that fact that school began) might have a perfect vacation in October. Why? Well, the weather is much milder during the summer and the prices are considerably lower for accommodation as well as everything else. If you are a bit of an introvert like I am, less crowded beaches and streets of best holiday destinations might suit you better. On the other hand, if you prefer traveling within the U.S., our list of 10 best places to visit in the USA in October will definitely inspire you to choose were to go next.

For those who wish to travel abroad, this list will serve as a perfect guide. We will discuss best places to visit in October in Europe since October is one of the best months to visit Europe.  The weather is perfect, especially in southern Europe, and there are many food and drink festivals. Days are usually warm but in the evenings can be a little chilly. The only downside of visiting Europe in October is the increased chance of rain. Still, you can solve this with packing an umbrella with you. For those who prefer tropical beaches, we will include best tropical places to travel to in October. For all the beach lovers, tropical places on our list will also give you a glimpse into the best beaches to visit in October. Don’t worry, temperatures are perfect for swimming and sunbathing and you might even find some secluded beach and enjoy your vacation. Since Caribbean islands are among the favorite destinations, I made sure to include one of the best Caribbean islands to visit in October. You can check our list of Top 8 Best Beaches in the World while you are packing your bags. Having traveled to South Asian countries myself, I have to tell you that you will have the time of your life if you make this choice. In order to help you find your destination, I singled out best places to visit in Southeastern Asia in October.

In order to compile this list of 15 best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations, I check a number of travel sites including: Fodor’s Travel, Trips to Discover, Weather, Travel and Leasure, and Quora. Recommendations for best places to travel in October 2017 are abundant and I decided to single out the ones with the best climate (often most frequently recommended ones) and to choose a couple of suggestions for Europe, Asia and tropical destinations to provide a variety of choices, regardless of where you want to travel. Locations are ranked according to number of activities and festivals you can attend while being there. Tropical places are at the bottom because they only include sea-related activities and places with organized events and festivals are at the top of our list.

15. Bora Bora, French Polynesia

We are starting our list of  best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations with this tropical island where high season for runs from May to October but since the weather is always nice so you can visit almost anytime and the average temperature in October is 80°F. Among things to do in Bora Bora, most recommendations include visiting various beaches and jet ski tours.

14. Aruba

Aruba is one of the best Caribbean islands among the other best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations on our list to visit in October since the weather is almost always sunny. Temperatures range from 79°F -83°F and even the sea temperature is around 85°F. Aruba is among the best choices in the Caribbean because an average rainfall is less than 2 inches a year (rainfall is expected usually during November or December) and it is completely outside of the hurricane belt. Besides the beautiful powder-fine, white sand beaches, Aruba is a great place for shopping, sight-seeing and various adrenaline activities including mountain biking, horseback riding, snorkeling, etc. Visit Aruba website gives detailed information about activities available for you while staying in this beautiful place.

13. Lisbon, Portugal

We are moving to the Europe with our list of  best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations. Temperatures in Lisbon vary from 40°F to 55°F in October. During this time, you can visit Doc Lisboa, an international film festival, go to Gulbenkian Museum and visit Belem, Lisbon’s most historic area. Since traffic can be a little overwhelming, you should consider exploring the city on the foot. While in Lisbon, you should also visit Sao Vicente de Fora (Monastery of St. Vincent Outside the Walls) which is one of the most important monasteries in the country and it is definitely worth seeing.

12. Santorini, Greece

Most commonly known for its blue rooftops, Santorini is definitely a beautiful place to visit in October since temperatures range from 64°F to 73°F. Temperatures are a little lower than those in other places from our list of 15  best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations but sea temperature remains pretty high (73°F) so you don’t have to worry about not being able to swim. You should definitely visit Fira Museums and Lignose Folklore Museum. The best part is that the tickets are very cheap. Santorini is also famous for its winemaking tradition and you can take tours to Hatzidakis Winery or Santorini Brewing Company.

11. Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dear Game of Thrones fans, while you are waiting for the new season to be filmed, pack your bags and get ready to visit King’s Landing in person. There are plenty of reasons why Dubrovnik is on our list of  best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations. Let’s see just some of them. The city of Dubrovnik is UNESCO World Heritage site overlooking the beautiful Adriatic Sea. During the 16^th century, it had one of the largest naval fleets in the world.  Today, it is a tourist attraction with visitors coming from all over the world. Besides beautiful beaches (and yes, you can still swim in October) there is plenty of fun activities and places to visit in Dubrovnik such as: Maritime Museum, War Photo Exhibition, Dubrovnik Cable Car (speaking of amazing views, I believe it can’t get any better than this), City Walls of Dubrovnik and of course the locations where Game of Thrones was filmed. Average temperatures in October are between 65°F and 72°F.

10. Kathmandu, Nepal

In a split second we are on the other side of the globe with our list of  best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations. Autumn in Kathmandu is peak season because dry season lasts from October to May. It is favorite time of the year for trekkers and hikers and prices can get pretty high. Temperatures range from 57°F -77°F and even higher which makes it a perfect time to go to the mountains. Packed with temples and places to visit, Kathmandu is a great place for vacation even for those with less adventurous spirit. You can visit Boudhanath Stupa (the largest temple in Nepal), Swayambhu temple, Pashupatinath temple, Durbar Square and many more.

9. Hokkaido, Japan

Despite being the least developed of Japan’s four main islands, Hokkaido attracts a lot of tourists, especially in October. Since most options on our list of the best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical islands offer relatively warm temperatures for this time of the year, Hokkaido is a perfect option for those who wish to visit Asia and enjoy a chilly weather. Temperatures range from 45°F to 53°F and picturesque landscape is a place to be for all nature lovers. Famous tourist destinations include: Matsumi Bridge, Sounkyo, and Lake Notoro-ko. All locations offer breath-taking views and Lake Notoro-ko is something out of this world. In autumn, coral grass turns into deep red color and you can even come close enough to dig clams from the lake.

8. Prague, Czech Republic

Lower temperatures (40°F -55°F) will definitely not spoil your visit to this city because it has a lot to offer.  You can visit Museum of Decorative Arts, Jewish Museum and the National Galleryand; for the beautiful view of the city, go to Petrin Hill Observation Tower. Autumn is a festival time in Prague and festivals range from various contemporary art festivals to horse racing and acoustic guitar festivals. No matter what your interests are, you will definitely find something for yourself if you visit Prague.

7. Jaipur, India

I visited Jaipur in December and had a great time. October is a great time to visit the Pink City because the temperature is very pleasant, unlike the scorching summer heat. You should probably plan to stay more than a couple of days because there are plenty of places to go and the prices are affordable. Definitely visit Amber Palace (original home of Rajput royalty), Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds), Jantar Mantar observatory, Government Central Museum, Jaipur tower from which you can see the whole city and Monkey Temple. I was lucky to see monkeys riding on pigs and they were not aggressive. You can feed the monkeys if you like, but beware of pseudo priests looking for money on every corner. Shopping in Jaipur is also a very interesting experience with mountains of fine fabric to choose from.  You can also find beautiful carved silver jewelry but be extra careful that you are paying for genuine silver and not the so-called “white metal”. Don’t forget to bring your camera because the architecture of Jaipur is simply breathtaking.

6. Shanghai, China

While the first half of our list of 15 best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations involved mostly sight-seeing recommendations, the second half of the list is comprised of places which offer (besides sightseeing of course) organized events and festivals. We start with Shanghai, China. The best time to visit Shanghai is from October to November because the autumn season brings very pleasant temperatures ranging from 59°F to 72°F. Chinese national day is celebrated on October 1^st and the “Golden Week” or one-week holiday begins. China’s National Day starts with a bang and great fireworks are guaranteed. Fashion lovers can enjoy Shanghai Fashion week (October 13-21 this year) when the city attracts many famous fashion designers. Shanghai also hosts Jazz Festival (largest jazz festival in Asia) and those who love music will definitely enjoy. Sight-seeing is always a great option, especially when you can take amazing pictures with autumn colors in the background.

5. Bali, Indonesia

Bali is one of the best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations for those who love summer heat because temperatures in October can go as high as 88°F and low temperatures are around 73°F. It is also a perfect place for active vacation since Bali International Triathlon is held in October (this year on October 15). Writers and literature lovers can enjoy at the UBUD Writer’s and Reader’s Festival (this year it is held from 25^th to 29^th October) that includes various workshops, book launches, literary evenings, etc. Sightseeing options include visiting various temples, Goa Gajah cave, going to safari and visiting Marine Park and many, many other things. Of course, you can always choose to simply chill on the beach.

4. Rome, Italy

The ancient city of Rome is definitely one of the  best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations. The weather is warm during the day and chilly during the night (54°F -73°F) which means that after a long day of sightseeing, you can peacefully sleep without worrying about summer heat. Every year in October, Rome hosts Rome Film Fest and for those who prefer visiting museums, in mid-October there is a La Notte dei Musei event when over 90 Roman museums and cultural spaces open their doors to the public for free.  In October it is still high season in Rome so you can expect crowded streets and restaurants. Speaking of restaurants, fall is a great month for food lovers since you can find a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables in addition to great wines. Last but not the least, city attractions are numerous including: Borghese Gallery, Doria Pamhili Gallery, Colloseum, Vatican Museums, etc. Despite the fact that I was not much of an art-lover when I visited Rome, I was truly amazed that human beings could create such an amazing art pieces. Visit to Rome might change your views, as it did mine.

3. Barcelona, Spain

Remember the movie “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”? Well, we do, we loved Barcelona then, and that’s why we put it on our list of best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations. Besides that, spring and autumn are the perfect seasons to visit Barcelona since the temperatures range from 58°F to 73°F. In October, days are still warm but not unpleasantly hot and you still use the sunny days to visit Llevant Beach or Sant Sebastia beach or you can visit beautiful Catholic Church, Sagrada Familia. Autumn in Barcelona is marked by numerous music and cultural events including: Sitges Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya, LEM festival (festival of multimedia art and experimental music), 48h Open House BCN (two-day city open house when you get access to numerous historic building across the city), International Jazz Festival of Barcelona, In-Edit Beefeater Festival and the end of October brings La Castayanada or Halloween celebration when families gather together to eat chestnuts, marzipan sweets and sweet potatoes.

2. Berlin, Germany

The next on our list of best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations is Berlin, and if you decide to travel to there in October, we guarantee you that you won’t be bored. It is the month of famous Oktoberfest with large, Bavarian-style party tent and of course, original Oktoberfest beer. It’s a great festival for families with kids because while you sip your beer, they can have fun with merry-go-rounds, bumper cars, break dancing, etc. That’s only the beginning of festivities you can find in October. Gloomy weather and lower temperatures (43°F to 55°F) will be forgotten if you visit “Berlin illuminated” event when various buildings are illuminated with light installations, lasers, 3D projections and what not. Everything is accompanied with musical and artistic performances. Other events during October in Berlin include: International Festival of Contemporary Puppet and Object Theater, Festival of Lights and Venus Berlin (world’s leading trade show for erotic entertainment and lifestyle). And of course, there is always sight-seeing and shopping to do.

1. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Shorter and cooler days in October (47°F – 58°F) means simply that a lot of events might take place indoors. Still there are many things to do, which place Amsterdam high on our list. Music lovers can dance and party at Amsterdam Dance event or AMF Amsterdam which is one of the biggest dance music festivals. Fans of electronic music will have a blast. Youngest family members can participate in Cinekid Festival, designed especially for kids. Amsterdam also offers six days of film fun with KLIK Amsterdam Animation Festival featuring a wide selection of top-quality animated films. Read my World festival is the best place for those who wish to explore the boundaries of literature and journalism. According to  I am Amsterdam website, the atmosphere around Amsterdam Marathon is amazing with more than 40,000 people gathering to complete the race or cheer for their loved ones. Halloween celebrations are a big deal in Amsterdam so you might want to pack some nice costumes if you plan to attend Amsterdam Halloween Festival. If you are for a more relaxed version, you can always chill with some space cakes.  Despite lower temperatures, Amsterdam has a lot to offer (we mentioned a couple of ideas), which is why we put it in the first place on our list of best places to travel in October in Europe, Asia and tropical destinations.