The Best Cities to Visit in October (2026)

October, Halloween and half-term month, is one of the great months for travel for solo travellers, couples and families alike: summer's heat has broken, the autumn light is extraordinary, and destinations across Europe, North America, and the Southern Hemisphere are equally appealing. Half term often runs for two weeks in some schools, making it the perfect time to indulge in a longer-than-usual break. Here are five cities that come into their own in October as recommended by The Hotel Guru.

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague in October is one of Europe's most atmospheric cities at one of its most atmospheric times of year. The summer's tourist density has dropped away, the light through the autumn trees along the Vltava is warm and gold, and the city's extraordinary architectural concentration — Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau, Cubist — is best appreciated without the crowds, so there's enough space to stand back and look. The Old Town Square, Charles Bridge at dusk, the lesser-known streets of Malá Strana, the Mucha Museum, and the Prague Castle complex all deserve unhurried appreciation. October also brings the International Jazz Festival and the Signal Festival of light art to the city.

• Mosaic House is a sustainable design hotel in a prime New Town location, a ten-minute walk from Charles Bridge and Old Town Square. The 94 individually furnished rooms include two rooftop penthouse suites with extraordinary views over the city's golden spires. The hotel's eco-conscious approach includes sustainable materials, energy efficiency, a green courtyard, a serious café and bar, a wellness space, and free bicycle hire. 
• Dům u Velké Boty (House at the Big Boot) is a historic property in the Malá Strana district, one of Prague's most charming and least touristy quarters, tucked between the castle and Charles Bridge. Its intimate scale, period furnishings, and location on one of the Lesser Town's most beautiful streets give it a character that feels authentically Prague rather than an international boutique formula.
• Iron Gate Hotel & Suites is a 14th-century building on Michalská Street in the Old Town, converted into a suite-only boutique hotel with considerable historic depth. The original Gothic and Renaissance architectural features have been preserved throughout, and the 43 suites are among the most spacious in the city centre. The location between Old Town Square and the Estates Theatre, where Don Giovanni had its premiere, is unrivalled.
• Domus Balthasar is a small boutique hotel in a Baroque building on the Royal Route in Malá Strana, on the cobbled path that leads from Prague Castle down to Charles Bridge and into the Old Town. The hotel was named one of The Times' Hot 100 best hotels in Europe, and the building's extraordinary position on the city's most historically significant route justifies the attention. The eight rooms preserve original architectural features from multiple periods, and the intimacy of the property — just staff and guests — gives it a genuinely private atmosphere.

Franschhoek, South Africa

Franschhoek in October is the South African spring in the Cape Winelands, and one of the most beautiful landscapes on the continent: the valley floor green from the winter rains, the fruit trees in blossom, the vineyards beginning their growing season, and the mountain backdrop of the Franschhoekberg range at its sharpest and clearest. The town itself, with its French Huguenot heritage, its world-class restaurants, and its Saturday and Sunday markets, is one of the great foodie destinations on earth. October comes before the summer heat and holiday crowds, making it the ideal time to visit.

• The Last Word Franschhoek is a highly personal boutique hotel in the heart of the town, run with the warmth and precision that the Last Word group brings to each of its small South African properties. The suites are beautifully appointed, the service is deeply attentive, and its position on Franschhoek's main street puts guests within walking distance of the town's finest restaurants and galleries.
• Leeu Estates is the flagship property of the Leeu Collection: a 19th-century Cape Dutch manor house on 68 acres of vineyards in the Franschhoek valley, set against the Dassenberg mountains. The 24 rooms and suites, some in the restored manor house, others in private cottages across the estate, feature pastel tones, patterned wallpaper, vibrant local artworks, and bathrooms with rolltop baths. The estate's wine is produced in partnership with the celebrated Mullineux family, and the restaurant La Petite Colombe, under the La Colombe team, is one of the best in South Africa. An art collection of considerable scope, a spa, and a pool complete an estate of genuine magnificence.
• La Petite Ferme is a wine estate hotel two kilometres east of the town, at the base of the Franschhoek Pass, with vineyards, mountain views, and a restaurant long considered one of the valley's best. The setting is exceptionally peaceful, the rooms look directly onto the valley, and the sense of being on a working farm while having access to world-class wine and cooking is quintessentially Winelands.
• Farm Stay at Rickety Bridge is a tranquil guesthouse in the Franschhoek valley with rooms overlooking the estate's vineyards and the mountains behind, a pool, and the unhurried atmosphere of a private home. The scale is intimate, the surrounding landscape is beautiful, and its proximity to the town's restaurants and cellars makes it a practical, peaceful base.

Reims, France

Reims in October is Champagne country at its most golden: the harvest has just completed, the cellars are receiving their new wines, and the great Champagne houses — Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Charles Heidsieck — are running cellar tours through their extraordinary chalk caves beneath the city. The Gothic cathedral of Notre-Dame de Reims, where the kings of France were crowned for centuries and which was painstakingly rebuilt after near-total destruction in the First World War, is one of Europe's most important buildings. October is exactly the right time to visit.

• L'Assiette Champenoise is, first and foremost, one of the finest restaurants in France: Arnaud Lallement's three-Michelin-starred kitchen has earned the property a place among the great French tables. The attached hotel — 25 rooms and suites with moody contemporary interiors, clean lines, colourful accent walls, and the occasional replica of an iconic French painting above the bed — serves guests who have come specifically to eat here and want to stay the night. The indoor pool with floor-to-ceiling garden views, the Champagne served on the terrace or by the fire, and the quality of every interaction make it a very special experience.
• La Caserne Chanzy is a luxury hotel converted from a former fire station directly opposite the cathedral, opened in 2019 as a Marriott Autograph Collection property. The rooms are modern in design with floor-to-ceiling windows, many with direct cathedral views, and the hotel's Deep Nature Spa has a sensory pool and a comprehensive treatment menu. La Grande Georgette restaurant on the ground floor is one of the city's more reliable kitchens, with an excellent champagne list.
• Résidence Eisenhower is a restored mansion in the centre of Reims, just steps from the cathedral, with eight guest rooms decorated in soft pastels, delicate florals, and vintage furniture. The hotel has a dedicated Michelin-starred chef, champagne is ever-present, and the atmosphere is of an extraordinarily refined private house. It is named for General Eisenhower, who accepted the German surrender at Reims in May 1945.
• Château de Sacy is a five-star property in the village of Sacy, six kilometres from Reims, nestled in the vineyards with twelve rooms, a spa, and a restaurant by chef Andy Bouglé that champions the produce of the Champagne region. The white-on-white rooms have vineyard views, the bar is a very good place to drink Champagne, and the peace of being in the vines rather than the city is considerable.

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Santa Fe in October is extraordinary: the cottonwood trees along the Rio Grande Valley turn gold in the first weeks of October, the temperatures are perfect, and the city's concentration of art galleries, museums, and cuisine — which draws on New Mexican, Native American, and Spanish colonial traditions simultaneously — is at its most vivid. The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, the Palace of the Governors, Canyon Road's gallery corridor, and the historic Plaza are all compelling. The Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque is an hour's drive south. Santa Fe has more artists per capita than any city in the United States, and in October, they are all at work.

• Hotel Chimayo de Santa Fe takes its name and inspiration from the historic village of Chimayo, 30 minutes north (it's one of the most sacred sites in the American Southwest), and brings a reverent, craft-focused sensibility to the Santa Fe hotel scene. The rooms use local materials, indigenous art, and offer a strong connection to the landscape, making this one of the most authentically New Mexican hotel experiences in the city.
• Hotel St Francis occupies a beautifully restored 1923 building on Don Gaspar Avenue in the historic downtown, with 83 rooms that draw on the city's Spanish Colonial heritage. The hotel's afternoon tea — a Santa Fe institution — takes place in the lobby beneath 28-foot ceilings and carved vigas, and the overall atmosphere is of a thoughtful, historically engaged property that takes its surroundings seriously.
• La Fonda on the Plaza is Santa Fe's most historic hotel, a descendant of the inn that has stood on the Plaza since 1607 and was rebuilt in its current form in 1922. The 180 rooms are individually decorated with New Mexican art and hand-painted furniture, and the hotel's lobby, with its tinwork and carved woodwork, remains one of the most distinctive interiors in the American Southwest. The Bell Tower Bar at sunset, overlooking the Plaza and the mountains beyond, is a Santa Fe essential.
• Casa Culinaria is a more intimate option: a small inn near the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum with six individually designed rooms that make their culinary focus explicit: the breakfasts are serious and the recommendations for the city's restaurant scene are invaluable. The atmosphere is of a very well-run, very personal property.

Melbourne, Australia

A visit to Melbourne in October ensures you can experience the city's spring at its most exuberant: the Royal Botanic Gardens in full bloom, the Melbourne Cup racing carnival underway (the first Tuesday in November is the race that stops the nation, but October brings the lead-up events), the city's extraordinary coffee and food culture operating at full capacity, and the galleries, live music venues, and laneway bars that distinguish Melbourne from every other Australian city all in full swing. The Great Ocean Road to the south-west, the Yarra Valley wineries to the east, and the Mornington Peninsula are all within easy day-trip distance.

• United Places Botanic Gardens is a small luxury hotel directly opposite the Royal Botanic Gardens in the South Yarra neighbourhood, with just 20 suites, each with its own kitchen or kitchenette and generous living spaces. The service has a personal and anticipatory quality that comes from a staff-to-guest ratio that would be impossible in a larger property. 
• Treasury on Collins occupies a beautifully restored 1870s heritage building in the heart of the CBD, with 162 rooms and suites that combine 19th-century architectural grandeur (sandstone facades, soaring ceilings, ornate detailing) with a thoroughly contemporary interior. The location on the Paris End of Collins Street puts guests in Melbourne's most elegant retail and dining corridor.
• The Lyall Hotel is a long-established boutique hotel in South Yarra with 40 suites, a day spa, and an intimate atmosphere that larger Melbourne properties cannot replicate. The rooms are spacious and well-appointed, the service is warm and personal, and the South Yarra neighbourhood, with its excellent cafés, restaurants, and shopping, is one of Melbourne's most pleasant places to be based.
• 1 Hotel Melbourne brings the American eco-luxury brand's first Australian property to the city, occupying a striking building in the Southbank arts precinct near the National Gallery of Victoria. The rooms use natural, sustainable materials throughout, the rooftop pool and bar have excellent city views, and the hotel's commitment to environmental responsibility is embedded in every aspect of the operation rather than being merely cosmetic.

Still not sure? 

• Browse through our full list of accommodation options in Sydney
• Refine your search to include our recommendations for The Best Five Star Hotels in Cape Town
• Alternatively, you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.