Many forested areas of New Zealand are great for viewing fall foliage, but the mountainous region of Central Otago is synonymous with autumn leaves (which peak in April because New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere). Otago is also known for its pinot noir grapes, snow-capped mountains, and historic miners’ trails.

Douro is one of Portugal’s top wine-producing regions, and in the fall, its rows of grape vines begin to change colors, boasting bright red leaves that roll over the hills in the countryside. Leaf peepers can relax with a bottle of wine and enjoy the colorful peaks of the Marao and Montemuro mountains in the distance.

The aptly named Red Leaves Valley is located in the Jiaohe Valley of China’s Jilin province. The annual Red Leaf Tourism Festival brings tourists from all around to view the red maple trees’ transformation every September. Although the region is somewhat remote, there are tour buses that operate during the fall season.

A tree found throughout Alberta's Banff National Park, the larch has become famous for its bright golden hues. During the summer, larches look like most pine species, boasting thousands of green needles. During the fall, these needles change to a brilliant gold color, creating an extraordinary show in the Canadian Rockies.

Skyline Drive runs along the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. In October, the drive becomes a top road tripping destination for fall foliage seekers, thanks to its forested ridges dotted with colorful trees. Fall festivals, mountain biking, hiking, and camping are popular fall activities here.

The Lake District is England’s largest national park. Its mountains and glacial lakes provide a stunning backdrop for leaves of red, purple, yellow, and orange every autumn. The best time to visit is mid-October through November for peak foliage and fall festivals. Hiking, sailing, steamboating, and strolling through scenic gardens are popular activities in the region.

Kyoto is one of the most popular places in Japan to see fall foliage. Located on the island of Honshu, the city is known for its Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and beautiful gardens. Aside from cherry blossom season in the spring, one of the best times to visit Kyoto is in the fall when the maple trees turn a bright crimson color. Peak season typically occurs in November.

The Black Forest, located in southern Germany on the border of France, looks as if it was plucked from a storybook with its quaint Bavarian villages and towering fir trees. As the largest nature reserve in Germany, it is one of the best places in Western Europe to see fall foliage in action while enjoying miles of hiking trails and road tripping routes.

Although the Emerald Isle is known for its greenery, during autumn its national parks burst with fall colors. Formally established in 1991, Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains National Park is one of the best places in the country to watch the seasons change, as trees turn red and the heather grows golden yellow.

The central Romanian region of Transylvania is nestled in the Carpathian Mountains and boasts stunning views alongside medieval castles and Gothic churches. Transylvania is known for mythical tales of vampires, goblins, fairies, and werewolves — providing a perfect spooky backdrop for a fall tour of the region as its hills glow vibrantly with orange and red leaves.

The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River that is famous for its scenic waterfalls and year-round beauty. During the fall, the region turns into a rainbow of reds, oranges, and yellows when various species of maple and oak trees change for the season. Peak leaf peeping season usually occurs during October and early November.

North Carolina and Tennessee are home to the Great Smoky Mountains, a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains. This region is one of the most popular leaf peeping destinations in the U.S. and peaks later in the season than other destinations due to its southern location. By the end of October, the trees in the Great Smoky Mountains take on golden yellows and blazing red hues.

The Patagonia region is located on the southern tip of South America in the Andes Mountain of Chile and Argentina. Because Patagonia is located in the Southern Hemisphere, its fall season runs from March to May. National parks like Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares boast some of the best fall colors in the region.

Most of the aspen forests in the U.S. are found in Utah and Colorado, where the leaves of these trees turn a brilliant golden hue every fall. One of Colorado’s most-visited ski resort towns, Aspen, is also named after the tree. Aspens are found all over the state, but one of the most popular places to view in them is at Rocky Mountain National Park.

By mid-October, the mountains and cliffs of Cuyahoga Valley National Park are teeming with color. With miles of hiking trails and unique rock formations to explore, Cuyahoga is Ohio’s only national park. Sugar and red maples are typically the first trees to change colors, creating a brilliant show of red and orange hues.

Tremblant is a ski resort village named for its famous mountain, Mont Tremblant, located in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, Canada. During autumn, popular activities include hiking, lake cruising, zip-lining, and gondola riding to view the region’s colorful leaves — especially its famous sugar maples, which turn into vibrant orange and red hues.

The ski town of Stowe is located in northern Vermont and boasts the state’s tallest mountain peak, 4,395-foot Mount Mansfield. The trees put on a vibrant show from early September through late October, when visitors can enjoy hiking, scenic drives, gondola rides, and fall festivals among the changing leaves.

Peak fall foliage happens around the second week of September in Lapland, Finland’s northernmost region. Because of Lapland’s location within the Arctic Circle, September is also when the northern lights viewing season begins, making autumn an ideal time to visit and enjoy a “ruskaretki” — the Finnish name for a trip to view fall foliage.

Massachusetts is one of the most popular states in the U.S. to admire fall foliage, and what better location to view autumn colors than at the aptly named October Mountain State Forest? This park’s name is attributed to novelist Herman Melville, who was impressed by the colorful mountains in the region.

The only national park in Maine, Acadia National Park is located on Mount Desert Island on the Atlantic coast, near the town of Bar Harbor. While Acadia boasts year-round recreational opportunities, autumn is one of the most popular times to visit, especially during the middle of October when fall foliage is at its peak.