Best places to travel in November

November is a month of lights. Chiang Mai’s lanterns rise for Yi Peng, Bangkok floats candles for Loy Krathong, Varanasi lines the ghats with lamps for Dev Deepawali and Pushkar hosts its famous camel fair. Further north, Kyoto turns red and gold for its autumn leaves.

These are the best places to travel in November, picked from our city guides using their own weather, crowds and daily costs.

🌍 The best places to travel in November

📍 Chiang Mai, Thailand

☀️ 30° average high👥 very busy💶 about €17 a day

Yi Peng fills Chiang Mai’s sky with lanterns in November, at about 30°, and the cool, dry season is starting. Temples, night markets and the mountains on the edge of town are at their best. It’s very busy, and about €17 a day on a shoestring.

📍 Pushkar, India

☀️ 29° average high👥 very busy💶 about €13 a day

Pushkar’s camel fair draws tens of thousands in November, at about 29°. A holy lake ringed by white ghats, a rare temple to Brahma and sunset from a hilltop shrine make it one of India’s most atmospheric small towns. At about €13 a day, it’s the cheapest pick here.

📍 Varanasi, India

☀️ 29° average high👥 very busy💶 about €13 a day

Dev Deepawali lights up the ghats of Varanasi in November, at about 29°. Pilgrims bathe at dawn, and the evening aarti fills the riverbank in the holiest city in India. It’s intense, unmissable and about €13 a day on a shoestring.

📍 Kyoto, Japan

☀️ 17° average high👥 very busy💶 about €48 a day

Autumn leaves make November one of Kyoto’s two great months, at about 17°. Temples and gardens turn red and gold, and the city is very busy for it. Budget about €48 a day on a shoestring.

📍 Hanoi, Vietnam

☀️ 26° average high👥 very busy💶 about €15 a day

Our Hanoi guide calls November excellent, at about 26°. It’s the perfect weather for walking the old quarter and its lakes, eating street food on plastic stools and drinking egg coffee. A shoestring day is about €15.

📍 Bangkok, Thailand

☀️ 32° average high👥 busy💶 about €21 a day

Loy Krathong falls in November in Bangkok, at about 32°, as the rains end and the cool season begins. Golden temples, river boats and the best street food on earth are all here, and it’s worth four days, not two. Budget about €21 a day.

📍 Muscat, Oman

☀️ 29° average high👥 busy💶 about €50 a day

Oman’s National Day is in November, and Muscat is back to a comfortable 29°. The white capital below bare mountains has one of the world’s most beautiful mosques and wadis and forts within a couple of hours. A shoestring day is about €50.

📍 Athens, Greece

☀️ 19° average high👥 very quiet💶 about €43 a day

November is marathon month in Athens, pleasant and empty at about 19°. It’s the best time for museums and ancient sites without queues, and still mild enough for terraces. Budget about €43 a day.

🏛️ Best places for culture in November

Our culture guides with good weather in November, the most hostels first.

1. 1BangkokThailand32°, busy
2. 2Chiang MaiThailand30°, very busy
3. 3Ho Chi Minh CityVietnam31°, fairly busy
4. 4RomeItaly17°, quiet
5. 5KathmanduNepal23°, very busy
6. 6DubaiUnited Arab Emirates30°, busy

💸 Cheapest places to travel in November

Good weather in November and the lowest shoestring budget.

1. 1VaranasiIndia€13 a day
2. 2PushkarIndia€13 a day
3. 3AmritsarIndia€13 a day
4. 4KolkataIndia€14 a day
5. 5HanoiVietnam€15 a day
6. 6VientianeLaos€15 a day

🤫 Quietest places to visit in November

Good weather and quiet or very quiet in November.

1. 1Hoi AnVietnam27°, very quiet
2. 2Koh TaoThailand29°, very quiet
3. 3Koh SamuiThailand29°, very quiet
4. 4Koh PhanganThailand29°, very quiet
5. 5Da NangVietnam27°, very quiet
6. 6HueVietnam26°, very quiet