The key facts

  • IgluCruise compiled a top-10 list of destinations for autumn foliage, evaluating 40 popular places
  • Quebec City took the lead; New England, contrary to expectations, did not take first place
  • The only European destination in the top 10 is the Wachau Valley in Austria (6th place)

New study identifies the best places for admiring autumn colors

At the height of the autumn foliage-viewing season, IgluCruise published a ranking of the best destinations. Specialists evaluated 40 popular places by a number of indicators: the density of deciduous forests, the daily number of hours of autumn sunshine, the choice of local excursions and the growth in search queries. Based on the analysis, a top-10 list of places with the brightest autumn colors was compiled.

Quebec City — the leader of the ranking

Surprising to many, New England did not take first place. The leader was Quebec City in Canada — thanks to the high density of forests, the large number of available excursions and the growth of interest in search queries. Third place went to Burlington in the state of Vermont.

Kyoto and the tradition of momijigari

Second place went to Kyoto in Japan, where the tradition of momijigari — admiring autumn foliage — is popular. Every year, the Japan Meteorological Corporation (JMC) publishes forecasts of the best periods for observing red maples and yellow ginkgo trees. According to the forecast for 2026, the best date for contemplating red leaves in Kyoto is December 11, and the ginkgo leaves will turn yellow around November 27.

The USA and Canada dominate the list

The USA is represented in the top 10 by four destinations: besides Burlington, these are Portland, Maine (fourth place), Jackson, New Hampshire (fifth) and Bar Harbor, Maine (seventh). Canada, besides the leader, has two more cities on the list: Halifax, Nova Scotia (ninth place) and Saguenay, Quebec (tenth). Japan also has two cities: Hiroshima took eighth place.

The only European entry in the top 10 — the Wachau Valley

The only European destination in the ranking is the Wachau Valley in Austria, which took sixth place. From the capital Vienna, the valley is about an hour away by train. The Danube flows here, making the place popular for river cruises. The valley, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known for its vineyards and traditional wine taverns.

The full top 10

1. Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. 2. Kyoto, Japan. 3. Burlington, Vermont, USA. 4. Portland, Maine, USA. 5. Jackson, New Hampshire, USA. 6. Wachau Valley, Austria. 7. Bar Harbor, Maine, USA. 8. Hiroshima, Japan. 9. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 10. Saguenay, Quebec, Canada.