Where to go
The best places to visit in November, from lantern festivals to winter sun
November is the month most of us want to escape. Six places at their best right now, from the lantern festival in Chiang Mai to truffle season in Piedmont and Thanksgiving in New York.
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By the Nawarat Bridge in Chiang Mai, people light small rice-paper lanterns and let them drift up into the night. The river below is full of floating baskets, each with a candle, hundreds of tiny flames moving slowly downstream. It is the full moon, and the whole city is out.
November is grey across much of Europe and North America, which is precisely why it is a good month to travel. Winter-sun season has begun, prices sit below Christmas and New Year, and several places hold their biggest celebrations now. These six are at their best in November. Europe's Christmas markets open late in the month too, and we cover those separately.
Short answer: where should you go in November?
For festivals, Chiang Mai during Loy Krathong and Oaxaca for the Day of the Dead are the most memorable. For sunshine, Tenerife and Dubai are the best bets, Piedmont is the place for food during truffle season, and New York is at its finest around Thanksgiving.
Best for a festival: Chiang Mai
Best for culture: Oaxaca
Best for food and wine: Piedmont
Best for winter sun in Europe: Tenerife
Best for a city break: New York
The Peninsula New York
The Peninsula on Fifth Avenue, New York.
New York: Thanksgiving and a city getting dressed up
Thanksgiving, on the fourth Thursday of November, is America's biggest holiday, falling on 26 November in 2026. In the morning the Macy's parade carries its giant balloons down through Manhattan, and the rest of the day belongs to family and turkey.
The week after, the holiday season begins. The Fifth Avenue windows are dressed, the ice rinks open and the city takes on the atmosphere you know from the films.
The catch: Thanksgiving weekend is expensive and crowded. Come the week before or after if the parade is not the point.
The Peninsula: on Fifth Avenue
The Peninsula stands on Fifth Avenue at 55th Street, with a rooftop bar and an indoor pool at the top of the building. Central Park and the big department stores are close by. For travellers who want to be in the thick of the festive season.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Peninsula
137 Pillars House
137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai: Loy Krathong and lanterns in the sky
Loy Krathong is celebrated across Thailand on the full moon of the twelfth Thai lunar month, which falls on 25 November in 2026. People float small baskets of banana leaf, flowers and candles on rivers and lakes. In Chiang Mai it coincides with Yi Peng, when lanterns are released into the sky.
Walk along the Ping River and across the Nawarat Bridge in the evening, where locals and visitors launch their lanterns. The old city inside the moat is strung with lights, and the temples stay open late.
The catch: the large organised lantern release at Mae Jo is expensive and aimed at tourists. You will get just as much from celebrating in town, for free.
137 Pillars House: a teak house by the river
137 Pillars House is built around an old teak house that once belonged to a British trading company, in the Wat Gate quarter east of the Ping River. Rooms are generous and the garden stays calm even during the festival. For travellers who want Chiang Mai with history and quiet.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at 137 Pillars House
Oaxaca: the Day of the Dead
In Mexico, 1 and 2 November are the days the dead come home. Families build altars decorated with marigolds, photographs and the favourite food of those they have lost, and at night they gather in the cemeteries with candles and music. Oaxaca is one of the cities where the tradition runs deepest.
The streets fill with painted skull faces, the markets sell sugar skulls and pan de muerto, and the mezcal bars stay open late. It is a celebration, not a day of mourning.
The catch: remember this is a family tradition. Ask before taking photographs in the cemeteries.
Relais San Maurizio
Relais San Maurizio in the Langhe, Piedmont.
Piedmont: white truffles in Alba
From October to early December, Alba hosts its great truffle fair, and November is the height of the white truffle season. In the town market the scent is so strong you notice it before you see the stalls.
Around Alba lie the wine regions of the Langhe and Roero, with Barolo and Barbaresco on the hills. Autumn turns the vineyards red and gold, and the estates welcome visitors once the harvest is in.
The catch: white truffle is expensive and sold by the gram. Order a dish shaved with truffle at a trattoria rather than buying a whole one.
Relais San Maurizio: a monastery in the Langhe
Relais San Maurizio occupies a former monastery on a hilltop near Santo Stefano Belbo, overlooking the vineyards of the Langhe. It has a spa and a celebrated restaurant. For couples who want truffle season well away from the traffic.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Relais San Maurizio
Jumeirah Al Qasr
Jumeirah Al Qasr at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.
Dubai: as the season begins
In November Dubai becomes pleasant again after the summer heat. Beach clubs reopen, outdoor restaurants fill up and desert trips run every day.
See the city from the Burj Khalifa at sunset, take an abra across Dubai Creek to the spice and gold souks, and drive into the desert for dinner under the stars.
The catch: Dubai gets pricier as winter goes on. November often brings better rates than December and January.
Jumeirah Al Qasr: canals and souks at Madinat
Jumeirah Al Qasr sits within Madinat Jumeirah, a resort of canals, souks and abra boats, with its own beach and views of the Burj Al Arab. You can take a boat to dinner in the evening. Stay here for beach and atmosphere in one place.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Jumeirah Al Qasr
The Ritz-Carlton, Abama
Pools and palms at The Ritz-Carlton, Abama, Tenerife.
Tenerife: winter sun without a long flight
The Canary Islands are Europe's most reliable winter sunshine, and November marks the start of the season. Tenerife has its beaches in the south, but also Teide, Spain's highest mountain, where you can walk across lava fields and watch the stars above the clouds.
Drive north to the green Anaga mountains and the old town of La Laguna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The north is cooler and lusher than the south.
The catch: it is cold up on the mountain. Take a jacket to Teide, however warm it is on the beach.
The Ritz-Carlton, Abama: on the cliffs facing La Gomera
The Ritz-Carlton, Abama sits on the cliffs at Guía de Isora on Tenerife's west coast, with gardens, several pools and a beach below. From the terraces you look across to the neighbouring island of La Gomera. A good choice for long winter stays.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Ritz-Carlton, Abama
Good to know before you book
November is shoulder season: prices are lower than over Christmas and New Year almost everywhere. Thanksgiving in the US is the exception.
Festivals follow the moon: Loy Krathong moves every year. Check the date before you book.
Winter sun has started: the Canaries and the Gulf have dependable sunshine from November. Book early for the school holidays.
Christmas markets open late: most European markets open in the second half of November.
November travel: your questions answered
Where is the best place to visit in November?
Chiang Mai during Loy Krathong, Oaxaca for the Day of the Dead and New York around Thanksgiving are the highlights. For sunshine, Tenerife and Dubai are the best choices.
When is Loy Krathong in 2026?
Loy Krathong falls on 25 November 2026, at the full moon. In Chiang Mai it is celebrated together with the Yi Peng lantern festival.
Where is warm in Europe in November?
The Canary Islands are Europe's warmest option in November. Southern Spain and Cyprus can also have mild days.
When is Thanksgiving in 2026?
Thanksgiving is on Thursday 26 November 2026. The Macy's parade runs through Manhattan that morning.
Is November a good time to visit Piedmont?
Yes. November is the heart of white truffle season, and the Alba truffle fair runs into early December.