Autumn getaway in Europe

Picking fruits and vegetables at Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.

Located just outside the Forest of Dean, Tudor Farmhouse has created a quintessential fall getaway with 20 cozy and stylish bedrooms, outdoor fireplaces, and a restaurant offering delivery within a 20-mile radius. Guests staying at this fall retreat will have the opportunity to go hunting for wild garlic, berries, mushrooms, and herbs in the surrounding forest with the farmhands. Then, with the ingredients gathered, the chef will prepare a delicious lunch for everyone.

• The overnight package for each couple costs £300, including a fruit and vegetable picking experience, lunch, and dinner.
• Website: tudorfarmhousehotel.co.uk

Experience the Notte Bianca festival in Valletta, Malta.

Every October, on a beautiful evening, the streets of Valletta come alive with a vibrant celebration of music, dance, film, visual arts, literature, and digital art. The streets and squares transform into open-air art galleries, cinemas, and concert venues. Even better, museums and palaces offer free entry! This year, the Notte Bianca festival will be held on October 6th. However, if you can't make it that day, you can still experience other cultural events throughout the autumn, right after Valletta concludes its year as European Capital of Culture.

• At the recently renovated Phoenicia Hotel, prices for three nights range from £797, including airfare if booked through Kirker Holidays.
• Website: kirkerholidays.com

Take a leisurely stroll to explore the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands.

For many visitors, autumn is the most beautiful time of year in the Highlands, as it's when most tourists have left and, more importantly, the mosquitoes are no longer a nuisance. Instead, the wild fields are covered in a vibrant and mesmerizing reddish-brown hue. Take time to stroll and immerse yourself in the beauty of Scotland's Wilderness by visiting Plodda Falls, wandering through the Great Glen along the riverbanks at Loch Oich, and exploring the wild forests of Glen Affic.

• The Highland Autumn Tour runs throughout October. The price for two is £1,150, including four nights' accommodation in an eco-friendly hotel, meals, transfers from Inverness, and a guided walking tour.
• Website: wildernessscotland.com

The small woodcutter's house in Suffolk

It's hard to imagine a more romantic autumn getaway than Hex Cottage – a thatched cottage belonging to a retired forest officer. This small forest cottage uses no electricity, relying solely on candles for lighting and offering its own private meadow views. Hex Cottage is located within the Wilderness Reserve – a vast area boasting a constantly evolving collection of charming lodges. The list of activities visitors can try seems endless: fishing or boating on the lake, cycling around the area, trying archery or shooting pigeons with clay, learning bushcraft skills, or booking a campfire trial (£30), watching the sunset while enjoying mulled wine, marshmallows, and hot chocolate. Mulled wine is a wine that has been heated and sweetened with spices, often drunk warm as a traditional winter drink in some countries.

• The price for a weekend stay at Hex Cottage starts from around £650.
• Website: wildernessreserve.com

Apple harvest and fruit beer making season in Devon

From learning traditional logging techniques to assisting rangers with post-harvest work, the National Trust offers a wealth of opportunities for visitors to enjoy the outdoors. This experience will be available this fall, during public holidays. At Killerton House in Devon, from October 7-13, volunteers can help rangers harvest apples and learn how to use a 19th-century press to make cider.

• The cost is £150, which includes accommodation in a small cottage (like a farmhouse) for 6 nights and all meals.
• Website: nationaltrust.org.uk

Hiking and house parties in Spain

For two decades, Georgina Howard has hosted stylish home-style walking parties and cultural holidays at her holiday home in the foothills of Spain's Pyrenees. The Baztan Valley is a stronghold of Basque mountain culture, with its autumn walking week running from October 5th to 12th – coinciding with the ancient mushroom festival. This week includes leisurely walks (with guides) through mountain meadows and whitewashed villages, a wine tasting, and a private Basque concert. Evenings typically feature three-course meals around a farm table. Here, visitors can choose between self-guided or guided walks.

• The cost ranges from £649 to £895 per person. This includes full accommodation with a private bathroom (no extra charge), all meals at restaurants, and airport transfer from Biaritz Airport.
• Website: pyreneanexperience.com

Wine tasting in Tuscany, Italy

The sprawling vineyards of the Tre Rose region in Tuscany produce the renowned Nobile di Montepulciano – the first wine in Italy to receive DOCG recognition. At the heart of this region lies a medieval village transformed into a charming and lovely country hotel. Guests at Borgo Tre Rose can enjoy guided tours and wine tastings in the cellars or restaurant, where wines are paired with local specialties such as chicken liver pâté, homemade pappardelle pasta, and Pienza pecorino. The elegant bedrooms feature Tuscan-style terracotta floors and wooden beam ceilings. Be sure to sign up for cooking classes, horseback riding, mountain biking, or explore Cortona, Pienza, and Montalcino!

• A 7-night holiday booked with Sunvil costs from £770 for 2 people on a B&B basis and includes flights and car rental.
• Website: sunvil.co.uk

Food festival in Normandy, France

Normandy's towns and villages will host a series of food festivals starting in late September. Take a ferry to Honfleur for Fête de la Crevette (October 6-7) and spend the weekend at the food stalls. Don't forget to sample the seafood pie, the boat events celebrating the port's maritime heritage, and its specialty – prawns. Activities then move inland to Rouen for Fête du Ventre (October 13-14), a gastronomic festival, and witness firsthand the streets around Place du Vieux Marché transformed into a food market and open-air restaurants. As the kingdom of fruit beers, Normandy will have free production at Fête de la Pomme and du Cidre et du Fromage in the village of Conches-en-Ouche (October 28). With its agricultural markets, folk music, and pop-up eateries, the country attracts up to 35,000 visitors.

• For a full list of festivals, see bit.ly/normandyfoodfests
• Sawday's offers a wide range of accommodation options in Normandy.

A medieval house in Monmouthshire

Llwyn is one of the outstanding remaining examples of medieval Welsh home. Thanks to the Landmark Trust – which has restored the 15th-century building to its former glory – the holiday home will be available for rent from the end of this month. Use it as a base to explore the ruins reminiscent of Llanthony Priory – a house once part of the Augustinian priesthood – or explore the many hiking and cycling trails in the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons.

• A 4-night stay for 8 people starts from £880.
• Website: landmarktrust.org.uk

Cycling along the Julian Alps, Slovenia

Why don't you sign up for a 5-day cycling trip called..."The shade of the Julian Alps"How about this October? You're sure to witness the most beautiful moments of autumn in Slovenia! Starting from the shores of Lake Bled, this self-guided tour will take you to Bled Castle, the waterfalls and gorges of Vintgar, meadows dotted with traditional dry grasslands, forests, and ancient villages. The 6-night trip is considered a moderately challenging experience for travelers.

• The price is around £798, including hotel accommodation, some meals, bicycle rental, and luggage transfer. Flights to Ljubljana will be charged separately.
• Website: inntravel.co.uk

Discover Camargue, France

Known for its black bulls, white horses, and flamingos, Camargue comes alive in autumn as thousands of birds descend from their nests to land in the region's shallow lagoons. Stay at the charming Grand Hotel Nord-Pinus in nearby Arles to explore the town's magnificent Roman ruins and take birdwatching and horseback riding excursions in Camargue National Park.

• Double beds start from £152 per night. Ryanair has flights to Nîmes – 25 km from Arles – starting from £20 for a round trip.
• Website: nord-pinus.com/en, ryanair.com

Enjoy the autumn sunshine in Algarve, Portugal.

To enjoy the last rays of sunshine before winter arrives, don't hesitate to pack your bags and head to the Algarve – where the scorching summer heat has been tempered. Along with that, the olive and wine harvests are in full swing. Pensão Agrícola is a rustic yet stylish boutique hotel housed in a renovated farmhouse, surrounded by orchards of oranges, figs, and almonds. These gardens opened three years ago and have since quickly become a popular tourist attraction. If you can escape the grounds, heated pools, and delicious home-cooked meals, the nearby charming town of Tavira or the secluded beaches of the Rio Formosa Delta are perfect alternatives.

• Double rooms start from £173 per night.
• Website: i-escape.com

Hai Hien