Best Time to Visit New York in the Fall (and What to Do)

Fall in New York is a show. The trees put on their best colors and the weather is perfect for exploring the city without summer's stifling heat. Visiting New York in the fall is one of the best ideas in the world!

When is fall in New York?

Fall in New York officially starts on September 22 and runs through December 21.

I recommend planning your trip between September and October. During those months the temperature is very pleasant and all the prices are low season.

November is a good month if you don't mind the cold. Another plus: you can already feel the famous New York Christmas in the air.

As for December, the whole city is decorated with lights and garlands by then, but New York's harsh winter is right around the corner. You'll need to bundle up.

New York temperatures in fall

(The links have more details on the weather and what to do each month)

🍂 September in NYC is ideal, between 24 and 16 ºC

🎃 October in NYC is a little colder, between 18 and 10 ºC

🦃 In November in NYC the low can drop to 5 ºC

🎅 In December in NYC lows reach -1 ºC. Dress warm!

Places to visit in fall in New York

There's plenty to do in fall in New York. Below I recommend the places and activities you shouldn't miss if you travel at this time of year:

1. Wander the parks during fall in New York

Visiting Central Park is worth it every single trip. With each change of season you'll see different sides of one of the most famous parks in the world.

But without a doubt, the first months of fall in New York (September and October) are two of the most beautiful of the year.

I especially recommend crossing the most important bridges in Central Park. From there you get a prime view of the trees changing color.

But beyond Central Park there are many other New York parks to discover. In each one you can walk trails lined with trees in shades of red, orange and yellow that you'll never forget. It's the best show of the fall in New York.

A fun, fast way to cover them is by bike, though only through October, since after that it gets very cold (read the guide to renting bikes in New York).

2. Visit the Hudson Valley in the fall

Visiting the Hudson Valley in the fall is an unforgettable experience.

For example, you can visit Sleepy Hollow, the town of the Headless Horseman, just 50 minutes from New York by train!

Along the way you'll enjoy the fall scenery of upstate New York, and you can also tour the Rockefeller mansion.

Another outing I recommend during fall in New York is the Storm King Art Center, an open-air museum of enormous sculptures, also about an hour north by train.

3. Shop the sales and clearance deals

In New York, like everywhere in the United States, there are several sale seasons with impressive discounts.

In the fall, between October 8 and 11, it's the Columbus Day sales, and the third week of November brings the famous Black Friday deals.

If you're traveling on other dates and want good prices on clothes, shoes and accessories, you can always shop at Woodbury Common Outlets, with discounts of up to 70% on top brands all year long.

4. Watch the Halloween Parade in Manhattan

The New York Halloween Parade is an annual tradition held in Manhattan's Village every October 31. If you're in the city on that date, it's something you have to see.

If you're traveling to New York with kids, you'll have a great time as a family at one of the pumpkin-picking events just outside the city. In the post about October in New York I go into more detail.

5. Cheer on the New York Marathon runners

In the fall New York fills up with athletes, because the famous New York Marathon takes place the first Sunday of November. Read where to watch the New York City Marathon live. In the link I tell you the best spots to cheer for the runners.

If you're one of the brave Marathon participants, or a friend or relative coming to support them, here are some hotels near the marathon finish line so you can head straight to rest or celebrate.

6. Watch the Thanksgiving Parade

The Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place the last Thursday of November. If you're traveling with kids, I recommend joining in on this celebration.

It's an annual family tradition in the United States, a beautiful event where you'll get to see Santa arrive in the city 🎅🎶.

This event marks the arrival of Christmas in New York (in the link I tell you everything you can do around that time).

7. Take guided tours in fall in New York

If you're short on time, guided tours in Spanish are an excellent option, especially in the fall when the city is wearing its best colors.

Here are some of the tours with the best reviews from travelers:

• New York Contrasts Tour: they'll take you to New York's most iconic attractions in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
• Full Day in Washington DC: did you know you can visit the US capital from New York? There are day tours. Take advantage!
• Full Day in Philadelphia: less than 2 hours from NYC is Rocky's city, where the Declaration of Independence was signed. You can also visit Amish villages.

Did you know there are free tours in Spanish in New York? They're short guided walks, and at the end you just tip the guide based on how happy you were 😀.

You could even do all of them! But you need to book your spot in advance (they sell out fast):

👻 Free New York mysteries tour, my top pick during Halloween month!

🏙️ Free tour of Downtown Manhattan

🇮🇹 Free tour of Chinatown and Little Italy

🏢 Free walking tour of Manhattan's Village

🎨 Brooklyn street art tour

New York in other seasons

If you're visiting New York at another time of year, here's the weather forecast for each season, along with ideas for what to see.

These guides will help too:

⛱️ What to do in summer in New York.

🌸 What to do in spring in New York.

⛄ What to do in winter in New York.