The best fall foliage tours in the U.S.

Take a three-hour cruise down the “Grand Canyon of the Tennessee River” to see gorgeous fall foliage on the banks. You’ll be on the open-air third deck of the Southern Belle Riverboat with live narration (unfortunately, it is not wheelchair accessible with two flights of stairs) as you enjoy the fall foliage splendor. Pilot house tours on board ship and concessions are also available for purchase. Upgrade your ticket to include a meal with a noon Fall Foliage Lunch Cruise or a Grand Chandelier Dinner and Sunset Cruise.

Join a tour with REI to see autumn’s beautiful colors from an unusual vantage point: a kayak on the Snoqualmie River. Take a two-hour tour on calm waters away from the crowds. You can go in a single or tandem kayak, with no experience necessary. The guides will bring everything you need to get to the most picturesque spots on the river.

This brief, 20-minute ride on a Bristol Mountain Ski Resort ski lift brings you up and over those gorgeous red, gold and orange treetops of the Finger Lakes beauty. You’ll ride in a four-person chairlift up to the summit of Bristol Mountain, where you can take a few hiking trails to continue the day’s fun and catch glimpses of Canandaigua Lake. There’s also a zipline canopy tour and adventure park on the summit.

For three days and two nights, you’ll be in the saddle, going through winding country roads to experience hillsides alight with the Green Mountain State’s incredible fall colors. Along the way, eat gourmet meals and visit craft breweries and maple sugar shacks. You start and end in Burlington, with a triumphant climb up Smuggler’s Notch and visits to Stowe and other beautiful towns.

On this three-hour tour with a small tour group of 20, you’ll drive along the Great River Road, where trees on the limestone bluff pop with their autumnal colors—and you’ll also see reflections in the Mississippi River. You’ll stop at a historic village and general store for vintage treats, Principia College and Pere Marquette State Park (pictured above). Unfortunately, the shuttle bus is not wheelchair accessible.

The Outside Institute’s founding naturalist, Laura Chávez Silverman, leads a group walk through the landscape where leaves turn spectacular colors and mushrooms proliferate! Hone your observation skills to identify fungi species and learn their edible and medicinal properties while paying tribute to the knowledge of the indigenous Lenape people. The walk includes a light snack, and the trail pace is slow and easy. All ages and abilities are welcome, but advance registration is required. The Outside Institute is 90 minutes from NYC and was formed in 2017 to forge a closer connection to nature.

See the glorious spread of the Hudson Valley’s foliage from the vantage point of a helicopter. These tours take off from Manhattan heliports or Westchester County Airport, with a friendly, experienced pilot narrating the landmarks below you, including that lustrous blanket of color. You can book privately or join a group tour with other passengers. Available daily from September 15 through November 15, weather permitting and subject to actual color changes in the foliage.

A two-hour kayak paddle for all ability levels brings you a Sebago Trails guide through the brilliant foliage surrounding Babb’s Bridge and the Presumpscot River. You’ll start at the historic Gambo Dam with a brief paddling demonstration, then head upstream to the beautiful covered bridge and photo opps. On the return, hear about the river's impact on shaping the Sebago Lakes region.

Leave Boston on an 11-hour day trip in a climate-controlled bus as you enjoy the memorable changing fall colors in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. You’ll drive along the Kancamagus Byway, making several stops for pictures of the mountains and leaves. Your guide will share information about the region and help you identify tree varieties. Best of all, take two short hikes to waterfalls, have a leisurely lunch in North Conway (not included, although snacks are), and see the historic Omni Mount Washington Hotel. You can be picked up from your hotel or Airbnb within the greater Boston area.

This isn't just a tour; it's a nine-day vacation. You’ll ride by air-conditioned motor coach with this group tour that begins and ends in Boston and, in between, hits Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine, a covered bridge in Vermont, a visit to the restoration Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, a Vanderbilt mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, and more. Each destination includes profuse opportunities to view fall foliage panoramas.