Is summer really over?! As our kids start school again and we settle down after our summer adventures, our families adjust to new teachers, new classrooms, new drop off locations and times, and new friends. And one thing that helps us get through the challenging transitions is thinking about our next trip 😛

While some of us might already be looking ahead to next summer (I see you, fellow overachievers!), there are still pockets of vacation and long weekends to be enjoyed in the fall.

Here are some of our favorite fall adventures to do with our families in The Bay and beyond, depending on how much time you have.

What are your family’s favorite destinations for the fall? Tell us in the comments below.

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Top Family-Friendly Autumn Vacation Destinations for a Weekend

Visit a Local Campground

We encourage your family to get out and experience nature every chance you get! In the Bay Area, we are lucky to have mild weather that makes camping possible year-round. Pack up the kids and your gear and find yourself a campsite at a nearby national park, state park, national forest, or privately run campground.

Brentwood

If you’re looking for fall vibes in The Bay, a visit to the pumpkin patch is where it’s at. Our favorite pumpkin patch, Smith Family Farm in Brentwood, offers pumpkins, farm animals, live music, a ton of the cutest scarecrows around, corndogs, and a fruit stand you can’t pass up. Brentwood is located about an hour or so from the East Bay Area and makes a great day-trip option.

Take a Day Trip

We’re big fans of day trips since we can find ourselves in a new place yet still be home for bedtime. It’s such a privilege for us to live in the Bay Area where amazing day trip destinations are plentiful and weather is often mild year-round. Check out our family’s favorites at the link below.

Top Family-Friendly Autumn Vacation Destinations for a Week+

These destinations are great options for Thanksgiving week or other long breaks from school.

Go on a Road Trip

We’ve taken some amazing extended road trips in the fall, from Delano in honor of Filipino American History Month, to Joshua Tree National Park. Pick a driveable destination on your bucketlist and go!

Mexico City

It was love at first sight when we visited Mexico City (CDMX), and it will always have a special place in our family’s hearts for its lovely, historic, and vibrant neighborhoods and incredible food.

Click below to see why CDMX is one of our favorite international destinations for families.

Lisbon & Porto

Just as in summer, Lisbon and Porto in Portugal are lovely destinations for a fall family vacay, even one with your extended family. Angel and her family visited Portugal during the Thanksgiving school break. The food is delicious, the wine is plentiful, and the cities are full of history, being some of the oldest centers in Europe. Plus, there are castles galore.

Vancouver

O Canada! Vancouver is an excellent choice to visit with your young kids because it is a short flight from the Bay Area, has mild weather, and is full of outdoor adventure.

Coastal Mexico

As the weather starts to cool down in The Bay, you might be clamoring for warm beaches like those found in Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, and Cancun. We checked out an all-inclusive resort in Puerto Vallarta over the summer—read our honest review on Fodor’s at the link below.

Paris

We love Paris in the fall for reduced crowds and milder weather. Eat, explore, fall in love, repeat.

Honorable Mentions

Arizona & Utah

If the outdoors and amazing rocks are your thing, check out Arizona and Utah. There is a six-week window in the autumn where camping and visiting the state and national parks boast mild weather before the campgrounds close for the winter in mid-October.

Family travel during the fall season in the U.S. can be a little more limited with fewer school breaks, but it’s still possible to cultivate that sense of adventure—you just have to be creative! We hope our fellow BIPOC and Bay Area-based family travelers enjoy these recs.

What are your favorite autumn destinations for family-friendly travel? What did we miss? Share in the comments below.

Angelica

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Angelica (she/her) is of Cebuano(Pilipinx)-descent and was born and raised in Huchiun Ohlone territory (the East Bay Area--pay your Shuumi Land Tax!), where she also now resides with her partner and their toddler. She loves to spend her time sipping on boba and dirty chai lattes (sometimes together), and eating pescetarian goodies at BIPOC-owned cafes and restaurants.