Spring has sprung, which means it’s a good time to reserve a color cruise for fall 2025. The colorful leaves of autumn are always a beautiful sight – especially when reflected in water.
The Atlantic Coast of New England and Canada is a classic destination for fall color cruising.
The region’s red maple, sugar maple and birch trees are prized for their vibrant fall shades; mixed with towering pines and oaks, they create a spectacular display. New England and Canada cruises feature ports that are fun to explore, such as:
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- Boston, Massachusetts - It’s delightful to see the famous sights of Boston – like the Freedom Trail, the Old North Church, Boston Common, Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market – when they are edged by pops of fall color.
- Bar Harbor, Maine - This charming resort town shares Mount Desert Island with a major portion of Acadia National Park. There are beaches, rocky shorelines, glacier-smoothed granite peaks and forested hiking trails to explore.
- Halifax, Nova Scotia - Halifax has a lovely waterfront with one of the world’s longest boardwalks. At the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, gunners dressed in historic Royal Artillery uniforms carry out the daily ceremony of firing a cannon at noon.
- Quebec City, Quebec - If your cruise includes a sail up the Saint Lawrence River, you might call on the beautiful capital of Quebec. Have tea at the fabulous Chateau Frontenac Hotel and visit historic Battlefields Park, so pretty that it’s hard to picture the battles once fought there.
Click the destination names in blue-green above for featured sailings in Fall 2025
If you’re looking for another cruise destination where you can admire fall colors while on the water and on shore, here are a few in different parts of the world:
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- Japan - The forested northern islands of Japan display beautiful fall colors, with the mountainsides around Kyoto being particularly scenic.
- Portugal - The Douro Valley wine region doesn’t have many tall trees, but river cruise ships sail past hillsides of terraced vineyards where the grapevines turn lovely colors.
- Germany - Some river cruises on the Danube pass through Bavaria, where the foothills of the Bavarian Alps are a carpet of color each fall.
Click the destination names in blue-green above for featured sailings in Fall 2025
Whatever fall color region you choose to sail in, remember that this cruise season is quite short. Peak color usually begins in mid to late September and often lasts only through mid-October.
Be sure to talk with Emily Jones of Bliss Vacations soon about reserving a glorious color cruise for fall 2025.