Grand Canyon to Kyoto: 9 fall journeys to guide utilizing factors and miles

Back-to-school shopping and pumpkin spice drinks at Starbucks mean one thing: Fall is officially around the corner.

If you’ve been thinking about taking a trip this fall using your hard-earned points and miles, now’s the time to book. Cash prices are likely to rise, and award availability is likely to diminish. Therefore, if you have airline miles or hotel points in your account, it may be a great time to book a small getaway this fall. Plus, if you earn transferable credit card rewards, you have even more options on how you can maximize your points.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the top destinations to visit this fall — both close to home and across the ocean — and how to book flights and hotels using points and miles.

Award pricing was accurate at the time of publishing.

Related: The most underrated European destinations

Explore the Grand Canyon using points and miles

If adventure travel is on your radar, consider a trip to the Grand Canyon.

Fall is an ideal time to visit this iconic national park because it’s less crowded, and the weather isn’t as hot as during those brutal summer months. Although most people don’t usually picture its trees, the Grand Canyon is full of them, and they’re bursting with color in the fall. Just keep in mind that while the South Rim (the park’s most popular area) and Grand Canyon West are open year-round, the North Rim is open seasonally from mid-May through mid-October.

The closest major international airport to the South Rim is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). It’s approximately a 3 1/2-hour drive to the South Rim, so be sure to read our tips on renting a car on points and miles. Plus, now it’s easier to get to your rental car using the Sky Train.

PHX is served by most major U.S. carriers but is a hub for American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

We found American award flights for as low as 6,000 AAdvantage miles each way from West Coast cities like Seattle and San Francisco, and from 7,000 to 10,000 miles each way from various East Coast cities including New York, Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

You can also find flights for around 4,000 Rapid Rewards points each way from Southwest hubs like Denver, Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles, and you can stretch your points even further if you hold a Companion Pass.

Related: Grand Canyon Railway running steam-powered excursions on select dates in 2024

When you visit the Grand Canyon, you can choose to stay inside the park or in a neighboring community.

None of the options inside the park belong to a major hotel program, but you could still book them with points through a credit card travel portal like Chase Travel℠ or Capital One Travel. Outside of the park, points options include:

• Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grand Canyon: From 44,000 IHG One Rewards points per night
• Travelodge by Wyndham Williams Grand Canyon: 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points per night
• Squire Resort at the Grand Canyon: From 40,000 Best Western Rewards points per night

Related: The best national parks to visit in the fall

Visit Montreal using points and miles

Montreal is a lovely destination to see fall foliage. The trees usually start changing color in mid-September and reach their peak in early October. While you’ll need to pack a coat, the temperatures are relatively mild this time of year, and the summer tourist crowds have mostly cleared out.

Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) is a major travel hub with nonstop flights from many cities across the U.S. Possibilities for booking these flights with points and miles are almost endless.

Air Canada Aeroplan offers extra-low rates for routes under 500 miles, charging just 6,000 to 10,000 Aeroplan points each way in economy — so you could fly from various New York City airports to Montreal for as low as 6,400 points each way.

Per Air Canada’s award chart, longer domestic flights range from 10,000 to 25,000 points in economy. You can also book Air Canada (or United Airlines) awards for the same prices, and often lower, through Avianca LifeMiles.

Once there, you’ll have plenty of options for hotels. Marriott, for instance, has a variety of reasonably priced hotels in downtown Montreal. I found Marriott hotels for just 37,000 points per night. This is a great option if you’re looking to redeem one of your Marriott free night certificates, which allows you to book an award stay at or under 35,000 points or 50,000 points (depending on which certificate you have). If you have a 35,000-point certificate, since this award can be combined with up to 15,000 points, you’d only need 2,000 more points to book a stay.

A few other points options include:

• Vogue Hotel Montreal Downtown: 70,000 Hilton Honors points per night
• InterContinental Montreal: From 36,000 IHG One Rewards points per night
• Hyatt Place Montreal — Downtown: From 12,000 World of Hyatt points per night

Related: How to redeem Aeroplan points for maximum value

See the Texas Hill Country using points and miles

With cooler evenings and more moderate days, fall is the perfect time to visit the Texas Hill Country. And since the leaf-peeping season is a little later here than in most North American locations — it typically peaks between late October and mid-November — you have a little more time to plan your trip.

Fredericksburg is an ideal base for exploring the Hill Country. And it’s less than a two-hour drive from both Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and San Antonio International Airport (SAT), giving you plenty of options for flights.

This fall, Delta Air Lines has low-priced award tickets to Austin from select cities. We found flights from Miami for 8,000 SkyMiles each way, from Los Angeles for 6,500 SkyMiles and from Denver for as low as 6,000 SkyMiles.

Check out our guide to domestic sweet spots for more ideas on how to book your flights using points and miles.

We recommend spending a few days in the city at the start of your trip (check out our favorite Austin hotels) and then renting a car and heading to Fredericksburg. If you’re able to snag a reasonably priced one-way car rental, you could end your trip in San Antonio.

Here are a few lodging options in Fredericksburg. Consider staying four or five nights if you’re eligible to get a free night when redeeming points.

• Fairfield Inn & Suites Fredericksburg: From 32,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites Fredericksburg: From 25,000 IHG One Rewards points per night
• Hampton Inn & Suites Fredericksburg: From 38,000 Hilton Honors points per night

Related: How to use AutoSlash to save on rental cars

Visit Asheville and drive the Blue Ridge Parkway using points and miles

The Blue Ridge Parkway, which links Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee, is one of TPG’s favorite road trips in America. If you drive the Blue Ridge Parkway in the fall when the leaves change — usually late October to mid-November — you’ll have a beautiful drive and moderate temperatures.

A one-way car rental will let you maximize your time on this beautiful road. We recommend flying into Asheville, North Carolina. Not only is it conveniently located at the Blue Ridge Parkway’s western end, but it also has plenty of charm on its own, with a humming art scene, historic architecture, and plenty of food and craft beer to sample.

This fall, American Airlines has flights to Asheville from many U.S. cities like Boston, New York, Chicago and Denver starting around 7,000 miles each way. United offers similar flights starting at 11,000 or 12,000 miles each way, but you can often book United award tickets for less through Avianca LifeMiles or Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.

For instance, this Oct. 9 flight from Chicago to Asheville costs 11,100 miles when booked through United, but only 8,000 miles on Avianca.

When it comes to lodging, your needs will ultimately depend on your routing. You could book a series of one-night hotel stays in different towns along the way, or you could stay longer in a couple of cities and take day trips from your base. Since smaller towns may not have many points hotels to choose from, you may want to book some independent hotels through an online travel agency rewards program like One Key or a credit card portal like American Express Travel.

And if you can’t get enough of the great outdoors, there are now two glamping properties near Asheville that you can book with points: AutoCamp Asheville (through Hilton Honors) and Under Canvas Great Smoky Mountains (through World of Hyatt). Here are some of the “rooms” available with World of Hyatt points this October at Under Canvas Great Smoky Mountains:

Related: The best US glamping resorts for an outdoorsy getaway

Visit Bavaria in Germany using points and miles

Fall is a particularly magical time to visit the German state of Bavaria. Bavaria’s main cities are Munich (where Oktoberfest is held), Nuremberg and Augsburg — but you’ll see more foliage if you venture farther out. You could rent a car and explore the Romantic Road, a scenic route through Bavaria’s villages and vineyards, or stay in the city and use public transportation to take day trips to the Bavarian Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle or Bavarian Forest National Park.

There are many ways to use points and miles to get to Europe. One popular choice is Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue program, which often has cheap award flights to Europe, especially as part of its monthly Promo Rewards. If you don’t have Flying Blue miles, don’t worry — you can transfer credit card points from all of the major programs.

Flying Blue currently has plentiful award space on routes to Munich from several major cities, including New York, Boston and Los Angeles, for only 20,000 miles each way. On some, you can book premium economy for as low as 35,000 miles each way.

Here are just a few of the Munich hotels you can book with points:

• Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor: 23,000 World of Hyatt points per night
• Moxy Munich Ostbahnhof: From 15,500 Marriott Bonvoy points per night
• Hilton Munich Park: From 37,000 Hilton Honors points per night

We’d likely pick the Moxy Munich Ostbahnhof for its low pricing, fun vibe and convenient location near the Ostbahnhof train station. We’d stay five or even 10 nights to maximize Marriott’s “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” benefit, which is available to all Bonvoy members — not just those with elite status.

Related: Why I have 3 Marriott Bonvoy credit cards and pay over $1,200 in annual fees

Visit Chicago using points and miles

Fall is one of the best times of year to visit the city of Chicago. You miss the extreme cold and heat, and you can enjoy all the city has to offer — from theater productions and museums to outdoor dining and river cruises — in a sweater and jeans. Autumn is also the perfect time to walk or bike the Lakefront Trail along Lake Michigan.

It’s easy to get to Chicago with points and miles, too. Delta frequently offers discounted SkyMiles award tickets from its hubs — we found economy tickets for under 6,000 miles each way from Charlotte, New York and Seattle. American Airlines has flights from Houston and Atlanta for 6,000 miles each way, and from Minneapolis-St. Paul for only 5,000 miles each way.

With the end of American’s partnership with Bilt, there are now no credit card currencies that you can transfer to AAdvantage. However, you can transfer any of the major currencies to British Airways and book American-operated flights with Avios.

Chicago is home to a slew of great points hotels. Here are a few good options downtown:

• Chicago Athletic Association: 17,000 to 23,000 World of Hyatt points per night
• W Chicago — Lakeshore: From 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night
• Kimpton Gray Hotel: From 55,000 IHG One Rewards points per night

Personally, we’d book the Chicago Athletic Association. This ultrahip hotel has three on-site bars, is right across from Millennium Park and is an easy walk to the lakefront — and it’s a bargain at as low as 17,000 World of Hyatt points per night. Or, if you have a Category 1-4 free night award (one of the perks of the World of Hyatt Credit Card), you could maximize it at the Category 4 Hyatt Regency Chicago or Ambassador Chicago.

Related: Delta SkyMiles sweet spots worth saving up for

Visit Salt Lake City using points and miles

Utah’s capital is growing fast, but the surrounding nature is just as beautiful as ever. You can walk along the famous Salt Lake, hike nearby mountains and have reasonable access to Zion, Arches and other national parks with a rental car. Additionally, there’s no shortage of things to do right in the city. Foodies will love the Sugar House district, packed with restaurants, breweries and bakeries.

Delta has a hub at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), so you’ll want to check SkyMiles award tickets first. We found economy awards starting at 4,500 miles each way from Denver, 7,000 miles from San Francisco and 8,000 miles from Seattle.

Some of the best hotel options in downtown Salt Lake City include:

• Hyatt Place Salt Lake City/Downtown/The Gateway: 6,500 to 9,500 World of Hyatt points per night
• AC Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown: From 22,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night
• The Peery Salt Lake City Downtown: From 39,000 Hilton Honors points per night

We recommend staying at the Hyatt Place in downtown Salt Lake City. It’s in a stellar location with easy access to transit and local eateries. It’s also only 8,000 points per night on standard dates, so you can book a long stay for relatively few points. If you do make the trek out to Zion, we’re big fans of using Marriott points to stay at the SpringHill Suites Springdale Zion National Park.

Visit Maine and Acadia National Park using points and miles

New England is famous for its fall foliage, and one spectacular place to see it is Maine’s Acadia National Park. Since this park is on an island, you’ll see not only forests but cliffs, caves, beaches and more.

Your best bet is to stay in the nearby coastal town of Bar Harbor, which is a little over an hour’s drive from Bangor International Airport (BGR) and three hours from Portland International Jetport (PWM). BGR is served by American, Delta, United and Allegiant Air. PWM provides more options, including Southwest, JetBlue and Frontier Airlines.

If you’re in the New York City area, getting to Portland is easy and cheap. Both JetBlue and Delta are offering nonstop award flights from New York City-area airports for under 5,000 TrueBlue points or SkyMiles each way.

You could also fly to Portland from Atlanta for 9,400 TrueBlue points each way or from Chicago for 7,000 SkyMiles each way. Since Southwest serves PWM, Southwest fans could use Rapid Rewards points to book flights to Portland as well.

Bar Harbor is full of independent hotels, so it’s worth checking rates at places like Hotels.com or your credit card’s travel portal. But there are also a handful of points hotels to choose from:

• Hampton Inn Bar Harbor: Starting at 61,000 Hilton Honors points per night
• Under Canvas Acadia: Starting at 35,000 World of Hyatt points per night
• Holiday Inn Resort Bar Harbor: Starting at 52,000 IHG One Rewards points per night

Related: Exploring national parks: Where to stay using points

Visit Kyoto in Japan using points and miles

With its abundance of parks, shrines and gardens, Kyoto, Japan, is an excellent spot for momiji-gari, or “hunting red leaves.” Walk the Philosopher’s Path, take a bike tour to the city’s top temples, or take a day trip to the mountain village of Arashiyama. Fall colors here peak a little later than in most of the U.S., so plan your trip for late October to mid-November for prime leaf peeping.

Osaka International Airport (ITM) and Kansai International Airport (KIX) are the closest to Kyoto, but you could also fly into Tokyo and take a three-hour bullet train to Kyoto.

Between Air France’s current award flight deals to Japan and Citi’s Flying Blue transfer bonus (note that this bonus ends Aug. 17), you can book flights to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) starting at 53,000 miles round-trip.

Alaska Airlines also offers flights to Osaka from various West Coast cities, including Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, starting at 37,500 miles each way.

Kyoto has a huge variety of lodging, from boutique ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) to points hotel chains. Some of the latter are more luxurious properties where you can make the most of your free night awards.

For instance, The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike and JW Marriott Hotel Nara (where many dates this fall price between 40,000 and 50,000 Bonvoy points) would be great uses of your up-to-50,000-point Marriott Bonvoy free night award. The Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Card is currently offering one free night award certificate valued at up to 50,000 points.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card offers a 50,000-point certificate after you spend $15,000 per cardmember year (certain hotels have mandatory resort charges).

Other Marriott cobranded cards, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card offer a 35,000-point certificate every card anniversary. Since you can combine that certificate with up to 15,000 Marriott points, you can book an award night at The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike and JW Marriott Hotel Nara (if the pricing stays below 50,000 points).

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card also offers cardholders an annual free night certificate after opening their account and on their cardmember anniversary each year. This certificate is only valid for standard award rooms at Hilton properties. You could opt to use it at the Roku Kyoto, where standard room rewards will set you back 110,000 points per night.

The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Other points hotels include:

• Park Hyatt Kyoto: 40,000 or 45,000 World of Hyatt points per night
• Hyatt Regency Kyoto: 20,000 or 23,000 World of Hyatt points per night
• Lake Biwa Marriott hotel: Starting at 31,000 Bonvoy points per night

Related: I booked a family trip to Japan with a tour operator; here’s why I would do it again