Where is the best place to travel in November in the US?

For heat, Death Valley has a November average high of 77.4 F, by NOAA. For mild city weather, New Orleans (71.2 F), Savannah (70.2 F) and Charleston (69.4 F) are close. San Diego is 70.7 F. The best place depends on whether you want desert hiking or a walkable city.

Is Sedona nice in November?

It is cool and clear for hiking. NOAA gives a November average high of 66.9 F and a low of 40.9 F in Sedona. The free Sedona Shuttle runs Thursday to Sunday and does not run on Thanksgiving, 26 November 2026.

Is Zion open in November?

Yes. NOAA gives a November average high of 63.9 F and a low of 37.3 F at Zion. The Park Service's 2019 to 2023 average shows 286,923 visitors in November, against 556,426 in June. The shuttle runs to 28 November 2026 and stops from 29 November to 25 December.

Is the Grand Canyon open in November?

The South Rim is open all year, says the Park Service. The North Rim is closed to vehicles from 1 December to 14 May. In 2026 the NPS says there is no overnight lodging at the North Rim. Hermit Road is closed to private cars through 30 November.

Is New Orleans nice in November?

Yes, for walking. NOAA gives a November average high of 71.2 F and a low of 53.7 F at the airport. The National WWII Museum is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except Thanksgiving. Adult entry is $37.

Is Charleston nice in November?

It is mild. NOAA gives a November average high of 69.4 F and a low of 47.1 F at the airport. The Fort Sumter ferry runs three times a day from Liberty Square through 30 November, then fewer times from 1 December.

Is Mexico City warm in November?

It is mild by day and cool at night. Mexico's weather service gives a November normal high of 22.8 C, about 73 F, and a low of 9.9 C, about 50 F, at its Tacubaya station. We did the conversion. The State Department has Mexico City at Level 2.

Is hurricane season over in November?

Not until 30 November. NOAA's National Hurricane Center says the Atlantic season runs from 1 June to 30 November, and storms can form after that. The Central Pacific season, which covers Hawaii, has the same end date, says NOAA.

Where to Travel in November

Q: Is Death Valley hot in November?

No. NOAA gives a November average high of 77.4 F and a low of 50.5 F for Death Valley National Park. The Park Service's Furnace Creek table shows 77 and 48 F. Our Death Valley guide calls November comfortable and picks it for walking at Badwater.

The best places to travel in November are Death Valley, with an average high of 77.4 F, San Diego (70.7 F) and the Southern cities of New Orleans, Savannah and Charleston (69 to 71 F), by NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals. Go early in the month, because Thanksgiving is on Thursday 26 November 2026 and the Sunday after is usually the busiest travel day. We read each weather source and guide fact on 14 October 2026.

November average highs, side by side

Note: US figures are NOAA NCEI 1991 to 2020 monthly normals (dataset normals-monthly-1991-2020), read 14 Oct 2026. Mexico City is the 1991 to 2020 climate normal of Mexico's national weather service, the SMN, for its Tacubaya station (smn.conagua.gob.mx, file issued 9 Oct 2026, read 14 Oct 2026). We converted 22.8 C and 9.9 C to Fahrenheit and rounded them. Each place is one station, so a different part of the same area can differ

Place	November average high / low (F)	Station used
San Juan, Puerto Rico	86.1 / 74.9	Luis Munoz Marin airport
Death Valley, California	77.4 / 50.5	Death Valley National Park (Furnace Creek)
San Diego, California	70.7 / 54.8	Lindbergh Field
New Orleans, Louisiana	71.2 / 53.7	New Orleans International airport
Savannah, Georgia	70.2 / 48.0	Savannah International airport
St. Augustine, Florida	74.9 / 57.5	St. Augustine Lighthouse
Charleston, South Carolina	69.4 / 47.1	Charleston International airport
Joshua Tree, California	69.1 / 42.9	Town of Joshua Tree
Sedona, Arizona	66.9 / 40.9	Sedona
Zion, Utah	63.9 / 37.3	Zion National Park
Mexico City	73 / 50	Tacubaya station
Arches, Utah	55.9 / 32.6	Arches National Park headquarters
Grand Canyon, Arizona	53.2 / 24.7	Grand Canyon NP 2 station

1. Death Valley, California

Death Valley is at its best from October to April, and November gives an average high of 77.4 F and a low of 50.5 F, by NOAA. The Park Service's Furnace Creek table shows 77 and 48 F. Our Death Valley guide calls November comfortable and picks November to March for walking at Badwater and the dunes. Entry is free for US citizens and residents on 11 November, and other fees may still apply. Check the Park Service road page first, because the Scotty's Castle road was closed for flood recovery on our read date.

2. Joshua Tree, California

The town of Joshua Tree has a November average high of 69.1 F and a low of 42.9 F, by NOAA. The Park Service says fall and spring are the comfortable seasons, with highs of 70 to 85 F. The park is open 24 hours a day, but there is no gas, food or drinking water in the center. Entry is $30 a vehicle in 2026, and 11 November is a free day for US citizens and residents. The park is 140 miles east of Los Angeles.

3. Sedona, Arizona

Sedona's November average high is 66.9 F and the low is 40.9 F, by NOAA. It is about 113 miles and 2 hours by car from Phoenix, says Visit Sedona. A Red Rock Pass costs $5 a day. The free shuttle runs Thursday to Sunday and does not run on Thanksgiving. Slide Rock State Park cuts its hours from 21 November, to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

4. The Utah national parks

Zion's November average high is 63.9 F and Arches' is 55.9 F, by NOAA. The Park Service's 2019 to 2023 average shows 286,923 visitors at Zion in November, against 556,426 in June. Zion's shuttle runs to 28 November 2026 and stops from 29 November to 25 December. Entry is $35 a vehicle at Zion and Bryce Canyon and $30 at Arches and Canyonlands. 11 November is a free day for US citizens and residents.

5. Grand Canyon, Arizona

The Grand Canyon is the coldest place here. NOAA gives a November average high of 53.2 F and a low of 24.7 F at the Grand Canyon NP 2 station. The South Rim is open all year. The Grand Canyon Railway from Williams leaves at 8:30 a.m. and returns at 4:45 p.m. in November and December. Hermit Road is closed to private cars through 30 November. The North Rim closes to vehicles on 1 December, and the NPS says it has no overnight lodging in 2026.

6. New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans has a November average high of 71.2 F and a low of 53.7 F, by NOAA. The French Quarter, Frenchmen Street and the St. Charles streetcar ($1.25 a ride) are all walkable or rideable. The National WWII Museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and costs $37 for an adult, but it is closed on Thanksgiving Day. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 reopened on 1 October 2026 for small guided tours. We could not confirm the tour price or hours.

7. Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston's November average high is 69.4 F and the low is 47.1 F, by NOAA. The historic district is walkable, and the free DASH trolley covers longer hops. The Fort Sumter ferry is the only way in, at $43 on one official page and $45.58 on another. It leaves Liberty Square at 9:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. through 30 November. Magnolia Plantation is closed on Thanksgiving.

8. Savannah, Georgia

Savannah's November average high is 70.2 F and the low is 48.0 F, by NOAA. You can walk to the squares and Forsyth Park, and the free dot shuttle comes about every 10 minutes. The dot does not run on Thanksgiving. Wormsloe is $12 for an adult and is closed on Thanksgiving. The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace is closed on Thanksgiving and on the day before.

9. San Diego, California

San Diego has a November average high of 70.7 F and a low of 54.8 F, by NOAA. The zoo is $78 for ages 12 and up, and the USS Midway Museum is $39 online. The Midway is closed on Thanksgiving. The Pacific Surfliner had a service alert for no trains anywhere between San Diego and San Luis Obispo on 7 and 8 November 2026, with no bus bridge. Check the alert for your date.

10. Puerto Rico

San Juan has a November average high of 86.1 F and a low of 74.9 F, by NOAA. Thanksgiving is an official holiday on the island, on 26 November 2026, and the Christmas season starts after it. The Atlantic hurricane season runs to 30 November, says NOAA. On 14 October 2026 the National Hurricane Center expected no tropical cyclone to form in the next 7 days. The water utility posted drought notices for the San Juan area in August 2026, so check it before you book.

11. Mexico City

Mexico City's November normal high is 22.8 C (about 73 F) and the low is 9.9 C (about 50 F), by Mexico's weather service. The city's tourism guide lists the Great Day of the Dead Parade on Saturday 31 October 2026 at 14:00 on Paseo de la Reforma. The Zocalo ofrenda runs 29 October to 2 November, and Mixquic holds its festival from 31 October to 2 November. The UNAM Megaofrenda is listed for early November with no exact day. The State Department has Mexico City at Level 2, "Exercise increased caution", in its advisory of 29 May 2026.

If you live in the US but are not a US citizen

Indian, Filipino and Chinese passport holders need a Mexican visa unless they hold a valid US visa or a valid US green card. INM, Mexico's immigration institute, lists India, the Philippines and China as countries whose nationals need a visa. Mexico's consulates in the US say a valid US visa or green card replaces it. The passport and the US visa or card must both stay valid for the whole stay. EAD cards, I-797 forms, advance parole forms and I-20 or DS-2019 forms are not accepted, says the consulate in Washington. Which US visa types count is not confirmed. To come back, a green card holder shows a valid, unexpired card, says USCIS. Our Cancun safety page covers the return rules for visa holders.

12. St. Augustine, Florida

St. Augustine has a November average high of 74.9 F and a low of 57.5 F at the St. Augustine Lighthouse station, by NOAA. The area's visitor site says Nights of Lights is free and runs every evening from 21 November 2026 to 18 January 2027, with Light-Up Night on 21 November at the Plaza de la Constitucion. Castillo de San Marcos is $15 for ages 16 and up and is closed on Thanksgiving, says the Park Service. The ferry to Fort Matanzas is free and runs Thursday to Monday. Jacksonville International Airport is about 50 minutes north by car.

Thanksgiving week, 26 November 2026

Thanksgiving is on Thursday 26 November 2026. The 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is that morning in New York. It is free to watch from the street, and the TV start is 8:30 a.m. in all time zones on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo, says Macy's Inc. We did not find the on-street start time or a 2026 viewing map.

For travel days, the 2026 forecasts are not out, so these are last year's numbers. In 2025 the TSA count peaked on Sunday 30 November at 3,134,613 people. The lowest day was Thanksgiving Day itself, with 1,559,165. The matching 2026 days are Sunday 29 November and Thursday 26 November. AAA's 2025 forecast was 81.8 million travelers, about 73 million by car, and its road data named Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons as the worst before the holiday.

Which trip for which plan

Warm days: San Juan, Death Valley, San Diego, St. Augustine and the other Southern cities, at 69 to 86 F.
Hiking in cool, clear air: Sedona, Joshua Tree and Zion, at 64 to 69 F. Pack layers for nights near freezing.
Walkable cities without a car: New Orleans, Savannah, Charleston and St. Augustine.
Events with fixed dates: Day of the Dead in Mexico City before 3 November, and Nights of Lights in St. Augustine from 21 November.
Thanksgiving week: Choose a city where you do not drive far, and avoid Wednesday and the Sunday after for travel.

What we checked and what can change

Read on 14 October 2026: NOAA NCEI 1991 to 2020 monthly normals for the stations above; the Mexican weather service's 1991 to 2020 normal for Mexico City's Tacubaya station; and our own guides for each place. Each guide gives its source and the date read for its prices, hours and dates. The Mexico City advisory level is from the State Department's Mexico advisory issued 29 May 2026, as read for our Mexico City guide on 14 October 2026.

Not confirmed: the Macy's on-street start time and 2026 viewing map, the Lafayette Cemetery tour price, any 2026 AAA or TSA Thanksgiving forecast, which US visa types count for Mexico, and whether the Pacific Surfliner trains are running on 7 and 8 November. Averages are 30 year normals for one station, so any single week can be warmer or colder. We give no flight or hotel prices. Check each official page before you book.