Northern Italy Recommendations for November

You mean besides Venice?

Parma, Verona and Bolzano Bozen. You can enjoy the Dolomites there. https://www.dolomitemountains.com/en/resources/dolomites-news/7-towns-youve-never-heard-of-but-need-to-visit-in-the-dolomites?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuqLV1Kvg-gIVNhqtBh2czQEhEAAYASAAEgL-5_D_BwE

Everybody loves to eat good food. I've never heard people say they love bad food.
You can find good food pretty much everywhere in Italy.

Venice and Florence are two places off the beaten path that you might enjoy in Northern Italy. Verona is also nice. However the choices are vast.

As far as outdoors activities are concerned, In Venice you can kayak in the lagoon. In Florence you can go to the nearby Chianti region and explore the wine country, even by bike if the weather permits.

I think we need more details about what kind of place/trip you are looking for. If it is to visit the most famous cities, there is no shortage of info out there. Is this your first trip? How long is the trip? Are any flight details in place (or certain locations likely)?
I am outdoorsy and I considered Aosta but didn't make it on that trip.
You could do some hiking in the Piedmont, or around the Lakes, or the Dolomiti. There are lots of inspiration pics here:
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/italy/articles/21-breathtaking-destinations-in-northern-italy/
Are you looking to do outdoors/small villages/towns only, or do you want to pair with a city?
If you are just fishing for ideas, no harm in that, but the more specifics you get, the more tailored suggestions you'll get.

You may be fully aware of this, or even counting on it, but November seems to be the real off season in Italy. We’re in Cortona, Tuscany right now, and in 2 weeks, things basically shut down until Christmas, we’re being told. Anything counting on tourist income isn’t counting on enough visitors to stay open longer hours, or even at all, November.

Northern Italy is full of beautiful small villages and cities. I do not consider Florence a northern city. I would recommend going to Verona, Padua, Mantua, and then Bolzano , Trentino, Rovereto, Merano in the Sud Tyrol. Piedmont with Turin is in Northwest Italy, near Milan is Bergamo and Bresica. Liguria (Genoa, Cinque Tere) is also considered Northern Italy. These areas are beautiful and not just geared for tourists.

Parma is a lovely city. The duomo is stunning, the restaurants are fantastic and there is such a great small town feel to this city. Easily one of my favorite northern Italy cities. Next, consider a base in Bolzano and explore that region.

Outdoor activities especially in late November in the North vary widely due not only to weather but the perceived “season.” It is neither fish nor fowl, neither summer hiking/biking season nor winter skiing season. What outdoor activities do you like? I can imagine some biking opportunities and low-level hiking but not in the mountains due to limited public transportation options.

Do you have flights yet or are you at the very start of planning?

I’m a big fan of the Dolomites but November is not optimal. we left Val Gardena Oct 12. Some hotels and restaurants were already closing until ski season. We have been to Cortina in mid Oct. they were winding down. You could still get some great hiking with good weather . Or not.