Month guide · Gothenburg · Sweden
Gothenburg in January
What January is really like in Gothenburg: weather, crowds, prices, events and what to pack.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
January is a quieter month with trade-offs. Expect average highs of 2°C (36°F), lows of -3°C (27°F), about 16 rainy days and roughly 7.2 hours of daylight. Dark, cold and often wet or icy, with only about seven hours of daylight; a quiet month for museums and the film festival.
Key facts
- Average high / low
- 2°C (36°F) / -3°C (27°F)
- Rainy days
- About 16
- Daylight
- About 7.2 hours
- Sea temperature
- 4°C (39°F)
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in January
January is the 11th-warmest month in Gothenburg: days average 2°C (36°F) against a yearly average high of 11°C (52°F), and nights fall to about -3°C (27°F). Rain falls on roughly 16 of its 31 days. Compared with December (3°C (37°F)), January is about as warm; by February highs stay near 2°C (36°F).
- Sunrise (15 January)
- About 08:43
- Sunset (15 January)
- About 15:59
- Daylight
- About 7.2 hours
- Sea
- 4°C (39°F)
Winter (December–February). Short, dark days around freezing, softened by Christmas markets, Lucia, the film festival and low hotel prices outside the holidays.
Crowds and prices
On a 1–5 scale, January rates 2 for crowds (the peak is July at 5) and 2 for hotel prices (highest in June). That makes January one of the better-value months to book.
Events in January
- Göteborg Film Festival — one of Scandinavia's largest film festivals (usually late January to early February)
Dates move from year to year. Check the organiser’s site before booking travel around an event.
What to do in January
With cold days, plan around indoor sights and keep outdoor time flexible.
Museum · Slottsskogen
Gothenburg Natural History Museum
Pair it with the free animal enclosures in Slottsskogen for an easy family day out on a showery afternoon.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Aquarium · Johanneberg and Liseberg
Universeum
Next to Liseberg, Universeum is a science centre with a multi-storey indoor rainforest where birds and monkeys move freely, an aquarium with sharks and rays, reptiles and hands-on science and technology halls.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Garden · Inom Vallgraven
Trädgårdsföreningen and the Palm House
Use it as a green short cut between Central Station and Avenyn, and come in July when the rosarium is in full bloom.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Couples
- Rainy day
Market · Haga
Feskekôrka
Gothenburg's fish market hall, opened in 1874 on the Rosenlundskanalen, looks like a Gothic church, which gave it the dialect name 'fish church'.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Architecture
- Rainy day
What to pack
For highs near 2°C, lows near -3°C and 16 wet days: a warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers; shoes with good grip for icy pavements; a compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent; comfortable walking shoes.
Is January a good time to visit Gothenburg?
A quieter month with trade-offs, with a notable event on the calendar. If your dates are flexible, May–August are better overall. Compare every month.
Gothenburg in other months
Questions travellers ask
+Is January a good time to visit Gothenburg?
It is a quieter month with trade-offs. Dark, cold and often wet or icy, with only about seven hours of daylight; a quiet month for museums and the film festival.
+How warm is Gothenburg in January?
Average highs are around 2°C (36°F) and lows around -3°C (27°F).
+Does it rain a lot in Gothenburg in January?
Expect rain on about 16 days of the month, so pack for wet weather.