Best places to visit in Asia in January

Asia

Vietnam · 32°C (90°F) · 2 rainy days

Ho Chi Minh City

Colonial landmarks, war history and late-night street food on the Saigon River. Dry, sunny and slightly less humid, one of the most comfortable months; Tết preparations fill markets with flowers.

Malaysia · 32°C (90°F) · 11 rainy days

Kuala Lumpur

Twin towers, temple caves and round-the-clock hawker food. One of the drier months, with Chinese New Year and Thaipusam often falling in late January or February.

Thailand · 32°C (90°F) · 2 rainy days

Bangkok

Gilded temples, river boats, street food and rooftop bars. Dry and as cool as Bangkok gets, with lower humidity; peak season for visitors.

Thailand · 32°C (90°F) · 4 rainy days

Phuket

Andaman beaches, island-hopping and a Sino-Portuguese old town. Dry, sunny and calm with clear water for boat trips — peak season with peak prices.

India · 22°C (72°F) · 2 rainy days

Agra

The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Mughal tombs along the Yamuna. Mild, sunny afternoons but cold nights; thick morning fog can hide the Taj at sunrise and delay trains.

Philippines · 29°C (84°F) · 11 rainy days

Boracay

Powder-white sand, paraw sailboats and sunsets over the Sibuyan Sea. Breezy amihan season with calm water on White Beach and good kitesurfing wind on Bulabog.

India · 32°C (90°F) · 0 rainy days

Goa

Portuguese-era churches, 100 km of beaches, fish curry rice and beach shacks. Dry, sunny and pleasantly warm with cool nights; high season continues after the New Year rush.

Philippines · 30°C (86°F) · 4 rainy days

Manila

Spanish-era Intramuros, free national museums and Binondo food crawls. Dry, sunny and comparatively mild; one of the most comfortable months.

India · 31°C (88°F) · 0 rainy days

Mumbai

Victorian Gothic and Art Deco, Bollywood, sea-facing promenades and vada pav. Dry, sunny and the least humid month, with pleasant evenings; haze and air pollution can build on still days.

Malaysia · 32°C (90°F) · 7 rainy days

Penang

Hawker food, shophouse streets and clan temples in George Town. Dry, sunny and comparatively breezy — one of the best months. Chinese New Year often falls in late January or February, bringing crowds and lanterns.

Cambodia · 32°C (90°F) · 1 rainy days

Phnom Penh

Royal Palace, riverside promenades and Cambodia's modern history. Dry and comparatively mild, with clear skies; one of the most comfortable months for walking the city.

Thailand · 29°C (84°F) · 1 rainy days

Chiang Mai

Lanna temples, night markets and mountain day trips in northern Thailand. Sunny, dry days and cool nights, colder in the mountains; peak season with clear skies.

Sri Lanka · 31°C (88°F) · 6 rainy days

Colombo

Colonial Fort streets, Buddhist temples and seafront sunsets on the Indian Ocean. Dry, sunny and slightly less humid; peak season for the west and south coasts.

India · 22°C (72°F) · 1 rainy days

Jaipur

Pink City bazaars, hilltop forts and Rajput palaces in Rajasthan's capital. Sunny, crisp days and cold nights near 5–8°C; peak season with the literature festival and winter weddings filling hotels.

Thailand · 32°C (90°F) · 5 rainy days

Krabi

Limestone cliffs, longtail boats and island-hopping on the Andaman coast. Dry, sunny and calm; peak season, so book boat trips and Railay hotels in advance.

Malaysia · 32°C (90°F) · 5 rainy days

Langkawi

Duty-free island of rainforest peaks, mangroves and west-coast sunset beaches. Peak dry season with calm seas and clear sunsets; Chinese New Year can fall late in the month and fills the island.

Laos · 28°C (82°F) · 2 rainy days

Luang Prabang

Gilded monasteries, dawn alms rounds and the Mekong in Laos's old royal capital. Dry and sunny with misty mornings and cool nights; a jacket is useful at dawn for the alms giving. Peak season.

Maldives · 30°C (86°F) · 6 rainy days

Maldives

Overwater villas, house reefs, manta rays and local-island guesthouses. Dry, sunny and calm in the north-east monsoon; peak season with the highest resort prices, especially in the first week.

Cambodia · 32°C (90°F) · 1 rainy days

Siem Reap

Gateway town to Angkor Wat, the Bayon and the temples of the Khmer Empire. Dry, sunny and pleasant, with relatively cool mornings; this is peak season and sunrise at Angkor Wat is very crowded.

Beach, city or budget: January picks by trip type

What's on in January

Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.

• Ho Chi Minh City: Tết (Lunar New Year) — Nguyễn Huệ Flower Street displays, then many businesses close for several days (late January or February)
• Kuala Lumpur: Thaipusam — devotees carry kavadi up the steps of Batu Caves (January or February)
• Bangkok: Chinese New Year celebrations in Yaowarat (late January or February)
• Phuket: Chinese New Year celebrations and the Old Phuket Town Festival (January or February)
• Boracay: Ati-Atihan festival in Kalibo (usually the third weekend of January)
• Manila: Feast of the Black Nazarene — huge procession from Quiapo (9 January)
• Mumbai: Tata Mumbai Marathon (usually the third Sunday of January)
• Penang: Chinese New Year — Kek Lok Si lit with lanterns (late January or February)
• Phnom Penh: Chinese New Year — lion dances and family celebrations (late January or February)
• Chiang Mai: Bo Sang Umbrella Festival (usually mid-January)
• Colombo: Duruthu Perahera at Kelaniya temple (January full moon)
• Jaipur: Makar Sankranti kite flying across the old city's rooftops (usually 14 January)

Daylight in January

Day length on these trips ranges from about 10.6 hours in Jaipur to 12 hours in Kuala Lumpur (sunrise to sunset on 15 January). Longer days mean more sightseeing time; shorter ones favour museums, food and evenings.

January weather compared

Questions travellers ask