Where to go in January

North America

United States · 22°C (72°F) · 6 rainy days

Orlando

Mild days and cool nights; crowds are among the lowest of the year outside holiday weekends, though some water parks close for refurbishment.

United States · 24°C (75°F) · 7 rainy days

Miami

Dry, sunny and warm, with occasional cool fronts; high season, so book hotels and restaurants early.

United States · 19°C (66°F) · 4 rainy days

Phoenix

Sunny and mild by day, cold at night; peak resort season begins.

United States · 3°C (37°F) · 9 rainy days

Salt Lake City

Cold, with prime ski conditions in the canyons; valley inversions can trap smog for days, while the mountains above are sunny.

United States · 24°C (75°F) · 6 rainy days

Key West

Dry, sunny and warm; peak season as winter visitors arrive, with occasional cooler, windy days after cold fronts.

Middle East

United Arab Emirates · 24°C (75°F) · 2 rainy days

Abu Dhabi

Peak season: sunny, warm days and cool evenings that may need a light jacket. Ideal for desert trips and the Corniche, though the sea feels cool to some.

Qatar · 22°C (72°F) · 2 rainy days

Doha

The coolest month: sunny and mild by day with cool evenings, ideal for the souq, the Corniche and desert trips.

United Arab Emirates · 24°C (75°F) · 2 rainy days

Dubai

Warm, sunny days around 24°C and cool evenings; peak season, with the Dubai Shopping Festival in full swing.

Oman · 25°C (77°F) · 2 rainy days

Muscat

Peak season, with warm sunny days, pleasant evenings and the opera and festival season in full swing.

Africa

Egypt · 19°C (66°F) · 1 rainy days

Cairo

Mild, sunny days and cool evenings, ideal for the pyramids and long walks; bring a jacket for the nights.

Kenya · 25°C (77°F) · 5 rainy days

Nairobi

Warm, dry and sunny after the short rains; a popular safari month with green landscapes and newborn animals in the parks.

Tanzania · 32°C (90°F) · 7 rainy days

Zanzibar

Hot, humid and mostly dry, with calm seas and good snorkelling; busy after the holidays.

Latin America & Caribbean

Mexico · 28°C (82°F) · 7 rainy days

Cancún

Warm, dry and breezy with occasional cool fronts ('nortes'); one of the most pleasant months.

Cuba · 26°C (79°F) · 6 rainy days

Havana

Dry, sunny and pleasantly warm; one of the most popular months, with occasional cool northerly fronts.

Bahamas · 25°C (77°F) · 6 rainy days

Nassau

Mild, sunny and dry; occasional cold fronts bring cooler, windy days. Junkanoo opens the year.

Jamaica · 30°C (86°F) · 6 rainy days

Montego Bay

Peak season: warm, sunny days, cooler nights and busy resorts.

Dominican Republic · 28°C (82°F) · 8 rainy days

Punta Cana

Peak season with sunny, breezy days and comfortable evenings; resorts are busy.

Puerto Rico · 28°C (82°F) · 11 rainy days

San Juan

Warm, breezy and dry by Caribbean standards; peak season with Christmas celebrations running into mid-month.

Asia

Vietnam · 32°C (90°F) · 2 rainy days

Ho Chi Minh City

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

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

Dry and as cool as Bangkok gets, with lower humidity; peak season for visitors.

Thailand · 32°C (90°F) · 4 rainy days

Phuket

Dry, sunny and calm with clear water for boat trips — peak season with peak prices.

India · 22°C (72°F) · 2 rainy days

Agra

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

Breezy amihan season with calm water on White Beach and good kitesurfing wind on Bulabog.

India · 32°C (90°F) · 0 rainy days

Goa

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

Dry, sunny and comparatively mild; one of the most comfortable months.

India · 31°C (88°F) · 0 rainy days

Mumbai

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

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

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

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

Dry, sunny and slightly less humid; peak season for the west and south coasts.

India · 22°C (72°F) · 1 rainy days

Jaipur

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

Dry, sunny and calm; peak season, so book boat trips and Railay hotels in advance.

Malaysia · 32°C (90°F) · 5 rainy days

Langkawi

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

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

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

Dry, sunny and pleasant, with relatively cool mornings; this is peak season and sunrise at Angkor Wat is very crowded.

Oceania

New Zealand · 22°C (72°F) · 9 rainy days

Queenstown

Peak summer: warm days, light until about 10pm, busy with New Zealand and international holidaymakers.

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.

• Orlando: Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (usually January)
• Abu Dhabi: Al Dhafra Festival — camel contests and heritage events in the western region (usually December–January)
• Cairo: Coptic Christmas (7 January)
• Cancún: Día de Reyes with rosca de reyes cake (6 January)
• 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)
• Dubai: Dubai Shopping Festival (usually mid-December to late January)
• Miami: Art Deco Weekend festival on Ocean Drive (usually mid-January)
• 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)

Daylight in January

Day length on these trips ranges from about 9.6 hours in Salt Lake City to 15.2 hours in Queenstown (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