Holiday guide. January.
Where to go for MLK Weekend
The first long weekend of the year lands in the dead of winter. Go chase sun, powder, or the history the holiday is named for.
The straight answer
The best MLK weekend trips are Puerto Rico, Key West, and the Riviera Maya for easy dry-season sun, the Southwest desert for perfect hiking weather, and Atlanta, Memphis, and Montgomery for the civil rights history the holiday honors.
The best MLK weekend trips are short-flight warm escapes and meaningful history trips: Puerto Rico, Key West, and the Riviera Maya at the height of the dry season; Palm Springs, San Diego, and the Arizona desert in perfect hiking weather; and Atlanta, Memphis, and Montgomery for the places where the civil rights movement happened. Skiers get the first big powder weekend of the year, with the crowds to match.
MLK weekend is a busy weekend for two kinds of trips. The ski resorts closest to big cities (Colorado's I-70 corridor, Tahoe, and the Wasatch) have one of their busiest weekends of the season, and short-haul beach flights from the Northeast and Midwest fill up. But it sits in the middle of an otherwise quiet, cheap stretch of January, so the weeks on either side are some of the best travel values of the year.
If you have flexibility, go the week before or after. The second and fourth weeks of January have the same dry-season weather in the Caribbean and Mexico and the same winter snow in the West at noticeably lower prices. Homeschool families should treat mid January as prime time: it is the quietest time of the year at many resorts and theme parks.
The world, ranked for MLK Weekend
Each pick opens its January page, with weather, crowds and what is on.
Book Puerto Rico for MLK Weekend.
Sponsored links to Expedia and Vrbo. We may earn a commission; it never changes a verdict.
- Hotels for January
Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Puerto RicoOpens a hotel search for Puerto Rico in January, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
- Rentals on Vrbo
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Puerto RicoWhole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
- Tours and tickets
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Puerto RicoTimed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Puerto Rico for January. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Closer to home
The US picks for this week, from a long weekend drive to a national park.
Atlanta
Georgia
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park includes his birth home and Ebenezer Baptist Church, and The King Center holds commemorative events around the holiday. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is downtown.
Memphis
Tennessee
The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King was assassinated in 1968, holds events around the holiday. Pair it with Beale Street and Graceland.
Montgomery and Selma
Alabama
The Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, the Dexter Avenue church where Dr. King preached, and the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, about an hour west.
Washington, DC
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the Tidal Basin, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Lincoln Memorial steps where he gave the I Have a Dream speech. Cold, highs near 44F (7C).
Key West
Florida
Dry season, highs near 75F (24C), and the warmest weather in the continental US. Book early; it is high season.
Palm Springs and Joshua Tree
California
Sunny days near 70F (21C), hiking, and mid-century design. Joshua Tree's trails are cool and comfortable by day, though nights drop near freezing.
Hawaii
Hawaii
Humpback whale season is in full swing off Maui. Worth it if you can add a few days to the weekend.
Utah ski country
Utah
Some of the best snow of the season, several resorts under an hour from the Salt Lake City airport. MLK weekend is busy, so ski early and midweek if you can.
Skip this week
- Colorado's I-70 corridor resorts on the holiday weekend. Front Range and out-of-state skiers pack Breckenridge, Keystone, and the I-70 drive, with long lift lines and traffic jams on the way home Monday.
- Europe for just three days. Europe in mid January is cheap but cold and dark, and a three-day weekend is mostly spent in transit. Save it for a longer trip.
- Bali and much of Southeast Asia's rainy regions. January is the rainy season in Bali and parts of Indonesia. Thailand and southern Vietnam are the dry-season picks if you have more time.
- Orlando theme parks on the holiday weekend. MLK weekend brings a spike of crowds to Walt Disney World and Universal in an otherwise quiet January. The week after is much calmer and cheaper.
The booking playbook
- 01Book MLK weekend flights by early November. Short-haul beach and ski flights fill with Northeast and Midwest travelers escaping winter.
- 02Leave Friday afternoon and return Monday night or Tuesday morning to maximize the weekend.
- 03For skiing, arrive Friday and ski Saturday morning early or Monday morning. Sunday afternoon is the peak.
- 04The weeks before and after MLK weekend are some of the cheapest weeks of the year for Caribbean, Mexico, and ski trips.
- 05For civil rights history trips, check The King Center and museum websites for holiday events and hours. Some sites have free or special programming around the holiday.
With kids in tow
- MLK weekend is a natural time to teach kids about the civil rights movement. Atlanta, Memphis, Montgomery, and Selma make the history real.
- The National Civil Rights Museum and the Legacy Museum include difficult material; preview exhibits and prepare younger kids.
- Homeschool families: mid January (outside the holiday weekend) is one of the quietest, cheapest times of the year to travel.
MLK Weekend, quick answers
When is MLK weekend?
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the third Monday in January, so the holiday Monday falls between January 15 and January 21 and the long weekend starts the Saturday before.
Where should I go for MLK weekend?
Puerto Rico, Key West, or the Riviera Maya for easy sun; Palm Springs or San Diego for mild weather; Utah for powder; or Atlanta, Memphis, and Montgomery for civil rights history.
Is MLK weekend busy for skiing?
Yes. It is one of the busiest weekends of the ski season, especially at resorts near Denver, Salt Lake City, and the Bay Area. Arrive early and ski midweek if you can.
Where can I learn about Martin Luther King Jr. on MLK Day?
Atlanta's Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, Memphis's National Civil Rights Museum, Montgomery's Legacy Museum and Dexter Avenue church, and the MLK Memorial in Washington DC.
Is January a cheap time to travel?
Yes. The weeks after New Year's and around MLK weekend (outside the holiday itself) are some of the cheapest of the year, especially for Europe and the Caribbean.
Other holiday weeks
Presidents' Day Weekend
February
The peak of the ski season and the Caribbean high season in the same week. Pick your warm or your snow early, or pick the week after.
Winter Break Ski Trips
December, January, February, March
Four holiday weeks, every family on the same lifts. Pick the resort by the snow and the calendar, not the brand name.
New Year's Eve
December, January
One night, a dozen very different ways to spend it. Choose between the giant public show, the tradition you cannot get anywhere else, or a quiet midnight somewhere warm.
Spring Break
March, April
The week the whole country goes somewhere warm at the same time. Pick the right warm, or pick a different week.
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