Where to Travel in January
The southern hemisphere's July, the tropics at their driest, and the cheapest Europe of the year.
The straight answer
The best places to travel in January are Thailand and the Maldives in their dry-season prime, Patagonia and New Zealand at the height of southern summer, and Cape Town at its sunniest.
January is the month the travel map flips. The northern hemisphere is cold, dark, and cheap, while the southern hemisphere is in the heart of its summer: Patagonia's trails are open, New Zealand is at its warmest, and Cape Town is running beach weather. Meanwhile the tropical dry-season belt, the Caribbean, Mexico's Riviera Maya, Thailand, the Maldives, is at its absolute best, which is exactly why it is also at its most expensive once the New Year crowds roll in.
The smart money in January plays one of three hands. Chase the dry season in the tropics and pay peak rates for near-guaranteed sun. Chase the southern summer for long days and big landscapes. Or run the contrarian play: Europe's great cities in January are the emptiest and cheapest they will be all year, and a museum-and-cafe trip to Paris, Rome, or Prague costs a fraction of June.
One more January secret: East Africa. The Great Migration's calving season happens on the southern Serengeti plains roughly January into February, hundreds of thousands of wildebeest calves and the predators that follow them. It is the best wildlife spectacle most travelers have never timed a trip around.
The world in January
Our January picks, ranked
- 01
ThailandAsia
The heart of the cool, dry season: highs near 88F (31C), low humidity, and both coasts swimmable. This is the month Thailand's weather is simply easy.
- 02
Patagonia, Chile & ArgentinaSouth America
Peak trekking season at the bottom of the world. Long daylight, open refugios, and Torres del Paine and Fitz Roy at full access. Book huts and hotels months ahead.
- 03
MaldivesAsia
Dry season in full swing: calm seas, glassy visibility for snorkeling and diving, and day after day of sun. Peak pricing, but this is what you are paying for.
- 04
Riviera Maya, MexicoNorth America
Warm, dry, and far outside hurricane season. Highs near 82F (28C), cool cenote swims, and whale sharks are months away but the reef diving is superb.
- 05
Cape Town, South AfricaAfrica
High summer: Table Mountain hikes, beach days at Camps Bay, and the winelands in full green. Book ahead; South Africans are on holiday too in early January.
- 06
New ZealandOceania & Pacific
The warmest stretch of the year for road trips, Great Walks, and sounds cruises. Kiwi school holidays run into late January, so book transport and huts early.
- 07
East Africa Safari, Kenya & TanzaniaAfrica
Calving season on the southern Serengeti plains: wildebeest calves by the hundreds of thousands and the year's most dramatic predator action, at lower prices than the July crossings.
- 08
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesMiddle East
The month Dubai's weather makes sense: highs near 75F (24C), perfect for beach mornings and desert evenings. Peak season, but a comfortable one.
- 09
Costa RicaCentral America & Caribbean
Dry season on the Pacific side: sunny beach weather, dusty roads, and reliable wildlife viewing in Guanacaste and Manuel Antonio.
- 10
VietnamAsia
The south is dry and warm, and central beaches like Da Nang are drying out. Hanoi runs cool and gray, so pack layers and prioritize the south this month.
Closer to home
The US in January
Hawaii
Humpback whale season is in full swing off Maui, and post-holiday January brings a brief lull in prices after the New Year exodus.
Colorado ski country
Midwinter snowpack without the Christmas-week crush. Mid-January weekdays are the sweet spot for lift lines.
The Florida Keys
Dry season, highs near 75F (24C), and the best sunset-and-seafood weather of the year. Peak season pricing, worth it.
Utah ski country
The famous light, dry powder tends to stack up deepest from January into February. Multiple resorts under an hour from the Salt Lake City airport.
Death Valley and Palm Springs
The desert in January is the whole point: sunny 65F to 70F (18C to 21C) days for hiking terrain that is lethal in summer.
New Orleans
Mild, cheap, and quietly building toward Carnival season. January is the value window before Mardi Gras pricing arrives.
Worth flying for
January events and spectacles
Late January or February, on the new moon that begins the lunar year; the date moves with the lunar calendar, and festivities run about 15 days to the Lantern Festival · China, plus Singapore, Hong Kong & Taipei
Chinese New Year
The world's largest annual celebration, and the world's largest annual migration, in the same two weeks.
September through March, whenever nights are dark; the equinox months and deep winter each have their own case · Iceland, Norway & Finnish and Swedish Lapland
Northern Lights Season
The aurora borealis runs on dark skies, not luck alone: stack the odds and the sky performs.
November through March, with the butterflies arriving around early November and the liveliest viewing in the warming weeks of late January and February · Michoacan, Mexico
Monarch Butterfly Migration in Mexico
A hundred million butterflies wintering in the mountain firs: one of the last great wildlife spectacles on Earth.
The honesty section
Where January works against you
- ✕Santorini and the Greek islands. Effectively closed for the season. Many hotels, restaurants, and boat operators shut from roughly November through March, and the weather is cool, windy, and gray.
- ✕Bali. The wettest stretch of the rainy season: daily downpours, murky seas, and the year's worst humidity. Wait for the dry months of roughly May through September.
- ✕Interior Alaska. Subzero cold and only a few hours of usable daylight. Unless you are specifically hunting the northern lights with a cold-weather plan, save it for June through August.
- ✕Yellowstone by car. Most park roads are closed to regular vehicles from roughly November into April. Winter access is real but means guided snowcoach or snowmobile logistics, not a road trip.
Quick answers
January travel FAQ
Where is hot in January?
Thailand, the Maldives, the Riviera Maya, and the Caribbean are all in dry-season prime, with highs in the 80s F (around 28C to 32C). For summer heat, head south: Cape Town, Sydney, and New Zealand are in high summer.
Where should I avoid in January?
Skip the Greek islands and Bali, the first for seasonal closures and the second for peak rainy season. Yellowstone's roads are closed to cars, and interior Alaska is brutally cold and dark.
Where is cheap to travel in January?
Europe's cities are at rock bottom after New Year: Paris, Rome, Prague, and London all run their lowest airfares and hotel rates of the year from mid-January into February. Post-holiday January is also a soft window for Hawaii and ski towns.
Is January a good month for a safari?
Yes, and an underrated one. Calving season on the southern Serengeti runs roughly January into February with huge herds and heavy predator action, typically at lower prices than the famous July to September river-crossing window.