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Where to go in January
50 places that are at their best — or close to it — in January, grouped by the kind of trip. Every card shows the average high and low, how many days usually see rain, and what a budget day costs there.
In the tropics a “rain day” in these figures is often a short afternoon shower rather than a wet day, so we also lean on each place’s known best season.
Warm and sunny: beach weather
Puerto Vallarta
26°C / 17°C · 0 rain daysBudget day from MX$ 1,400 (about €68). Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Los Arcos, Malecón, Cuale River Island.
Puerto Escondido
30°C / 20°C · 1 rain dayBudget day from MX$ 1,050 (about €51). Playa Zicatela, Manialtepec Lagoon, Playa Carrizalillo, Punta Cometa.
Accra
31°C / 24°C · 4 rain daysBudget day from GH₵ 730 (about €55). Jamestown Lighthouse, Independence Arch, Makola Market, Labadi Beach.
Kochi
30°C / 23°C · 6 rain daysBudget day from ₹ 2,500 (about €23). Chinese Fishing Nets, Mattancherry Palace, Paradesi Synagogue, Kathakali Centre.
Maui
26°C / 20°C · 8 rain daysBudget day from US$ 255 (about €227). Haleakalā, Road to Hana, Molokini Crater, Iao Valley, Mama's Fish House.
Langkawi
30°C / 24°C · 10 rain daysBudget day from RM 170 (about €37). Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, SkyBridge, Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls, Tanjung Rhu.
Phuket
30°C / 24°C · 11 rain daysBudget day from baht 1,500 (about €40). Big Buddha, Wat Chalong, Old Town, Phang Nga Bay, Bangla Road.
Playa del Carmen
26°C / 22°C · 13 rain daysBudget day from MX$ 1,400 (about €68). Portal Maya, Cenote Azul, Xcaret, Quinta Avenida, Cozumel ferry.
Krabi
31°C / 22°C · 12 rain daysBudget day from baht 1,400 (about €37). Railay Beach, Tiger Cave Temple, Hong Islands, Phra Nang Cave.
Tulum
27°C / 22°C · 15 rain daysBudget day from pesos 1,500 (about €73). El Castillo, Gran Cenote, Sian Ka’an, Hartwood.
Rio de Janeiro
29°C / 23°C · 15 rain daysBudget day from R$ 360 (about €61). Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana, Sugarloaf Mountain, Tijuca Forest, feijoada.
Sydney
26°C / 19°C · 16 rain daysBudget day from A$ 155 (about €96). Sydney Opera House, Bondi Beach, Blue Mountains, Sydney Rock Oysters.
Cancun
26°C / 22°C · 17 rain daysBudget day from MXN 1,300 (about €63). Playa Delfines, MUSA, El Meco, Nichupté Lagoon, Isla Mujeres.
El Nido
29°C / 25°C · 16 rain daysBudget day from ₱ 3,000 (about €43). Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Nacpan Beach, Shimizu Island, Matinloc Shrine.
Good for a city break
San Miguel de Allende
23°C / 8°C · 0 rain daysBudget day from MX$ 1,150 (about €56). Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, El Charco del Ingenio, Instituto Allende.
Guadalajara
25°C / 10°C · 1 rain dayBudget day from MX$ 900 (about €44). Guadalajara Cathedral, Hospicio Cabañas, Mercado Libertad, Tlaquepaque.
Oaxaca
26°C / 11°C · 1 rain dayBudget day from MX$ 930 (about €45). Monte Albán, Templo de Santo Domingo, Hierve el Agua, Mercado 20 de Noviembre.
Luxor
23°C / 10°C · 1 rain dayBudget day from E£ 1,950 (about €33). Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, Hatshepsut Temple.
Muscat
24°C / 17°C · 2 rain daysBudget day from OMR 31 (about €72). Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Mutrah Souq, Royal Opera House, Wadi Shab, Qurum Beach.
Dubai
24°C / 14°C · 3 rain daysBudget day from AED 380 (about €92). Burj Khalifa, gold souks, desert safaris, and dancing fountains..
Abu Dhabi
23°C / 17°C · 3 rain daysBudget day from AED 330 (about €80). Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque's 82 marble domes and Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Lima
23°C / 19°C · 3 rain daysBudget day from S/ 165 (about €43). Huaca Pucllana, Museo Larco, Puente de los Suspiros, Plaza Mayor.
Udaipur
22°C / 9°C · 3 rain daysBudget day from ₹ 2,600 (about €24). City Palace, Lake Palace, Jagdish Temple, Monsoon Palace, Saheliyon-ki-Bari.
Varanasi
21°C / 10°C · 3 rain daysBudget day from ₹ 1,700 (about €16). Ganga Aarti, Manikarnika Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat, Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Chiang Rai
27°C / 14°C · 4 rain daysBudget day from ฿ 950 (about €25). White Temple, Blue Temple, Baandam Museum, Clock Tower.
Antigua Guatemala
24°C / 12°C · 5 rain daysBudget day from Q 310 (about €36). Santa Catalina Arch, Volcán de Agua, Convento de las Capuchinas, San Francisco Church.
Jaipur
20°C / 8°C · 4 rain daysBudget day from rupees 2,000 (about €18). Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, Jal Mahal, City Palace.
Riyadh
19°C / 9°C · 5 rain daysBudget day from SAR 280 (about €66). Masmak Fortress, Kingdom Centre, Diriyah, Souq Al Zal, Edge of the World.
Nature, mountains and wildlife
Cabo San Lucas
25°C / 16°C · 1 rain dayBudget day from MX$ 1,850 (about €90). El Arco, Medano Beach, Mount Solmar, Marina District, Land's End.
Santiago
29°C / 14°C · 1 rain dayBudget day from CLP$ 51,000 (about €46). Cerro San Cristóbal, Palacio de La Moneda, Mercado Central, Plaza de Armas.
Cape Town
25°C / 17°C · 4 rain daysBudget day from R 1,400 (about €75). Table Mountain, Bo-Kaap, Cape of Good Hope, Stellenbosch vineyards, Boulders Beach penguins.
Chiang Mai
27°C / 16°C · 4 rain daysBudget day from baht 1,150 (about €30). Wat Chedi Luang, Doi Suthep, Warorot Market, Tha Phae Gate.
Luang Prabang
28°C / 15°C · 4 rain daysBudget day from kip 600,000 (about €24). Wat Xieng Thong, Kuang Si Falls, Mount Phousi, Pak Ou Caves.
Nairobi
26°C / 14°C · 5 rain daysBudget day from KSh 11,500 (about €78). Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, Karura Forest.
Bariloche
22°C / 10°C · 5 rain daysBudget day from US$ 70 (about €62). Cerro Catedral, Llao Llao Hotel, Nahuel Huapi Lake, Cerro Campanario, Refugio Frey.
Melbourne
26°C / 16°C · 8 rain daysBudget day from A$ 140 (about €86). Hosier Lane street art, Great Ocean Road, Twelve Apostles, espresso laneway culture.
Wellington
20°C / 15°C · 7 rain daysBudget day from NZ$ 128 (about €64). Wellington Cable Car, Te Papa, The Beehive, Red Rocks Reserve.
Christchurch
21°C / 14°C · 8 rain daysBudget day from NZ$ 140 (about €70). Riverside Market, Botanic Gardens, Cardboard Cathedral, Sumner Beach, Christchurch Gondola.
Koh Phangan
25°C / 22°C · 10 rain daysBudget day from ฿ 1,200 (about €32). Than Sadet Waterfall, Khao Ra, Thong Sala Night Market, Bottle Beach.
Queenstown
22°C / 13°C · 9 rain daysBudget day from NZ$ 155 (about €77). The Remarkables, Kawarau Bridge, Skyline Gondola, TSS Earnslaw.
Snow and winter atmosphere
Innsbruck
5°C / -3°C · 14 rain or snow daysBudget day from €110. Golden Roof, Nordkette, Ambras Castle, Bergisel Ski Jump, Hofkirche.
Zermatt
-1°C / -7°C · 13 rain or snow daysBudget day from CHF 190 (about €204). Matterhorn, Gornergrat Bahn, Hinterdorf, Findeln.
Tromso
-3°C / -7°C · 16 rain or snow daysBudget day from NOK 1,460 (about €135). Arctic Cathedral, Fjellheisen, Polaria, Mack Brewery, Tromsø Cathedral.
Sapporo
-3°C / -10°C · 18 rain or snow daysBudget day from ¥ 10,800 (about €61). Odori Park, Sapporo Beer Museum, Susukino, Mount Moiwa, Nijo Market.
Denver
5°C / -9°C · 5 rain or snow daysBudget day from US$ 135 (about €120). Red Rocks, Union Station, Denver Art Museum, RiNo Murals.
Calgary
0°C / -10°C · 4 rain or snow daysBudget day from C$ 140 (about €87). Calgary Tower, Central Library, Prince's Island Park, Bow River, Peace Bridge.
Banff
-4°C / -12°C · 4 rain or snow daysBudget day from C$ 185 (about €115). Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Banff Upper Hot Springs, Tunnel Mountain.
Common questions
Where is warm in Europe in January?
Europe is mild rather than hot in January. The warmest fairly dry choices are Malaga (17°C), Seville (16°C), Valencia (16°C), Hydra (15°C), Spetses (15°C) — average daytime highs. Expect cool evenings and pack a layer.
What is the cheapest warm place to go in January?
On our budget-day figures (bed, food, sights and local transport), the cheapest warm, mostly dry places in January are Kochi (about €23 a day), Luang Prabang (about €24 a day), Chiang Rai (about €25 a day), Ho Chi Minh City (about €27 a day). Flights are not included, so check fares from your home airport.
Where is it dry in January?
Places that averaged two or fewer rain days in January with comfortable highs: Puerto Vallarta (0 days, 26°C), San Miguel de Allende (0 days, 23°C), Perth (0 days, 31°C), Cabo San Lucas (1 day, 25°C), Guadalajara (1 day, 25°C). A rain day here means 1 mm or more.
How did you choose these places?
Each destination has three years (2021–2023) of daily weather for one point where visitors stay, from Open-Meteo's ERA5 archive. We combine January's average high, low and rain days with our own best-months rating and the daily budget from our cost tables. Weather varies year to year, so treat these as typical, not guaranteed.
Not sure which one?
Tell Tony AI when you can travel and what you like, and get a day-by-day plan.
Plan my January trip →Weather: Open-Meteo ERA5 archive, daily values 2021–2023, one representative point per destination (average daily high / low, rain day = 1 mm or more). Costs: TonyPlan budget-day estimates for 2026 (bed sharing a double, food, sights, local transport), converted to euros at recent rates. Flights not included.