Every January travel list looks the same — Bali, Maldives, Thailand, repeat. And look, they're on this list too. But so are places that almost nobody writes about for January — and those are often the best decisions you'll make all year. We've cut the list down to 12 destinations that genuinely reward January travel with a clear reason for each. Weather data. Real costs. And honest warnings about what doesn't work in January too.
January is one of the cheapest months to fly — airlines drop prices sharply after the Christmas rush — which makes it the smartest month to go somewhere that's actually in season.
🌍 How to Use This Guide
Each destination below includes the real weather in January (not just "warm and sunny" vague descriptions), average daily costs, what to book and what to skip. We've also flagged the one thing most people get wrong for each destination in January.
Quick Comparison — January Travel at a Glance
| Destination | Weather | Budget/day | Crowds | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇲🇦 Morocco | 18–22°C, dry | $35–55 | Low | Value, culture |
| 🇮🇩 Bali | 28°C, wet season | $40–70 | Medium | Wellness, rice terraces |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | 28–32°C, dry | $35–65 | High | Beaches, food |
| 🇯🇴 Jordan | 12–15°C, cool | $50–80 | Very Low | History, Petra |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | 18–22°C, wet | $45–70 | Low | Machu Picchu, nature |
| 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 27–30°C, dry (west) | $35–60 | Medium | Beaches, culture |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 25–30°C, summer | $50–90 | Medium | Safari, wine, Cape Town |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 25–30°C (south), dry | $30–55 | Medium | Food, culture, value |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal (Algarve) | 14–17°C, mild | $60–90 | Very Low | Off-season beaches, cheap flights |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 5–10°C, cold, clear | $70–110 | Low | Winter scenery, no queues |
| 🇰🇪 Kenya | 25–30°C, dry | $80–150 | Low | Safari, wildlife |
| 🇿🇼 Zanzibar | 28–31°C, dry | $60–100 | Medium | Beaches, Indian Ocean |
While everyone is fighting over Bali hotels, Morocco in January is quietly extraordinary. Temperatures sit at a pleasant 18–22°C — warm enough for markets, medinas and desert excursions, cool enough to walk for hours without wilting. The Sahara is at its most dramatic in winter, the crowds are almost nonexistent, and flights from Europe are genuinely cheap.
Marrakech, Fes, Chefchaouen, the Atlas Mountains and a desert camp in Merzouga — January is when you can do all of it without queuing, without sweating and without paying peak season prices.
January is Bali's wet season — but the internet has wildly exaggerated what this means. The reality: mornings are sunny, afternoons bring a warm tropical downpour for an hour or two, evenings clear up. It's not monsoon chaos. The rice terraces in Ubud are the most vivid green you'll ever see. Accommodation prices drop noticeably from December. And the crowds thin out significantly compared to July–August peak.
Beach areas like Seminyak and Kuta are less ideal in January. Head inland to Ubud for yoga retreats, jungle walks and temple culture — this is Bali at its most authentic and most affordable.
January is Thailand's best month — no debate. The north (Chiang Mai) is cool and dry with the best air quality of the year. The south (Koh Samui, Krabi, Koh Lanta) is in full dry season. Bangkok is warm without being oppressive. The downside: everyone knows this. January is peak season and prices for accommodation reflect that. Book hotels 8–10 weeks ahead for good rates.
If you want Thailand in January without the crowds, head to Koh Lanta or Pai in the north — both are quieter than the big-name spots and genuinely stunning in January.
January in Petra is one of the most underrated travel experiences available. The site is quiet — genuinely quiet, not "only 800 people instead of 2,000" quiet — the light is extraordinary in winter, and you can photograph the Treasury without a hundred tourists in the frame. Yes, it's cool (12–15°C in the day, colder at night) and the mountains of Wadi Rum can be cold. Pack properly and it rewards you enormously.
Wadi Rum in January has clear desert skies — some of the best stargazing on the planet. January is also low season for Jordan's hotels, which cuts accommodation costs by 30–40% versus spring and autumn.
January is peak season for Sri Lanka's west coast — Colombo, Galle, Mirissa and the whale watching corridor off Mirissa. Clear skies, calm seas, 27–30°C. The east coast (Trincomalee, Arugam Bay) is the opposite — monsoon season, avoid. Sri Lanka in January means the Cultural Triangle (Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa) is also at its most comfortable — warm but not brutal.
January is when the blue whales appear off Mirissa — the largest animals on Earth visible from a boat an hour from the shore. Arguably the most extraordinary wildlife experience available in January anywhere in the world.
Vietnam in January splits by region. The south (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc island) is in its dry season — hot, sunny, excellent. Central Vietnam (Hoi An, Da Nang) is cool and occasionally rainy — the shoulder season with lower prices. North Vietnam (Hanoi, Ha Long Bay) is cold and misty — atmospheric but not beach weather. Plan according to which part you're visiting.
Phu Quoc island in January is one of Southeast Asia's best kept January secrets — perfect weather, beautiful beaches and significantly cheaper than Koh Samui or Bali while being just as stunning.
January is midsummer in South Africa — Cape Town hits 25–30°C with long days and the famous coastal walks, wine regions and beaches at their best. The Kruger National Park is lush and green in January — the vegetation is thick which makes spotting harder, but the newborn wildlife makes up for it and prices are lower than the dry-season safari months.
Cape Town in January is genuinely spectacular — the most beautiful city month on the continent. Book the Franschhoek wine trams, hike Table Mountain before 9am for clear summit views, and take the coastal route to Cape Point. It's summer done right.
January is Peru's wet season — and most people use that as a reason to avoid it. Smart travellers use it as a reason to go. Machu Picchu in January has dramatically shorter queues than the peak months of June–August. The cloud forest around the site is extraordinarily lush. Yes, there's rain — usually in the afternoon, rarely all day. Morning visits to Machu Picchu are almost always clear.
The Inca Trail closes in February for maintenance — but January is still open and less crowded than any other open month. Lima's culinary scene (one of the best in the world) has no season — it's excellent year-round.
January in the Algarve is not a beach holiday — sea temperatures sit at 16°C and the air is 14–17°C. But it's also genuinely pleasant for walking the coastal cliffs, exploring Lisbon without queues at every corner and eating some of the best seafood in the world at half the summer prices. Algarve hotels in January cost 40–60% less than August. Flights from London are cheap year-round.
Sintra, Lagos, Tavira and the Douro Valley wine region are all excellent in January — the light is beautiful, the towns are navigable, and locals are back in their own spaces rather than sidelined by tourism.
January Japan is cold — Tokyo averages 5–10°C, Kyoto is similar, Hokkaido is properly snowy. But it's also the least crowded month of the year. The temples of Kyoto in January snow are one of the most photographed and least experienced sights in travel — most people see the photos and assume it's impossible to visit in winter. It isn't. It just requires a jacket.
January hotel prices in Japan are 25–35% lower than March–May (cherry blossom season) and October (autumn leaves). Ski resorts in Hakuba and Niseko are in full peak — January is the best powder snow month if skiing is your reason to go.
January is Kenya's dry season — the short rains ended in December and the long rains don't start until March. The Masai Mara is at its quietest and most affordable — the Great Migration peak (July–October) is long gone, prices drop significantly, and the resident wildlife (lions, elephants, cheetahs, leopards, hippos, rhinos) is year-round. January is when the big cats are most active — hunting on the open plains.
January is also when wildebeest calving happens further south in the Serengeti — one of the most dramatic wildlife events in Africa, and the reason predator activity is so high in January on the Kenyan side of the border.
Zanzibar in January is textbook Indian Ocean paradise — 28–31°C, calm turquoise water, white sand, minimal rain. The northeast monsoon brings light breezes that keep it from being oppressive. This is genuinely one of the best beach months anywhere on the planet. Stone Town is fascinating to explore, snorkelling is excellent, and the spice tours, dhow cruises and dolphin encounters at Kizimkazi are all at their best in January conditions.
Zanzibar is increasingly popular but January crowds are manageable — the European school holiday rush is over and the next peak doesn't hit until July. Book direct beach accommodation well ahead — the good places on the north and east coast fill up fast.
How to Book a January Trip Without Overpaying
January flights are cheapest in the first two weeks of the month (after New Year) and in the last week (before February demand picks up). The sweet spot for booking is 6–10 weeks ahead — early enough to get good seats, late enough that airlines have dropped post-Christmas prices.
- Flights: Use our cheap flights search to compare prices across 500+ sites at once
- Hotels: Book refundable rates in September–October for the best January selection, then cancel and rebook if prices drop in November
- Safari and tours: January is shoulder season for most Africa destinations — negotiate directly with smaller operators for better rates than the big platforms
- Travel insurance: January is the month when things go wrong most — weather disruptions, post-Christmas financial stress cancellations. Don't skip it
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