Best Places to Travel in January 2026: 73 Warm Destinations

Best time
Good time
Not ideal in January

All destinations for January, best weather first

Country	High / low	Rain	Continent
Guatemala	26°C / 13°C High risk	5 mm	Americas
Bangladesh	24°C / 11°C	9 mm	Asia
Oman	24°C / 18°C High risk	15 mm	Asia
Eritrea	27°C / 12°C High risk	4 mm	Africa
Ethiopia	24°C / 7°C High risk	12 mm	Africa
Mauritania	23°C / 17°C High risk	2 mm	Africa
Gambia	27°C / 19°C	2 mm	Africa
Senegal	24°C / 20°C	11 mm	Africa
Cape Verde	24°C / 22°C	22 mm	Africa
Saint Kitts and Nevis	26°C / 25°C	28 mm	Americas
Colombia	24°C / 14°C High risk	44 mm	Americas
Djibouti	27°C / 21°C High risk	6 mm	Africa
United Arab Emirates	22°C / 18°C High risk	11 mm	Asia
Cuba	27°C / 18°C High risk	30 mm	Americas
Peru	23°C / 16°C	3 mm	Americas
Antigua and Barbuda	26°C / 25°C	41 mm	Americas
Laos	28°C / 15°C	8 mm	Asia
Bahamas	24°C / 22°C	38 mm	Americas
Venezuela	26°C / 19°C High risk	42 mm	Americas
Honduras	28°C / 16°C High risk	8 mm	Americas
Kenya	27°C / 14°C High risk	39 mm	Africa
Qatar	22°C / 13°C High risk	6 mm	Asia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	27°C / 26°C	27 mm	Americas
Saudi Arabia	21°C / 7°C High risk	6 mm	Asia
Barbados	27°C / 26°C	34 mm	Americas
India	21°C / 6°C High risk	16 mm	Asia
Costa Rica	27°C / 18°C	38 mm	Americas
Dominica	26°C / 25°C	61 mm	Americas
Guinea-Bissau	29°C / 16°C High risk	1 mm	Africa
Jamaica	27°C / 24°C	33 mm	Americas
Chile	30°C / 14°C	8 mm	Americas
Grenada	27°C / 26°C	61 mm	Americas
Saint Lucia	27°C / 26°C	68 mm	Americas
Rwanda	26°C / 15°C High risk	96 mm	Africa
El Salvador	30°C / 22°C	4 mm	Americas
Uruguay	26°C / 20°C	102 mm	Americas
Dominican Republic	29°C / 21°C	24 mm	Americas
Sierra Leone	29°C / 22°C	1 mm	Africa
Australia	29°C / 13°C	58 mm	Oceania
Cameroon	29°C / 19°C High risk	14 mm	Africa
Maldives	28°C / 27°C	53 mm	Asia
Equatorial Guinea	28°C / 27°C	30 mm	Africa
Guinea	30°C / 25°C	0 mm	Africa
Panama	29°C / 24°C	20 mm	Americas
Bahrain	20°C / 16°C High risk	7 mm	Asia
Lesotho	28°C / 14°C	102 mm	Africa
Benin	30°C / 23°C High risk	20 mm	Africa
Argentina	28°C / 22°C	104 mm	Americas
Togo	30°C / 25°C High risk	15 mm	Africa
Belize	27°C / 19°C	101 mm	Americas
Ghana	30°C / 25°C	22 mm	Africa
Liberia	31°C / 23°C	11 mm	Africa
Nicaragua	32°C / 22°C High risk	1 mm	Americas
Vietnam	20°C / 11°C	32 mm	Asia
Sri Lanka	29°C / 22°C	76 mm	Asia
Trinidad and Tobago	28°C / 23°C High risk	100 mm	Americas
Philippines	27°C / 21°C High risk	148 mm	Asia
Nigeria	33°C / 17°C High risk	2 mm	Africa
Suriname	28°C / 25°C	142 mm	Americas
Thailand	33°C / 20°C	16 mm	Asia
New Zealand	19°C / 14°C	51 mm	Oceania
Guyana	27°C / 25°C High risk	181 mm	Americas
Cambodia	34°C / 22°C	16 mm	Asia
Tonga	27°C / 26°C	197 mm	Oceania
Marshall Islands	28°C / 28°C	161 mm	Oceania
Côte d'Ivoire	35°C / 20°C High risk	14 mm	Africa
Madagascar	23°C / 15°C	475 mm	Africa
Nauru	29°C / 28°C	194 mm	Oceania
Micronesia	29°C / 28°C	205 mm	Oceania
Kiribati	28°C / 28°C	212 mm	Oceania
Malaysia	28°C / 21°C	206 mm	Asia
Palau	29°C / 27°C	216 mm	Oceania
Bhutan	5°C / -8°C	5 mm	Asia

Data: NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources) — 25-year climate averages 2001–2025, public domain.

Where to go in other months

January February March April May June July August September October November December

January at a glance

In January, 60 countries are at their very best and 13 more offer good travel weather. For guaranteed warmth with little rain, Liberia is hard to beat: around 31°C by day in Monrovia and only 11 mm of rain in the month. It is winter in the Northern Hemisphere — the warm weather is south of the equator and in the tropics, where the dry season often begins.

Warm destinations and beach escapes in January

Hot, mostly dry weather for beaches, islands and outdoor days: Gambia (27°C), Laos (28°C), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (27°C), Barbados (27°C), Jamaica (27°C), Chile (30°C), Grenada (27°C) and Saint Lucia (27°C). Daytime highs reach 27 °C or more and the month brings less than 90 mm of rain.

Mild weather for city breaks in January

Comfortable 17–26 °C days, ideal for walking and sightseeing: Bangladesh (24°C), Senegal (24°C), Cape Verde (24°C), Peru (23°C), Bahamas (24°C), Vietnam (20°C) and New Zealand (19°C).

Best places to visit in January by continent

Africa: Gambia (27°C), Senegal (24°C), Cape Verde (24°C) and Sierra Leone (29°C)
Americas: Saint Kitts and Nevis (26°C), Peru (23°C), Antigua and Barbuda (26°C) and Bahamas (24°C)
Asia: Bangladesh (24°C), Laos (28°C), Maldives (28°C) and Vietnam (20°C)
Oceania: Australia (29°C), New Zealand (19°C), Tonga (27°C) and Marshall Islands (28°C)

What changes from December to January

Coming into their best season this month: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Maldives, Panama, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. See also where to go in February.

Where to avoid in January

Expect heavy rain or the monsoon in Madagascar, Indonesia, Tuvalu, Malawi, Brunei and Fiji (250 mm or more); freezing days in Mongolia (-16°C), Kazakhstan (-13°C), Canada (-6°C), Lithuania (-4°C), Norway (-4°C) and Latvia (-3°C). Mountains and coasts can differ from the capital — check the country page for the details.

How we choose

Every destination is scored from 25 years of NASA climate data for its capital: daytime highs close to 25 °C, little rain, moderate humidity and clear skies score best. “Best time” means January is among the top months of the year for that country; “Good time” means it is pleasant but not the peak. Countries where the US or UK government advises against travel are left out, and high-risk destinations are flagged in the table — see the safest countries to visit.

Related rankings

Frequently asked questions

Where is it warm in January?

Warm and dry: Gambia (27°C), Laos (28°C), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (27°C), Barbados (27°C), Jamaica (27°C) and Chile (30°C). In total 73 countries have pleasant weather in January.

Where is the best place to travel in January?

Bangladesh (24°C) has the best weather score of any country in January, followed by Gambia (27°C), Senegal (24°C), Cape Verde (24°C) and Saint Kitts and Nevis (26°C).

Is January a good time to visit Europe?

Not really — January is outside the best season for most of Europe; look south of the equator or to the tropics instead.

Where should I avoid in January?

Heavy rain or the monsoon in Madagascar, Indonesia, Tuvalu, Malawi, Brunei and Fiji (250 mm or more); freezing days in Mongolia (-16°C), Kazakhstan (-13°C), Canada (-6°C), Lithuania (-4°C), Norway (-4°C) and Latvia (-3°C).

Is January a good time to travel?

For 60 countries it is the best time of the year. Compare with December and February.