Where to go in January
January splits the world in two. Dry, warm places lead the list. Mauritania scores 10, with highs near 25°C and almost no rain. Chile and Cuba both reach about 26°C with little rain. Egypt, Qatar and Bahrain offer 19–23°C and about 2 rain days. India reaches 28°C with just 1 rain day. Australia has highs near 28°C and sea temperatures around 23°C. Northern Europe is the place to skip. Finland stays below freezing at -1°C. Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark see highs of 3–6°C and 13–16 rain days. Spain is the milder European choice, at about 10°C.
Top picks
Best places to go in January
Ranked by our month score: temperature, rain, sunshine and sea.
-
1.Mauritania
10.0/10Africa
Top score of 10: mild 24.8°C highs, cool 11.6°C nights, almost no rain and 9.5 sun hours.
- High / low
- 25°C / 12°C
- Rain days
- 0
- Sun daily
- 9.5 hrs
-
2.Chile
9.9/10Americas
Scores 9.9 and has the most sun, at 13.5 hours a day, with highs of 26.2°C and 1 mm of rain.
- High / low
- 26°C / 16°C
- Rain days
- 0
- Sun daily
- 13.5 hrs
-
3.Egypt
9.6/10Africa
Highs around 19°C, rain on about 2 days.
- High / low
- 19°C / 9°C
- Rain days
- 2
- Sun daily
- 9.3 hrs
-
4.Bahrain
9.5/10Asia
Scores 9.5; the coolest month at 21°C highs and 14°C lows, with 2 rain days.
- High / low
- 21°C / 14°C
- Rain days
- 2
- Sun daily
- 9.4 hrs
-
5.Qatar
9.5/10Asia
Scores 9.5. The coolest month, with highs of 22.6°C and lows of 13°C. Bring a light layer for evenings.
- High / low
- 23°C / 13°C
- Rain days
- 2
- Sun daily
- 9.4 hrs
-
6.Cuba
9.2/10Americas
Top score of 9.2. Highs of 26.3°C, only 3.5 rain days and 20 mm of rain, with 10.5 sun hours.
- High / low
- 26°C / 24°C
- Rain days
- 4
- Sun daily
- 10.5 hrs
-
7.Ethiopia
8.8/10Africa
Top score of 8.8. The driest month, with 20 mm of rain on about 6 days, 10.8 sun hours and highs near 20°C.
- High / low
- 20°C / 9°C
- Rain days
- 6
- Sun daily
- 10.8 hrs
-
8.India
8.8/10Asia
Top score of 8.8, with highs of 28°C, lows near 16°C and only 1 rain day.
- High / low
- 28°C / 16°C
- Rain days
- 1
- Sun daily
- 9.9 hrs
-
9.New Zealand
8.5/10Oceania
Top score of 8.5. Warmest month with highs of 19°C, the most sun at 12.5 hours and the least rain, 62 mm.
- High / low
- 19°C / 14°C
- Rain days
- 8
- Sun daily
- 12.5 hrs
-
10.Australia
8.3/10Oceania
Scores 8.3. Adelaide's hottest month has a 27.7°C high, 12.4 sun hours and the warmest sea at 22.9°C.
- High / low
- 28°C / 17°C
- Rain days
- 5
- Sun daily
- 12.4 hrs
-
11.Honduras
7.6/10Americas
Scores 7.6, with mild highs around 24°C, 42 mm of rain and 9.8 hours of sun a day.
- High / low
- 24°C / 16°C
- Rain days
- 12
- Sun daily
- 9.8 hrs
-
12.Spain
7.1/10Europe
Highs around 10°C, rain on about 7 days.
- High / low
- 10°C / 1°C
- Rain days
- 7
- Sun daily
- 7.0 hrs
-
13.Fiji
7.0/10Oceania
Highs around 30°C, rain on about 24 days, sea 30°C.
- High / low
- 30°C / 24°C
- Rain days
- 24
- Sun daily
- 10.5 hrs
-
14.Gibraltar
6.6/10Europe
Highs around 15°C, rain on about 9 days.
- High / low
- 15°C / 10°C
- Rain days
- 9
- Sun daily
- 7.9 hrs
January
Warm & sunny
Highs of 24 °C or more and few rainy days.
-
Mauritania 10.0/10Highs 25°C · 0 rain days
-
Chile 9.9/10Highs 26°C · 0 rain days
-
Cuba 9.2/10Highs 26°C · 4 rain days
-
India 8.8/10Highs 28°C · 1 rain days
-
Australia 8.3/10Highs 28°C · 5 rain days
-
El Salvador 7.0/10Highs 32°C · 1 rain days
-
Thailand 6.8/10Highs 31°C · 3 rain days
-
Haiti 6.5/10Highs 31°C · 5 rain days
January
Short-haul from Europe
Within about 3,500 km of central Europe.
Honest advice
Toughest weather in January
Places where the weather is usually at its worst this month.
-
Finland 0.7/10
Wet month: rain on about 14 days.
For better weather, try Spain · 7.1/10 · highs 10°C
-
Germany 0.8/10
Wet month: rain on about 16 days.
For better weather, try Spain · 7.1/10 · highs 10°C
-
Netherlands 0.9/10
Wet month: rain on about 15 days.
For better weather, try Gibraltar · 6.6/10 · highs 15°C
-
Belgium 1.0/10
Wet month: rain on about 14 days.
For better weather, try Gibraltar · 6.6/10 · highs 15°C
-
Denmark 1.2/10
Wet month: rain on about 13 days.
For better weather, try Egypt · 9.6/10 · highs 19°C
Side by side
January weather comparison: top 10 destinations
Average weather of each destination's main city this month, and our month score out of 10.
| Destination | Avg high | Avg low | Rainfall | Sun hrs/day | Sea temp | January score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mauritania | 25°C | 12°C | 0 mm | 9.5 hrs | – | 10.0 |
| Chile | 26°C | 16°C | 1 mm | 13.5 hrs | – | 9.9 |
| Egypt | 19°C | 9°C | 6 mm | 9.3 hrs | – | 9.6 |
| Bahrain | 21°C | 14°C | 20 mm | 9.4 hrs | – | 9.5 |
| Qatar | 23°C | 13°C | 16 mm | 9.4 hrs | – | 9.5 |
| Cuba | 26°C | 24°C | 20 mm | 10.5 hrs | – | 9.2 |
| Ethiopia | 20°C | 9°C | 20 mm | 10.8 hrs | Inland | 8.8 |
| India | 28°C | 16°C | 5 mm | 9.9 hrs | – | 8.8 |
| New Zealand | 19°C | 14°C | 62 mm | 12.5 hrs | – | 8.5 |
| Australia | 28°C | 17°C | 41 mm | 12.4 hrs | 23°C | 8.3 |
FAQ
Travelling in January
Where is warm in January?
India, Australia, Cuba and Chile are the warmest places on our January list. India reaches highs of 28°C, Australia 27.7°C, Cuba 26.3°C and Chile 26.2°C. All four are rated best for the month, and each has fewer than 5 rain days. Mauritania, at 24.8°C, and Honduras, at 24.4°C, are also warm.
Where is dry in January?
Mauritania and Chile are the driest choices in January. Mauritania averages just 0.1 rain days and Chile 0.2. India, with 1 rain day, and Egypt, with 1.8, are also very dry. Be careful with Central America. Honduras has 12.2 rain days and Guatemala has 17.5, so pack for showers there.
Which countries should I avoid in January?
Avoid Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark in January. They have the lowest scores this month, from 0.7 to 1.2. Days are cold and wet. Finland's high is -1.2°C with 14.1 rain days. Germany reaches only 3°C and has 15.7 rain days. The Netherlands has 15.4 rain days.
Is Europe good in January?
Mostly no. Spain is the only European country on our January list, and it is rated good, not best. It scores 7.1, with highs of 10.3°C and 6.5 rain days, so expect cool rather than warm weather. Northern Europe is much worse. Germany, Denmark and the Benelux countries are all on the avoid list.
Is Australia good for a beach trip in January?
Yes, Australia is a good beach choice in January. The sea is 22.9°C and daytime highs reach 27.7°C. It has 4.6 rain days and a score of 8.3, rated best. By contrast, the sea in Finland is just 0.1°C at this time of year.