Where to go in January
January sits in the middle of the northern winter and the southern summer, so the best conditions are near the equator or south of it. Desert and dry-season destinations shine: Mauritania and Cape Verde reach highs near 24-25°C with almost no rain, and Yemen hits 22.8°C with 0 rain days. The Gulf states (UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait) stay warm and mostly dry, while Cuba and Mexico offer 20-26°C with little rainfall. India and Hong Kong round out Asia's winter sun, both dry and mild. Northern Europe is a different story: Finland and Latvia sit near or below freezing, Norway hovers at 0°C, and the Faroe Islands see rain on almost 20 days, with sea temperatures down to 6.5°C. These are the places where January means snow, dark afternoons, and heavy cloud rather than beach weather.
Top picks
Best places to go in January
Ranked by our month score: temperature, rain, sunshine and sea.
-
1.Cape Verde
10.0/10Africa
Top score of 10, dry with 0 rain days, a high of 23°C and 9.9 hours of sun daily.
- High / low
- 23°C / 22°C
- Rain days
- 0
- Sun daily
- 9.9 hrs
-
2.Mauritania
10.0/10Africa
Top score of 10, with a cool 25°C high, 12°C low and almost no rain for comfortable sightseeing.
- High / low
- 25°C / 12°C
- Rain days
- 0
- Sun daily
- 9.5 hrs
-
3.Yemen
10.0/10Asia
Top score of 10, with dry days, no rain and a mild 23°C high for comfortable sightseeing.
- High / low
- 23°C / 10°C
- Rain days
- 0
- Sun daily
- 10.9 hrs
-
4.United Arab Emirates
9.7/10Asia
Highs of 24°C, lows of 14°C and just 1.5 rain days make this the top-scoring month at 9.7.
- High / low
- 24°C / 14°C
- Rain days
- 2
- Sun daily
- 10.0 hrs
-
5.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
-
6.Bahrain
9.5/10Asia
Scores 9.5, with cool highs of 20.7°C, lows of 14.1°C, and 9.4 hours of sun, good for walking outdoors.
- High / low
- 21°C / 14°C
- Rain days
- 2
- Sun daily
- 9.4 hrs
-
7.Mexico
9.5/10Americas
Scores 9.5, mild 20.6°C highs, low rainfall of 8mm over 2.5 days, and 9.6 sun hours daily.
- High / low
- 21°C / 6°C
- Rain days
- 3
- Sun daily
- 9.6 hrs
-
8.Cuba
9.2/10Americas
Top score of 9.2, with highs near 26°C, just 3.5 rain days and 10.5 hours of sun.
- High / low
- 26°C / 24°C
- Rain days
- 4
- Sun daily
- 10.5 hrs
-
9.Bahamas
8.4/10Americas
Highs around 25°C, rain on about 10 days, sea 25°C.
- High / low
- 25°C / 21°C
- Rain days
- 10
- Sun daily
- 9.3 hrs
-
10.New Zealand
7.6/10Oceania
Top summer month with a 22.9°C high, just 11.8 rain days and 11.8 sun hours a day; scores 7.6.
- High / low
- 23°C / 18°C
- Rain days
- 12
- Sun daily
- 11.8 hrs
-
11.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
-
12.Australia
6.9/10Oceania
Highs around 27°C, rain on about 13 days, sea 22°C.
- High / low
- 27°C / 20°C
- Rain days
- 13
- Sun daily
- 10.8 hrs
-
13.Papua New Guinea
6.8/10Oceania
Highs around 23°C, rain on about 31 days.
- High / low
- 23°C / 18°C
- Rain days
- 31
- Sun daily
- 7.0 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
-
15.Cyprus
6.3/10Europe
Highs around 15°C, rain on about 9 days.
- High / low
- 15°C / 7°C
- Rain days
- 9
- Sun daily
- 8.2 hrs
January
Warm & sunny
Highs of 24 °C or more and few rainy days.
-
Mauritania 10.0/10Highs 25°C · 0 rain days
-
United Arab Emirates 9.7/10Highs 24°C · 2 rain days
-
Cuba 9.2/10Highs 26°C · 4 rain days
-
India 8.8/10Highs 28°C · 1 rain days
-
Ghana 8.4/10Highs 31°C · 5 rain days
-
Chile 8.1/10Highs 30°C · 0 rain days
-
Gambia 7.3/10Highs 31°C · 0 rain days
-
Haiti 7.3/10Highs 31°C · 4 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.
-
Faroe Islands 0.5/10
Wet month: rain on about 20 days.
For better weather, try Spain · 7.1/10 · highs 10°C
-
Norway 0.7/10
Cold: highs around 0 °C.
For better weather, try Spain · 7.1/10 · highs 10°C
-
Latvia 0.7/10
Wet month: rain on about 14 days.
For better weather, try Cyprus · 6.3/10 · highs 15°C
-
Finland 0.7/10
Wet month: rain on about 14 days.
For better weather, try Cyprus · 6.3/10 · highs 15°C
-
Germany 0.8/10
Wet month: rain on about 16 days.
For better weather, try Algeria · 7.7/10 · highs 16°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Verde | 23°C | 22°C | 0 mm | 9.9 hrs | – | 10.0 |
| Mauritania | 25°C | 12°C | 0 mm | 9.5 hrs | – | 10.0 |
| Yemen | 23°C | 10°C | 0 mm | 10.9 hrs | – | 10.0 |
| United Arab Emirates | 24°C | 14°C | 16 mm | 10.0 hrs | – | 9.7 |
| Egypt | 19°C | 9°C | 6 mm | 9.3 hrs | – | 9.6 |
| Bahrain | 21°C | 14°C | 20 mm | 9.4 hrs | – | 9.5 |
| Mexico | 21°C | 6°C | 8 mm | 9.6 hrs | – | 9.5 |
| Cuba | 26°C | 24°C | 20 mm | 10.5 hrs | – | 9.2 |
| Bahamas | 25°C | 21°C | 45 mm | 9.3 hrs | 25°C | 8.4 |
| New Zealand | 23°C | 18°C | 89 mm | 11.8 hrs | – | 7.6 |
FAQ
Travelling in January
Where is warm in January?
Mauritania, Cape Verde and Yemen top the list, each scoring 10 out of 10 for January weather. Mauritania reaches a high of 24.8°C with almost no rain (0.1 rain days). Cape Verde hits 23°C with 0 rain days, and Yemen reaches 22.8°C, also with 0 rain days. All three offer dry, sunny conditions this month.
Is Mexico good in January?
Yes, Mexico scores 9.5 out of 10 for January. Daytime highs average 20.6°C with only 2.5 rain days expected, making it a reliably dry and mild choice for the month.
Where is the weather toughest in January?
The Faroe Islands score lowest at 0.5 out of 10. Highs average just 5.1°C, rain falls on 19.9 days, and the sea temperature sits at 6.5°C. Finland and Latvia are also tough, with highs of -1.2°C and -0.1°C and sea temperatures near freezing, 0.1°C and 1.1°C. These are winter conditions rather than places to skip.
Is Egypt good in January?
Yes, Egypt scores 9.6 out of 10 in January. The high averages 19.1°C with just 1.8 rain days, giving cool but dry and sunny conditions, cooler than the Gulf countries but still comfortable for sightseeing.
Is India good to visit in January?
Yes, India scores 8.8 out of 10 for January. Highs reach 28°C with only 1 rain day on average, making it warm and dry across much of the country this month.