Where to go in January
Are you planning a honeymoon holiday in January but not sure where to go?
If so, look no further – our warm weather guide brings you the best destinations to visit in January when the skies are mainly clear and sunny, the temperature is warm to hot (rather than scorching) and the chance of rain is minimal or not at all.
Note: Weather data shows what you can expect on average in January at each destination, including night-time low temperature, daytime high temperature, hours of sunshine, days of rainfall, total monthly rainfall and sea temperature. To see more detailed weather information click on a destination.
AsiaJanuary is one of the best months to visit the Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia (west coast), central Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka (southwest coast), which are all warm, sunny and mainly dry. (Note: Avoid Bali, where it is the rainy season.) |
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| Bangkok | 23°C (73°F) | 32°C (89°F) | 9 hrs | 2 days ≤ 13 mm | 27°C (80°F) |
| Phuket | 22°C (71°F) | 31°C (87°F) | 7 hrs | 4 days ≤ 35 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Krabi | 22°C (71°F) | 31°C (87°F) | 7 hrs | 5 days ≤ 34 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Ko Phi Phi | 22°C (71°F) | 31°C (87°F) | 9 hrs | 6 days ≤ 48 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Khao Lak | 23°C (73°F) | 32°C (86°F) | 9 hrs | 4 days ≤ 28 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Hua Hin | 23°C (73°F) | 29°C (84°F) | 9 hrs | 1 day ≤ 7 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Ko Samui | 26°C (78°F) | 30°C (86°F) | 7 hrs | 6 days ≤ 60 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Koh Chang | 24°C (75°F) | 30°C (86°F) | 9 hrs | 2 days ≤ 20 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Pattaya | 22°C (71°F) | 31°C (87°F) | 7 hrs | 1 day ≤ 7 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Malaysia | |||||
| Langkawi | 25°C (77°F) | 32°C (89°F) | 8 hrs | 3 days ≤ 24 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Penang | 25°C (77°F) | 31°C (87°F) | 8 hrs | 7 days ≤ 61 mm | 29°C (84°F) |
| Philippines | |||||
| Boracay | 25°C (77°F) | 29°C (84°F) | 6 hrs | 8 days ≤ 44 mm | 27°C (82°F) |
| Cebu | 24°C (75°F) | 29°C (84°F) | 6 hrs | 9 days ≤ 86 mm | 27°C (82°F) |
| Manila | 22°C (71°F) | 30°C (86°F) | 7 hrs | 4 days ≤ 20 mm | 27°C (82°F) |
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| The Maldives | 26°C (78°F) | 30°C (86°F) | 8 hrs | 6 days ≤ 115 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Sri Lanka | 23°C (73°F) | 31°C (87°F) | 8 hrs | 7 days ≤ 55 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Goa – India | 20°C (68°F) | 31°C (87°F) | 10 hrs | 0 days ≤ 0 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Nha Trang – Vietnam | 21°C (71°F) | 27°C (80°F) | 6 hrs | 8 days ≤ 40 mm | 25°C (77°F) |
AustraliaThe southern regions of Australia, including Sydney and Melbourne, receive warm and occasional hot weather in January with occasional rain showers. Despite the tropical heat and frequent rainfall, January is still a good time to enjoy Queensland’s beaches. |
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| Airlie Beach | 22°C (71°F) | 31°C (88°F) | 9 hrs | 12 days ≤ 293 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Whitsundays | 25°C (77°F) | 30°C (86°F) | 9 hrs | 13 days ≤ 260 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
| Gold Coast | 22°C (71°F) | 29°C (84°F) | 8 hrs | 9 days ≤ 136 mm | 26°C (78°F) |
| Margaret River | 14°C (57°F) | 30°C (86°F) | 10 hrs | 1 day ≤ 1 mm | 20°C (68°F) |
| Melbourne | 14°C (57°F) | 27°C (82°F) | 9 hrs | 5 days ≤ 31 mm | 18°C (64°F) |
| Sydney | 20°C (68°F) | 28°C (82°F) | 7 hrs | 7 days ≤ 90 mm | 24°C (75°F) |
| Perth | 18°C (64°F) | 32°C (89°F) | 11 hrs | 1 day ≤ 2 mm | 21°C (69°F) |
South PacificWith the exception of New Caledonia, much of the South Pacific is hot and wet in January. In New Zealand, the summer season brings increasingly warm and sunny days interspersed with occasional rain to much of the country. |
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| New Caledonia | 23°C (73°F) | 29°C (84°F) | 7 hrs | 10 days ≤ 110 mm | 27°C (80°F) |
| Auckland – NZ | 16°C (60°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 7 hrs | 8 days ≤ 75 mm | 20°C (68°F) |
Africa & Indian OceanJanuary is an excellent time to visit Cape Town – you can expect mild, dry weather with around 11 hours of sunshine daily and little or no rain. |
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| Cape Town – RSA | 16°C (60°F) | 28°C (82°F) | 11 hrs | 2 days ≤ 12 mm | 19°C (66°F) |
| Mombasa – Kenya | 23°C (73°F) | 32°C (89°F) | 8 hrs | 3 days ≤ 35 mm | 28°C (82°F) |
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a great place to visit in January as it enjoys near perfect weather conditions with clear sunny skies interspersed by the occasional brief rain shower. Some of the best islands to visit include Aruba, the Bahamas, Jamaica and both the US and British Virgin Islands. |
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| Aruba | 24°C (75°F) | 30°C (86°F) | 8 hrs | 11 days ≤ 45 mm | 26°C (78°F) |
| Bahamas | 18°C (64°F) | 26°C (78°F) | 7 hrs | 8 days ≤ 50 mm | 25°C (77°F) |
| Barbados | 23°C (73°F) | 29°C (84°F) | 9 hrs | 11 days ≤ 70 mm | 27°C (80°F) |
| British Virgin Islands | 24°C (75°F) | 28°C (82°F) | 8 hrs | 11 days ≤ 70 mm | 26°C (78°F) |
| Cayman Islands | 22°C (71°F) | 28°C (82°F) | 8 hrs | 7 days ≤ 50 mm | 27°C (80°F) |
| Dominican Republic | 19°C (66°F) | 30°C (86°F) | 7 hrs | 8 days ≤ 65 mm | 27°C (80°F) |
| Jamaica | 22°C (71°F) | 31°C (87°F) | 7 hrs | 5 days ≤ 20 mm | 27°C (80°F) |
| Turks & Caicos | 20°C (68°F) | 27°C (80°F) | 7 hrs | 8 days ≤ 55 mm | 26°C (78°F) |
| US Virgin Islands | 23°C (73°F) | 29°C (84°F) | 8 hrs | 10 days ≤ 50 mm | 26°C (78°F) |
North AmericaMiami, the islands of Hawaii and the Mexican beach resorts of Cabo San Lucas, Cancun and Puerto Vallarta offer perfect weather conditions in January. |
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| Cabo San Lucas | 15°C (59°F) | 26°C (78°F) | 7 hrs | 1 day ≤ 10 mm | 23°C (73°F) |
| Cancun | 19°C (66°F) | 27°C (80°F) | 7 hrs | 6 days ≤ 65 mm | 26°C (78°F) |
| Merida | 17°C (62°F) | 30°C (86°F) | 6 hrs | 4 days ≤ 40 mm | 26°C (78°F) |
| Puerto Vallarta | 17°C (62°F) | 27°C (80°F) | 7 hrs | 2 days ≤ 35 mm | 25°C (77°F) |
| United States | |||||
| O’ahu – Hawaii | 19°C (66°F) | 27°C (80°F) | 7 hrs | 8 days ≤ 45 mm | 24°C (75°F) |
| Miami | 16°C (60°F) | 24°C (75°F) | 7 hrs | 8 days ≤ 45 mm | 23°C (73°F) |
Places to avoid in January
Africa – Avoid the Seychelles and Mauritius where it is the hot, rainy season.
Australia – January continues hot, wet weather with frequent rain showers and occasional storms to the northern regions of Australia: the Top End (including Darwin, Broome), Western Australia (except Perth) and northern Queensland (including Cairns and the Whitsundays).
Europe – Europe is generally, cold and wet; only the south coast of Spain and Portugal have reasonable periods of sunshine. However, this is a good time to visit the snow-covered slopes of France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Spain for a skiing holiday.
South Pacific – This is the hot, wet season in the South Pacific, when you can expect torrential rain showers interspersed by periods of intense sunshine and the possibility of tropical cyclones (hurricanes) – the exception is New Zealand, where the weather is mild rather than hot.
Weather by month
Source: Our weather guide is produced from official weather observations sourced from the national weather services of each respective country. This includes historical climate data averaged over a 10 to 30-year period.
Latest update: Where to go in January: 12 July, 2024
Disclaimer: The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. weather data and conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable. We assume no responsibility and can not be held legally responsible for any decisions made on the basis of the information presented on this site.