Where to go · 2026

Where to go in January

January is peak season for Cabo San Lucas, the Bahamas and Miami, and 15 more of our 34 destinations are at their best. For better value, Mexico City is in shoulder season (23°C highs). Skip Bali and Ibiza: their guides call January a month to avoid.

Peak season

At their best in January

18 destinations are in their best season in January, ranked by the Atlas Ranger Score for the month. The warmest is Thailand at 32°C; the driest is Cabo San Lucas with 5mm of rain.

  • El Arco rock formation rising from the sea at Cabo San LucasPeak season

    Cabo San Lucas

    25°/16°C5 mm rainScore 96
    Cool, dry, sunny — peak whale-watching season
  • Wooden dock stretching over calm water from a beach in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin IslandsPeak season

    St. Thomas

    26°/25°C33 mm rainScore 86
    Driest month — peak season, cruise ships daily
  • Aerial view of a Punta Cana beach with a boat moored in turquoise waterPeak season

    Punta Cana

    27°/23°C69 mm rainScore 82
    Dry season and peak demand — cooler nights, full resorts
  • Maya ruins on a cliff above the turquoise Caribbean at TulumPeak season

    Tulum

    27°/22°C83 mm rainScore 81
    Dry-season prime — warm, breezy and bright
  • Tropical islands and outrigger boats on calm turquoise water in the PhilippinesPeak season

    Philippines

    30°/23°C73 mm rainScore 74
    Cool, dry Amihan breeze — peak season
  • Tropical beach in Koh Samui, Thailand with crashing waves and lush green jungle behindPeak season

    Koh Samui

    29°/24°C127 mm rainScore 69
    Drying out after the monsoon — sunny, with some showers left
  • Lush limestone cliff under blue sky in Krabi, Thailand — the iconic karst landscape of the Andaman coastPeak season

    Krabi

    32°/23°C56 mm rainScore 69
    Peak dry season — driest, sunniest, busiest
  • An overwater villa on stilts above the turquoise lagoon of a Maldivian atollPeak season

    Maldives

    30°/26°C75 mm rainScore 66
    Dry-season prime — calm seas, sun, peak-season crowds
Shoulder season

Good value in January

Mexico City is the best-value pick for January: shoulder season, a score of 92 and 23°C highs, without the peak-season crowds. Hawaii, Da Nang and Hoi An are also worth it this month.

  • Aerial view of the Palacio de Bellas Artes dome in Mexico CityBest value

    Mexico City

    23°/8°C6 mm rainScore 92
    Dry, bright and cool — crisp valley winter
  • Aerial view of Da Nang's coastal skyline at daytime — city buildings stretching to the Vietnamese coastline under clear skiesWorth it

    Da Nang

    23°/19°C153 mm rainScore 71
    Cool, drizzly, and quiet — the calm before peak season
  • Colorful lantern-lit streets of Hội An, Vietnam, bustling with life and culture in the eveningWorth it

    Hoi An

    23°/19°C164 mm rainScore 70
    Cool and drizzly — Old Town quiet between holidays
  • Turquoise waters and beaches of Ishigaki, Okinawa with boats moored offshoreWorth it

    Okinawa

    19°/14°C115 mm rainScore 63
    Japan's earliest cherry blossoms + humpback whales
Skip

Where to avoid in January

6 guides warn against January. Bali leads the list: Peak wet season — 388mm of rain, daily storms.

All destinations

January at a glance

DestinationJanuaryHigh / lowRainScore
Cabo San LucasPeak25° / 16°C5 mm96
BahamasPeak25° / 21°C33 mm93
Mexico CityGood23° / 8°C6 mm92
MiamiPeak24° / 17°C59 mm88
Key WestPeak23° / 20°C33 mm87
HawaiiGood26° / 20°C71 mm86
St. ThomasPeak26° / 25°C33 mm86
JamaicaPeak28° / 21°C33 mm85
Punta CanaPeak27° / 23°C69 mm82
TulumPeak27° / 22°C83 mm81
CancunPeak27° / 22°C82 mm80
MexicoPeak29° / 19°C56 mm78
ThailandPeak32° / 22°C12 mm77
ArubaPeak29° / 25°C40 mm77
VietnamPeak21° / 14°C44 mm76
Costa RicaPeak32° / 23°C11 mm76
PhilippinesPeak30° / 23°C73 mm74
IbizaSkip16° / 11°C23 mm72
Da NangGood23° / 19°C153 mm71
Hoi AnGood23° / 19°C164 mm70
MallorcaSkip16° / 8°C39 mm70
Koh SamuiPeak29° / 24°C127 mm69
KrabiPeak32° / 23°C56 mm69
MaldivesPeak30° / 26°C75 mm66
OkinawaGood19° / 14°C115 mm63
New OrleansMixed16° / 8°C112 mm58
GreeceSkip13° / 6°C62 mm58
SpainSkip11° / 2°C46 mm53
TokyoMixed10° / 2°C55 mm45
OsakaMixed10° / 2°C45 mm45
JapanMixed9° / 1°C60 mm40
KyotoMixed9° / 1°C50 mm40
BaliSkip31° / 25°C388 mm38
IcelandSkip1° / -3°C166 mm18
Questions

January travel questions

Where is warm in January?

Thailand (32°C highs), Costa Rica (32°C highs) and Krabi (32°C highs) are the warmest of the destinations that are good to visit in January.

Where is good for a beach trip in January?

Cabo San Lucas, the Bahamas, Miami and St. Thomas are in a good season with beach weather (24°C or warmer) in January.

Where is cheapest to visit in January?

January is one of the cheapest months for Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Okinawa, and none of their guides warns against it.

Where should I avoid in January?

Bali, Ibiza and Iceland. Their own guides flag January: Bali, peak wet season — 388mm of rain, daily storms; Ibiza, ghost town — most clubs and beach bars are closed; Iceland, darkest month — peak aurora season but brutal weather.

← Where to go in DecemberWhere to go: find by month and styleWhere to go in February →