January is when most of us start dreaming of sunshine. The festive season is over, the days are short and grey, and the first payday of the year is in sight. It is also one of the best months of the year to travel: much of the tropics is in its dry season, the Middle East is warm rather than scorching, and the snow in the far north is at its deepest. Once the New Year week is over, many resorts become quieter, too.
We have picked twelve places our Travel Designers recommend for January, from four hours away to the far side of the world. Each one is chosen for what the month actually delivers, with honest notes on where the weather can still be mixed.
The quick answer
- Short-haul sun: the Canary Islands are the warmest place within about four hours of London, with days in the low 20s.
- Warm, not hot: Dubai, Oman and Egypt have dry days in the mid-20s, the most comfortable of the year for sightseeing.
- Tropical dry season: the Maldives, Sri Lanka’s south and west coasts, Kerala and Thailand’s Andaman coast are at their sunniest.
- Caribbean and Mexico: the dry season is under way and the hurricane season is long over.
- Snow and summer: Lapland for the northern lights, or Cape Town for the height of the southern summer.
January destinations at a glance
Flight times are approximate, for direct flights from London where they exist; some routes are seasonal or need a connection, which we note.
| Destination | Flight time from London | January weather | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canary Islands | About 4 to 4.5 hours | Low 20s, mostly sunny | Short-haul sun, walking, no jet lag |
| Finnish Lapland | About 3.5 hours | Deep snow, well below freezing | Northern lights, huskies and snow |
| Egypt | About 5 hours | Sunny, low to mid-20s by day | Temples, the Nile and the Red Sea |
| Dubai | About 7 hours | Sunny, mid-20s, cooler evenings | City, beach and a quick escape |
| Oman | About 7.5 hours to Muscat | Warm, dry and clear | Mountains, dunes and quiet beaches |
| Sri Lanka | About 12 to 14 hours with one stop | Dry on the south and west coasts | Beaches, tea country and wildlife |
| Kerala, India | About 12 to 14 hours with one stop | Warm, dry and sunny | Backwaters, hills and Ayurveda |
| Thailand | About 12 hours to Bangkok | Dry and hot on the Andaman coast | Islands, food and a city stopover |
| Maldives | About 10.5 hours | Dry season, calm, clear water | Overwater villas and snorkelling |
| Barbados and Antigua | About 8.5 to 9 hours | Dry season, high 20s | Beaches, sailing and good food |
| Mexico’s Caribbean coast | About 10.5 to 11 hours to Cancún | Dry and warm | Beaches, Mayan sites and cenotes |
| Cape Town | About 11.5 hours | High summer, hot and dry | Food, wine and beaches, little jet lag |
Short-haul sun and snow
1. The Canary Islands
For warmth without a long flight, the Canaries are the answer in January. The trade winds keep the islands mild all year, and the south of Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote usually see days in the low 20s while Britain shivers. The sea is cool for swimming, so many hotels heat their pools in winter.
January is a lovely month for walking, too: Teide National Park on Tenerife is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and La Gomera and La Palma are greener and quieter. There is no jet lag, as the islands share UK time. See our Canary Islands holidays or the latest Canary Islands offers.
Best for: a week of sun, families after the school term starts again, and walkers.
2. Finnish Lapland
If you would rather embrace winter than escape it, January in Lapland is pure magic. The snow is deep, the forests are silent and the long nights give you the best chance of seeing the northern lights, although sightings always depend on clear skies and solar activity. Days are short but bright, with a soft blue light around midday.
Fill your days with husky and reindeer safaris, snowmobiling and ice fishing, then spend a night in a glass igloo watching the sky. It is very cold, often well below minus ten, so good thermal layers are essential. Once the Christmas rush is over, it is also quieter. See our Finnish Lapland holidays.
Best for: the northern lights, couples and families with older children.
Warm and dry: Egypt and Arabia
3. Egypt
Winter is the best time to see Egypt’s great sites. In Luxor and Aswan the days are sunny and comfortably warm, ideal for the Valley of the Kings, Karnak and the temples along the Nile, and a Nile cruise between the two is at its most pleasant. Mornings and evenings are cool, especially in the desert.
On the Red Sea coast, the water is cooler in January but the diving and snorkelling are still excellent, and the sun is reliable. Combine a few days of sightseeing with a beach week for an easy twin-centre holiday. See our Egypt holidays.
Best for: history lovers, a first Nile cruise and winter sun within five hours.
4. Dubai
January is Dubai at its most comfortable. Days are sunny and in the mid-20s, warm enough for the beach and pool, and evenings are cool enough for a jumper on a terrace. It is also a good month for the desert: a night at a dune resort is far more pleasant now than in summer.
At around seven hours, Dubai is the easiest proper-sun escape from London, and it works well as a stopover on the way to the Maldives, Sri Lanka or Thailand. See our Dubai and Abu Dhabi holidays, or pair it with a beach in Dubai and the Maldives.
Best for: a short, reliable dose of sun, families and stopovers.
5. Oman
Oman is a quieter, more traditional side of Arabia, and January is one of the best months to go. It is dry and warm by day, with cool nights in the mountains and the desert. Combine Muscat’s souk and Grand Mosque with a drive into the Hajar Mountains, a night in the dunes of the Wahiba Sands and a few days by the sea.
In the mountains it can be properly cold after dark at this time of year, so pack a warm layer for Jebel Akhdar. See our Oman holidays.
Best for: road trips, landscapes and relaxed luxury.
Dry season in the Indian Ocean and Asia
6. Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has two monsoons, and in January the south and west coasts are in their dry season. That makes it a superb time for the beaches around Galle, Bentota and Mirissa, and for the hill country, where tea plantations and cool air make a welcome change from the coast. The Cultural Triangle, with Sigiriya and the cave temples of Dambulla, is usually good too, though the east coast is better saved for the summer.
A classic two-week trip combines culture, tea country, a safari at Yala or Udawalawe and a week on the beach. You can also add the Maldives on the way home with our Sri Lanka and Maldives trip. See our Sri Lanka holidays.
Best for: a varied two-week holiday, wildlife and beaches.
7. Kerala
In January, India’s south-west coast is warm, dry and sunny. Spend a night or two on a houseboat on the backwaters around Alleppey, head up to the tea estates of Munnar, explore old Fort Kochi with its Chinese fishing nets, and finish on the beach at Varkala or Marari. It is also the ideal season for an Ayurvedic retreat.
Kerala pairs well with Rajasthan or the Golden Triangle in the north, which is dry and sunny in January, though mornings can be foggy and nights cold in Delhi. See our India holidays.
Best for: slow travel, food lovers and wellness.
8. Thailand
January falls in the dry season on Thailand’s Andaman coast, which makes Phuket, Krabi and the islands around them a safe bet for sunshine and calm seas. Bangkok is at its least humid, and the north, around Chiang Mai, is pleasantly warm by day and cool at night.
The Gulf islands such as Koh Samui can still see some rain early in the year, so for January we usually point beach lovers west. A city stopover in Bangkok, a few days in the north and a week on the Andaman coast makes a great two-week trip. See our Thailand holidays.
Best for: island-hopping, food and families who want variety.
9. The Maldives
January is the heart of the Maldives’ dry season, with long sunny days, calm seas and the clearest water of the year, which makes it ideal for snorkelling straight off the beach. It is also busy, so the best overwater villas, especially during the first week of January and February half-term, go early.
Our month-by-month guide to the Maldives explains how the seasons work, and our Maldives holidays cover resorts for every style.
Best for: honeymoons, snorkelling and real downtime.
The Caribbean and Mexico
10. Barbados and Antigua
January is the start of the Caribbean’s peak season. The rains have passed, the hurricane season is long over, and the days are sunny in the high 20s with a cooling breeze. Barbados has a calm west coast for swimming, excellent restaurants and a lively social scene; Antigua is famous for its beaches and the historic Nelson’s Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Both have direct flights from London of around eight and a half to nine hours. See our Barbados holidays, our Antigua holidays or the latest Caribbean offers.
Best for: couples, golfers and a guaranteed beach week.
11. Mexico’s Caribbean coast
The Riviera Maya, south of Cancún, is in its dry season in January, with warm days and a sea that is still pleasant for swimming. Beyond the beach, visit the Mayan sites of Tulum, Cobá and Chichén Itzá, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and swim in the cenotes, the freshwater sinkholes that dot the Yucatán.
It is also a good month to pair Mexico with a city: our Orlando and Cancún trip combines the theme parks with a beach. See our Mexico holidays.
Best for: families, beach lovers and a dose of history.
Summer in the south
12. Cape Town
While Britain is in mid-winter, Cape Town is in high summer. Days are long, hot and dry, the beaches at Camps Bay and Clifton are at their best, and the Winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are perfect for long lunches. It can be windy, as the famous south-easter blows often in summer.
South Africa is only two hours ahead of the UK in January, so there is almost no jet lag after the overnight flight. Add a safari for a classic combination with our Cape Town and Kruger trip, or see our South Africa holidays.
Best for: food and wine, scenic drives and a long-haul trip with little jet lag.
How to choose your January holiday
A few simple questions narrow it down quickly:
- How much time do you have? For a long weekend or a week, the Canaries, Lapland, Egypt or Dubai. Ten days opens up Oman, the Maldives and the Caribbean. Two weeks or more suits Sri Lanka, Kerala, Thailand or Cape Town with a safari.
- Do you want guaranteed sun? Choose the Middle East, the Maldives, the Caribbean or Cape Town. The Canaries are warm rather than hot.
- Is jet lag a concern? The Canaries share UK time, Lapland and Egypt are two hours ahead, and Cape Town is only two hours ahead.
- Do you want adventure or rest? Lapland, Oman and Sri Lanka reward the curious; the Maldives and Barbados are for doing very little at all.
For something bigger, January is also high season in Antarctica, with long daylight and penguin chicks in the colonies; our guide to Antarctica cruise lines compares the ships. And if you would rather be at sea, see the best cruises for January 2027.
Practical tips for January travel
- Avoid the first week if you can. The New Year week is the busiest of the year in most sunny places. From around the second week of January, resorts are quieter and availability is better.
- Watch the half-term dates. February half-term is the next peak for families, so if you are booking a late-January or February trip, book early.
- Pack for cool evenings. In the desert, the mountains and even Dubai, evenings in January can be chilly. A warm layer earns its place.
- Respect the sun. After a British winter it is easy to underestimate tropical and desert sun. High-factor sun cream and a hat are essential.
- Check entry rules early. Several of these destinations need an online visa or travel authorisation before you fly, and rules change. We will flag what applies to you, and you can always check the latest advice on GOV.UK.
- Book with protection. Booking flights and hotels together as a package with an ATOL-protected agency means you are covered if something goes wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Where is hot in January from the UK?
The Canary Islands are the warmest choice within about four hours, with days in the low 20s. For real heat, the Maldives, Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Caribbean and Cape Town are all in their dry or summer season, while Dubai and Oman are warm and sunny in the mid-20s.
Where can I get winter sun in January without a long flight?
The Canary Islands, at around four hours from London, and Egypt, at around five, are the best short-haul choices. The Canaries share UK time; Egypt is two hours ahead.
Is January a good time to visit the Maldives?
Yes. January is in the dry northeast monsoon season, with sunny days, calm seas and clear water. It is also popular, so book early, especially for the first week of the year.
Is January a good time to visit the Caribbean?
Yes. January is in the dry season, the hurricane season ended on 30 November, and days are sunny in the high 20s. It is peak season, so the best hotels fill early.
Where can I see the northern lights in January?
Finnish Lapland is one of the best and easiest places, at around three and a half hours from London. The long, dark nights give you plenty of chances, although sightings always depend on clear skies.
Which side of Sri Lanka is best in January?
The south and west coasts, around Galle, Bentota and Mirissa, are in their dry season in January. The east coast is better from around May to September.
Plan your January escape
Our Travel Designers know which destinations really deliver in January, and which hotels and itineraries make the most of the month. Tell us how long you have and what you would like to feel, and we will do the rest.
Keep planning
- Where to go in December
- Maldives holidays
- Canary Islands holidays
- Sri Lanka holidays
- Finnish Lapland
- Caribbean offers
- Multi-centre holidays
Updated 2 November 2026. Flight times are approximate and some routes are seasonal. Weather is described from long-term averages and can vary from year to year; your Travel Designer will advise on your exact dates.
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