Where to Travel in January: 32 Places at Their Best
Quick answer: in January, 32 of the 173 places in our tool are at their best. The surest beach weather is on Mexico’s Pacific coast: Acapulco averages a high of 87°F / 30°C with 1 rain day all month, and Huatulco and Ixtapa are as dry. The Caribbean’s dry season has begun, from Aruba to the Virgin Islands. For a city, Cape Town, Oaxaca, Chiang Mai and Mexico City fit.
Pick a destination to see its weather month by month and the best time to go, or pick a month to see where the weather is at its best.
Tokyo · a city trip
Good: Mar–May, Oct–DecNo month is ideal for a city trip by our rule, but these come close.
- Warmest
- Aug · 89°F
- Coolest
- Jan · 49°F
- Wettest
- Jul · 16 rain days
- Averages for 2006–2025: any single year can be hotter, colder or wetter.
Weather from NASA POWER daily data, 2006–2025, for the ~50 km area around each place. Right on the coast, afternoons can be a few degrees warmer than shown.
| Month | High / low (°F) | Rain days | Rain (in) | Storms within 100 mi | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49° / 34° | 5 | 2.4 | Off (too cold) | |
| Feb | 51° / 35° | 7 | 3.1 | Off (too cold) | |
| Mar | 57° / 40° | 12 | 5.1 | Good (cool, showery) | |
| Apr | 65° / 48° | 12 | 6 | Good (showery) | |
| May | 73° / 58° | 13 | 6.6 | Good (showery) | |
| Jun | 79° / 65° | 16 | 8.1 | Off (too wet) | |
| Jul | 86° / 73° | 16 | 6.5 | Off (too wet) | |
| Aug | 89° / 75° | 15 | 5.4 | Off (too hot) | |
| Sep | 82° / 70° | 16 | 8.7 | Off (too wet) | |
| Oct | 72° / 59° | 14 | 8.9 | Good (showery) | |
| Nov | 63° / 48° | 11 | 4.4 | Good (showery) | |
| Dec | 54° / 39° | 7 | 3.2 | Good (cool) |
The tool above opens on January: switch the kind of trip, or pick any of the 173 places for its weather all year. Below, every place at its best in January, sorted from the fewest rainy days.
Beach trips at their best in January (20)
The Caribbean islands on this list are pleasant rather than hot, around 80°F / 27°C on St. Thomas, with a shower on some days (8 rain days). Cancún, Montego Bay and San Juan come close but rate good, not best: too showery.
| Place | High / low | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| Huatulco Mexico | 81 / 58°F 27 / 14°C | 0 |
| Acapulco Mexico | 87 / 71°F 30 / 21°C | 1 |
| Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo Mexico | 84 / 72°F 29 / 22°C | 1 |
| Puerto Vallarta Mexico | 80 / 59°F 27 / 15°C | 2 |
| Varadero Cuba | 81 / 68°F 27 / 20°C | 4 |
| Anguilla | 80 / 78°F 27 / 26°C | 6 |
| St. Barts St. Barthélemy | 80 / 78°F 27 / 26°C | 6 |
| St. Martin / Sint Maarten | 80 / 78°F 27 / 26°C | 6 |
| Tortola British Virgin Islands | 80 / 78°F 27 / 26°C | 6 |
| St. Vincent St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 81 / 79°F 27 / 26°C | 8 |
| Aruba | 81 / 79°F 27 / 26°C | 8 |
| Bonaire | 81 / 79°F 27 / 26°C | 8 |
| Grand Cayman Cayman Islands | 80 / 78°F 27 / 25°C | 8 |
| St. John US Virgin Islands | 80 / 78°F 27 / 26°C | 8 |
| St. Kitts St. Kitts and Nevis | 80 / 78°F 27 / 26°C | 8 |
| St. Thomas US Virgin Islands | 80 / 78°F 27 / 26°C | 8 |
| Barbados | 81 / 79°F 27 / 26°C | 9 |
| Curaçao | 81 / 79°F 27 / 26°C | 9 |
| St. Croix US Virgin Islands | 80 / 78°F 27 / 26°C | 9 |
| Punta Cana Dominican Republic | 80 / 78°F 27 / 26°C | 10 |
Warm cities at their best in January (2)
| Place | High / low | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| Havana Cuba | 81 / 67°F 27 / 19°C | 5 |
| Santo Domingo Dominican Republic | 85 / 71°F 29 / 21°C | 8 |
City breaks at their best in January (10)
Cape Town is in its summer, at 71°F / 22°C with 2 rain days. Europe’s cities rate good at best this month: Barcelona and Lisbon are cool, and Rome, Paris and London too cold for the rule.
| Place | High / low | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town South Africa | 71 / 65°F 22 / 18°C | 2 |
| Oaxaca Mexico | 73 / 46°F 23 / 8°C | 2 |
| Chiang Mai Thailand | 78 / 56°F 26 / 14°C | 2 |
| Mexico City | 67 / 40°F 19 / 4°C | 2 |
| Cairo Egypt | 67 / 45°F 19 / 7°C | 2 |
| Dubai United Arab Emirates | 72 / 70°F 22 / 21°C | 3 |
| Hanoi Vietnam | 69 / 52°F 21 / 11°C | 5 |
| Los Angeles California | 65 / 46°F 18 / 8°C | 5 |
| Marrakech Morocco | 65 / 42°F 18 / 5°C | 5 |
| Orlando Florida | 71 / 50°F 22 / 10°C | 7 |
Mountains and nature at their best in January (0)
None of the 12 mountain and nature places in the tool is at its best in January by the rule below. Closest: La Fortuna (Arenal), good but warm, with a high of 79°F.
Popular places in January
Orlando, Dubai, Aruba, Punta Cana and Puerto Vallarta are all at their best. Bali and Cusco are in their wet season, and Tokyo, Paris and New York are too cold for the rule.
| Place | January | High / low | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancún Mexico | Good (showery) | 80 / 72°F 27 / 22°C | 12 |
| Punta Cana Dominican Republic | Best | 80 / 78°F 27 / 26°C | 10 |
| Montego Bay Jamaica | Good (showery) | 83 / 76°F 28 / 25°C | 10 |
| Nassau Bahamas | Good (cool) | 75 / 72°F 24 / 22°C | 8 |
| Aruba | Best | 81 / 79°F 27 / 26°C | 8 |
| San Juan Puerto Rico | Good (showery) | 82 / 75°F 28 / 24°C | 12 |
| Honolulu (Oʻahu) Hawaii | Good (cool, showery) | 76 / 72°F 25 / 22°C | 11 |
| Maui (Kahului) Hawaii | Good (cool, showery) | 74 / 71°F 24 / 22°C | 12 |
| Miami Beach Florida | Good (cool) | 73 / 68°F 23 / 20°C | 9 |
| Key West Florida | Good (cool) | 73 / 70°F 23 / 21°C | 6 |
| Orlando Florida | Best | 71 / 50°F 22 / 10°C | 7 |
| New York City | Off (too cold) | 39 / 30°F 4 / -1°C | 10 |
| Las Vegas Nevada | Good (cool) | 58 / 36°F 15 / 2°C | 3 |
| New Orleans Louisiana | Good (cool, showery) | 60 / 47°F 16 / 8°C | 11 |
| Cabo San Lucas Mexico | Good (cool) | 76 / 65°F 25 / 19°C | 1 |
| Puerto Vallarta Mexico | Best | 80 / 59°F 27 / 15°C | 2 |
| Paris France | Off (too cold) | 43 / 33°F 6 / 0°C | 12 |
| London United Kingdom | Off (too cold) | 44 / 34°F 7 / 1°C | 14 |
| Rome Italy | Off (too cold) | 53 / 39°F 12 / 4°C | 11 |
| Barcelona Spain | Good (cool) | 55 / 39°F 13 / 4°C | 5 |
| Lisbon Portugal | Good (cool, showery) | 59 / 52°F 15 / 11°C | 11 |
| Athens Greece | Good (cool, showery) | 55 / 45°F 13 / 7°C | 11 |
| Santorini (Fira) Greece | Off (too cold) | 59 / 55°F 15 / 13°C | 14 |
| Tokyo Japan | Off (too cold) | 49 / 34°F 9 / 1°C | 5 |
| Bali (Denpasar) Indonesia | Off (too wet) | 82 / 75°F 28 / 24°C | 28 |
| Bangkok Thailand | Good (hot) | 91 / 68°F 33 / 20°C | 3 |
| Phuket Thailand | Good (showery) | 83 / 78°F 28 / 26°C | 13 |
| Dubai United Arab Emirates | Best | 72 / 70°F 22 / 21°C | 3 |
| Cusco (Machu Picchu) Peru | Off (too wet) | 57 / 39°F 14 / 4°C | 21 |
| Reykjavík Iceland | Off (too cold, too wet) | 35 / 28°F 2 / -2°C | 22 |
| Banff Canada | Off (too cold) | 17 / 1°F -8 / -17°C | 13 |
| Grand Canyon (South Rim) Arizona | Off (too cold) | 44 / 24°F 7 / -4°C | 6 |
Plan a January trip
- Best places to visit in January
- Caribbean destinations to visit in January
- Top beach towns in Mexico
- What to wear in Acapulco
- Things to do in Chiang Mai
- Mexico City: the complete travel guide
FAQ
Where to travel in January?
By the weather, 32 of the 173 places in our tool are at their best in January. Beach trips: Huatulco, Acapulco, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo and Puerto Vallarta; warm cities: Havana and Santo Domingo; city breaks: Cape Town, Oaxaca, Chiang Mai and Mexico City; mountains and nature: none. The tables above list every one, with its average high, low and rain days.
What are the best places to travel in January?
The driest place at its best for each kind of trip: for beach trips, Huatulco at 81°F / 27°C with 0 rain days; for warm cities, Havana at 81°F / 27°C with 5 rain days; for city breaks, Cape Town at 71°F / 22°C with 2 rain days.
What are warm places to travel in January?
22 beaches and warm cities are at their best in January. The warmest of them: Acapulco at 87°F / 30°C; Santo Domingo at 85°F / 29°C; Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo at 84°F / 29°C; Varadero at 81°F / 27°C.
What are the warmest places in the US in January?
By average high: Kona (Big Island) at 77°F / 25°C; Honolulu (Oʻahu) at 76°F / 25°C; Kauaʻi (Līhuʻe) at 76°F / 24°C; Maui (Kahului) at 74°F / 24°C; Marathon at 74°F / 23°C. Of the US places at least “good” in January, Kona (Big Island), Honolulu (Oʻahu) and Kauaʻi (Līhuʻe) lead.
Is January hurricane season?
No. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 and the eastern Pacific’s from May 15 to November 30. In January, no storm came within 100 miles of any beach in the tool in the last 50 seasons.
How “at its best” is decided
A place is at its best in a month when its average daily high falls in the range for its kind of trip and it rains (1 mm or more) on 10 days or fewer. At a beach, a month in which a tropical storm or hurricane came within 100 miles in 5 or more of the last 50 seasons cannot be best.
| Kind of trip | Average high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| Beach | 79–88°F (26–31°C) | 10 or fewer |
| Warm city | 79–90°F (26–32°C) | 10 or fewer |
| City | 63–79°F (17–26°C) | 10 or fewer |
| Mountains and nature | 59–77°F (15–25°C) | 10 or fewer |
The weather is NASA POWER’s daily record for 2006–2025, averaged for each place over about 50 km, so a beach right on the water can be a few degrees warmer, day and night, than shown, most where mountains rise behind the coast. Storms: NOAA’s hurricane tracks (HURDAT2), 1976–2025. Every month is an average: any single year can be hotter, colder or wetter.