Where should you travel in January 2027?

Quick picks for January 2027

• Warm and sunny: Thailand, Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road, the Philippines (Cebu and Palawan), Ho Chi Minh City.

• Cities: Tokyo, Venice, Madrid.

• Festivals: Three Kings in Madrid (5 January), Sinulog in Cebu (17 January), the Australian Open (11 to 31 January), Venice Carnival (from 23 January).

• Budget: Marrakech and Istanbul, both in their low season.

• Skip: Bali, Cairns and the Daintree, Hanoi and Halong Bay if you want sun, and the Croatian and Montenegrin coast.

If you are planning the whole winter rather than one month, our winter route article lays out the order we followed from November to March.

Warm and sunny

1. Thailand. January is one of the two best months for most of the country: the Thai Meteorological Department puts the cool season at roughly mid-October to mid-February, Bangkok averages about 32 to 33°C (90 to 91°F) with almost no rain, and the Andaman coast around Krabi and Ao Nang has calm seas. The catch is price in the first week of January, the tail of the peak season, and haze that starts to build in the north from February. Our Thailand in December and January article covers it region by region. We spent 28 December to 4 January in Chiang Rai, 9 to 13 January in Khao Sok and 13 to 17 January in Ao Nang.

2. Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road, Australia. It is summer, and the Australian Open runs 11 to 31 January 2027 at Melbourne Park. Bureau of Meteorology figures for Olympic Park give January an average high of 26.8°C (80°F) and low of 16.5°C (62°F). The catch: hot spells past 40°C happen, and Australian school holidays run from mid-December to late January, so coast accommodation fills. See our Melbourne in January guide and Great Ocean Road guide. We were in Melbourne from 21 to 25 January 2023, then Apollo Bay and Halls Gap.

3. The Philippines. PAGASA, the national weather agency, calls December to February the cool dry season. Manila gets about 20 mm of rain in January and Puerto Princesa in Palawan 25 to 35 mm; Cebu City is still damp, around 135 mm. Sinulog's grand parade is Sunday 17 January 2027, the third Sunday of January, and Kalibo's Ati-Atihan peaks the same weekend. The catch is rooms: both fill early. Details in our Sinulog and Ati-Atihan guide and best time to visit the Philippines. Our Philippines trip ran from November to early December 2022, not January.

4. Ho Chi Minh City and southern Vietnam. The south is in its dry season, about 22 to 32°C (72 to 90°F) with 15 to 50 mm of rain. The catch is the run-up to Tết: the official holiday is 4 to 10 February 2027, and buses, trains and flights in late January fill with people heading home. Read Vietnam in January by region before you build a north-to-south route. We were in Vietnam in April and May 2023.

Cities and festivals

5. Tokyo, Japan. Cold but bright: Japan Meteorological Agency normals put Tokyo at about 2 to 11°C (36 to 52°F) in January with only 55 to 60 mm of rain, and most days are sunny. The first three days of January are hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year, which packs Meiji Jingu; our hatsumode guide suggests going after 4 January. For snow, the Shirakawa-go light-up runs on 11, 17, 24 and 31 January 2027, by advance reservation only (how to book). The catch is short days and cold evenings; pack from our Japan in winter guide. Our Japan trip was in March and April 2023.

6. Venice, Italy. The official organiser lists Venice Carnival from 23 January to 9 February 2027, so late January gives you the opening weekend with fewer people than the final days. Expect highs around 8°C (46°F) and nights near freezing. Earlier in the month, Epiphany on 6 January brings the Regata delle Befane on the Grand Canal (Epiphany guide). Plan with our Venice Carnival guide. We were in Venice in summer 2023.

7. Madrid, Spain. The Cabalgata de Reyes parade is listed by the city's tourism office for Tuesday 5 January 2027 from 18:00, and 6 January is a national holiday, followed by the January sales. Madrid is cool, about 10 to 12°C (50 to 54°F) by day with frosty nights, and Seville is milder at 16 to 18°C (61 to 64°F). The catch: short museum hours and closed shops on the 6th. See our Three Kings guide.

Budget picks

8. Marrakech, Morocco. Long-term climate averages put January highs around 18 to 19°C (64 to 66°F), with nights near 5°C (41°F). January is the last full month before Ramadan, which is expected to start around 8 February 2027, so restaurant hours are normal. The catch: many riads are cold at night, and the Atlas and desert are far colder. Ask about heating before you book, and read our Morocco in winter guide and Marrakech guide. We were in Marrakech in September 2022.

9. Istanbul, Turkey. January is low season: highs about 9 to 10°C (48 to 50°F), lows about 4°C (39°F), rain on roughly 16 days, and some of the lowest hotel rates of the year outside New Year. On Wednesday 6 January 2027, Theophany at the Ecumenical Patriarchate ends with a blessed cross thrown into the Golden Horn (Theophany guide). The catch is the weather, and Cappadocia is colder still, with highs about 4°C and balloons grounded more often; see Istanbul and Cappadocia in winter. We spent 15 days in Istanbul in October 2023.

For more low-cost ideas, see the cheapest countries to visit in 2027.

Where to avoid in January

• Bali. January and February are its wettest months, about 280 to 350 mm, and Mount Batur sunrises are often clouded in. Galungan falls on 13 January 2027 if you go anyway. See best time to visit Bali.

• Cairns, the Daintree and tropical north Queensland. The wet season runs roughly November to April, with the heaviest rain and cyclone risk from January to March.

• Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Halong Bay, if you want sun. Hanoi sits around 14 to 22°C (57 to 72°F) under grey skies and drizzle, and Halong Bay can be foggy. It is fine for food and the Old Quarter; it is not a beach month.

• The Adriatic coast. Split averages about 11°C (52°F) with a 12°C sea, ferries run winter timetables and many coastal restaurants close until spring. Save Croatia and Montenegro for May or June.

• Japan from 1 to 3 January if you need shops and museums: many close for the New Year holiday.

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