Best Places to Visit in January 2026

172 destinations across 7 continents are in peak season this month — ranked by region with cost, weather, and what to expect on the ground.

Europe — 9 destinations

Tenerife

Spain

$165/daySafety 82/100Food 3/5

Abisko

Sweden

$200/daySafety 92/100Food 3/5

Innsbruck

Austria

$200/daySafety 90/100Food 4/5

Akureyri

Iceland

$230/daySafety 92/100Food 4/5

Dolomites

Italy

$240/daySafety 85/100Food 4/5

Rovaniemi

Finland

$260/daySafety 90/100Food 3/5

Tromsø

Norway

$290/daySafety 90/100Food 4/5

Swiss Alps

Switzerland

$325/daySafety 95/100Food 4/5

Zermatt

Switzerland

$380/daySafety 95/100Food 4/5

Asia — 61 destinations

Battambang

Cambodia

$40/daySafety 65/100Food 3/5

Kampot

Cambodia

$50/daySafety 70/100Food 4/5

Karachi

Pakistan

$50/daySafety 50/100Food 5/5

Da Lat

Vietnam

$53/daySafety 75/100Food 3/5

Hampi

India

$55/daySafety 68/100Food 3/5

Pushkar

India

$55/daySafety 70/100Food 3/5

Bangkok

Thailand

$60/daySafety 70/100Food 5/5

Chiang Rai

Thailand

$60/daySafety 80/100Food 4/5

Madurai

India

$60/daySafety 70/100Food 5/5

Rishikesh

India

$60/daySafety 78/100Food 4/5

Mysore

India

$65/daySafety 75/100Food 4/5

Penang

Malaysia

$65/daySafety 75/100Food 5/5

Ayutthaya

Thailand

$70/daySafety 78/100Food 3/5

Inle Lake

Myanmar

$70/daySafety 70/100Food 3/5

Kandy

Sri Lanka

$70/daySafety 78/100Food 4/5

Mui Ne

Vietnam

$70/daySafety 78/100Food 3/5

Pai

Thailand

$70/daySafety 70/100Food 4/5

Goa

India

$75/daySafety 65/100Food 4/5

Kochi

India

$75/daySafety 78/100Food 5/5

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

$75/daySafety 58/100Food 4/5

Vientiane

Laos

$75/daySafety 68/100Food 3/5

Chiang Mai

Thailand

$80/daySafety 75/100Food 5/5

Nha Trang

Vietnam

$80/daySafety 72/100Food 4/5

Vigan

Philippines

$80/daySafety 70/100Food 4/5

Yangon

Myanmar

$80/daySafety 55/100Food 4/5

Hua Hin

Thailand

$85/daySafety 80/100Food 4/5

Phu Quoc

Vietnam

$85/daySafety 82/100Food 4/5

Agra

India

$90/daySafety 55/100Food 3/5

Bohol

Philippines

$90/daySafety 76/100Food 3/5

Colombo

Sri Lanka

$90/daySafety 65/100Food 4/5

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

$90/daySafety 68/100Food 5/5

Kerala

India

$90/daySafety 75/100Food 5/5

Koh Phi Phi

Thailand

$90/daySafety 75/100Food 3/5

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

$90/daySafety 72/100Food 5/5

Luang Prabang

Laos

$90/daySafety 72/100Food 4/5

Manila

Philippines

$90/daySafety 50/100Food 4/5

Mumbai

India

$90/daySafety 55/100Food 5/5

Pattaya

Thailand

$90/daySafety 65/100Food 4/5

Tainan

Taiwan

$90/daySafety 88/100Food 5/5

Udaipur

India

$90/daySafety 70/100Food 4/5

Vang Vieng

Laos

$90/daySafety 68/100Food 3/5

Krabi

Thailand

$95/daySafety 72/100Food 4/5

Langkawi

Malaysia

$95/daySafety 75/100Food 3/5

Bagan

Myanmar

$100/daySafety 62/100Food 3/5

Harbin

China

$100/daySafety 85/100Food 4/5

Siem Reap

Cambodia

$100/daySafety 65/100Food 4/5

Cebu

Philippines

$110/daySafety 70/100Food 4/5

Railay

Thailand

$110/daySafety 78/100Food 3/5

Phuket

Thailand

$115/daySafety 68/100Food 4/5

Sigiriya

Sri Lanka

$120/daySafety 82/100Food 3/5

Koh Samui

Thailand

$130/daySafety 75/100Food 4/5

Phi Phi Islands

Thailand

$130/daySafety 76/100Food 3/5

El Nido

Philippines

$135/daySafety 70/100Food 3/5

Galle

Sri Lanka

$145/daySafety 84/100Food 4/5

Raja Ampat

Indonesia

$150/daySafety 75/100Food 2/5

Sharjah

United Arab Emirates

$160/daySafety 92/100Food 4/5

Boracay

Philippines

$170/daySafety 78/100Food 3/5

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

$275/daySafety 92/100Food 5/5

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

$275/daySafety 90/100Food 4/5

Niseko

Japan

$320/daySafety 94/100Food 4/5

Maldives

$450/daySafety 80/100Food 4/5

North America — 45 destinations

Antigua Guatemala

Guatemala

$70/daySafety 55/100Food 4/5

Granada

Nicaragua

$70/daySafety 55/100Food 3/5

Lake Atitlán

Guatemala

$73/daySafety 62/100Food 3/5

Trinidad

Cuba

$80/daySafety 75/100Food 3/5

Viñales

Cuba

$80/daySafety 75/100Food 3/5

Havana

Cuba

$100/daySafety 70/100Food 3/5

Santo Domingo

Dominican Republic

$100/daySafety 50/100Food 4/5

Bocas del Toro

Panama

$110/daySafety 70/100Food 3/5

Panama City

Panama

$115/daySafety 55/100Food 4/5

Monteverde

Costa Rica

$120/daySafety 82/100Food 3/5

Guadalajara

Mexico

$130/daySafety 65/100Food 4/5

Manuel Antonio

Costa Rica

$130/daySafety 80/100Food 3/5

Tamarindo

Costa Rica

$135/daySafety 75/100Food 4/5

Cuernavaca

Mexico

$140/daySafety 70/100Food 4/5

Montego Bay

Jamaica

$150/daySafety 50/100Food 4/5

Phoenix

United States

$150/daySafety 65/100Food 4/5

Tulum

Mexico

$150/daySafety 58/100Food 4/5

Quebec City

Canada

$155/daySafety 87/100Food 5/5

Mérida

Mexico

$160/daySafety 86/100Food 5/5

Playa del Carmen

Mexico

$160/daySafety 70/100Food 4/5

La Fortuna

Costa Rica

$175/daySafety 78/100Food 3/5

Cozumel

Mexico

$180/daySafety 80/100Food 3/5

Joshua Tree National Park

United States

$180/daySafety 92/100Food 2/5

Cancún

Mexico

$185/daySafety 62/100Food 4/5

Puerto Vallarta

Mexico

$200/daySafety 70/100Food 4/5

San Juan

Puerto Rico

$200/daySafety 70/100Food 4/5

Barbados

$230/daySafety 76/100Food 4/5

Curaçao

$240/daySafety 78/100Food 3/5

Nassau

Bahamas

$240/daySafety 65/100Food 3/5

Antigua

Antigua and Barbuda

$250/daySafety 78/100Food 3/5

Palm Springs

United States

$250/daySafety 75/100Food 4/5

Aruba

$260/daySafety 82/100Food 3/5

Jasper National Park

Canada

$265/daySafety 90/100Food 3/5

Banff

Canada

$275/daySafety 88/100Food 3/5

Saint Lucia

$275/daySafety 72/100Food 4/5

Belize

$280/daySafety 65/100Food 3/5

Lake Tahoe

United States

$280/daySafety 88/100Food 3/5

Miami

United States

$305/daySafety 65/100Food 4/5

Cabo San Lucas

Mexico

$350/daySafety 72/100Food 4/5

Key West

United States

$350/daySafety 75/100Food 4/5

Park City

United States

$350/daySafety 90/100Food 4/5

Whistler

Canada

$350/daySafety 92/100Food 4/5

Turks and Caicos

$400/daySafety 80/100Food 3/5

Telluride

United States

$450/daySafety 92/100Food 4/5

Aspen

United States

$500/daySafety 92/100Food 5/5

South America — 17 destinations

Baños de Agua Santa

Ecuador

$60/daySafety 78/100Food 3/5

Bogota

Colombia

$90/daySafety 52/100Food 4/5

Medellin

Colombia

$90/daySafety 55/100Food 4/5

Valparaíso

Chile

$105/daySafety 60/100Food 4/5

Bariloche

Argentina

$115/daySafety 72/100Food 4/5

Cartagena

Colombia

$115/daySafety 60/100Food 5/5

Lima

Peru

$115/daySafety 55/100Food 5/5

Pucón

Chile

$115/daySafety 80/100Food 4/5

Salvador

Brazil

$115/daySafety 50/100Food 5/5

Montevideo

Uruguay

$125/daySafety 70/100Food 4/5

El Chaltén

Argentina

$150/daySafety 90/100Food 3/5

Puerto Natales

Chile

$150/daySafety 90/100Food 4/5

Patagonia

Chile

$160/daySafety 78/100Food 3/5

Florianópolis

Brazil

$180/daySafety 73/100Food 4/5

Ushuaia

Argentina

$180/daySafety 85/100Food 4/5

Torres del Paine

Chile

$200/daySafety 92/100Food 3/5

Galápagos Islands

Ecuador

$325/daySafety 85/100Food 3/5

Africa — 23 destinations

Aswan

Egypt

$80/daySafety 70/100Food 3/5

Cairo

Egypt

$90/daySafety 55/100Food 4/5

Siwa Oasis

Egypt

$90/daySafety 75/100Food 3/5

Accra

Ghana

$95/daySafety 60/100Food 4/5

Hurghada

Egypt

$95/daySafety 75/100Food 3/5

Luxor

Egypt

$100/daySafety 62/100Food 3/5

Stone Town

Tanzania

$100/daySafety 70/100Food 4/5

Lalibela

Ethiopia

$105/daySafety 55/100Food 2/5

Sharm El Sheikh

Egypt

$105/daySafety 75/100Food 3/5

Addis Ababa

Ethiopia

$115/daySafety 50/100Food 4/5

Dakar

Senegal

$115/daySafety 55/100Food 4/5

Dar es Salaam

Tanzania

$115/daySafety 50/100Food 3/5

Zanzibar

Tanzania

$115/daySafety 65/100Food 4/5

Nairobi

Kenya

$130/daySafety 48/100Food 3/5

Stellenbosch

South Africa

$130/daySafety 80/100Food 5/5

Cape Town

South Africa

$140/daySafety 55/100Food 5/5

Kigali

Rwanda

$140/daySafety 72/100Food 3/5

Garden Route

South Africa

$150/daySafety 75/100Food 4/5

Lagos

Nigeria

$150/daySafety 40/100Food 5/5

Lamu

Kenya

$160/daySafety 62/100Food 4/5

Maasai Mara

Kenya

$500/daySafety 80/100Food 3/5

Serengeti National Park

Tanzania

$550/daySafety 70/100Food 2/5

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Uganda

$1400/daySafety 72/100Food 3/5

Oceania — 10 destinations

Rotorua

New Zealand

$130/daySafety 80/100Food 3/5

Christchurch

New Zealand

$140/daySafety 82/100Food 4/5

Wanaka

New Zealand

$160/daySafety 92/100Food 4/5

Wellington

New Zealand

$165/daySafety 85/100Food 5/5

Auckland

New Zealand

$180/daySafety 82/100Food 4/5

Tasmania

Australia

$185/daySafety 90/100Food 4/5

Milford Sound

New Zealand

$200/daySafety 92/100Food 2/5

Queenstown

New Zealand

$200/daySafety 90/100Food 4/5

Sydney

Australia

$200/daySafety 85/100Food 4/5

Hobart

Australia

$230/daySafety 88/100Food 5/5

Middle East — 7 destinations

Nizwa

Oman

$150/daySafety 90/100Food 3/5

Wahiba Sands

Oman

$180/daySafety 90/100Food 2/5

Jeddah

Saudi Arabia

$185/daySafety 78/100Food 4/5

Muscat

Oman

$200/daySafety 90/100Food 3/5

Riyadh

Saudi Arabia

$200/daySafety 80/100Food 4/5

Doha

Qatar

$225/daySafety 85/100Food 4/5

AlUla

Saudi Arabia

$275/daySafety 80/100Food 3/5

Frequently asked

What's the best place to visit in January?

January is peak season in 172 destinations across 7 continents — including Bangkok, Dubai, Cartagena, and many more. The right pick depends on your priorities: weather, budget, crowds, or specific activities.

Where's the cheapest place to travel in January?

Battambang, Cambodia runs about $40/day mid-range — the lowest-cost peak-season destination on our January list. Compare flight prices alongside on-the-ground costs since flight cost can swing the total budget more than daily spend.

Where's the safest place to visit in January?

Swiss Alps, Switzerland has a 95/100 safety score and is in peak season in January — one of the safest peak-season options this month for solo travelers and families.

Where's the best food in January?

Bangkok, Thailand scores 5/5 on food and is in peak season this month — perfect timing if a food-led trip is the plan.

Is January a good time to travel?

January works for 172 destinations on our list — meaning you have plenty of options across budgets and regions. The trick is matching your destination to the season: avoid places where January falls in low season unless you're specifically chasing off-peak prices and don't mind weather extremes.