Best Places to Visit in Africa in January 2026

48 Africa destinations ranked by January temperature — coolest first. Find a warm-winter beach or a summer escape from the heat.

Coolest

Atlas Mountains

~5°C

Median

Nairobi

~18°C

Warmest

Stone Town

~27°C

Africa destinations in January, sorted by temperature

Atlas Mountains5°C

Atlas Mountains

Morocco

$80/daySafety 80/100
Drakensberg5°C

Drakensberg

South Africa

$100/daySafety 85/100
Fez8°C

Fez

Morocco

$95/daySafety 65/100
Chefchaouen8°C

Chefchaouen

Morocco

$80/daySafety 68/100
Johannesburg10°C

Johannesburg

South Africa

$115/daySafety 40/100
Addis Ababa10°C

Addis Ababa

Ethiopia

$115/daySafety 50/100Peak in January
Stellenbosch11°C

Stellenbosch

South Africa

$130/daySafety 80/100Peak in January
Marrakech12°C

Marrakech

Morocco

$120/daySafety 55/100
Kruger National Park12°C

Kruger National Park

South Africa

$185/daySafety 70/100
Tunis12°C

Tunis

Tunisia

$75/daySafety 65/100
Ouarzazate12°C

Ouarzazate

Morocco

$80/daySafety 78/100
Cape Town13°C

Cape Town

South Africa

$140/daySafety 55/100Peak in January
Tangier13°C

Tangier

Morocco

$95/daySafety 62/100
Rabat13°C

Rabat

Morocco

$95/daySafety 72/100
Asilah13°C

Asilah

Morocco

$85/daySafety 78/100
Cairo14°C

Cairo

Egypt

$90/daySafety 55/100Peak in January
Essaouira14°C

Essaouira

Morocco

$100/daySafety 70/100
Merzouga14°C

Merzouga

Morocco

$80/daySafety 75/100
Garden Route14°C

Garden Route

South Africa

$150/daySafety 75/100Peak in January
Luxor15°C

Luxor

Egypt

$100/daySafety 62/100Peak in January
Casablanca15°C

Casablanca

Morocco

$105/daySafety 65/100
Alexandria15°C

Alexandria

Egypt

$85/daySafety 65/100
Lalibela16°C

Lalibela

Ethiopia

$105/daySafety 55/100Peak in January
Agadir17°C

Agadir

Morocco

$90/daySafety 75/100
Nairobi18°C

Nairobi

Kenya

$130/daySafety 48/100Peak in January
Sossusvlei18°C

Sossusvlei

Namibia

$225/daySafety 82/100
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest18°C

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Uganda

$1400/daySafety 72/100Peak in January
Hurghada18°C

Hurghada

Egypt

$95/daySafety 75/100Peak in January
Siwa Oasis18°C

Siwa Oasis

Egypt

$90/daySafety 75/100Peak in January
Lake Malawi18°C

Lake Malawi

Malawi

$80/daySafety 75/100
Sharm El Sheikh19°C

Sharm El Sheikh

Egypt

$105/daySafety 75/100Peak in January
Kigali20°C

Kigali

Rwanda

$140/daySafety 72/100Peak in January
Madagascar20°C

Madagascar

Madagascar

$140/daySafety 58/100
Okavango Delta20°C

Okavango Delta

Botswana

$650/daySafety 80/100
Dakar21°C

Dakar

Senegal

$115/daySafety 55/100Peak in January
Victoria Falls21°C

Victoria Falls

Zimbabwe

$215/daySafety 72/100
Serengeti National Park22°C

Serengeti National Park

Tanzania

$550/daySafety 70/100Peak in January
Maputo22°C

Maputo

Mozambique

$115/daySafety 58/100
Mauritius22°C

Mauritius

Mauritius

$200/daySafety 80/100
Dar es Salaam23°C

Dar es Salaam

Tanzania

$115/daySafety 50/100Peak in January
Aswan23°C

Aswan

Egypt

$80/daySafety 70/100Peak in January
Lagos24°C

Lagos

Nigeria

$150/daySafety 40/100Peak in January
Zanzibar26°C

Zanzibar

Tanzania

$115/daySafety 65/100Peak in January
Seychelles26°C

Seychelles

Seychelles

$375/daySafety 82/100
Maasai Mara26°C

Maasai Mara

Kenya

$500/daySafety 80/100Peak in January
Accra27°C

Accra

Ghana

$95/daySafety 60/100Peak in January
Lamu27°C

Lamu

Kenya

$160/daySafety 62/100Peak in January
Stone Town27°C

Stone Town

Tanzania

$100/daySafety 70/100Peak in January

Frequently asked

What's the weather like in Africa in January?

Africa in January ranges from about 5°C (Atlas Mountains) to 27°C (Stone Town). Median around 18°C. The exact temperature depends heavily on which destination — coastal vs inland, north vs south, altitude all matter.

Where's the coolest place to visit in Africa in January?

Atlas Mountains, Morocco averages around 5°C in January — the coolest destination in Africa on our list. Worth checking peak/shoulder season too: even with cool temps, January may not be peak for the destination.

Where's the warmest place to visit in Africa in January?

Stone Town, Tanzania runs around 27°C in January — the warmest destination in Africa on our list. If you're chasing summer in winter or beach weather year-round, this is the move.

Is January a good time to visit Africa?

Across Africa we have 48 destinations with weather data. Whether January is "good" depends on what you're after: cool weather, warm weather, peak season pricing or shoulder. The list below sorts by temperature so you can match destinations to your weather preference.

All months

All Africa destinations →

Grouped by peak month, all temperatures.

All regions

Best places in January worldwide →

Every continent at its peak in January.

Other months in Africa

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