January can feel like the gloomiest month in the calendar, but it’s an amazing time to travel. Start the New Year in style with a trip to one of the best places to visit in January.
In the US and Europe, it’s a great time to ski. In Central and Southern America, the weather is warm and it’s much quieter than later in the year. Africa is in full bloom and as it’s birthing season in the Serengeti, January is an amazing time of year to go on safari. For more vacation inspiration here’s my rundown of the best places to travel in January.
Budget on your mind? Skip to KAYAK’s top data-backed picks based on popularity, flight, and hotel prices.
Best places to visit in January in the US
The best winter vacations in the US cover the full gamut of experiences. From winter sun on the coast in San Diego to ski spots from Idaho to Arizona. City or country, budget or blowout, the US offers it all.
1. Sun Valley, Idaho
- Learn more: Ketchum travel guide
- Why visit in January? Amazing skiing for beginners and pros.
As well as lots of snow, Sun Valley has history. It’s known as America’s first destination ski resort thanks to it being the first to open a chairlift, in 1936. Nearly 100 years later, it’s still my favorite US ski resort. Base yourself in the postcard-perfect town of Ketchum, charming but sophisticated as all the best mountain resorts are, its hotels, restaurants, and bars are après ski central.
Above it, a magic mix of terrains spread across two towering peaks. The gentle slopes of Dollar Mountain are ideal for kids and beginners to find their snow legs. If you’e a serious skier, try out Bald Mountain, affectionately called Baldy. As famed for its lack of lift lines as it is for its perfect pitch, Blady has 65 individual runs and endless opportunities for trail riding. A nirvana for snow lovers.
While you’re there find the quiet nook over Seattle Ridge on Baldy’s southern slope. Known as the Sunrise Zone, it opened in 2021 adding 380 acres of terrain filled with perfectly spaced firs and steep chutes. Just watch out for powder pockets and serious rock drops.
2. Montgomery, Alabama
- Learn more: Montgomery travel guide
- Why visit in January? Celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
On the third Monday of each January, Martin Luther King Jr Day is celebrated. In 2025, that Monday falls on January 20th. MLK was the minister of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery and it was here that he led the bus boycott, fighting racial segregation following Rosa Parks’ heroic actions in 1955.
His legacy lives on in Montgomery, not least thanks to the Equal Justice Initiative, which runs three powerful experiences here. The Legacy Museum takes visitors through 400 years of US history through the lens of racial segregation, enslavement, and terrorism.
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice occupies a six-acre area on a hilltop overlooking Montgomery. Deeply sobering, Then there is the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. This 17-acre site celebrates the courage and resilience of those enslaved, built on the banks of the Alabama River. An immersive journey into the lives of enslaved people, it features poignant stories, original dwellings, and Indigenous art.
3. Death Valley, California
- Learn more: Death Valley travel guide
- Why visit in January? Experience the valley without the scorching temperatures.
January is a good time to visit Death Valley and avoid the extreme heat of the valley experiences in the summer. America’s largest national park outside of Alaska, at more than 5,300 square miles it offers plenty to explore. And it’s not just hellish, barren, lunar-like landscapes – Desolation Canyon, anyone?
Death Valley is also alive with nature and experiences. Badwater Basin salt flats should be your first stop, the lowest point on the continent at 282 feet below sea level. Make sure to look high up east to the cliffs of the Black Mountains for a sign showing the sea level. To the west, Telescope Peak towers more than two miles above you.
Among the sand dunes, mountains, and salt flats, you’ll also find oases. Hidden in an unassuming canyon, Darwin Falls is a rare year-round waterfall in Death Valley. A haven for life, it teems with ferns and cattails, tree frogs and toads, and bighorn sheep.
For the full experience, camping is the most popular form of accommodation. Or for something more luxurious, base yourself in Las Vegas and make your visit a day trip.
4. San Antonio, Texas
- Learn more: San Antonio travel guide
- Why visit in January? The events, from All-American Bowl Day to Restaurant Week.
The oldest of Texas’ major cities, San Antonio typically confronts the New Year with a can-do attitude. Events happen all month long, from food fares to sporting contests. It’s not even that cold, with temperatures lingering in the mid-60s. Walking and exploring its colonial streets, it almost feels like spring.
If you’re visiting in the first two weeks of January, you can enjoy the best of the city’s famed River Walk. With holiday season lights staying up until January 12th, it’s the best time to see them minus the Christmas crowds. Football fans should take a day out on January 11th for All-American Bowl Day. Grab a cold beer and hot dog to watch high school all-stars compete in a game that can decide NFL futures.
Refuel with some epic deals during Restaurant Week. Running January 18th to February 1st, it’s actually more like two weeks of delicious eatin’ and overindulgin’ (this is Texas, after all). Many of the city’s top restaurants offer prix fixe brunches, lunches, and dinners for budgets from $25 to $55.
5. Elko, Nevada
- Why visit in January? To attend the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
Swap ski boots for cowboy boots in Elko, Nevada and celebrate the lesser clichéd side of cowboy culture this January. From January 27th, the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering celebrates its 40th birthday over six days in 2025.
Alongside oversized hats and jingling spurs, expect the world’s preeminent cowboy performers to put on quite the show. Workshops and exhibitions, performances, dances and open mic sessions. Best are the poetry slams that recall the old cowboy tradition of storytelling soundtracked by the crackle of campfires. Expect punchy, powerful yet lilting tales that chronicle the history, stewardship and issues that come from living life in the rural west.
The roster of performers is huge, from big names like magazine poet laureate Marleen Bussma to fifth-generation cattleman and Tulare County poet John Dofflemyer. If music is more your beat, don’t miss the haunting Buffalo Kin out of Fossil, Oregon.
Best places to travel in January for winter sports
If it’s the white stuff you want to dive into, the best places to vacation in January traverse the whole world. For skiing, snowboarding and climbing, Europe’s Alps are unsurpassed. My pick is Zermatt for the most exclusive destination to tick off all three in style, but Austria, France, Italy and Germany all have their own incredible mountain towns.
6. Arctic Circle, Sweden
- Why visit in January? To drive on the world’s biggest racetrack.
In the frozen wilderness of Europe’s far north, adventure awaits. The icy January landscapes of Sweden are a playground for snowbound fun without crowds. Try snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing, reindeer and dog sledding, ice fishing and, if you’re particularly brave, ice diving.
For something special, head to Uddjaure Lake and try your hand at ice driving. From January 7th until March 23rd, Lapland Ice Driving turns the lake’s vast frozen surface into the world’s best racetrack. Or rather, racetracks – no fewer than 13, including five full-scale exact replica Formula One circuits. Hop in one of the 30 supercars available and test your skills on the frozen equivalent of the Nürburgring.
Continue the lake theme with a stay at the wild and extraordinary Arctic Bath, a few hours’ drive east. Set in an otherworldly landscape, this floating spa has to be seen to be believed. You’ll need to fly into nearby Luleå and rent a car to get around but in landscapes like these, the journey is half the fun.
7. Harbin, China
- Why visit in January? Experience the world’s largest ice and snow festival.
For a one-of-a-kind winter vacation, Harbin in China is your place. Each January the capital of China’s northernmost province hosts the world’s largest ice and snow festival.
Kicking off on January 5th, this is ice sculpting on an unimaginable scale. Explore lifesize castles, an island of giant sculptures, ice slides, and a towering Ferris Wheel from where you can view it all. Elsewhere parks across the city freeze into extraordinary works of ice-bound art. January is the best time to visit too, as crowds don’t appear until February for the Chinese Spring Festival.
While you’re there, take the opportunity to dive into the local culinary scene, a mix of Russian, Mongolian, and northern Chinese cuisine. Hotpots and dumplings, stewed, smoked, and pickled, all warming and delicious are extra appealing when served in a restaurant made of ice.
For some classic winter sports, 90 minutes on the bullet train will take you to the Yabuli ski area, China’s biggest ski resort. Hotels do vary in quality, for somewhere with good facilities stay at Club Med Yabuli.
8. Zermatt, Switzerland
- Learn more: Zermatt travel guide
- Why visit in January? A magical atmosphere, views and epic skiing.
Perhaps the greatest of Switzerland’s many epic ski resorts, Zermatt is a mecca for high adventure and high society. It’s also high altitude; Switzerland’s loftiest resort is only accessible by train so there are, blissfully, no cars.
Adventurers come for its skiing and snowboarding as well as the Matterhorn, Europe’s most iconic and recognizable peak. On the Matterhorn, you can explore its trails, climb its sheer faces, and jump off it if you’re really wild. Or just admire it from afar with a mulled wine at one of the gorgeous mountain huts on the surrounding slopes.
Outside of sports, decades of rich and famous visitors have cultivated an aura of glamor including high-end shopping, boutique hotels, Michelin star restaurants (book way in advance), and fantastic après ski. Prices are high but tempered by the magical atmosphere and views.
The archetypal ‘must-do’ when visiting is a trip on the mountain train up to the summit of the Gornergrat. At 10,000 feet, the train journey alone will take your breath away. Crushingly scenic, it winds over 33 minutes through some of Switzerland’s most stunning panoramas.
Best places to visit in January around the world
For where to travel in January to escape the cold, look south. KAYAK data points to Mexico and down into Central and South America for the best January vacations. Medellin in Colombia and Lima in Peru occupy the top two spots for their mix of weather, price and popularity.
9. Panama
- Learn more: Panama City travel guide
- Why visit in January? To visit the Panama Jazz Festival.
Long, narrow, and fringed by two extraordinary coastlines, what Panama lacks in facilities it makes up for in beauty. Start your trip in the capital city which has enough to entertain for a short stay. Do as most visitors do and visit Casco Viejo. The old quarter and one-time gangland is now a thriving tourist district. Packed with great restaurants, bars, and boutique hotels spilling from shabby chic colonial houses.
January is a great time to visit as the city plays host to the annual Panama Jazz Festival. One of the city’s biggest events, it draws international artists to perform, educate, and celebrate leading jazz figures. From January 13-18 in 2025, that’s renowned Panamanian dancer Princess Orelia Benskina, who captivated audiences from the stages of Harlem and left a legacy celebrating Afro-Caribbean and Afro-American culture.
A short flight but a world away from the city is the archipelago of Islas Secas. A super eco retreat owned by a billionaire conservation philanthropist, 13 of its 14 islands will remain forever undeveloped. Book a stay on the 14th island for a sustainable vacation showcasing the magical environment to its guests.
10. Southern Serengeti, Tanzania
- Why visit in January? The perfect month to see newborn wildebeest and antelope.
What better way to celebrate a new year than experiencing birthing season in the southern Serengeti? Across the vast savanna of Tanzania, new opportunity and new life springs forth everywhere you look.
Sandwiched between rainy seasons, January offers the perfect window to see the region at its lush and verdant best. This bounty of vegetation means great feasting for wildlife and their new offspring.
Thousands upon thousands of newborn wildebeest and antelope calves flood the plains. And they’re not alone. Lion and cheetah cubs, baby elephants, and zebra foals are taking their first steps, never far from their parents’ sides. The thicker undergrowth can make them harder to spot on safari, so you’ll rely on your guide more than ever.
To maximize your nature time, book a roving safari trip with a reputable operator like family-run Bushtops Safari Camps. Glamping at its very best, the roving Bushtops are remarkable creations, luxe tents that fold up and follow the action. For this experience fly into Arusha Kilimanjaro airport and take a local flight to the nearest airstrip.
11. Singapore
- Learn more: Singapore travel guide
- Why visit in January? Celebrate the Lunar New Year.
If you are looking for summer in January book a trip to Singapore to celebrate the Lunar (Chinese) New Year. Marking the transition from winter to summer on January 29th. This year’s celebration ushers in the Year of the Snake.
Singapore makes the best places to visit in January list thanks to its impressive national holiday. Shops and businesses close and the island nation erupts in a celebration of fantasy and firecrackers. For the fantasy, watch for the Lion Dance performed by elaborately dressed dancers searching for luck in the New Year. For the firecrackers, head to the huge shows on Beach Road of Bugis and in Chinatown, naturally.
Singapore is renowned for its futuristic architecture. The extravagant tradition and ancient decorations of New Year enhance it. Expect the city to be throbbing with visitors, prices to be higher, and early bookings essential (but worth it.)
Data-backed picks from KAYAK
If seasonal events aren’t on your wish list, why not consider one of the below destinations? These destinations are based on KAYAK flight and hotel data, taking into account budget, weather, and popularity (so you can avoid the crowds). For personalized recommendations based on your location and chosen destination check out the Best Time to Travel tool.
January vacation FAQs
The US has so many different experiences not far from your doorstep that it’s hard to overlook. For winter lovers, the Alps of Switzerland are rightly a bucket list visit. If it’s sun you seek, Tanzania is home not only to safaris but also the glorious beaches of Zanzibar.
Dropping into shoulder season opens up lots of cheap places to travel in January. If you can find great flight prices, most Southeastern Asian countries are incredibly cheap once there. Otherwise, KAYAK data points to South American hotspots like Colombia and Peru as cheap January destinations.
The US has so many different experiences not far from your doorstep that it’s hard to overlook. For winter lovers, the Alps of Switzerland are rightly a bucket list visit. If it’s sun you seek, Tanzania is home not only to safaris but also the glorious beaches of Zanzibar.
Discover more of the best places to travel
The following information refers to the destinations listed in the table.
Recommendation ranking within table:
Our recommendation ranking of where to go is calculated based on average flight prices, average hotel prices, popularity, average temperature, and average precipitation. Flight prices, hotel prices, popularity, and precipitation constitute inverse factors, the less the better. Average temperature optimal values are taken as the median for the destination, and a difference is calculated for the month from this reference point. The smaller the difference the more desirable the city is to visit in this month. This temperature factor is weighed double as much as popularity and precipitation.
From the ranked destination lists, destination exclusions may have been applied in cases of insufficient data or according to the official travel advisory at the time when the data analysis was conducted.
Flight and hotel prices:
Average prices are estimated from KAYAK internal data from the search period ‘2024-07-01’ to ‘2024-11-15’ for the travel period ‘2025-01-01 – 2025-02-28’. Flight prices include economy class return trips for one traveler, and hotel prices represent 3-stars or below hotels’ nightly rates for a standard double room. Price insights are subject to vary depending on the exact departure airport and over time as travel dates are approaching.
Popularity:
Monthly crowd estimates for each destination are determined by internal flight and hotel search data. This incorporates the latest historical insights from the past year collected on ‘2024-01-15’. For each destination, this popularity estimate is pulled for the particular month to gauge where it might not be too crowded.
Weather (average monthly temperature and precipitation):
Weather data is pulled from a third-party site, Weatherbase, and has not been verified by KAYAK. Monthly average temperature and precipitation data is based on historical insights from the past 102 years. Weatherbase data is updated in real-time from the US Census Bureau and other databases worldwide.
