The best places to visit in January 2026

As we look forward to starting off the new year with a clean slate, 365 days of epic adventures, cultural experiences, foodie forays and wondrous wildlife encounters stretch out before us. But it can be hard to know exactly where to kickstart your next year of amazing adventures.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration or information, we've done the legwork for you, answering the travelers' perennial question: where to go when? If you want to start the year right, these are some of the best places to travel to in January. 

1. Canary Islands

Best for a European island break 

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Escape the Northern Hemisphere’s winter climes with a surf break under the sunny skies of the Canary Islands. Kitesurfers and windsurfers are also spoiled for wave-riding hotspots; and land-lovers can simply kick back on the golden shores or hike or cycle one of the region's otherworldly volcanic landscapes.

January is the high season in this rare warm corner of Europe, so you'll want to book ahead or perhaps head to the three smaller western islands: remote El Hierro, hiking hot spot La Gomera or beautifully green La Palma. 

2. Genoa, Cinque Terre and the Ligurian Alps, Italy

Best for a low-season trip to Italy 

Italy has more than one set of Alps. As well as its share of the headline peaks tracing its northern border, there’s a range arcing around the Med: the Ligurian Alps.  In winter in the Ligurian Alps, wonderfully crisp air and snowy forest trails lure snowshoers to Aveto and Antola natural regional parks and yet-more-rugged Beigua Geopark, where snowshoe hire is available and marked circular trails offer sea views.

All are within touching distance of the regional capital Genoa, which is deliciously quiet in January yet just as tasty, with cafes and restaurants serving typical cuisine: pesto, salt cod, focaccia and farinata – savory chickpea pancakes. To work off those calories, head just along the coast to the picture-perfect cliff-wedged villages of the Cinque Terre, connected by 120km of walking trails that are generally emptiest this month.

Planning tip: Many hotels, particularly in the Cinque Terre, close over winter – book ahead.

3. Arizona and Utah, USA

Best for winter walking 

The red-rock ravines and outcrops of the region straddling the Utah and Arizona borders look even more delectable with a topping of snow – and in January you’ll share these wonders with far fewer people. Make no mistake, you’ll need to bundle up: temperatures dip well below freezing. But don the right clothes and boots (better still, snowshoes), and you’ll discover dramatic landscapes made even more magical in the absence of crowds: Zion, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef national parks, Antelope and Bryce canyons, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly.

Planning tip: Heavy snowfalls can close roads and trails – be flexible with plans and allow a few days’ buffer in case of delays.

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4. Budapest, Hungary

Best for thermal baths 

Hungary’s elegant capital of Budapest won’t leave you with cold feet, even in January. The land on which it’s built is peppered with more than 120 hot springs, many of which are open to the public as thermal baths. From the Turkish-style Rudas Baths to the art nouveau gem at the Gellért and vast Széchenyi, where those iconic pictures of elderly chess-playing men chest-deep in steaming water were shot, these springs are perfect for winter warming. The city itself is glorious at any time, with the medieval marvels of Buda’s Castle Hill contrasting against the Secessionist glory of Pest. And with buzzing nightlife ranging from grunge-chic ruin bars to a performance at the magnificent neo-Renaissance State Opera House, there’s plenty to keep you entertained through the long, dark evenings.

5. Laos

Best for temples and mountains

Dry, relatively cool January is the perfect time to discover the cultural and natural wonders of Laos. Luang Prabang, with its gilt-roofed temples, provides an easy jumping-off point for exploring the north, where clouded leopard, elephant and gaur roam protected areas, and hill tribes preserve traditional lifestyles in remote villages. To the east, huge stone vessels lie scattered across the Plain of Jars near Phonsavan, while in the far south you’ll find elaborately carved temples around Champasak and the laidback charms and Irrawaddy dolphins of Si Phan Don – the "Four Thousand Islands" – scattered across the Mekong River.

Planning Tip: Take a day trip to Tat Kuan Si waterfalls, which are located just a 45-minute scooter ride away from Luang Prabang. 

6. Anguilla

Best for a Caribbean vacation 

Few travelers heading to the Caribbean find their way to long, skinny little Anguilla, which remains determinedly low-key and relatively undeveloped. Still, it boasts all the ingredients of the Caribbean dream: friendly folks, an uplifting reggae soundtrack and some of the region’s most beautiful palm-fringed beaches, notably lively Shoal Bay on the north coast and sleepier Rendezvous Bay in the south. You’ll find top-end resorts and the high quality of cuisine their guests expect, headlined by fresh lobster and crayfish. But smaller, characterful guesthouses give mere mortals a chance to sample some dozen white powder-sand strands – all free to access – plus ample opportunities to enjoy the other attractions.

Planning tip: January is peak season, when less-expensive accommodation is at a premium – book well ahead.

7. Southwest Sri Lanka 

Best for wildlife 

Timing is everything in Sri Lanka, where monsoons hit the southwest and northeast over different months. January is a sweet spot for sunning yourself on the south coast and hiking in the central highlands, among the tea plantations around Hatton and the cooler grasslands and cloud forest of Horton Plains. A string of lovely beaches studs the shore. Bentota and Unawatuna are popular resorts famed for nightlife and watersports, while Hiriketiya is a quieter retreat to the southeast. 

It’s also a magical spell for wildlife-watchers as blue, sperm and Bryde’s whales cruise coastal waters. You can also encounter big herds of elephants and profuse birdlife in Udawalawe National Park. 

8. Mt Kenya, Kenya

Best for summiting a mountain

Kilimanjaro, "Africa’s Roof," may be loftier, but Mt Kenya offers a more achievable, beautiful and wildlife-rich trekking experience, best attempted during this driest period and a great way to start a new year off with a bang. Conquering Point Lenana (4895m) is no picnic, demanding a good level of fitness and careful acclimatization, but it is a walk in the park – Mt Kenya National Park, protecting bountiful wildlife as well as those rusty, jagged spires.

Spy elephants, elands, baboons and turacos on the verdant lower flanks; higher up, cheeky rock hyrax and bold sunbirds scamper and flit among giant lobelias. Camping at over 4,000m on summit night, prepare for subzero temperatures and a pre-dawn start, navigating by star and moonlight for the final push. But icy fingers and a throbbing head can’t dent the thrill of watching the sun rise across the African plains from your mountaintop aerie.

9. Chūbu, Japan

Best for snow lovers 

Winter is a magical time to explore the historic settlements of Japan's central Honshu region, when snow dusts temples, castles and traditional wooden houses. Outside of the ski resorts, crowds thin after the late-December holidays and before cherry blossom season.

In the Japanese Alps, ‘"snow monkeys" (Japanese macaques) soak in hot springs near Yudanaka, and there’s glorious hiking, snowshoeing and downhill skiing. Visit Kanazawa on the north coast, dubbed ‘Little Kyoto’ for its castle, Kenroku-en garden, and geisha and samurai districts. To the south, the fairytale-thatched hamlets of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama lie on the wooded eastern flanks of Hakusan National Park. Chilly? There’s always a steaming onsen (hot spring) and warm sake nearby.

10. Svalbard, Norway

Night falls and the sky sways in the most unnerving way, with wizard-wand flashes of green. The lights. The lights are here. And it’s as if the Nordic gods are having a strobe party up in the heavens. Everyone turns their eyes upwards and holds their breath in the chill night, as if speaking would be a travesty. Frozen fingers fumble to set shutter speeds to capture the greatest show on Earth. All around, snow-frosted mountains glow pearl white as if lit from within.

Midway between Norway and the North Pole and home to more polar bears than people, Svalbard is the High Arctic proper, a place of rock, ice and mind-bending beauty. Beyond the rumbling snowmobiles and howling huskies awaits white wilderness, echoing silence and regular displays of the aurora borealis. January is a great time to visit, as in the darkest months of the Polar Night (mid-November to January), the odds of seeing the latter are excellent, providing skies are clear and activity is high. 

Planning tip: Norwegian and SAS fly to Longyearbyen to Tromsø and Oslo. 

Find more epic adventures in our new book, Dream Trips of the World.