The best places to travel in January 2027 are Puerto Rico, Los Cabos and Maui if you want warm sun a short flight from home, Thailand or Cape Town if you’ll fly long-haul for summer weather, and Finnish Lapland, Iceland or Japan if you want snow and northern lights. Our top pick for most Americans is Puerto Rico: San Juan averages 83°F (28°C) in January, US citizens flying direct don’t need a passport, and Old San Juan holds its biggest street festival from January 21 to 24. Book the bio bay kayak tour in Fajardo for a night paddle on the glowing lagoon, one of the island’s signature trips.
Every temperature below is a long-term January average from each country’s national weather service, published by the World Meteorological Organization, so read it as what’s typical, not a forecast. Event dates were checked on October 30, 2026. If you’re still deciding on New Year’s itself, start with our New Year’s Eve in Europe 2026 guide; this one picks up for the weeks after.
Where to travel in January 2027 at a glance
| Destination | Avg January high | Days with rain or snow | Why go in January | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan, Puerto Rico | 83°F (28°C) | 17.6 | No passport needed; SanSe festival January 21 to 24 | Best overall |
| Los Cabos, Mexico | 77°F (25°C) | 1.1 | Whale season, almost no rain | Dry sun and whales |
| Cancun, Mexico | 82°F (28°C) | 10.5 | Beaches plus Mayan ruins | Warmest of the Mexico picks |
| Maui, Hawaii | 80°F (27°C) in Honolulu | 8.5 | Humpback season peaks January to March | Whale watching |
| Guanacaste, Costa Rica | 92°F (33°C) in Liberia | 0.5 | Height of the dry season | Hot, dry nature trips |
| Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand | 90°F (32°C) | 1 to 4 | Peak dry season | Long-haul beach and city |
| Cape Town, South Africa | 79°F (26°C) | 5.5 | Southern-hemisphere summer | Summer in January |
| Tenerife, Canary Islands | 70°F (21°C) | 8 | Mildest winter weather in Europe on this list | Warm add-on to Europe |
| Rovaniemi, Finland | 17°F (-8.5°C) | 10 | Deep snow and northern lights | Snow and auroras |
| Reykjavik, Iceland | 35°F (2°C) | 13.3 | Glacier ice caves open | Ice caves |
| Tokyo and Sapporo, Japan | 50°F (10°C) and 31°F (0°C) | 4.5 and 18.3 | Dry Tokyo, snowy Hokkaido | Snow monkeys and skiing |
| Québec City, Canada | 18°F (-8°C) | 18.5 | Ice hotel opens January 4 | A winter city close to home |
| Paris and Vienna | 44°F (7°C) and 37°F (3°C) | 10.2 and 7.3 | Winter sales and ball season | City breaks |
The “days with rain or snow” column counts days with measurable precipitation, which in Lapland, Sapporo and Québec mostly means snow.
Warm places to travel in January close to home
1. Puerto Rico: the best all-round January trip
Puerto Rico is the easiest warm trip in January for Americans. San Juan averages 83°F (28°C) by day and 72°F (22°C) at night, according to National Weather Service normals. Rain falls on about 18 days in an average January, so pack a light rain jacket and plan beach time for the mornings you get.
Because Puerto Rico is a US territory, US citizens flying direct from the mainland don’t need a passport. You show the same ID as on any domestic flight, which since May 2025 means a REAL ID-compliant license or another ID the TSA accepts, such as a passport.
Time the trip for the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, the “SanSe,” which fill Old San Juan with music, parades and food stalls from January 21 to 24, 2027, as San Juan’s mayor announced in March (Metro Puerto Rico). Book a hotel early for those dates or stay outside the old city and take a cab in.
On a night with the festival behind you, drive east to Fajardo for the Laguna Grande bio bay kayak tour. Tour operators say the glow varies from night to night and can’t be guaranteed, so book it early in your stay to leave room for a second try.
2. Los Cabos and the Riviera Maya, Mexico
Los Cabos is the driest warm beach destination on this list. It averages 77°F (25°C) by day in January and gets about half an inch (12 mm) of rain on roughly one day a month, according to Mexico’s National Meteorological Service. Nights are cooler, around 55°F (13°C), so bring a layer.
January is also whale season. Visit Los Cabos says the season typically runs from early December to mid-April, and that humpbacks are the whales you’re most likely to see, with gray whales, blue whales and orcas spotted occasionally. Book the small-group humpback whale watching tour in Cabo San Lucas for one of your first mornings, so rough seas don’t cost you your only chance.
The Riviera Maya around Cancun is warmer, averaging 82°F (28°C), but it’s also wetter, with about 5.4 inches (136 mm) of rain over 10.5 days in an average January. Its trump card is history: the Chichen Itza, cenote and Valladolid day tour covers the pyramid, a swim in a sinkhole and a colonial town in one day from Cancun. Either way, you need a passport book to fly to Mexico.
3. Maui, Hawaii: peak whale season
January puts you in Hawaii for the best of humpback season. According to NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, humpbacks are seen in Hawaii from November through April, with the peak from January through March, and roughly half of the North Pacific’s humpbacks spend the winter in Hawaiian waters.
The weather is the easy part: Honolulu averages 80°F (27°C) by day in January, with rain on 8 or 9 days. On Maui, the whale watch from Ma’alaea Harbor heads into the waters between the islands where the whales gather in winter.
4. Guanacaste, Costa Rica: the dry season at its driest
Costa Rica’s northwest is the hottest and driest pick here. Liberia, the gateway airport for the Guanacaste beaches, averages 92°F (33°C) in January with almost no rain: about 0.05 inches (1.3 mm) in an average month, according to Costa Rica’s National Meteorological Institute. Base yourself on the Guanacaste coast near Liberia for beach days, and make day trips inland to the volcanoes and national parks.
Long-haul summer: Thailand, Cape Town and the Canary Islands
5. Thailand: peak dry season
January is the heart of Thailand’s dry season. Bangkok averages 90°F (32°C) with about one rainy day in the month, and Phuket 90°F with about four, according to the Thai Meteorological Department. From Phuket, the Phi Phi Islands day trip by speedboat is the classic island-hopping day, with lunch included. Our winter sun guide compares Thailand with Vietnam, Goa and the Gulf if you’re flexible on where.
Check the entry rules before you book: from September 15, 2026, US passport holders can visit visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, down from 60, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Every visitor must also fill in the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within 3 days before arrival.
6. Cape Town, South Africa: summer in January
Cape Town is in high summer in January: it averages 79°F (26°C) by day with rain on about five days, according to the South African Weather Service. Long, dry days make it the month for Table Mountain, the Cape Peninsula and the penguin colony at Boulders Beach. The Table Mountain, Cape Point and penguins shared tour covers all three in a day. US passport holders don’t need a visa for tourist stays of 90 days or less, according to the South African embassy in Washington.
7. Tenerife, Canary Islands: Europe’s winter sun
If you want warmth and Europe in the same trip, go to the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz de Tenerife averages 70°F (21°C) in January, according to Spain’s weather agency, warmer than Madeira’s 66°F (19°C), which also gets about 4 inches (103 mm) of rain over 12 days. It’s swimming-and-hiking weather rather than heat. The Mount Teide and Masca Valley tour takes you up Spain’s highest peak and to the village of Masca in its ravine, both hard to reach without a car. Most Americans connect through a European hub, so it pairs well with a few days in Madrid or Lisbon.
Snow, ice and northern lights in January
8. Finnish Lapland: snow and northern lights
Rovaniemi, on the Arctic Circle, is the easiest place to combine guaranteed snow with a good chance of the northern lights. It averages 17°F (-8.5°C) by day and 5°F (-15°C) at night in January, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, so you’ll need serious winter clothing. Many tours include winter overalls; check what yours provides.
Visit Rovaniemi says the aurora season runs from late August to early spring and that the lights can be seen on around 150 nights a year in Finnish Lapland when conditions are right. January days average about 4 hours of daylight, against 2.5 in December and 8 in February, so you get both long nights and a little light for sledding. The Lapland reindeer and husky safari from Rovaniemi packs both sleds into one outing, with hotel pickup.
Clouds, not the calendar, are what stop most aurora sightings. Book at least three nights in Lapland, and keep one evening free to go out on short notice when the forecast clears.
9. Iceland: glacier ice caves
January is ice cave season in Iceland, and that’s the reason to go now rather than in summer. The natural caves under Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier, are accessible only in winter, “from November and usually throughout March” depending on the weather, and should never be entered without a glacier guide and safety gear, according to Visit Vatnajökull.
The small-group ice cave tour from Jökulsárlón starts at the glacier lagoon on the south coast, a long day’s drive from Reykjavik, so plan to stay nearby the night before. Reykjavik itself averages 35°F (2°C) by day in January, milder than you might expect, but with rain or snow on about 13 days. Our Iceland Ring Road itinerary is a summer route, but its south-coast stops work in winter too, with more time allowed for the short days.
10. Japan: snow monkeys, powder snow and quiet temples
January splits Japan in two. Tokyo is cool, dry and often sunny, averaging 50°F (10°C) with rain or snow on only 4 or 5 days, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Sapporo, on the northern island of Hokkaido, averages 31°F (0°C) with precipitation, mostly snow, on 18 days: the snow Hokkaido’s ski resorts are known for.
The trip most people want in January is the snow monkeys. Jigokudani Yaen-Koen in Nagano is open every day of the year, from 9 am to 4 pm from November to March, and charged adults ¥800 (about $5) when we checked, with new fees due from December 1, 2026, according to the park’s own guide. It’s a long day from Tokyo, so the Nagano snow monkey day tour with a beef sukiyaki lunch handles the transport for you. Before you plan more rail travel, check whether the Japan Rail Pass is worth it for your route, and see our guide to getting from Tokyo’s airports to the city.
11. Québec City: an ice hotel and the run-up to Carnaval
For a snowy city without a long-haul flight, go to Québec City. It’s properly cold in January, averaging 18°F (-8°C) by day and 0°F (-18°C) at night. The Hôtel de Glace, the ice hotel in Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier outside the city, lists its 2027 season as January 4 to March 14, according to Bonjour Québec. The Carnaval de Québec runs from February 5 to 14, 2027, on its official site, so a trip at the very end of January can roll into the opening weekend.
In the old city, the guided winter walking tour of Old Québec runs every day in any weather, with costumed guides leading you down to the Petit-Champlain district. US citizens need a passport book to fly to Canada.
January city breaks in Europe: Paris and Vienna
12. Paris and Vienna: winter sales and ball season
January is a quiet month in most big European cities, and two of them give you a specific reason to go. Paris averages 44°F (7°C) by day in January and Vienna 37°F (3°C), according to their national weather services, so pack for cold and some rain.
Paris: France’s winter sales last four weeks, according to the Ministry of the Economy, and by law they start on the second Wednesday of January, or the first Wednesday when the second falls after the 12th. That puts the 2027 sales at January 6 to February 2; the government confirms the dates in December. One catch: the Eiffel Tower’s summit usually closes for annual maintenance in January (it was closed from January 5 to February 6 in 2026, according to the tower’s notice), so our Eiffel Tower tickets guide explains which ticket to buy instead. For a rainy afternoon, our Louvre tickets guide covers timed entry and the free first-Friday evenings.
Vienna: January is the heart of the ball season. The Vienna Tourist Board says more than 450 balls take place in the city each year, peaking in January and February, with the Vienna Philharmonic Ball on January 21, 2027 and the Opera Ball on February 4. If a white-tie ball is more than you want, a concert at the Musikverein, home of the Vienna Philharmonic, is an easier evening in the same spirit.
January 2027 events worth planning a trip around
| Event | Where | 2027 dates | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hôtel de Glace season | Near Québec City | January 4 to March 14 | Visits and overnight stays |
| France’s winter sales | Paris and all of France | January 6 to February 2 | Dates confirmed in December |
| Australian Open | Melbourne, Australia | January 11 to 31 | Opening week January 11 to 16; main draw January 17 to 31 |
| Vienna Philharmonic Ball | Vienna, Austria | January 21 | Opera Ball follows on February 4 |
| Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián | Old San Juan, Puerto Rico | January 21 to 24 | Book hotels early |
| Sundance Film Festival | Boulder, Colorado | January 21 to 31 | First edition in Boulder |
| Up Helly Aa | Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland | Tuesday, January 26 | Torch procession lights up at 7:30 pm |
| Carnaval de Québec | Québec City | February 5 to 14 | Just after January |
The Australian Open is the big one. Melbourne Park lists opening week from January 11 to 16 and the main draw from January 17 to 31, with tickets sold through Ticketmaster. Melbourne averages 79°F (26°C) in January. US citizens need an Australian Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), applied for through the Australian government’s official app.
Sundance moves from Park City, Utah, to Boulder, Colorado, for its first edition there, from January 21 to 31, 2027, Axios reported when the dates were announced.
Up Helly Aa, Shetland’s Viking fire festival, is held on the last Tuesday of January, which in 2027 is January 26. The organizers’ 2027 page says the torch procession lights up at 7:30 pm in Lerwick. Visiting the UK requires an Electronic Travel Authorisation, which costs £20 (about $27).
Where not to go in January
Some famous warm-weather places are in their wet season in January:
- Bali: Denpasar averages 91°F (33°C) but gets 13.6 inches (345 mm) of rain over 27 rainy days in January, according to Indonesia’s weather agency. Expect a downpour most days.
- Darwin and Australia’s tropical north: 18.3 inches (466 mm) of rain over 22 days. Melbourne and Sydney are the summer picks in Australia instead.
- Madeira, if you want beach weather: it’s mild at 66°F (19°C), but 12 rainy days make it a walking destination rather than a beach one in January.
Which January trip should you book?
- Best overall: Puerto Rico. Warm, no passport needed, and the SanSe festival in Old San Juan.
- Best for whales: Los Cabos or Maui. Cabo for dry weather and the humpback whale tour in Cabo San Lucas, Maui for the densest concentration of humpbacks.
- Best long-haul beach: Thailand, at 90°F in the dry season, with island day trips from Phuket.
- Best for northern lights: Finnish Lapland, with a reindeer and husky safari for the daylight hours.
- Best for something different: Japan’s snow monkeys, a long but doable day trip from Tokyo.
- Best city break: Paris or Vienna, for the winter sales or the ball season.
- Best event: the Australian Open, if you can make the long flight.
What to book now for January 2027
Book the flight first, then the tours with limited seats.
- Watch the holiday weekends. Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Monday, January 18, 2027, making January 16 to 18 a three-day weekend for many Americans, and New Year’s Day is a Friday, which makes January 1 to 3 one too. If your dates are flexible, price the weeks either side as well.
- Book small-group tours as soon as your dates are set. Ice cave tours, whale watches and bio bay kayaks run small groups, and in Lapland and Iceland the weather can cancel a day, so book early in your stay.
- Lock in event hotels early. Old San Juan during SanSe, Melbourne during the Australian Open finals weekend and Boulder during Sundance are the weeks to book first.
Phones, money and entry rules for January trips
- Staying connected: US carriers’ day passes add up fast. Verizon’s TravelPass costs $12 a day per line in most countries and $6 a day in Mexico and Canada. An Airalo eSIM for your destination is set up before you fly, which matters for booking apps, maps and rideshares on arrival: use code GUIDEZ15 at checkout if you’re new to Airalo, or GUIDEZ10 if you’ve bought from them before. Our Airalo vs local SIM vs roaming comparison runs the numbers. In Hawaii your US plan works as normal; for Puerto Rico, check that your plan counts it as domestic.
- Europe (Finland, Iceland, France, Austria, Spain): no visa is needed for short stays. The EU’s ETIAS travel authorization will cost €20 (about $22) once it starts, but no start date had been announced when we checked on October 30, 2026, and the EU has promised at least six months’ notice, according to the EU Delegation to the US. That means January 2027 trips don’t need it.
- Further afield: Thailand allows 30 days visa-free and requires the online arrival card, South Africa allows 90 days without a visa, Australia requires an ETA, and the UK requires its £20 ETA.
- Cards: tap to pay works almost everywhere on this list. Use a card with no foreign transaction fee, and carry a little cash for market stalls and tips.
Already thinking past winter? Our 2-week Europe itinerary by train lays out a first-timer’s route for spring and summer, with what to book first. And once you’ve picked a destination, browse creator-made travel maps on Guidez for restaurants, viewpoints and places to stay from people who’ve been there.
