Best Places to Travel in January
We focus on warm-weather Asia trips — Thailand, Vietnam, Bali, Sri Lanka, Dubai and Georgia. Here's where the weather works in your favor this January: Thailand, Vietnam, Dubai (UAE), Sri Lanka.
Climate normals checked September 29, 2026 · Source: Open-Meteo (ERA5) · How we calculate
Where to go in January: 6 warm destinations
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Thailand
Excellent
Best in Bangkok and Pattaya (central, eastern Gulf): warm and dry, warm sea
- Day high
- 88°F (31°C)
- Sea
- 82°F (28°C)
- Visa (US passport)
- checking
- Flight from JFK / LAX
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Vietnam
Excellent
Best in the south (Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc): warm and dry, warm sea
- Day high
- 89°F (32°C)
- Sea
- 84°F (29°C)
- Visa (US passport)
- checking
- Flight from JFK / LAX
- checking
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Dubai (UAE)
Good
Best in Fujairah (east coast): comfortable overall, but the sea is cool for swimming
- Day high
- 77°F (25°C)
- Sea
- 76°F (24°C)
- Visa (US passport)
- checking
- Flight from JFK / LAX
- checking
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Sri Lanka
Good
Best on the west and south coast (Bentota, Hikkaduwa, Galle): comfortable overall, but rain is frequent
- Day high
- 85°F (29°C)
- Sea
- 83°F (28°C)
- Visa (US passport)
- checking
- Flight from JFK / LAX
- checking
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Bali
Mixed
Best in the south (Kuta, Seminyak, Bukit): rain is frequent
- Day high
- 84°F (29°C)
- Sea
- 85°F (29°C)
- Visa (US passport)
- checking
- Flight from JFK / LAX
- checking
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Georgia (country)
Off-season
Best in Tbilisi (east): it is cold
- Day high
- 45°F (7°C)
- Sea
- 53°F (12°C)
- Visa (US passport)
- checking
- Flight from JFK / LAX
- checking
Nothing matches this filter.
Sorted by month rating, then alphabetically. Visa and flight times will appear once our data is verified.
Where to go in January: FAQ
Where should I travel in January?
We focus on warm-weather Asia trips — Thailand, Vietnam, Bali, Sri Lanka, Dubai and Georgia. Here's where the weather works in your favor this January: Thailand, Vietnam, Dubai (UAE), Sri Lanka.
What are the warmest places to visit in January?
The warmest is in the south (Vietnam), with average highs of 89°F (32°C). The warmest sea is in the north (Bali): 85°F (30°C).
Is January a good time to visit Southeast Asia?
Thailand: Excellent; Vietnam: Excellent; Bali: Mixed. Ratings follow the best region of each country; the month pages break it down by region.
Other months
Where the data comes from
- Air temperature, rainfall, humidity — ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus / ECMWF) via Open-Meteo, averaged over 2015–2024. Each region uses one point: the resort or city in its caption.
- Sea temperature — Open-Meteo Marine, average sea surface temperature for 2023–2026 (the source has no longer record yet).
- Rainy days — days with at least 1 mm (0.04 in) of rain. Reanalysis picks up light rain more often than weather stations, so treat this as an upper bound.
- Month rating — one rule for every destination, based on three factors: day highs (ideal 75–91°F / 24–33°C), monthly rainfall (ideal under 80 mm / 3.1 in) and, for beach regions, sea temperature (ideal 77°F / 25°C or warmer). All ideal means Excellent; one slightly weaker factor means Good. Mixed means heavy rain (150 mm / 5.9 in or more), highs above 97°F (36°C) or a sea below 70°F (21°C). Off-season means highs of 100°F (38°C) or more, cold below 54°F (12°C), over 350 mm (13.8 in) of rain, or several problems at once. A country's rating follows its best region, so check the regional table.
Checked September 29, 2026. Climate normals are refreshed yearly and the notes every 90 days. These are long-term averages, not a forecast: any given year can differ.
