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Where to go in January: destinations and events

Warm-weather destinations that are in their dry season in January, and the festivals to plan a trip around.

Jamaica, Barbados, Thailand, the Maldives and Kenya all have their dry season in January, so the month is a common pick for a warm winter trip. Weather and crowds differ by region within each country, so check the destination page for the area you plan to visit. Each destination page covers what to do, where to stay and how to get around, so you can compare places by weather, trip length and budget before you book.

Some January events are worth planning a trip around. Thaipusam takes place at Batu Caves outside Kuala Lumpur, Up Helly Aa is a torch-lit fire festival held in Shetland, and Mardi Gras season starts in New Orleans. Event dates shift from year to year, so confirm them before you set travel dates, especially Thaipusam, which follows the lunar calendar. Carnival in Venice usually falls in February, in the weeks before Lent, so it may sit outside a January trip.

Best in January

Our writers rate these countries at their best this month

a view of a city with a body of water in the backgroundCaribbeanMartiniqueDry, peak seasonbrown rock formation on body of water during daytimeAsiaThailandDry, warmCambodiaAsiaCambodiaDry, coolerPuerto RicoCaribbeanPuerto RicoDry, peak seasonpeople walking on road between concrete houses during daytimeSouth AmericaColombiaDry seasonPhilippinesAsiaPhilippinesDry, breezySri LankaAsiaSri LankaDry, west coastTrinidad & TobagoCaribbeanTrinidad & TobagoDry season

Also at their best: Guinea-Bissau, Uruguay, Grenada, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, St-Barthélemy, Senegal, St Lucia, Sint Eustatius, Macau, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia. Every country, month by month

Big events in January

Dates checked with the organisers

Events calendar
Christmas market with people and festive lights
Nov 19, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027 · Dom- und ResidenzplatzSalzburg ChristkindlmarktThe Salzburg Christkindlmarkt is the Advent market on the Dom- und Residenzplatz, the square between the cathedral and the Residenz in the old town. It runs in Nov 19, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027. Entry to the market area is free, and food, drink and goods are paid for at the stalls. The old town is a short walk from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, the main train station, and taxis and buses also run there from the airport. The market is busiest on weekend evenings, so an earlier visit in the day gives more space. The program includes a Krampus procession on 5 December at 18:30, a Nikolo and children's Krampus event on 6 December at 15:30, and a Perchtenlauf on 21 December at 13:00. Opening hours change over Christmas and New Year, so the hours row below lists each day. The old town is compact, which makes it easy to combine the market with the cathedral, the Residence and the Getreidegasse shopping street.Read the event guide

On tour in January

Concert tours with shows this month

a large crowd of people in front of a stage with lightsJan 4 – 28, 2027Bruno Mars The Romantic TourNagoya, Sapporo, Tokorozawa and 3 morea crowd of people at a concert with lights onJan 8 – 10, 2027BABYMONSTER World Tour [CHOOM]Hong KongConcert crowd watches bright green laser light showJan 10 – 23, 2027Muse The Wow! Signal TourLisbon, Floirac, Décines-Charpieu and 2 morecrowd raising their handsJan 12 – 29, 2027Olivia Rodrigo The Unraveled TourInglewooda large crowd of people at a concertJan 13 – 27, 2027Westlife 25: The Anniversary World TourKuala Lumpur, Singapore, Pasay and 3 moreA group of people at an outdoor music festival with arms raised in celebrationJan 15 – 31, 2027Karol G TropitourQuito, Lima, Santiago

Festivals in January

Smaller festivals that make the month worth picking. The link opens the city guide.

Asia

Europe

Africa

South America

DestinationsWhere to go, when to go and how to get around in 221 countries. Every practical fact shows the date we checked it and who checked it.Where to stayNeighborhoods walked end to end: who each area suits, how far it is from the airport train, and the hotels we would book ourselves.PlanVisas and entry rules, travel insurance, eSIMs and rail passes, explained in plain words and rechecked when the rules change.EventsFestivals, concerts and tours with confirmed dates, rooms near the venue and the fastest way on to the next city.StoriesField reports and data stories from the road. We time the queues, count the costs and say what changed since last year.

Asia

KansaiTokyoBangkokOsakaSiem ReapMt FujiOkinawaKōbeManilaKyotoAll Asia

Caribbean

Fort-de-FranceNassauPort of SpainNegrilSan JuanOcho RiosHavanaEleutheraEl Yunque National ForestSosúaAll Caribbean

Africa

MarrakechRabatToubkal National ParkMaasai MaraCape WinelandsDiani BeachMombasaNairobiAswanSharm El SheikhAll Africa

Events

Sapporo Snow FestivalCherry blossomGion MatsuriDía de MuertosOktoberfestKandy Esala PeraheraEvents calendar

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