Where to travel in January

By the Nexara Holidays travel desk · 2 min read

January is one of the best months to travel from India, with cool, dry weather across much of the country and peak season in many sunny destinations abroad.

In India

• Rajasthan: cool days for forts and palaces; desert nights are cold.
• Kerala and Goa: sunny beaches and comfortable hill stations.
• The Andaman Islands: clear water for snorkelling and diving.
• Gulmarg: skiing and snow.
• Tamil Nadu's temple towns: pleasant for exploring. Pongal is celebrated mid-month.
• Gujarat: the kite festival in Ahmedabad and the Rann Utsav in Kutch.
• Wildlife: tiger reserves and Kaziranga are open.

Abroad

• Thailand: dry, sunny and busy on both coasts.
• Sri Lanka's south and west coasts.
• The Maldives: dry season begins.
• Dubai: pleasant weather and the Shopping Festival.
• Vietnam and Cambodia: dry in the south.
• Japan: snow in Hokkaido; Sapporo & Hokkaido's Snow Festival is in February.
• Finland and Norway: the northern lights and snowy Lapland.
• Australia and New Zealand: summer.

Tips

• North India's mornings can be foggy, which sometimes delays flights and trains.
• The first week of January is still busy after New Year.
• Pongal and Sankranti create long weekends in South India.

See our Festival and seasonal trips and Beach holidays pages.

Budget note

After the New Year rush, prices drop in mid and late January in many destinations, making it a good-value month for couples and those without school constraints. Book well ahead if your dates include Pongal or Republic Day weekends.

Packing

Pack warm layers for North India, the hills and the desert, and light clothes for the coast and Southeast Asia.