Where to go in January

Peak dry season — crystal-clear days, 21°C highs, and the quietest month of the year.

Dubai at its most liveable — perfect outdoor weather, Dubai Shopping Festival in full swing.

Best weather of the year — warm, relatively dry, and the city at its most laid-back.

Pleasantly warm days, cold nights — the medina at its most authentic and affordable.

Peak dry season: near-zero rain, 31°C, and Bangkok at its most visited.

Quietest month of the year — cheap, calm, and genuinely Barcelona as locals know it.

Prime dry season: low humidity, clear Caribbean water, manageable crowds post-New Year.

Mild and quiet — a strong value window with far fewer tourists than any other month.

The emptiest Rome — cheap, wet, and genuinely authentic.

Cool and pleasantly quiet — Tet preparations fill the Old Town with festive energy.

Cold and quiet — temples in near-solitude, with the rare chance of snow on Kinkakuji.

Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert season — cultural highlight in an otherwise cold, grey month.

Darkest month, best aurora odds, barely 4h of daylight — deeply dramatic.

Peak summer — blue skies and 26°C, but the city is at maximum capacity.

Cold and clear — excellent for New Year temple visits and uncrowded Shibuya.

Dramatically empty — 80% of businesses closed, but genuinely authentic for those who seek it.

Cold, grey, and cheap — the Blue Mosque without queues.

The cheapest Paris is also its least compelling — grey, cold, minimal sunshine.

Grey, cold, and quiet — the Rijksmuseum without a queue for the first time.

Peak dry season: calm seas, visibility 30m+, reliably sunny — and peak prices to match.

Bitterly cold but clear — ski resorts in the mountains and Lunar New Year approaching.

Empty but very wet — 177mm of rain makes this a difficult month even for budget visitors.

Peak dry season — calm seas, clear skies, and the busiest beaches in Southeast Asia.

The quietest month — medieval Prague frost-quiet and at its cheapest, if the cold doesn't deter you.

Northeast Monsoon peaks — heavy rain but Chinese New Year transforms Chinatown into something unmissable.

The coast at its most raw — empty terraces, dramatic winter light, and the year's lowest prices.

Post-holiday slump: cold, grey, but hotels at their most affordable and the city unexpectedly liveable.

Empty museums, cheapest hotels — but barely 2 hours of daylight make this the toughest trade-off.

Peak summer — Bondi packed, prices at their highest, but 26°C and 7.5 hours of sun deliver.

Peak monsoon: flooding in lowlands, grey skies, and infrastructure delays are routine.

New Year and summer season — spectacular city energy but 264mm of rain and peak prices.

Deep wet season — 274mm of rain and cyclone risk, but resort prices are significantly reduced.