Where to go with the family in January?
The 12 best destinations for a family trip in January, ranked on the weather actually recorded.
For a family trip in January, we kept child-friendly destinations in their best season, no more than nine hours' flight from Western Europe. Temperatures and rainfall are real records, averaged from 2015 to 2024 at each destination's reference point, and the sea is measured at the nearest coastal point. 12 destinations pass this filter, in Europe, Africa, Asia and Americas. Top of the ranking: Egypt (20 °C in the afternoon, 1 day of rain, sea at 23 °C).
The ranking at a glance
| # | Destination | Afternoon | Rainy days | Sea (°C) | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 20 °C | 1 | 23 °C | €45-80 a day |
| 2 | 🇸🇳 Dakar | 25 °C | 0 | 23 °C | €45-90 a day |
| 3 | 🇪🇸 The Canary Islands | 22 °C | 3 | 21 °C | €70-120 a day |
| 4 | 🇦🇪 Dubai | 24 °C | 2 | 22 °C | €120-300 a day |
| 5 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 2 °C | 12 | 0 °C | €120-200 a day |
| 6 | 🇴🇲 Oman | 24 °C | 4 | 24 °C | €110-180 a day |
| 7 | 🇮🇳 Rajasthan | 21 °C | 2 | - | €35-70 a day |
| 8 | 🇫🇮 Rovaniemi | -7 °C | 11 | - | €120-200 a day |
| 9 | 🇫🇷 The French Alps | 7 °C | 12 | - | €100-170 a day |
| 10 | 🇩🇴 The Dominican Republic | 28 °C | 10 | 27 °C | €90-170 a day |
| 11 | 🇰🇪 Masai Mara | 28 °C | 12 | - | €250-500 a day |
| 12 | 🇨🇦 Canada | -4 °C | 12 | 7 °C | €120-200 a day |
The 12 destinations in detail
Countries1 🇪🇬 Egypt
🌡️ 20 °C in the afternoon, 1 day of rain, sea at 23 °C · 💶 €45-80 a day
Egypt means the pyramids of Giza on the edge of the desert, temples gliding past on a Nile cruise, and the reefs of the Red Sea. Five thousand years of history, with diving thrown in.
City2 🇸🇳 Dakar
🌡️ 25 °C in the afternoon, 0 days of rain, sea at 23 °C · 💶 €45-90 a day
Dakar occupies the westernmost tip of the African continent, on a 20 km peninsula where you go from Kermel market to Gorée Island in a 20-minute ferry ride. A capital of 4 million people lived outdoors, between surfing, thiéboudienne and concerts until dawn.
Region3 🇪🇸 The Canary Islands
🌡️ 22 °C in the afternoon, 3 days of rain, sea at 21 °C · 💶 €70-120 a day
In the Canaries, you climb Teide above the clouds, walk the black sand of volcanic beaches and soak up the sun while the rest of Europe shivers. Four islands, four moods.
City4 🇦🇪 Dubai
🌡️ 24 °C in the afternoon, 2 days of rain, sea at 22 °C · 💶 €120-300 a day
Dubai means the view from the Burj Khalifa, a 4x4 safari in the dunes and gold souks a stone's throw from air-conditioned malls. A futuristic showcase of luxury, set between desert and Persian Gulf.
Countries5 🇸🇪 Sweden
🌡️ 2 °C in the afternoon, 12 days of rain, sea at 0 °C · 💶 €120-200 a day
Sweden means the ochre facades of Gamla Stan in Stockholm, the wild islands of the archipelago by boat, and a night in Lapland's ice hotel. Clean-lined design and nature as far as the eye can see, all the way to the northern lights of Abisko.
Countries6 🇴🇲 Oman
🌡️ 24 °C in the afternoon, 4 days of rain, sea at 24 °C · 💶 €110-180 a day
Oman means the turquoise pools of Wadi Shab, the ochre dunes of the Wahiba Sands where you sleep in a desert camp, and the mud-brick forts of Nizwa. An authentic Gulf, far from the bustle, all the way to the fjords of Musandam.
Region7 🇮🇳 Rajasthan
🌡️ 21 °C in the afternoon, 2 days of rain · 💶 €35-70 a day
India's largest state, at 342,000 km², Rajasthan lines up its sandstone fortresses on arid ridges: Amber above Jaipur, Mehrangarh and its 120-metre cliff in Jodhpur, Jaisalmer rising from the Thar. In between lie the lakes of Udaipur and the tigers of Ranthambore.
City8 🇫🇮 Rovaniemi
🌡️ -7 °C in the afternoon, 11 days of rain · 💶 €120-200 a day
Rovaniemi, home to 65,000 people on the Arctic Circle where two rivers meet, is the capital of Lapland and the home town of Santa Claus, who receives visitors all year round in his village 8 km from the centre. Around it lie husky and reindeer farms, snowmobiling on the frozen Kemijoki and northern lights on one clear night in two.
Region9 🇫🇷 The French Alps
🌡️ 7 °C in the afternoon, 12 days of rain · 💶 €100-170 a day
On one side, Lake Annecy, turquoise and ringed by mountains, where you cycle the greenway between swims. On the other, Chamonix and its Mont Blanc, where the Aiguille du Midi cable car lifts you to 3,842 metres face to face with the glaciers. In between lie Megève and its chic farmhouses, the Mer de Glace and hiking trails that will take your breath away, literally.
Countries10 🇩🇴 The Dominican Republic
🌡️ 28 °C in the afternoon, 10 days of rain, sea at 27 °C · 💶 €90-170 a day
The Dominican Republic means coconut palms leaning over the sand of Punta Cana, Saona Island by catamaran, and the old colonial town of Santo Domingo. The Caribbean's great all-inclusive destination, sunny all year round.
Region11 🇰🇪 Masai Mara
🌡️ 28 °C in the afternoon, 12 days of rain · 💶 €250-500 a day
The Masai Mara covers 1,510 km² of savannah in south-western Kenya, running straight on from Tanzania's Serengeti. Between July and October, more than a million wildebeest cross the Mara River here, watched by the lions of Musiara Marsh and the crocodiles lying in wait at the fords.
Countries12 🇨🇦 Canada
🌡️ -4 °C in the afternoon, 12 days of rain, sea at 7 °C · 💶 €120-200 a day
Canada means the turquoise lakes of the Rockies, the roar of Niagara Falls, and blazing maple forests in autumn. Vast wild spaces, and whales offshore in summer.
Frequently asked questions
Where to go with the family in January?
Egypt, Dakar, The Canary Islands, Dubai and Sweden top our ranking for a family trip in January. In first place, Egypt: 20 °C in the afternoon, 1 day of rain, sea at 23 °C on average over 2015-2024.
Which is the closest family-friendly destination in January?
Sweden, about 2h30 by air from Paris, with 2 °C in the afternoon, 12 days of rain, sea at 0 °C in January.
Where does it rain least in January among these destinations?
Dakar: 0 days of rain on average in January, with 25 °C in the afternoon.
Other ideas in January
With the family in another month
Travelling with the family in January?
We'll send you the destinations worth the trip at this time of year, backed by real weather data and budgets.