Where to go in January 2027
Best Places to Visit in January in India
January is winter at its best across India: snow in the Himalaya, crisp sunny days in Rajasthan and perfect beach weather in the south. Start the year with kites over Ahmedabad or the Republic Day parade in Delhi.
Updated
Weather in January: The coldest month: snow in Kashmir, Himachal and Uttarakhand, chilly and often foggy mornings in north India, and warm, dry days in Goa, Kerala and the Andamans.
Handpicked for January
Top 17 places to visit in January in India
The best places to visit in January in India are Goa, Udaipur, Manali, Gulmarg and Ahmedabad. Here are all 17, ranked, with why each is worth the trip in January.
Goa
Beaches, nightlife and Portuguese heritage
Why January: The New Year crowds thin out but the weather stays perfect: sunny days, cool evenings and calm seas.
Goa remains India's most popular beach destination, blending Portuguese-era heritage with palm-fringed coastlines, vibrant nightlife, and a laid-back coastal lifestyle that draws both backpackers and luxury travelers.
- Beach
Udaipur, Rajasthan
The City of Lakes and palaces
Why January: Cool, sunny days for the City Palace and the lakes, and chilly evenings for rooftop dinners.
Udaipur, the 'City of Lakes,' is Rajasthan's most romantic destination a dreamlike cityscape of white marble palaces floating on shimmering lakes, framed by the ancient Aravalli Hills.
- Heritage
Manali, Himachal Pradesh
Snow, adventure and the Kullu Valley
Why January: Peak snow season: Solang Valley turns into a snowfield for skiing and snow play, and the Manali Winter Carnival is usually held early in the month.
Manali, perched at 2,050 metres in the Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh, is India's most iconic mountain destination.
- Snow
- Hills
- Adventure
Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir
India's best-known ski resort
Why January: Peak ski season, with deep snow on the Gondola slopes.
Gulmarg, meaning 'Meadow of Flowers,' is one of Asia's premier ski resorts and one of India's most extraordinary high-altitude destinations.
- Snow
- Adventure
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Heritage city and India's kite capital
Why January: Uttarayan on 14 January fills the sky with kites, and the International Kite Festival is held along the Sabarmati Riverfront.
Ahmedabad feels like a city constantly balancing memory and momentum.
- Heritage
- Festivals
Jaipur, Rajasthan
The Pink City of forts and bazaars
Why January: Warm winter sun for the forts; the Jaipur Literature Festival is usually held in January or early February.
Jaipur, the Pink City, is Rajasthan's capital and one of India's most visited heritage destinations, known for its forts, palaces, and distinctive terracotta-pink old city.
- Heritage
Rann of Kutch, Gujarat
A white salt desert under the full moon
Why January: The salt desert is at its whitest and the Rann Utsav is in full swing.
The Rann’s white salt desert at Dhordo is a flat, mirror like expanse that stretches to the horizon, making it one of the most visually distinctive landscapes in India and a key highlight of Rann of Kutch tourism, often featured in every Rann of Kutch travel…
- Desert
- Festivals
Delhi
Monuments, markets and Republic Day
Why January: The Republic Day parade on 26 January and the Beating Retreat on the 29th are the capital's big events of the year.
Delhi, India's capital, layers more than a thousand years of history into a single city Mughal forts, colonial-era government buildings, and modern landmarks all sit within a short drive of each other.
- Heritage
- Festivals
Andaman Islands
Turquoise water, coral reefs and white sand
Why January: Dry, sunny weather and some of the year's clearest water for diving at Havelock and Neil.
The Andaman Islands offer some of India's clearest waters and best-preserved coral reefs, making them the country's top destination for scuba diving, snorkeling, and pristine beach holidays.
- Beach
- Adventure
Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
The Golden City on the edge of the Thar
Why January: Cold nights in the dunes and bright, comfortable days inside the golden fort.
Jaisalmer, the Golden City, rises out of the Thar Desert like a mirage, its honey-colored sandstone fort and havelis glowing at sunset.
- Desert
- Heritage
Auli, Uttarakhand
Ski slopes facing Nanda Devi
Why January: One of the best months for skiing, with snow on the slopes and views of Nanda Devi.
Auli is a high-altitude meadow and ski resort in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, perched between 2,500 and 3,050 meters on a ridge facing Nanda Devi. 2-kilometre alpine run groomed each winter and chairlift access to the top.
- Snow
- Adventure
Munnar, Kerala
Rolling tea estates in the Western Ghats
Why January: Cool, misty mornings on the tea estates; some mornings can turn frosty.
Munnar is the kind of place that looks exactly like the pictures and somehow still surprises you when you get there.
- Hills
- Nature
Hampi, Karnataka
Ruins of the Vijayanagara empire
Why January: Cool, dry weather: the most comfortable time to explore the ruins by bicycle.
Hampi is one of those places that takes a moment to process. You round a bend and suddenly there are temple towers rising out of a landscape of giant boulders that look like they were stacked by someone with a lot of time and no particular reason to stop.
- Heritage
Coorg, Karnataka
Coffee estates and misty hills
Why January: Coffee harvest season on the estates, and cool, dry days for the Namdroling Monastery near Kushalnagar.
Coorg (Kodagu), often called the 'Scotland of India,' is Karnataka's most celebrated hill destination a misty, green haven of coffee plantations, cascading waterfalls, and rich indigenous Kodava culture.
- Hills
- Nature
Pondicherry, Puducherry
French streets, ashrams and the sea
Why January: Mild, sunny days for cycling the French Quarter; Pongal in mid-January brings kolams and festivities.
Pondicherry is India's French Riviera a former French colonial territory where mustard-yellow villas with bougainvillea-draped balconies line quiet boulevards named Rue Suffren and Rue Dumas.
- Beach
- Heritage
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
India's oldest living city, on the Ganga
Why January: Misty winter mornings and sunrise boat rides on the ghats; the evening Ganga Aarti is magical in the cold.
The stone ghats lead not just to the water; they give the impression of the city perpetually sliding into the Ganga.
- Spiritual
- Heritage
Gir National Park, Gujarat
The last home of the Asiatic lion
Why January: Cool mornings for safaris in the only home of the Asiatic lion.
Gir National Park is a 1,412-square-kilometer protected forest spread across Gujarat’s Junagadh and Amreli districts. It is globally famous as the last natural habitat of the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica).
- Wildlife
Also good in January
More places to visit in January in India
138 more destinations from our guides at their best in January.
Sep – MarChikmagalur
Oct – FebOoty
Oct – MayWayanad
Jul – MarAlwar
Oct – MarFaridabad
Sep – MarSakleshpur
Oct – FebAlibaug
Oct – MayCherrapunji
Oct – AprHavelock Island
Oct – MayKabini National Park
Jun – FebLonavala
Oct – FebMysuru- Oct – MarParwanoo
- Oct – AprPort Blair
- Oct – MayShillong
- Jun – FebAnanthagiri Hills
- Oct – MarJodhpur
- Oct – FebKurnool
- Oct – MarNeemrana
- Oct – AprNeil Island (Shaheed Dweep)
- Oct – MayBandipur National Park
- Oct – MarUdupi
- Oct – MarAjmer
- Oct – MarAuroville
- Oct – MarBikaner
- Oct – MarPushkar
- Oct – MayShimla
- Oct – MarAgartala
- Oct – MayAgatti Island
- Oct – MarAgra
- Jun – FebAgumbe
- Oct – FebAihole
- Oct – MarAizawl
- Oct – MarAjanta Caves
- Oct – MarAmaravati
- Oct – MarAmarkantak
- Oct – MarAmritsar
- Oct – MarAnandpur Sahib
- Oct – MarAraku Valley
- Oct – MarAurangabad
- Oct – MarAyodhya
- Oct – FebBadami
- Oct – JunBandhavgarh National Park
- Oct – MarBangalore
- Oct – MayBangaram Island
- Nov – MarBetla National Park
- Jun – FebBhandardara
- Oct – FebBharatpur
- Oct – MarBhimbetka
- Oct – MarBhopal
- Oct – MarBhubaneswar
- Nov – FebBhuj
- Oct – MayBiligiriranga Hills
- Oct – MarBinsar
- Oct – MarBishnupur
- Oct – MarBodh Gaya
- Nov – MarBorra Caves
- Oct – MarBundi
- Oct – MarChandigarh
- Nov – FebChennai
- Nov – MarChettinad
- Nov – FebChilika Lake
- Oct – MarChittorgarh
- Oct – MarCuttack
- Oct – FebDaman
- Oct – MayDandeli
- Oct – FebDaringbadi
- Oct – AprDawki
- Oct – MarDehradun
- Oct – MarDigha
- Oct – MarDimapur
- Oct – MarDiu
- Nov – MayDudhwa National Park
- Nov – MarDwarka
- Oct – MarEllora Caves
- Oct – MarGandikota
- Oct – MarGokarna
- Oct – MarGopalpur
- Oct – MarGwalior
- Oct – MarHaridwar
- Jul – MarHogenakkal
- Oct – MarHorsley Hills
- Oct – FebHyderabad
- Oct – AprImphal
- Oct – MarIndore
- Oct – MarJammu
- Nov – JunJim Corbett National Park
- Oct – MarJorhat
- Nov – FebKanchipuram
- Oct – MarKausani
- Oct – MarKochi
- Oct – MarKodaikanal
- Oct – MayKolad
- Oct – MarKolkata
- Dec – MarKufri
- Oct – MarKurukshetra
- Oct – JunMahabaleshwar
- Oct – FebMangalore
- Oct – MarMorni Hills
- Oct – MarMount Abu
- Oct – FebMumbai
- Oct – MarNagarjuna Sagar
- Oct – MarNahan
- Jan – JunNarkanda
- Oct – JunNilgiris
- Oct – MarPatiala
- Oct – MarPrayagraj
- Oct – MarPune
- Oct – MarPuri
- Oct – MarRaipur
- Oct – MarRajgir
- Oct – AprRameswaram
- Oct – MarRanchi
- Oct – AprRanthambore
- Oct – MayRatnagiri
- Oct – MarReiek
- Sep – MarRishikesh
- Oct – MarSanchi
- Jul – FebSaputara
- Nov – MarSatkosia
- Nov – MarSattal
- Oct – JunSawai Madhopur
- Oct – MarShantiniketan
- Oct – MarShirdi
- Oct – FebSilvassa
- Nov – MarSimlipal National Park
- Oct – MarSirpur
- Oct – FebSomnath
- Oct – MarSrisailam
- Oct – MarStatue of Unity
- Nov – MarSultanpur National Park
- Nov – MarSundarbans
- Oct – JunTadoba National Park
- Oct – MayTarkarli
- Oct – MarThanjavur
- Oct – MarVarkala
- Oct – MarVisakhapatnam
- Oct – JunYercaud
Beyond India
Best places to visit in January outside India
Good to know
January travel FAQs
Which are the best places to visit in January in India?
The best places to visit in India in January are Goa, Udaipur, Manali, Gulmarg, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Rann of Kutch, Delhi, Andaman Islands and Jaisalmer. In all, 155 destinations in our guides are at their best in January.
Which are the best places to visit in January in South India?
In South India, Munnar, Hampi, Coorg and Pondicherry are among our top picks for January.
Where can I see snow in January in India?
Manali, Gulmarg and Auli are your best bet for snow in January. Snowfall varies from year to year, so check conditions before you travel.
Which beaches are good to visit in January in India?
Goa, Andaman Islands and Pondicherry have good beach weather in January.
Where can I go on a wildlife safari in January in India?
For wildlife in January, try Gir National Park. Safari slots are limited, so book permits early.
What festivals and events are there in January in India?
Look out for Manali Winter Carnival, Uttarayan and the International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad (around 14 January), Jaipur Literature Festival, Republic Day parade in Delhi (26 January) and Pongal in Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu. Festivals that follow the lunar calendar change dates each year, so check before you book.
Which are the best places to visit in January outside India?
Outside India, Dubai, Bangkok, Maldives, Phuket, Hanoi and Krabi are at their best in January, going by our destination guides.
What is the weather like in India in January?
The coldest month: snow in Kashmir, Himachal and Uttarakhand, chilly and often foggy mornings in north India, and warm, dry days in Goa, Kerala and the Andamans.
