Sun while the north is dark

Warm in January

Average daily high of 24°C or more across December, January and February, from the destination's own weather station.

47 destinations

Aerial view of the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab on its island off the Dubai coast, with the wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel in the foreground and Palm Jumeirah behind

United Arab Emirates25°C in January

A temple complex in Bangkok on a clear day: the gilded Loha Prasat and traditional Thai temple roofs

Thailand33°C in January

Aerial view of Marina Bay Sands’ three towers and SkyPark at dawn, with the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum in the foreground

31°C in January

Sydney Harbour seen from above Circular Quay, with the white sails of the Opera House, ferries cutting wakes across the water and the CBD skyline behind

Australia27°C in January

Aerial view over Rio de Janeiro with Sugarloaf Mountain rising above Guanabara Bay, Botafogo's boat-dotted cove and the city's white buildings below

Brazil31°C in January

Aerial view of Cape Town with the flat summit of Table Mountain behind the city, the round stadium at Green Point and surf breaking on the coastline

South Africa28°C in January

Aerial view of Miami's Brickell waterfront, with high-rise towers lining Biscayne Bay and a palm-fringed shoreline drive curving below

United States25°C in January

Close-up of a thick grilled steak with a charred crust being carved on a wooden board, its interior rosy medium rare

Argentina29°C in January

The Gateway of India and the red-domed Taj Mahal Palace hotel seen from the harbour waters of Mumbai under a blue sky

India32°C in January

Terraced green rice paddies lined with coconut palms in Bali, with a small hut among the trees

Indonesia31°C in January

The Taj Mahal's white marble dome and minarets under a clear blue sky, with the long reflecting pool and cypress trees in front

India24°C in January

The main facade of Angkor Wat with its three lotus-bud towers under a bright blue sky, seen along the palm-lined stone causeway with scattered visitors

Cambodia32°C in January

Aerial view of Phnom Penh's rooftops and city lights at night, Cambodia

Cambodia32°C in January

A bowl of Vietnamese-style rice noodle soup with sliced meat, fresh greens and carrots, chopsticks resting on the rim, surrounded by lime wedges and star anise

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam32°C in January

The Petronas Twin Towers rising above the illuminated Kuala Lumpur skyline at dusk under a violet sky

Malaysia33°C in January

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque illuminated at dusk, its white domes and minarets reflected in a still pool

United Arab Emirates26°C in January

The stepped pyramid of El Castillo at Chichén Itzá under a blue sky, with a carved stone serpent head in the foreground

The Riviera Maya

Mexico28°C in January

The twin royal pagodas of Doi Inthanon standing on a forested ridge above layered mountains at sunset, Chiang Mai province

Thailand31°C in January

Wooden longtail boats moored on white sand at Phra Nang beach, Railay, with a limestone karst rising from turquoise water behind

Thailand33°C in January

Turquoise sea meeting a palm-backed Goan beach lined with sunshades and boats on golden sand

India32°C in January

Overhead view of two steel bowls of rich North Indian curry garnished with coriander, served with bowls of white rice

India25°C in January

The ancient riverside buildings and ghats of Varanasi rising above the wide Ganges, with rowboats moored along the steps

India24°C in January

A pan of rich vegetable curry in coconut-tinged gravy, generously topped with chopped fresh coriander

Sri Lanka31°C in January

Daytime panorama of Manila with a winding river and the metro skyline on the horizon, Philippines

Philippines30°C in January

Colorful umbrellas suspended over a street in the George Town heritage quarter, Penang, Malaysia

Malaysia32°C in January

Kuang Si Falls near Luang Prabang, white water spilling down tiers of pale travertine terraces into the milky turquoise pools below, framed by dense green forest

Laos29°C in January

A monk in saffron robes standing before the gilded gable and tiered roof of a Lao temple hall in Vientiane, the low evening sun setting the gold leaf alight against a clear blue sky

Laos30°C in January

Strings of glowing red lanterns hung above a crowded night market street lined with food stalls

Vietnam25°C in January

The blue-tiled minaret and dome of the Al Lawatiya Mosque rising above the Muttrah Corniche waterfront at dusk, Muscat, Oman

Oman26°C in January

A bowl of Egyptian koshari — macaroni, rice and lentils under tomato sauce and a heap of crisp fried onions — set on a wooden board.

Egypt24°C in January

A giraffe walking past an acacia tree at sunset on the Kenyan savanna, the sky glowing orange

Kenya27°C in January

A lone sailor stands on the prow of a lateen-rigged wooden dhow, its sail curved against a rose and orange sky, as the sun drops into the sea off Zanzibar

Tanzania33°C in January

A rack of grilled ribs on a wooden board with sliced tomatoes, pickles, and a bowl of barbecue sauce

Zambia30°C in January

The Johannesburg skyline under a cloudy sky, with the Hillbrow Tower rising above apartment blocks and a curving road below

South Africa25°C in January

The Black Star Gate at Independence Square in Accra, inscribed Freedom and Justice

Ghana33°C in January

Painted wooden pirogues drawn up on the orange sand of the beach at Goree, with swimmers in the shallows and the island's stone jetty and a palm behind

Senegal26°C in January

A three-storey timber guesthouse with open balconies and a green roof stands among coconut palms and screwpine on a steep forested hillside on the west coast of Mahe

Seychelles30°C in January

Aerial view of Le Morne Brabant mountain on Mauritius, surrounded by turquoise lagoon, reef, and deep blue ocean

31°C in January

A silverback gorilla standing upright among dense green tropical foliage, facing the camera

Rwanda27°C in January

The high-rise skyline of Lima's Miraflores district on green clifftops above the Pacific Ocean, with waves rolling toward the Costa Verde below

Peru26°C in January

Aerial view over Santiago's leafy eastern districts, residential towers and a green golf course backed by the dry peaks of the Andean foothills

Chile30°C in January

View down Avenida Paulista in São Paulo, its canyon of office towers, rounded glass high-rise and red-and-white antenna towers under a blue sky

Brazil29°C in January

Brick houses of Medellín's Comuna 13 climbing the green hillside, Colombia

Colombia28°C in January

A row of brightly painted colonial houses with wooden balconies on a Cartagena street in warm evening light, modern towers rising in the background

Colombia31°C in January

A pink 1950s American convertible parked on a narrow Havana street lined with weathered colonial buildings, with a Cuban flag hanging overhead

Cuba27°C in January

Two soft corn-tortilla tacos piled with vegetables, herbs and salsa on a white plate at a turquoise wooden table

Mexico30°C in January

Udaipur's City Palace rising above Lake Pichola in golden evening light, with a red tour boat crossing the water in front

India26°C in January

Every destination here qualifies on the basis stated above, and each one is somewhere we have published guides for. Back to the full atlas.