Best Places to Visit in January

Kick off the new year by resolving to seek out adventure and new destinations. The start of winter is the perfect time to explore, taking advantage of fewer crowds and lower prices while creating rich memories in vibrant locales around the globe.

Sunbathing, hiking, snorkeling, sailing — the Seychelles is the ultimate bucket-list escape, especially during winter. Situated off Africa’s eastern coast, the republic is made up of about 115 islands scattered across 500,000 square miles of pristine Indian Ocean waters. The best way to navigate? Go by boat. Several companies offer unforgettable voyages here, including the luxury cruise line Ponant, which sails vessels in the area ranging from a three-masted yacht to larger, but still intimate, cruise ships. On every sailing itinerary: endless sand, sun and surf. The Seychelles boasts some of the world’s most pristine waterways. Aquatic fans flock to Thérèse Island, where giant beachside granite boulders resemble melting mounds of chocolate. Another gem, Aride Island, has literally gone to the birds. Once a leper colony and plantation, it's now a protected bird sanctuary hosting well over a half-million tropical feathered species, from common white terns to rare Seychelles magpie-robins, all soaring above giant ancient tortoises lumbering through the vegetation below. For a true castaway experience, the remote uninhabited islets Outer Islands and African Banks feel worlds away from civilization — the perfect backdrop for a once-in-a-lifetime holiday escape.

Iceland is a summertime hotspot, but it's just as cool in winter. Known as the "Land of Fire and Ice," the North Atlantic country is overflowing with natural wonders, from Martian-like volcanic landscapes to glacier-filled bays that take on an otherworldly glow beneath the shimmering Northern Lights. While temperatures can be brisk in January through late spring, you might begin your time in Iceland with a literal warm welcome at the famed geothermal mainstay, Blue Lagoon, or Sky Lagoon, a chic new spa just 13 minutes from Reykjavík's city center. At Sky Lagoon, embrace Icelandic bathing culture with the seven-step Skjól ritual, from a soothing 104 degree soak to a heart-pumping 41 degree cold plunge. After acclimating to this aspect of the country's extremes, the adventure really begins. Hidden Iceland, a top-notch tour operator with local guides that specializes in bespoke private or small group expeditions, takes travelers off the beaten track. Whether it's glacier hiking, exploring blue ice caves, or an evening closer to civilization — and heat — indulging in Reykjavík's culinary and cultural treasures, Iceland offers endless wonders.

While everyone from honeymooners to families dream about living the dolce vita with a summertime Roman holiday, heading to Italy in January may be a better bet. Not only are airfare and hotel prices cheaper than in scorchingly hot July and August, but the Colosseum (pictured), Pantheon and other iconic treasures are also considerably less crowded. Another reason to visit this winter: Rome and Vatican City have just undergone major makeovers thanks to Pope Francis in preparation for the Jubilee Year — also known as the Holy Year, or Anno Santo — which runs from Christmas Eve 2024 through Jan. 6, 2026. According to Sean Finelli, CEO and co-founder of The Tour Guy, the Eternal City has seen "significant preparations to accommodate the influx of pilgrims, including infrastructure improvements and restoration of historical sites."

Visitors can always expect to have plenty of fun in Sin City to beat the winter blues. While daytime temperatures are comfortable, mornings and nights can be chilly, but that won’t matter as revelers will be busy indoors at the city's many vibrant venues. Show-stopping pop queens Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey are set to reign over the Strip this winter with concerts. For those less musically inclined, the Entertainment Capital of the World has an array of new attractions to explore. Experience the mind-blowing 360-foot Sphere, featuring a high-res wraparound LED screen that can morph the structure into everything from a hulking eyeball to a giddy emoji. Those ready to take the good times to the next level can head to Crash N Burn, a rooftop restaurant and bar offering a skydiving thrill. Here, flyers float above Fremont in downtown Vegas in an open-air wind tunnel.

Japan has emerged as one of the world's top tourist destinations, and nowhere is that more obvious than in historic Kyoto, home to five geisha districts, including the renowned Gion. While spring brings the beauty of cherry blossoms, the annual event also ushers in crowds that congest Kyoto's streets and sidewalks. For a more serene experience, winter turns the city into a transcendental destination. Occasional dustings of snow lend an ethereal quality to Kyoto's already magical wooden shrines, enveloping the ancient structures in a hushed beauty that contrasts with the bustle of the busier, warmer months. The luxurious Park Hyatt Kyoto, a quiet hillside guesthouse tucked away in the narrow lanes of Higashiyama Ward famed for its traditional tea and handcrafted pottery shops, embodies a harmonized blend of modern luxury and traditional Japanese aesthetics. The golden glow of its lobby lights mirrors the warm illumination bathing the nearby five-story, sloped-roofed Hōkan-ji Temple. Earth-toned seating on the way to the hotel's suites invites guests to unwind while taking in views of the surrounding garden, crowned by a teahouse run by the same family for 150 years.

By January, many areas of the United States are hibernating for the winter, but Palm Springs isn’t one of them. Emerging from the sweltering summer and warm fall months, the California desert oasis 110 miles east of Los Angeles is in full swing. Golf is the game of choice here, and a third of the new 230-acre Sensei Porcupine Creek in Rancho Mirage, a property once owned by Silicon Valley billionaire Larry Ellison, is dedicated to the sport. Walking and bike tours are also a great way to experience Palm Springs and see all the architectural masterpieces around town. A giant statue of Marilyn Monroe rises over a plaza near the Palm Springs Art Museum, while the nearby Old Las Palmas neighborhood houses her former residence that was designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The midcentury home is right around the corner from another 20th-century icon: Elvis' Honeymoon Hideaway (pictured above). Also known as Alexander Estate, the William Krisel-designed futuristic house is where Presley and his new bride, Priscilla, went to celebrate after their 1967 wedding in Las Vegas.

Leisure train travel is experiencing a renaissance, and Belmond offers a front-row seat to Peru’s breathtaking landscapes with two luxury locomotive trips that redefine the art of slow travel. Named for the American explorer who unearthed the lost Incan city of Machu Picchu in 1911, the luxury train Belmond Hiram Bingham whisks passengers from the riverside lodge Rio Sagrado in the Sacred Valley to the base of Machu Picchu before continuing on to Cusco, perched above 11,000 feet in the soaring Andes. Belmond’s Andean Explorer locomotive (pictured) is a true moving masterpiece, channeling the enigmatic elegance and intrigue of an Agatha Christie novel with its plush bar car, deluxe dining cars and inviting outdoor observatory. Departing from Cusco, the train wends its way through Peru’s wild high-altitude expanses, rumbling along the top of the world as it passes soaring peaks, expansive mesas and valleys where wild vicuñas roam. Highlights include a trip to Lake Titicaca and an enchanting stargazing experience under Peru's vast skies before reaching the journey's end in the white-stone city of Arequipa.

With its springtime-like mild temperatures and low humidity, Mexico City in winter is a pleasant dry-season retreat when cabin fever hits in colder climates. The food scene is equally enticing, with this dynamic and culturally diverse metropolis offering everything from elegant Michelin-starred tasting menus to trendy joints serving up fresh-off-the-spit tacos in artsy enclaves like Roma Norte. Stay at Andaz Mexico City Condesa, a hotel set in a sleek, refurbished midcentury building recently opened with a mission to make the property’s spaces completely accessible for neighborhood residents — and their pets. Enjoy a drink and watch pooches scamper around the terrace bar at Wooftop Beer Garden & Canine Club. For those who love to get out and stroll, the city streets double as an open-air museum, from colorful art deco gems on the tree-lined boulevards around the nearby park Colonia Hipódromo to architectural icons like the Palacio de Bellas Artes and Palacio Postal in Centro Histórico.

With hurricane season firmly in the rearview mirror, the Florida Keys become an ideal post-holiday getaway for families. Located halfway down the Keys, Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key invites young adventurers to find their sea legs at the 60-acre resort's Camp Hawk, an aquatic playground featuring fun water cannons, a pirate ship pool and hidden-treasure hunts. While the little ones are busy, parents can chart their own course for fun at one of Hawks Cay's five swimming pools or on a fishing, diving or snorkeling expedition in the turquoise waters just offshore. Farther south, the Keys continue to shine, especially for couples in search of a romantic beachside retreat. The top-notch Little Palm Island Resort & Spa offers a luxurious hideaway on its four-acre private haven, where cozy bungalows and quiet solitude set the mood.