Where to go in January

No region passes every outdoor check in January, so the useful question is which come closest. Devon has the warmest highs (9.7°C on average) and Newcastle and Gateshead the lowest rainfall (46 mm). Numbers are Met Office 1991-2020 averages, not a forecast.

Haytor Rocks, a granite tor on the eastern edge of Dartmoor, under a cloudy sky — Devon: warmest highs in JanuaryPhoto: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge reflected in the River Tyne, with the Tyne Bridge and The Glasshouse behind — Newcastle and Gateshead: least rain in JanuaryPhoto: WISEBUYS21, CC0

Durdle Door limestone arch and its curving beach on the Dorset coast — The Jurassic Coast: most sunshine in JanuaryPhoto: Saffron Blaze, CC BY-SA 3.0

Best for January: regions that pass every outdoor check

A region is listed when, in January, average highs reach 10°C, there are fewer than 12 days with 1 mm of rain, rainfall is under 80 mm and daylight lasts at least 9 hours. These are the same thresholds we use for packing advice on When to go.

No region passes all four checks in January. The closest are listed next, with the check each one trips.

Closest to passing

Fewer than 2 of the three weather checks (cold, rain days, rainfall) tripped, sometimes with short days as well.

Newcastle and Gateshead (mixed): highs average 7.4°C; only 7 h 45 of daylight.

highs 7.4°C, 46 mm of rain on 10.4 days, 7 h 45 of daylight

Cambridge (outdoor-leaning): highs average 7.7°C; only 8 h 12 of daylight.

highs 7.7°C, 49 mm of rain on 10.4 days, 8 h 12 of daylight

Leeds (mixed): highs average 7.3°C; only 7 h 57 of daylight.

highs 7.3°C, 49 mm of rain on 10.9 days, 7 h 57 of daylight

York (outdoor-leaning): highs average 7.3°C; only 7 h 56 of daylight.

highs 7.3°C, 49 mm of rain on 10.9 days, 7 h 56 of daylight

Stratford & Warwickshire (mixed): highs average 7.7°C; only 8 h 12 of daylight.

highs 7.7°C, 52 mm of rain on 11.2 days, 8 h 12 of daylight

Norfolk and the Broads (mixed): highs average 7.5°C; only 8 h 07 of daylight.

highs 7.5°C, 55 mm of rain on 11.5 days, 8 h 07 of daylight

Nottingham (city-leaning): highs average 6.9°C; only 8 h 06 of daylight.

highs 6.9°C, 59 mm of rain on 11.6 days, 8 h 06 of daylight

Windsor (outdoor-leaning): highs average 8.4°C; only 8 h 19 of daylight.

highs 8.4°C, 59 mm of rain on 11.5 days, 8 h 19 of daylight

St Andrews and Fife (outdoor-leaning): highs average 6.8°C; only 7 h 30 of daylight.

highs 6.8°C, 63 mm of rain on 11.9 days, 7 h 30 of daylight

Canterbury & Kent (mixed): highs average 7.9°C; only 8 h 21 of daylight.

highs 7.9°C, 64 mm of rain on 11.6 days, 8 h 21 of daylight

Think twice about, in January

Outdoor-leaning and mixed regions (more than 30% of the sights we tag are outdoors) that trip 2 or more of the three weather checks this month. “Think twice” means plan around the weather, not “do not go”.

Plan around the weather

Bath (outdoor-leaning, 54% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 8.0°C; 13.2 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 83 mm of rain; only 8 h 20 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Bath All January figures

Brighton & Hove (mixed, 33% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 8.2°C; 12.7 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 80 mm of rain; only 8 h 25 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Brighton & Hove All January figures

Bristol (mixed, 40% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 8.1°C; 13.1 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 82 mm of rain; only 8 h 19 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Bristol All January figures

Cardiff (mixed, 36% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 8.6°C; 15.6 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 127 mm of rain; only 8 h 19 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Cardiff All January figures

Cornwall (outdoor-leaning, 73% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 9.2°C; 16.6 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 121 mm of rain; only 8 h 29 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Cornwall All January figures

Devon (outdoor-leaning, 55% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 9.7°C; 13.1 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 97 mm of rain; only 8 h 26 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Devon All January figures

Glasgow (mixed, 45% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.2°C; 17.7 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 146 mm of rain; only 7 h 35 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Glasgow All January figures

Islay and Jura (character unknown, 67% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.9°C; 20.7 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 137 mm of rain; only 7 h 36 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Islay and Jura All January figures

Isle of Arran (character unknown, 50% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.5°C; 19.7 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 166 mm of rain; only 7 h 38 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Isle of Arran All January figures

Isle of Bute (character unknown, 83% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.5°C; 19.7 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 166 mm of rain; only 7 h 36 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Isle of Bute All January figures

Mull and Iona (character unknown, 33% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.5°C; 20.5 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 206 mm of rain; only 7 h 28 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Mull and Iona All January figures

Northern Ireland (outdoor-leaning, 50% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 8.2°C; 14.4 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 89 mm of rain; only 7 h 49 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Northern Ireland All January figures

Stirling and the Trossachs (outdoor-leaning, 64% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.3°C; 16.3 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 129 mm of rain; only 7 h 32 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Stirling and the Trossachs All January figures

The Cotswolds (mixed, 42% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.4°C; 13.1 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 83 mm of rain; only 8 h 15 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in the Cotswolds All January figures

The Jurassic Coast (outdoor-leaning, 69% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 9.0°C; 12.8 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 84 mm of rain; only 8 h 26 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in the Jurassic Coast All January figures

The Lake District (mixed, 41% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.4°C; 16.8 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 172 mm of rain; only 7 h 51 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in the Lake District All January figures

The Outer Hebrides (outdoor-leaning, 73% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.5°C; 20.6 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 145 mm of rain; only 7 h 12 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in the Outer Hebrides All January figures

The Peak District (outdoor-leaning, 74% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 5.5°C; 16.5 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 127 mm of rain; only 8 h 03 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in the Peak District All January figures

Wales (mixed, 38% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 8.6°C; 15.6 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 127 mm of rain; only 8 h 12 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Wales All January figures

Anglesey (character unknown, 75% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 8.4°C; 14.1 days with 1 mm or more of rain; only 8 h 02 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Anglesey All January figures

Edinburgh (mixed, 47% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.3°C; 12.4 days with 1 mm or more of rain; only 7 h 34 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Edinburgh All January figures

Liverpool (outdoor-leaning, 51% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.5°C; 13.8 days with 1 mm or more of rain; only 8 h 01 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Liverpool All January figures

Manchester (outdoor-leaning, 51% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.1°C; 14.7 days with 1 mm or more of rain; only 8 h 00 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Manchester All January figures

North Coast 500 (outdoor-leaning, 60% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 6.4°C; 16.5 days with 1 mm or more of rain; only 7 h 06 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in North Coast 500 All January figures

Oxford (mixed, 31% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 8.0°C; 12.1 days with 1 mm or more of rain; only 8 h 17 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Oxford All January figures

Sheffield (outdoor-leaning, 56% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.0°C; 13.2 days with 1 mm or more of rain; only 8 h 01 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in Sheffield All January figures

The Scottish Highlands (mixed, 39% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 7.1°C; 13.6 days with 1 mm or more of rain; only 7 h 19 of daylight.

Rainy-day ideas in the Scottish Highlands All January figures

City-led places with plenty indoors when the weather turns

These trip the weather checks in January, but most of the sights we tag are indoors, so the day depends less on the forecast.

Salisbury & Stonehenge: highs average 7.6°C; 12.5 days with 1 mm or more of rain; only 8 h 22 of daylight. 78% of 18 tagged sights are indoors.

Birmingham: highs average 7.1°C; 12.8 days with 1 mm or more of rain; only 8 h 10 of daylight. 74% of 35 tagged sights are indoors.

Orkney: highs average 6.6°C; 20.4 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 115 mm of rain; only 6 h 55 of daylight. 71% of 14 tagged sights are indoors.

Portsmouth and Southampton: highs average 8.8°C; 12.5 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 89 mm of rain; only 8 h 24 of daylight. 71% of 35 tagged sights are indoors.

January in numbers

Warmest highs: Devon 9.7°C, Cornwall 9.2°C, The Jurassic Coast 9.0°C. Coolest: The Peak District (5.5°C).
Lowest rainfall: Newcastle and Gateshead 46 mm, Cambridge 49 mm, Leeds 49 mm.
Most sunshine hours: The Jurassic Coast 69 h, Devon 64 h, Newcastle and Gateshead 63 h.
Longest days (calculated from latitude): Cornwall 8 h 29, The Jurassic Coast 8 h 26, Devon 8 h 26.

January averages by region. Rain days count days with 1 mm or more.
Region	High °C	Low °C	Rain mm	Rain days	Sun hours	Daylight
Anglesey	8.4	3.8	75	14.1	61	8 h 02
Bath	8.0	2.2	83	13.2	56	8 h 20
Birmingham	7.1	1.6	72	12.8	53	8 h 10
Brighton & Hove	8.2	2.4	80	12.7	n/a	8 h 25
Bristol	8.1	2.4	82	13.1	61	8 h 19
Cambridge	7.7	1.9	49	10.4	57	8 h 12
Canterbury & Kent	7.9	2.3	64	11.6	59	8 h 21
Cardiff	8.6	2.5	127	15.6	54	8 h 19
Cornwall	9.2	4.8	121	16.6	61	8 h 29
Devon	9.7	4.2	97	13.1	64	8 h 26
Edinburgh	7.3	1.7	65	12.4	55	7 h 34
Glasgow	7.2	2.1	146	17.7	39	7 h 35
Islay and Jura	7.9	3.0	137	20.7	n/a	7 h 36
Isle of Arran	7.5	2.7	166	19.7	41	7 h 38
Isle of Bute	7.5	2.7	166	19.7	41	7 h 36
Leeds	7.3	1.3	49	10.9	55	7 h 57
Liverpool	7.5	2.8	69	13.8	n/a	8 h 01
Manchester	7.1	1.1	77	14.7	45	8 h 00
Mull and Iona	7.5	2.7	206	20.5	32	7 h 28
Newcastle and Gateshead	7.4	2.5	46	10.4	63	7 h 45
Norfolk and the Broads	7.5	1.8	55	11.5	59	8 h 07
North Coast 500	6.4	1.6	72	16.5	51	7 h 06
Northern Ireland	8.2	2.2	89	14.4	40	7 h 49
Nottingham	6.9	1.7	59	11.6	56	8 h 06
Orkney	6.6	2.3	115	20.4	34	6 h 55
Oxford	8.0	2.4	60	12.1	63	8 h 17
Portsmouth and Southampton	8.8	3.2	89	12.5	63	8 h 24
Salisbury & Stonehenge	7.6	1.6	79	12.5	62	8 h 22
Sheffield	7.0	2.2	76	13.2	50	8 h 01
St Andrews and Fife	6.8	0.7	63	11.9	62	7 h 30
Stirling and the Trossachs	7.3	1.4	129	16.3	39	7 h 32
Stratford & Warwickshire	7.7	1.6	52	11.2	57	8 h 12
The Cotswolds	7.4	1.2	83	13.1	57	8 h 15
The Jurassic Coast	9.0	4.5	84	12.8	69	8 h 26
The Lake District	7.4	2.0	172	16.8	n/a	7 h 51
The Outer Hebrides	7.5	2.7	145	20.6	33	7 h 12
The Peak District	5.5	0.9	127	16.5	41	8 h 03
The Scottish Highlands	7.1	1.3	76	13.6	40	7 h 19
Wales	8.6	2.5	127	15.6	54	8 h 12
Windsor	8.4	2.7	59	11.5	61	8 h 19
York	7.3	1.3	49	10.9	55	7 h 56

Met Office 1991-2020 averages, one station per region (see sources). Daylight is calculated for the 15th at the region’s latitude.

Dated events in January

Only events with dates confirmed on the organizer’s page, up to 4 per place. Always check the organizer before you travel.

Bristol

Cinderella: A Fairytale at Bristol Old VicNov 27, 2026 – Jan 2, 2027 · Bristol Old Vic, King Street · source: Bristol Old Vic (official site)

Glasgow

Celtic ConnectionsJan 14, 2027 – Jan 31, 2027 · Venues across Glasgow · source: Celtic Connections (official site)

London

Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the DeepMay 22, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 · Natural History Museum · source: Natural History Museum (official site)
Wildlife Photographer of the YearOct 16, 2026 – Jul 11, 2027 · Natural History Museum · source: Natural History Museum (official site)
Vanessa Bell & Duncan Grant: Inside BloomsburyNov 12, 2026 – Apr 11, 2027 · Tate Britain · source: Tate (official What's on page)
Hyde Park Winter WonderlandNov 19, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 · Hyde Park · source: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (official site)

11 more in London

Manchester

Manchester Christmas MarketsNov 6, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 · Albert Square and city-center sites · source: CityCo Manchester (official site)

York

Christmas at York Castle MuseumNov 14, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 · York Castle Museum · source: York Castle Museum (official site)
Christmas Tree Festival at York MinsterNov 28, 2026 – Jan 5, 2027 · York Minster · source: York Minster (official site)

Bank holidays (public holidays) in January

England and Wales

Fri, Jan 1, 2027: New Year’s Day
Mon, Jan 3, 2028: New Year’s Day

Scotland

Fri, Jan 1, 2027: New Year’s Day
Mon, Jan 4, 2027: January 2
Mon, Jan 3, 2028: New Year’s Day
Tue, Jan 4, 2028: January 2

Northern Ireland

Fri, Jan 1, 2027: New Year’s Day
Mon, Jan 3, 2028: New Year’s Day

From GOV.UK, next two years from this build. Many people travel on bank holiday weekends; we hold no sourced figure for how that changes crowds or prices, so check transport and rooms early.

More for January

UK in winter: Christmas markets, lights and Hogmanay (December to February)
Christmas markets and winter lights (November to January)
Bonfire Night, fire festivals and Hogmanay (November to January)
Rainy-day ideas by region
Month-by-month weather and packing for every region
When to visit London
Compare two destinations

← December All months February →

Editorial note. We do not rank destinations or claim a month is “best” overall. We state no crowd or price levels because no source we fetched gives them. London has no Met Office station in our data yet.

Sources

Station notes: some stations sit near, not in, the town (for example Church Fenton for York, Woodford for Manchester). Daylight is calculated, not a Met Office figure.