When to visit›Where to go›January

Month by month

Where to go in India in January

203 of the 232 destinations Tourisma tracks score 70 or more for January on Tourisma's month-fit score (187 of them 85+), led by Rann of Kutch, Prayagraj (Allahabad) and Bikaner. 8 festivals can fall this month, including Bikaner Camel Festival, Desert Festival and Losar. 14 places are shut in January.

Ranked by Tourisma's month-fit score (observed climate plus each place's best-time window); 14 places without a score are ranked by their best-time window alone.

Top picks for January

Costs are for two people sharing a room — stay, food, local transport and entry — and exclude travel to the destination.

Rann of Kutch#1

Rann of Kutch

Gujarat

Fit 96/100

The Great White Desert Under Moonlight

January: comfortable 26°C days — and inside the recommended window.

Rann Utsav

From ₹4,750 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, January rates

Rann of Kutch in JanPlan it
Bikaner#3

Bikaner

Rajasthan

Fit 96/100

Desert Fortress & Land of Camels

January: comfortable 21°C days — and inside the recommended window.

Bikaner Camel Festival

From ₹4,490 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, January rates

Bikaner in JanPlan it
Jaisalmer#4

Jaisalmer

Rajasthan

Fit 96/100

The Golden City

January: comfortable 22°C days — and inside the recommended window.

Desert Festival

From ₹4,760 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, January rates

Jaisalmer in JanPlan it
Chilika Lake#5

Chilika Lake

Odisha

Fit 96/100

Asia's Largest Brackish Lagoon

January: comfortable 26°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹4,390 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, January rates

Chilika Lake in JanPlan it
Mumbai#8

Mumbai

Maharashtra

Fit 96/100

The City of Dreams

January: comfortable 29°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹11,870 for two, 4 days · excl. travel, January rates

Mumbai in JanPlan it
Shantiniketan#9

Shantiniketan

West Bengal

Fit 96/100

Tagore's University Town

January: comfortable 25°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹4,090 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, January rates

Shantiniketan in JanPlan it
Shirdi#10

Shirdi

Maharashtra

Fit 96/100

Abode of Sai Baba

January: comfortable 28°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹3,110 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, January rates

Shirdi in JanPlan it
Agartala#11

Agartala

Tripura

Fit 96/100

Capital of the Manikya Kings

January: comfortable 24°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹4,220 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, January rates

Agartala in JanPlan it
Agra#12

Agra

Uttar Pradesh

Fit 96/100

Home of the Taj Mahal

January: comfortable 20°C days — and inside the recommended window.

From ₹5,160 for two, 2 days · excl. travel, January rates

Agra in JanPlan it

By kind of trip

The best-placed January options in each category — only categories with at least three in season are shown.

Hill stations

Beaches

Wildlife

Heritage

Pilgrimage

Festivals that can fall in January

Many follow lunar calendars and move every year — confirm the dates before booking anything non-refundable.

Bikaner Camel Festival

Bikaner

Usually mid-January. A quieter alternative to Pushkar with far easier accommodation.

Desert Festival

Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer Desert Festival (January/February 3-day event) — camel polo, turban tying, Mr. Desert competition. Hotels book out early; reserve 6–8 weeks ahead.

Losardates shift yearly

Leh

Ladakhi new year, celebrated earlier than Tibetan Losar. Deep winter — most tourist infrastructure is shut and access is limited.

Losoong / Namsoongdates shift yearly

Gangtok · Pelling

Sikkimese new year with monastery cham dances. Cold and clear, and low season everywhere except the festival days themselves.

Magh Meladates shift yearly

Prayagraj (Allahabad)

An annual bathing fair at the Sangam through the month of Magh. Far smaller than a Kumbh year, but the main bathing days still bring huge crowds.

Pongal

Madurai · Thanjavur · Kanchipuram

Mid-January harvest festival, tied to the solar calendar so the dates barely move. Many shops shut for several days.

Rann Utsav

Rann of Kutch

Rann Utsav (November–February) — cultural performances, camel rides, and white salt desert under full moon. This is also peak season: book resort tents 4–6 weeks ahead as they sell out entirely.

Torgya Festivaldates shift yearly

Tawang

Monastic masked dances at Tawang Monastery in January. Note the road in is often snowbound this month — check access before committing.

Festival calendar for the whole year

Skip in January

Shut this month, or at their weakest — with the nearest similar place that is in season.

  • LehClosed

    Ladakh roads (Manali–Leh and Srinagar–Leh) are closed November–April due to heavy snowfall. Fly into Leh if visiting in winter, but expect limited facilities.

    Try Dharamshala & McLeod Ganj

  • TawangClosed

    Sela Pass (4,170m) closes November–February due to heavy snowfall, cutting off road access to Tawang. Inner Line Permit is mandatory — apply online at arunachalilp.com before travel. Check daily road status on the BRO website in shoulder months.

    Try Ravangla

  • BadrinathClosed

    Badrinath temple closes November–April. The road from Joshimath is also shut due to snow. Plan your visit between May and October.

    Try Rishikesh

  • GangotriClosed

    Gangotri Temple closes November to April due to heavy snow. Best May–June or Sept–Oct.

    Try Rishikesh

  • KedarnathClosed

    Kedarnath temple is closed November–April due to heavy snowfall. It opens in May (Akshaya Tritiya) and closes in November (Diwali).

    Try Rishikesh

  • YamunotriClosed

    Yamunotri Temple closes November to April. Best May–June or September–October.

    Try Rishikesh

  • Nubra ValleyClosed

    Nubra Valley is accessible only May–October. Khardung La pass (5,359m) remains closed in winter.

    Try Manali

  • Pangong LakeClosed

    Pangong Lake is accessible only May–October. The road from Leh freezes completely in winter and the area gets cut off.

    Try Manali

  • Spiti ValleyClosed

    Spiti Valley is only accessible June–October. The Rohtang Pass and Kunzum Pass close due to heavy snow from November onwards. Do not plan a road trip here in winter.

    Try Manali

  • Kinnaur ValleyClosed

    Roads snowbound November–April. Inner Line Permit required beyond Shipkila pass.

    Try Manali

  • SonmargClosed

    Sonmarg is snowbound and inaccessible November–April. The Srinagar–Sonmarg road closes at the first heavy snowfall (typically November) and reopens in May. The Zoji La pass to Ladakh also closes in winter.

    Try Palampur

  • Bir BillingClosed

    Paragliding flights are cancelled July–August (monsoon clouds and rain make conditions unsafe). The world-cup paragliding season is October–November and March–June. Confirm same-morning with your operator before booking.

    Try Palampur

Got a place in mind for January?

Pick your places and get a day-by-day plan priced for January, with the journey from your city.

Plan a January trip