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The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Family Holiday in January
January is the month for the smug parents of pre-schoolers. While everyone else is back at the school gate you’ve still got the freedom to disappear – and the world is pretty much your oyster
Go easy with a four-hour hop to the Canary Islands, turn up the heat in Dubai, or go properly long-haul to Thailand, the Caribbean or beyond. January is also a brilliant time for a slower city break or a ski escape, if snow is more your thing
Whether you’re travelling with a baby, toddler or pre-schooler, we’ve rounded up the best places to go in January with kids, plus the family-friendly hotels we’d actually recommend, to make the most of that glorious pre-school freedom while you still have it
Words: Frankie Collinson
Published: 10th September 2026 | Last updated: 10th September 2026
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Where is hot in January for a family holiday?
For an easy escape without going properly long-haul, Morocco, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and Cyprus are brilliant bets. You’ll get some much-needed sunshine, outdoor adventures and temperatures that feel considerably more civilised than the UK, without a marathon flight
- Cape Verde: 25-27°C
- Morocco: 18-21°C
- Canary Islands: 20-22°C
- Cyprus: 16-18°C
Fancy going further? January is a brilliant month to go properly long-haul. Thailand is hot, dry and gloriously beachy, Florida brings theme parks and sunshine, while South Africa is brilliant for combining Cape Town, the Winelands and safari. The Caribbean and Maldives are also in their sweet spot, with warm seas, blue skies and very little reason to check the weather back home
- Thailand: 30-33°C
- Florida: 20-24°C
- South Africa: 25-30°C
- Antigua: 28-29°C
- Maldives: 29-31°C
And if you’d rather swap swimming costumes for salopettes, January is a brilliant month for skiing. France, Italy and Austria are all in full winter mode, with good snow, family-friendly resorts and plenty of brilliant hotels. Even better for pre-schoolers, you can dodge the February half-term crowds – and often the February prices too
Best January holidays by age
Best January holidays with babies and toddlers
- Trou aux Biches Beachcomber, Mauritius
- President Hotel Cape Town, South Africa
- Kora Nivaria Beach, Tenerife
Best January holidays for children aged 5-12
Best January holidays for teenagers
When to book a January family holiday?
Our rule of thumb: January sunshine = start looking in summer and aim to book by autumn
Want to a deeper destination dive?
Whether you’re choosing a January family holiday based on the hotel or what you can actually do there with kids, these are the family-friendly destination guides worth diving into next – all the places to stay, things to do and parent-tested intel you need to narrow down your search
Family-friendly January holiday first hand reviews
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