January Travel in India: Issue 69, January 2025

Travel Viewpoint, Issue 69 · January 2025 · Theme: January Travel in India

Welcome to the January 2025 issue of Travel Viewpoint, and a very happy new year. This month our theme is January travel in India, a subject with almost endless possibilities. For much of the country, January brings some of the most comfortable travel weather of the year: crisp mornings, sunny afternoons and cool nights. In the Himalayas, snow transforms hill towns into winter landscapes. In the Thar, desert days are warm and nights are cold. In the south, the sun is gentle and the temple towns are busy with festivals.

January is also a month of celebration. Around the middle of the month, India marks the sun’s northward journey with Lohri in Punjab, Uttarayan kites in Gujarat, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Magh Bihu in Assam and Makar Sankranti across much of the country. Republic Day follows on 26 January. In 2025, the Maha Kumbh Mela also began at Prayagraj in mid-January, drawing enormous crowds of pilgrims.

Here is everything inside, with a short note on each article so you can decide where to begin. Whether you want snow, sunshine, desert, ruins or simply a quiet place to start the year, we hope these pages help you plan a journey worth remembering.

From the editor

Editor’s Letter: January, and Beginning the Year on the Road

Khushi Anand introduces the issue with a reflection on why January is such a good month to travel in India, the festivals that fill the calendar, and why the best way to begin a year is to travel slowly and deeply rather than chase a long list.

Where to go this January

Best Places in India to Witness Snowfall This January

For travellers dreaming of snow, a guide to Himalayan destinations where January often brings snowfall, with notes on what each place offers and what to expect from winter conditions.

Budget Trips You Can Take in India This January Without Breaking the Bank

After the festive season, many of us are watching our spending. These budget-friendly ideas show that a memorable January trip need not be an expensive one.

Offbeat January Travel Ideas for the Curious Wanderer

For readers who prefer the road less travelled, a collection of offbeat January ideas away from the busiest tourist circuits.

The Great January Escape: Where to Begin the Year Right

Our round-up of places to begin the year well, from beaches to hills, for anyone wondering where to take that first trip of 2025.

Best Spiritual Places to Visit in India in January for Peace and Renewal

A new year invites reflection. This piece explores spiritual destinations across India that offer calm, contemplation and a sense of renewal.

Slow journeys

Jodhpur to Jaisalmer: The One Route That Explains January in India

One road through western Rajasthan that captures January perfectly: the blue lanes beneath Mehrangarh, the open Thar, the living golden fort of Jaisalmer and a cold, star-filled night in the dunes.

Three Days in Hampi in January, Not a Checklist

Three unhurried days among the boulders, temples and ruins of the Vijayanagara capital beside the Tungabhadra, when January’s mild weather makes exploring a pleasure.

Orchha: A Quieter Bundelkhand Beside Khajuraho

Our guest contribution this month. A portrait of Orchha, where palaces, temples and riverside chhatris on the Betwa offer a slower, quieter side of Bundelkhand.

Plan your trip

What to Skip on Your First January Trip in India

An honest guide for first-timers: skip the overpacked itinerary, the tight train connections in fog season and the single-layer suitcase, and learn what to do instead.

Food, Stay and Getting Around: India in January

Everything practical in one place: trains and winter fog, choosing warm stays and desert camps, the seasonal foods worth seeking out, and what to pack for a month of contrasts.

A note on January in 2025

Conditions in January vary enormously across India. Snowfall in the hills is never guaranteed and can close roads, while dense fog in the north can delay trains and flights, especially in the early mornings. Festivals and long weekends bring crowds, and the Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj placed extra pressure on transport and accommodation across the region in early 2025. Book key journeys early, allow slack in your plans and confirm timings and closures, including around Republic Day, with official sources before you travel.

Our promise on accuracy

Travel information changes quickly, and January is a month when weather and crowds can upset even the best plans. In this issue we have tried to stick to what is well established, to hedge where conditions vary, and to avoid quoting prices or timings that change from season to season. If you spot something that has changed, please write to us; your letters help keep Travel Viewpoint useful for every reader who comes after you.

How to use this issue

If you are still deciding where to go, start with the editor’s letter, then browse our guides to snowfall, budget trips, offbeat ideas, escapes and spiritual places. If this is your first January trip in India, read What to Skip before you book anything. If you love slow travel, the Jodhpur to Jaisalmer route, our Hampi itinerary and the Orchha guest piece make an excellent trio. And when you are ready to plan, our food, stay and transport guide will help you put it all together.

Wherever January takes you, pack an extra layer, stay a little longer than you planned and let the new year begin at a gentler pace. Happy travels.