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Where to go in January / Albania in January / Albanian Riviera & the south / January

Albania · Beach

Albanian Riviera & the south
in January.

Illustration of Gjipe Beach from the elevated approach trail, where Gjipe Canyon meets the Ionian Sea
Gjipe Beach, Albanian RivieraDestination view, not month-specific.

Is January a good time?

Temperature unit

Cool days.
Fewer overnight stays than December.

January averages 52°F afternoons and 61°F seas, with about 10 rain days. Check seasonal openings.

Afternoons
52°F
Sea
61°F
Visitor demand
6%of August peak

Historical Jug regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Sarandë, Ksamil, Himarë, Vlorë, Gjirokastër and Berat; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

4.1/10 · scores & priorities

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#12 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather2.1/10Poor
CrowdsOff seasoncheck seasonal openings; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, quieter than most of Europe this month
CostCheapfor Europe; Albania-wide price level

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your January

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 52°F (11°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 37°F (3°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 10 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 10 hours of daylight.

Can I swim in January?

The sea averages 61°F. Our swimming guide: cold: short dips, or a wetsuit. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.

Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 10 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 07:01Sunset 16:3537°F52°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 07:01 and sets about 16:35 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 37°F (3°C); afternoons reach about 52°F (11°C). Expect rain on about 10 days in a typical January.

Typical afternoon
52°F (11°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Januarys
Night low
37°F (3°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
61°F (16°C)
cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
9h 35m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late January?

Early and late January have similar afternoon averages. The afternoon high averages 53°F on the 1st, versus 53°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 25% to 35% between those dates.

Early January 1 January

53°F

Typical afternoon high

25% historical wet-day frequency

Mid January 15 January

52°F

Typical afternoon high

38% historical wet-day frequency

Late January 31 January

53°F

Typical afternoon high

35% historical wet-day frequency

Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.

Public holidays · 2027: 1 Jan New Year's Day; 4 Jan New Year's Day Holiday.

Daily calendar & holiday datesJanuary 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

January 2027 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
153°253°353°
452°552°652°752°852°952°1052°
1152°1252°1352°1452°1552°1652°1752°
1852°1951°2051°2152°2252°2352°2452°
2552°2652°2752°2853°2953°3053°3153°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

Afternoons hold at about 52°F (11°C) all month. The chance of a wet day runs 25–42%.

School-holiday dates for January 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open. Public holidays: 1 Jan New Year's Day; 4 Jan New Year's Day Holiday. Elsewhere in January 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 21%, Spain 24%, Italy 20%, Poland 17%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Off season. January averages 6% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than December. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings.

Overnight stays across Jug do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, quieter than most of Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

About usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Albania as a whole
Well below EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 52 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.

Year-to-year variation

How much does January vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 46°F (8°C) and 56°F (14°C); in 9 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 52°F (11°C). Rain days ranged from 4 to 21; half the years had 9–13.

Rain days in each January

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 9 rain days920112012: 6 rain days62013: 14 rain days142014: 12 rain days122015: 13 rain days132016: 10 rain days102017: 10 rain days102018: 11 rain days112019: 16 rain days162020: 4 rain days42021: 21 rain days212022: 7 rain days72023: 12 rain days122024: 9 rain days92025: 10 rain days102025
Rain days
10
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 15 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
8 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no January in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
2 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded JanuaryHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201152°F9
201247°F6
201352°F14
201456°F12
201551°F13
201652°F10
201746°F10
201854°F11
201947°F16
202053°F4
202152°F21
202251°F7
202355°F12
202454°F9
202556°F10

Checked against official climate averages for Vlore. How we check

Compare dates

December, January
or February?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs August peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsDecJanFeb
Afternoons55°F52°F55°F
Sea64°F61°F60°F
Rain days11108
Overnight demand9%6%5%

December: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than January. More overnight demand. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. December guide →

February: Warmer afternoons and fewer rain days than January. Less overnight demand. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. February guide →

Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with January Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. January stays as your reference.

March and November to December have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than January, without a substantially busier visitor season.

Your comparison

January or December?

Overnight stays are 9% of the busiest month; check seasonal openings.

National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest about usual. No measured regional room rate is available.

Read the December guide →
January compared with another month
Typical conditionsJanuaryDecember
Afternoons52°F55°F
Nights37°F40°F
Sea61°F64°F
Rain days1011
Visitor seasonOff seasonOff season
Overall / 104.15.1
Month rank#12#10
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January4.1#1252°F37°F61°F102.1Off season
February4.9#1155°F39°F60°F82.9Off season
March5.7#961°F43°F59°F114.4Off season
April8.2#668°F48°F61°F76.7Low season
May8.8#275°F54°F66°F108.3Low season
June9.0#185°F63°F72°F49.9Moderate season
July8.5#491°F66°F77°F29.9Busy season
August8.0#791°F66°F79°F39.8Peak season
September8.7#382°F61°F77°F69.4Moderate season
October8.5#572°F53°F73°F77.7Low season
November6.5#863°F47°F69°F114.5Low season
December5.1#1055°F40°F64°F113.1Off season

Near here

Nearby places in January

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better January weather than Albanian Riviera & the south

Albanian Riviera & the south's weather ranks 38 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Albania have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Albanian Riviera & the south.

All of Albania in January · Everywhere in January

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's off season, 6% of the busiest month and 81% below its average month. That means about 1,600 overnight visitors on a typical January night across the region, 66% of them from Albania itself.

Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100)46
How our weather was checkedOfficial climate averages for Vlore from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 3°F (1.6°C), night lows within 2°F (0.9°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day2
Busiest month hereAugust · 35
Visitors as share of people present0.2%
Rank among Europe's regions this month7th percentile
Domestic share of nights66%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights—
Visitor share if every platform night were extra—
National hotel-price seasonAlbania historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (−3% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used743,000
Statistical regionAL03 · Jug

Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: no complete matching Eurostat platform-rental year is available here. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.