January

Expand the destination boxes below to see our January hiking and backpacking tours.

To see other calendars, just select the month you’re interested in. You can also always give us a call 7 days a week at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) to learn availability immediately

2024 January Trip Dates

U.S.A. Destinations

Arizona Hikes & Tours

View from Horseshoe Mesa in Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon Hiking Tours

Backpacking Trips

Grand Canyon National Park has not yet issued backpacking permits for this month. It's extremely beneficial to register before the permit process (85+% of our guests do). You can pick any dates and you'll receive a 5% early registration discount! We have a great success rate and your deposit is fully transferrable or refundable if we're unsuccessful. Click here to read more about Grand Canyon's permit process, or get started by selecting a trip and hitting "Go!" below.

All Other Trip Types

Sunset on Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona Sedona Hiking Tours

California Hikes & Tours

Sunset in Death Valley National Park Death Valley Hiking Tours

Mammoth Lakes backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range Eastern Sierras Hiking Tours

Sunset in Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree Hiking Tours

Sunset at Lassen Peak with reflection on Manzanita Lake Lassen Volcanic National Park Hiking Tours

Two people backpacking on the Lost Coast of California Lost Coast Hiking Tours

Precipice Lake so still it's a mirror lake in the high sierras Sequoia & Kings Canyon Hiking Tours

Sunset on Half Dome, Yosemite National Park Yosemite Hiking Tours

Colorado Hikes & Tours

Landscape from high up in Rocky Mountains in the Flattops Wilderness Area of Colorado with man traversing along ridge on summer day with alpine lakes below and background. Stunning mountain view. Flat Tops Hiking Tours

Bull Moose at Sprague Lake in the early morning light. Rocky Mountain National Park Hiking Tours

Montana and Wyoming Hikes & Tours

Absaroka Mountains in Wyoming Absaroka-Beartooths Hiking Tours

High ridge in the Gros Ventre Mountains of Wyoming Jackson Hole Guided Hikes

Jedediah Smith Wilderness in the Tetons Tetons Guided Hikes

Jagged peaks of the Wind River Range, Wyoming Wind River Range Hiking Tours

Heart Lake and Mount Sheridan in Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone Hiking Tours

New Hampshire Hikes & Tours

view from Mount Washington in New Hampshire in afternoon light White Mountains Hut Treks

North Carolina Hikes

Quartz high in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville Asheville Hiking Tours

Sunset and storm clouds over Great Smoky Mountains National Park Smoky Mountains Guided Hikes

Utah Hiking Tours

Sunset on the cliffs of Canyonlands National Park Arches & Canyonlands Hiking Tours

Sunset view of the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park Bryce Hiking Tours

Arch in Capitol Reef National Park Capitol Reef Hiking Tours

Wide angle Horizontal composition Golden Cathedral Neon Canyon Escalante National Park Utah Grand Staircase Hiking Tours

Backpackers in Paria Canyon Wilderness Paria Slot Canyons Hiking Tours

Stunning vista of Zion National Park Zion National Park Hiking Tours

Vermont Hiking Tours

Early morning autumn in the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont Vermont Hiking Tours

Washington Hiking Tours

Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier National Park Mount Rainier Hiking Tours

Backpackers in North Cascades National Park North Cascades Guided Hikes

Views from Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park Olympic Hiking Tours

International Destinations

Alps Guided Treks

Hiking trail in the Italian Dolomites Alps Guided Treks

Canada Hiking Tours

Canada Hiking Tours

Iceland Hiking Trips

Laugavegur Trail in Iceland Iceland Hiking Trips

Nepal Trekking Tours

Hikers on the Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal Nepal Trekking Tours

Norway Hiking Tours

Lofoten Islands Hiking Tour in Norway Norway Hiking Tours

Patagonia Hiking Tours

Puerto Natales sunset in Patagonia, Chile Patagonia Hiking Tours

Peru Hiking Tours

Alpine lake in the Cordillera Huayhuash, Peru Cordillera Huayhuash Trekking

Machu Picchu hiking tour in Peru Guided Hikes to Machu Picchu

Tanzania (Kilimanjaro) Hiking Tours

Tents at sunset on Kilimanjaro Tanzania (Kilimanjaro) Hiking Tours

Vietnam Hiking Tours

Ha Long Bay in Vietnam with boathouses and cruises Vietnam Hiking Tours

More Information About Hiking in January

Benefits of hiking in January

The biggest benefit January provides avid trekkers and travelers around the world is the lack or reduced sizes of crowds at many destinations. In January the northern hemisphere is neck deep in winter, and the holidays have just passed (which involve lots of travel for many people.) These two factors make mid to late January one of the lightest travel periods of the year for Americans, Canadians and Europeans. This means destinations even outside of the USA, Canada and Europe are less busy.

Another benefit is of traveling in January is that the southern hemisphere is in the middle of their summer. So if you live in the northern hemisphere and would like to escape the winter, head to New Zealand, Patagonia, or Peru to take advantage of the southern summer season.

drawbacks of hiking in January

The biggest drawback for many areas is of course winter conditions. Mountain destinations across the USA, Canada, Iceland and Europe are going to be cold and snowy. We offer guided snowshoe tours at many mountain locations in the winter, which is a wonderful option for many people, and is a way to turn lemons into lemonade.

Where to Hike

There are three main categories of destinations to hike in January:

Desert destinations in the northern hemisphere – these options include Grand Canyon National Park, Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Utah national parks, and the Sedona Red Rock Country.

Skiing and snowshoeing in mountain destinations in the northern hemisphere – we provide tours in this category to Rocky Mountain National Park, Yosemite National Park, Mount Rainier National Park and Yellowstone National Park. We also provide some winter backpacking trips in the Great Smoky Mountains, which are not snowshoeing but are fun, more temperate backcountry experiences.

Trekking and backpacking in mountain destinations in the southern hemisphere or near the equator – recommended options here are New Zealand, Chile (Patagonia), Peru, and Tanzania (Kilimanjaro).