Where is it warm in winter – and affordable?
From November to March there are two kinds of warmth: the near and the far. Near means three to four hours’ flight – Canary Islands, Andalusia, Majorca, Morocco, Egypt – with 18 to 25 degrees, short flights and prices that in winter are often half what they are in summer. Far means Thailand, Sri Lanka or South Africa: a true 30 degrees, bath-warm sea, but ten to twelve hours in the air. There the flight is the expensive part; once you arrive you live on very little – an eight-day tour of Sri Lanka with a driver costs less than a weekend in Zurich.
My experience: for a week, near is enough; from ten days on, far is worth it. And in winter always book with the seasons in mind – Egypt and Morocco are in high season now, Thailand too, South Africa is in high summer (more expensive over Christmas), the Canaries are the same all year round.
How I book winter warmth
Package or self-assembled – in winter I run on two tracks. For the nearby destinations I look at Aldi Suisse Tours first; they regularly have Canary Islands, Egypt and Majorca weeks with a flight from Zurich at prices you can hardly match on your own. For the far-flung destinations I book the flight myself and a tour on the ground through TourRadar – with a driver or in a small group, hotels included, free rebooking for 90 days with most operators. Hotels as always via Booking.com, the hire car for the Canaries, Andalusia or South Africa via Discover Cars.
If you organise everything yourself: flights direct from the airlines (Edelweiss and Swiss from Zurich, Condor from Basel), compare hotels, book day tours locally – it works, but takes time, and for Egypt or Morocco an organised tour is simply more relaxing.
Near warmth: 3–4 hours’ flight
Egypt – pyramids, Nile and Red Sea
25 degrees in January, the Nile, the pyramids and snorkelling in Hurghada to finish. Egypt in winter is the best value for money of all; the tours on TourRadar are often listed at half price.
Morocco – desert instead of winter
Three hours to Marrakech, 20 degrees, kasbahs, a Sahara night under the stars. For me Morocco is the most exotic destination you can reach in a weekend.
Canary Islands, Majorca and Andalusia
The Canaries are the only destination in Europe with a guaranteed 20 degrees in January – Tenerife and Gran Canaria for beach holidays, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura for wind and volcanoes. Majorca and Andalusia are mild in winter (15–18 degrees), empty and cheap: ideal for hiking, cycling and strolling around towns, not for swimming. For Andalusia, everything is on my Andalusia page. For the Canaries and Majorca it is worth looking at Aldi Suisse Tours and Booking.com – with a hire car from Discover Cars you are free to roam.
Far warmth: 10 hours’ flight and more
Thailand – 30 degrees, temples and beach
November to February is the best time: dry, 30 degrees, clear water. The flight costs 800 to 1,200 francs, after that everything is cheap. The tours on TourRadar are the easiest way in, especially the first time.
Sri Lanka – the cheapest tour of all
Sigiriya, Kandy, the tea hills, elephants in Yala park and beaches in the south – with your own driver, eight days, for under 500 francs plus flight. December to March is the dry season on the south and west coasts.
South Africa – summer in the southern hemisphere
While it is winter here, Cape Town is in high summer, and there is no time difference. My Cape Town tips are on the Cape Town page; add the Garden Route as a guided tour, then you don’t have to drive the long stretches yourself.
And if you would rather sail to the warmth: Canary Islands and Dubai cruises in winter are on my cruises page.
From my own travels there are also Bali (dry April to October, rainy season in winter – but warm) and Mexico (dry and pleasant December to April).
Prices are indicative, converted from TourRadar prices (as of November 2026, per person in a double room, excluding flights, rate 1 US$ = 0.82 CHF); TourRadar shows the exact price in francs when you click. Photos: operators via TourRadar. Affiliate links: if you book through one of these links I earn a small commission – the price stays the same for you, and sometimes you even get an extra discount.
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