Cheap Winter Sun Flights from the UK 2026/27: Where Is Warm

Plenty of places get sold as winter sun when they're really just less cold than Leeds. If you want shorts and a sunbed in December or January, you need to go south of about 30 degrees latitude. That means the Canary Islands, Egypt's Red Sea coast, or Cape Verde.

The Canaries sit around 21 to 23°C through the winter, and the south of Tenerife and Gran Canaria are the most reliable for sunshine. Hurghada runs 22 to 25°C with almost no rain. Cape Verde is about 25°C with steady sun, though the wind can be strong.

Madeira, Marrakech, Malta and the Algarve are lovely, but you'll get 16 to 20°C and the odd rainy day. Fine for walking and eating well. Less fine if you've promised yourself a week of tanning.

Tenerife from £45 one-way on easyJet from Gatwick outside the school holidays. Jet2 flies from Manchester, Birmingham and most regional airports, and Ryanair covers Stansted and Liverpool. Lots of competition keeps fares down, which is why the Canaries win on price most winters.

Lanzarote from £40 one-way on Ryanair from Stansted is often a few pounds cheaper than Tenerife and a lot quieter. Fuerteventura is getting a new easyJet route from Newcastle this winter, which is good news for anyone in the North East tired of driving to Manchester.

easyJet's winter sale is live right now, with 780,000 seats from £14.99 for flights up to 18 March 2027. Most of the headline fares are on short city routes, but there are some sharp Canaries prices on midweek dates in January and February.

Marrakech from £30 one-way on Ryanair from Stansted, and Ryanair has added a new route from Birmingham for this winter. Days are around 19 to 20°C and sunny, but nights drop to 6°C, so pack a jumper. Go for the souks and the food rather than the pool.

Agadir from around £50 one-way on easyJet, with a new Birmingham route launching this season. It's the beach side of Morocco and a couple of degrees warmer than Marrakech, with a long sandy bay and decent prices once you land.

Hurghada from about £120 one-way on easyJet from Gatwick, or Jet2 from Manchester. It's a five-hour flight, but you get proper heat in January and some of the best snorkelling within reach of the UK. All-inclusive deals are often better value here than booking flights and hotel separately.

Avoid Christmas week and February half-term if you can. Fares to the Canaries can triple, with £45 Tenerife flights going to £180 or more. Early December, the second week of January and early March are the sweet spots, when it's warm and fares are low.

Book soon if you want a set week. Ryanair's boss has already said fares are heading up this winter, and the cheap seats on Saturday departures go first. Midweek flights stay cheaper for longer, so Tuesday to Tuesday is a good habit.

Watch the add-ons. A hold bag to Tenerife can be £35 to £50 each way on the budget airlines, which wipes out a cheap fare quickly. Jet2 includes 22kg on package holidays, so for families it's often cheaper overall. Add up the full cost before you book.