Long Weekends in 2026: Full Holiday Calendar to Plan Your Getaways
India’s 2026 holiday calendar is packed with long weekends—perfect for quick getaways, family trips, and festive breaks. From New Year’s Day in January to Christmas in December, several holidays fall close to weekends, and many can be extended into mini-vacations with just one strategic leave. Whether you prefer beaches, mountains, festivals, or simple relaxation, here’s a clean month-wise guide to help you plan your travels for 2026.
January 2026 – Kickstart the Year with Two Long Breaks
January 1 (Thursday): New Year’s Day
January 23 (Friday): Vasant Panchami (Restricted Holiday)
January 26 (Monday): Republic Day
How to plan:
Take January 2 off for a 4-day New Year weekend (Jan 1–4).
Combine Jan 23–26 for another 4-day Republic Weekend.
Perfect for beach escapes or peaceful hill retreats.
February 2026 – Mid-Month Escape
February 15: Mahashivratri
February 28: A bridge to early March’s Holi holidays
A well-timed break perfect for a short spiritual or leisure trip.
March 2026 – Festival-Filled Travel Window
March 3 (Tuesday): Holi
March 20 (Friday): Ugadi / Gudi Padwa (Regional)
March 26 (Thursday): Ram Navami
March 31 (Tuesday): Mahavir Jayanti
Travel tips:
Combine Feb 28–March 3 for a colourful Holi vacation.
Take March 30 off and enjoy March 26–31 as a 5-day holiday.
April 2026 – Ready-Made Long Weekend
April 3 (Friday): Good Friday
April 5 (Sunday): Easter
April 3–5 is a natural long weekend. Add April 2 for a relaxing 4-day break.
May 2026 – Perfect Early-Summer Escape
May 1 (Friday): Labour Day / Buddha Purnima
A built-in May 1–3 long weekend. Extend by taking April 30 or May 4.
June 2026 – Monsoon Begins
June 26 (Friday): Muharram (Ashura)
June 26–28 makes a neat weekend. Take June 25 for a scenic monsoon getaway.
July 2026 – One-Leave Long Weekend
July 16 (Thursday): Rath Yatra
Take July 17 and enjoy a July 16–19 holiday stretch.
August 2026 – Late-Monsoon Travel
August 25 (Tuesday): Milad-un-Nabi
August 28 (Friday): Raksha Bandhan
Craft a 5-day break by blending leave days around Aug 25 and Aug 28.
September 2026 – Two Easy Weekend Vacations
September 4 (Friday): Janmashtami
September 14 (Monday): Ganesh Chaturthi
Pick either Sept 4–6 or Sept 12–14 for a relaxed 3-day outing.
October 2026 – Festive Travel Month
October 2 (Friday): Gandhi Jayanti
October 20 (Tuesday): Dussehra
October 2–4 is ideal for a short break.
For a longer one, take October 19 to enjoy Oct 17–20.
November 2026 – Quick Gurpurab Getaway
November 24 (Tuesday): Guru Nanak Jayanti
Take November 23 and enjoy a Nov 21–24 holiday.
December 2026 – End the Year with a Christmas Break
December 25 (Friday): Christmas
A natural Dec 25–27 long weekend. Add Dec 24 or Dec 28 for a festive 4-day vacation.
With well-spaced long weekends throughout 2026, it’s the perfect year to travel more, relax more, and make more memories. Start planning your adventures now!
