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Long Weekends Holiday 2026: If you’re the kind of traveller who waits for public holidays to align like puzzle pieces, 2026 is your year. The calendar
is scattered with tidy long weekends, midweek festivals you can cleverly nudge into extended breaks, and enough built-in breathing space to turn regular months into mini-adventures. Plan now before flight prices soar or your favourite homestays and boutique hotels get snapped up.
January
January drops two ready-made escape routes at your feet. Instead of defaulting to crowded beaches, go where winter feels better like the Aravallis around Udaipur or the terraced slopes of Almora, or the mangroves of Bhitarkanika, which are at their best this time of year. If you’re chasing snow, Kinnaur and upper Kashmir deliver the best winter scenes.
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 23 – Vasant Panchami (restricted holiday)
January 26 – Republic Day
Long weekend windows: Jan 1–4; Jan 23–26
February–March
Late winter melts into spring with a string of festivals that create easy travel pockets. Holi is an obvious draw, but you’ll find a richer, quieter rhythm in places like Garhwal’s small hill villages, the temple towns of Karnataka, or Jaisalmer just after the desert chill fades. Late March brings warm, clear days, the sweet spot for exploring Gwalior, Badami, or the stepwells of Gujarat.
March 3 – Holi
March 20 – Ugadi / Gudi Padwa
March 26 – Ram Navami
March 31 – Mahavir Jayanti
Long weekend windows: Feb 28–Mar 3; Mar 26–31 with one leave
April
Good Friday sets up a neat early-summer break. April is warm but not unforgiving, making it a good month for Andaman island hopping, river cruises in Assam, or quiet stretches of Odisha’s coastline. Higher-altitude walks in Sikkim and Kumaon also begin opening up as the snow line recedes.April 3 – Good Friday
April 5 – Easter Sunday
Long weekend window: Apr 3–5
May
Once May arrives, India divides into two moods: hot and hotter. This is when the hills come into their own. Skip the overrun favourites and head instead to Binsar, Tawang, Yercaud, or the remote corners of Pelling. If you’re willing to go off-road, Dibang Valley in Arunachal offers cloud-kissed mountain roads and complete serenity.May 1 – Labour Day / Buddha Purnima
Long weekend window: May 1–3
June
June’s long weekend lands right when the first monsoon clouds sweep in. It’s a beautiful time for places that shine in the rain: Coorg’s coffee country, the Sahyadris, Lonar Lake, or Matheran, which turns green almost overnight. If you prefer drier weather, Ladakh begins its season, offering high-altitude sunshine and big skies.June 26 – Muharram (Ashura)
Long weekend window: Jun 26–28
July
By July, the monsoon is in full swing. Expect overflowing waterfalls, misted viewpoints, and warm chai between rain spells. This is prime time for Valparai, Meghalaya’s living root bridges, Darjeeling’s monsoon haze, and Wayanad’s forests. Trails may be slushy, but the scenery is reward enough.July 16 – Rath Yatra
Long weekend window: Jul 16–19 with one leave
August
August’s midweek holidays offer room to play. Think Shillong after the heavy rain, Mysuru’s palace circuit, Bhopal’s lakes, or the backstreets of Kochi where the monsoon light makes even the walls look freshly washed. This is also a good time for Udaipur, with the city’s lakes finally brimming.August 25 – Milad-un-Nabi
August 28 – Raksha Bandhan
Long weekend window: Aug 24–28 with one or two leaves
September
September is India at its most photogenic. For a restorative weekend, head to Coorg, Dindi on the Godavari, or Panchgani’s strawberry fields. If you’ve been waiting for beaches to reopen, Varkala and Gokarna return with calmer seas and fewer travellers.
September 4 – Janmashtami
September 14 – Ganesh (Vinayaka) Chaturthi
Long weekend windows: Sep 4–6; Sep 12–14
October
October is a gift: cool mornings, bright afternoons, festival air. With two holidays in your favour, this is when to tick off bigger trips: Ziro’s high meadows, Spiti’s post-monsoon clarity, the palaces of Jodhpur, or Sunderbans’ winter wildlife. Hotels fill up quickly, so early planning helps.October 2 – Gandhi Jayanti
October 20 – Dussehra / Dasara
Long weekend windows: Oct 2–4; Oct 17–20 with one leave
November
November’s early winter is gentle and perfect for slow, easy travel. Before December crowds arrive, escape to Mandawa’s fresco trails, Rann of Kutch’s quiet salt flats, Satpura’s forests, or Munnar’s cool mornings. Lower Himalayan walks are especially lovely around this time.November 24 – Guru Nanak Jayanti
Long weekend window: Nov 21–24 with one leave
December
December may not be packed with holidays, but its festive energy more than compensates. For a short break, choose between Pondicherry’s French corners, Manali’s snow, Wayanad’s mist, or the wine region around Bengaluru and Pune. Book early since this is India’s most famous month for last-minute vacations.December 25 – Christmas Day
Long weekend window: Dec 25–27
