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As we move towards the new year, many of us are already looking forward to planning our next weekend getaway. And rightly so! Who does not like a break?
In the coming year too, there are many extended weekends that promise the ideal time to embark on exciting adventures. If you want to plan a vacation, starting now, we have got the ultimate guide to the long weekends in 2026, ensuring you're not just surviving but thriving. Here is a comprehensive list to help you plan your vacations throughout the year. January New Year Day, which is January 1, 2026, kicks off on a Thursday. If you take a day off on Friday (January 2), it can be a long weekend, considering the next days are Saturday and Sunday.
- January 1 – New Year’s Day
- January 23 – Vasant Panchami (restricted holiday)
- January 26 – Republic Day
March
In March 2026, you will have an opportunity for a long weekend at the end of the month. Jamat-ul-Vida, which is the last Friday of the holy month of Ramza, falls on March 28. Saturday (March 29) and Sunday (March 30) will follow it.
April
In April, you can have a long weekend at the beginning of the month with Good Friday falling on April 3. It will be followed by Saturday (April 4) and Sunday (April 5, Easter).
Long weekend window: April 3–5
May
The month of May will start with Buddh Purnima (May 1, Friday), followed by Saturday (May 2) and Sunday (May 3). This will provide you with three days off in a row.
June
In June, there will be a long weekend at the end with Muharram falling on June 26 (Friday), which will be followed by Saturday (June 27) and Sunday (June 28). There are no long weekends in July 2026.
August
The festival of Raksha Bandhan (Friday, August 28) will be followed by Saturday (August 29) and Sunday (August 30).
September
September 4 – Janmashtami
September 14 – Ganesh (Vinayaka) Chaturthi
Long weekend windows: Sep 4–6; Sep 12–14
October
October has a total of three long weekends. Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti will fall on Friday (October 2). Keeping that in mind, you can plan the weekend as the next two days will be Saturday (October 3) and Sunday (October 4).
And then, the long weekend will return with the first day of Durga Puja festivities on October 17 (Saturday), followed by Maha Saptami (October 18, Sunday), Maha Ashtami (October 19, Monday) and Dussehra (October 20, Tuesday).
The week after that, you can enjoy one more long weekend with Saturday (October 24) and Sunday (October 25) preceding Valmiki Jayanti (October 26, Monday).
November
November 24 – Guru Nanak Jayanti
Long weekend window: Nov 21–24, in case you are able to apply for one leave.
December
This time, December may not be full of holidays. While many people wait for Christmas festivities, there cannot be a better way to have a long weekend at the end of the year. You can start your long weekend with Christmas (December 25, Friday) and Saturday (December 26) and Sunday (December 27).
