Long weekends from December 2026 to April 2027: how to stretch your leave

In short: Between Christmas and mid-April 2027 there are seven useful long weekends. Three need no leave at all, and the best value is Republic Day (four days for one day of leave) and the April stretch (six days for two days of leave). Dates below come from our long-weekend calendar, which uses India's public-holiday data from an open-source calendar, not the official government gazette. Holidays marked as estimated, such as Eid, depend on the moon, and your employer's list may differ.

The calendar at a glance

• Christmas, 25 to 27 December 2026: Friday to Sunday. Three days, no leave needed.
• New Year, 1 to 3 January 2027: 1 January is a Friday, so if your office is closed that day you get a three-day weekend. 31 December is a Thursday, so a leave day on Thursday turns it into a four-day break. Check your employer's holiday list.
• Republic Day, 23 to 26 January 2027: Saturday to Tuesday. Take Monday 25 January off for four days with one day of leave.
• Maha Shivaratri and Eid, 6 to 10 March 2027: Maha Shivaratri is on 6 March. Taking 8 and 9 March gives five days if Eid al-Fitr falls on 10 March. The Eid date is estimated and depends on moon sighting.
• Holi, 20 to 22 March 2027: Saturday to Monday, three days with no leave.
• Good Friday, 26 to 28 March 2027: Friday to Sunday, no leave needed.
• Ambedkar Jayanti and Ram Navami, 10 to 15 April 2027: six days with two leave days (12 and 13 April). Or take only 16 April for a five-day break from 14 to 18 April.

Which trips fit a short break

For three to five days, entry paperwork matters as much as flight time. From our checked visa guides:

• Maldives. Visa on arrival, but you need a prepaid booking at a registered facility, confirmed return tickets and the free IMUGA Traveller Declaration within 96 hours before arrival.
• Sri Lanka. An Electronic Travel Authorization before you fly. It is free for Indians, for 30 days.
• Bhutan. A permit and the Sustainable Development Fee of Nu. 1,200 per night, with a mandatory guide.
• Nepal. No visa, but only a passport or voter ID is accepted for flights.
• Thailand. Visa-free up to 30 days for tourism.

Making the most of a long weekend (our advice)

1. Book early. These are the days everyone wants. Leave flights flexible until the dates are firm.
2. Add a leave day on the shoulder. One day of leave around a weekend holiday is the cheapest way to add days.
3. Check your own holiday list. Banks, private offices and states differ. Some holidays in the calendar are marked estimated.
4. Keep a buffer for winter fog on northern routes. See our fog-season guide.

What we could not confirm

• Which holidays your employer observes.
• The exact date of Eid al-Fitr, which depends on moon sighting.

How we built this

The dates come from our long-weekend calendar, which uses India's public-holiday data from an open-source calendar (not the official government gazette), and we checked the weekdays against the calendar. The entry rules come from the official pages in our visa guide, checked on 10 and 11 November 2026. See all dates on our long weekends page.