2026 is hardly a couple of months away but the list of long weekends in the upcoming year has already got us excited! From New Year to Holi and Raksha Bandhan to Gandhi Jayanti, many important festivals and celebrations in India in 2026 will fall on such days that you can easily plan a long weekend getaway. And how do you do it? Worry not, team unstumbled is here to guide you through the process. Get your calendars out and let’s get it started!
2026 Long Weekends Month-Wise Guide: How You Can Plan Your Holidays In 2026
January 2026
1st January, i.e. New Year’s Day, begins on Thursday, meaning you can easily drop a leave on Friday or Friday+Saturday and extend that into a long weekend. Additionally, Vasant Panchami (restricted holiday) and Republic Day are two other important holidays when you can easily plan a leave, get out, and unwind.
Here are the long weekend dates to watch out for:
4-day New Year’s getaway:
- January 1 (Thursday): New Year’s Day
- January 2 (Friday): Take a leave
- January 3-4 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
3-day Vasant Panchami break:
- January 23 (Friday): Vasant Panchami (restricted holiday)
- January 24-25 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
3-day Republic Day break:
- January 24-25 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
- January 26 (Monday): Republic Day
Best destinations to visit in January
- Cool, pleasant hill stations/mountainous regions: Mussoorie, Dharamshala
- Beach destinations: Varkala, Tarkarli, Rameswaram
- Historical, spiritual or cultural destinations: Jaipur, Badami
March 2026
While February doesn’t have any long weekends, the month of March has quite a few holidays that you can mark in your 2026 long weekends calendar. March brings with it the colorful festival of Holi, the regional festival of Ugadi/Gudi Padwa, and other important religious festivals like Ram Navami and Mahavir Jayanti. Let’s see how you can plan your March 2026 calendar to set out on a long weekend getaway.
Here are the long weekend dates to watch out for:
4-day Holi fiesta:
- February 28 – March 1 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
- March 2 (Monday): Take a leave
- March 3 (Tuesday): Holi
4-day Ugadi/Gudi Padwa celebration:
- March 19 (Thursday): Ugadi/ Gudi Padwa
- March 20 (Friday): Take a leave
- March 21-22 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
3/4-day Ram Navami celebration: Check with the official holiday calendar of your state as the festival dates may vary – falling either on March 26 or March 27.
- March 26/27 (Thursday/Friday): Ram Navami
- March 28-29 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
If Ram Navami falls on March 26 (Thursday), you can take a leave the next day, i.e. March 27 (Friday) and make it a 4-day long weekend.
Best destinations to visit in March
- Cool, pleasant hill stations: Nainital, Lansdowne
- Beach destinations: Gokarna, South Goa, Ganpatipule
- Historical, spiritual or cultural destinations: Mathura, Udaipur, Hampi
April 2026
April is the time when summer slowly starts seeping into our days – not harsh and fiery yet, but just warm enough. Luckily, the month has a long weekend opportunity, thanks to the Holy Week, the final week of Lent, that commemorates the last days of Jesus Christ. With two important Christian days of religious significance in April, you can utilize them to plan a quick weekend getaway.
Here are the long weekend dates to watch out for:
Good Friday Long Weekend 2026:
- April 2 (Thursday): Take a leave
- April 3 (Friday): Good Friday
- April 4 (Saturday): Weekend
- April 5 (Sunday): Easter Sunday
Best destinations to visit in April
- Cool, pleasant hill stations/mountainous regions: Ooty, Munnar, Manali
- Beach destinations: Andaman Islands, Visakhapatnam
- Historical, spiritual or cultural destinations: Rishikesh, Khajuraho
May 2026
For some, it might come as a surprise that May will have not one, not two, but three important days of significance falling on the same day! Great for symbolism, not so great if you were secretly manifesting three separate holidays. Worry not, these holidays fall on a Friday, so you can easily plan a three-day weekend anyway.
Here are the long weekend dates to watch out for:
3-day long weekend:
- May 1 (Friday): International Worker’s Day/ Buddha Purnima/ Maharashtra Day
- May 2-3(Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
Best destinations to visit in May
- Cool, pleasant hill stations/mountainous regions: McLeodganj, Gangtok, Coonoor
- Beach destinations: Daman, Kovalam, Alleppey
- Historical, spiritual or cultural destinations: Mysuru, Haridwar, Kolhapur
May, in general, is a month when summer heat is at its peak, in many parts of India. Prefer cooler hill-stations in May to escape the summer heat!
June 2026
June 2026 will most likely mark the beginning of India’s monsoon season, especially in the coastal regions. June is a time when many mountainous regions start getting rid or get completely free of snow – making these places accessible to travelers. Plus, the weather in most parts of India is quite pleasant (but sometimes hot and humid), making it a decent month to explore the country.
Here are the long weekend dates to watch out for:
3-day Muharram/Ashura weekend:
- June 26 (Friday): Muharram/Ashura
- June 27-28(Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
Best destinations to visit in June
- Cool, pleasant hill stations/mountainous regions: Spiti, Chakrata, Tawang
- Beach destinations: Malpe, Vengurle
- Historical, spiritual, or cultural destinations: Shirdi, Chandigarh, Shekhawati
July 2026
July 2026 will be a month of many religious and spiritual events, marking important events associated with the Nashik Kumbh Mela as well as the world-famous Puri Rath Yatra. Expect the monsoon season to drizzle you with frequent, sometimes heavy rain showers. July is one of the best months to explore hill stations, especially those nestled in the Western and Eastern Ghats. However, avoid beach destinations as you’ll likely encounter heavy rainfall and frequent high tides in these areas.
Here are the long weekend dates to watch out for:
- July 16 (Thursday): Puri Rath Yatra (regional holiday)
- July 17 (Friday): Take a leave
- July 18-19 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
Best destinations to visit in July
- Cool, pleasant hill stations/mountainous regions: Coorg, Mahabaleshwar, Tawang
- Historical, spiritual or cultural destinations: Nashik, Puri, Mount Abu
August 2026
August is another pleasant month to explore India’s hill stations and spiritual and heritage destinations. The month will have two important holidays, Milad-un-Nabi and Raksha Bandhan. With the right planning, you can easily extend these two holidays into a 4-day long weekend. Keep reading to understand how!
Here are the long weekend dates to watch out for:
Milad-un-Nabi long weekend
- August 22-23 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
- August 24 (Monday): Take a leave
- August 25 (Tuesday): Milad-un-Nabi
Raksha Bandhan long weekend
- August 27 (Thursday): Take a leave
- August 28 (Friday): Raksha Bandhan
- August 29-30 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
Best destinations to visit in August
- Cool, pleasant hill stations/mountainous regions: Lonavala, Cherrapunji, Valley of Flowers
- Historical, spiritual or cultural destinations: Bundi, Ujjain, Lucknow
September 2026
September 2026 is a month when the monsoon season is less intense compared to June-July and August. However, expect regular rain showers in most parts of the country. September is a great month to visit spiritual and cultural destinations, especially during the festivals of Janmastami and Ganesh Chaturthi. Mark your calendars now!
Here are the long weekend dates to watch out for:
4-day Janmashtami celebration weekend
- September 3 (Thursday): Take a leave
- September 4 (Friday): Janmashtami
- September 5-6 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
3/4-day Ganesh Chaturthi long weekend
- September 12-13 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
- September 14 (Monday): Ganesh Chaturthi (regional holiday)
- September 15 (Tuesday): Take a leave
Best destinations to visit in September
- Cool, pleasant hill stations/mountainous regions: Thekkady, Chikmagalur, Kaas Plateau
- Beach destinations: Aare Ware, Kanyakumari
- Historical, spiritual, or cultural destinations: Vrindavan, Pune, Tirupati
October 2026
October is when the peak tourist season in India starts to begin. With two important holidays – Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra – you can plan two separate long weekends with ease. The weather is pleasant in most parts of the country, allowing you to explore a mix of both hill stations and coastal getaways. However, as the peak travel season begins, make sure to book your hotels and activities in advance to avoid last-minute inconveniences.
Here are the long weekend dates to watch out for:
4-day Gandhi Jayanti weekend
- October 1 (Thursday): Take a leave
- October 2 (Friday): Gandhi Jayanti
- October 3-4 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
4-day Dussehra festivities
- October 17-18 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
- October 19 (Monday): Take a leave
- October 20 (Tuesday): Dussehra
Best destinations to visit in September
- Cool, pleasant hill stations/mountainous regions: Jodhpur, Darjeeling, Wayanad
- Beach destinations: Lakshadweep, Alibaug
- Historical, spiritual or cultural destinations: Mysuru, Thanjavur, Agra
November 2026
While November might not have the most holidays in the 2026 calendar, you can easily utilize November weekends to plan your getaways. The weather is quite pleasant, and in fact, November is one of the peak tourist seasons in India. The only holiday in November – Guru Nanak Jayanti – falls on a Tuesday. So you can easily plan a leave on the Monday before the festival and you can have a 4-day long weekend!
Here are the long weekend dates to watch out for:
4-day Guru Nanak Jayanti weekend
- November 21-22 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
- November 23 (Monday): Take a leave
- November 24 (Tuesday): Guru Nanak Jayanti
Best destinations to visit in November
- Cool, pleasant hill stations/mountainous regions: Shillong, Kaziranga, Kalimpong, Srinagar
- Beach destinations: Pondicherry, Tarkarli
- Historical, spiritual or cultural destinations: Amritsar, Pushkar, Rann of Kutch, Varanasi
December 2026
December is the month that might not have a lot of holidays but that gives you even more leverage to plan your own spontaneous escapes. We’re talking about weekend road trips, beachside getaways, or hillside retreats. End the year with a fun Christmas long-weekend or simply spend the time at home with your loved ones.
Here are the long weekend dates to watch out for:
4-day Christmas celebration
- December 24 (Thursday): Take a leave
- December 25 (Friday): Christmas
- December 26-27 (Saturday-Sunday): Weekend
Best destinations to visit in December
- Cool, pleasant hill stations/mountainous regions: Manali, Shillong, Valpara
- Beach destinations: Goa, Kochi, Pondicherry, Mangalore, Mulki
- Historical, spiritual or cultural destinations: Madurai, Kolkata, Aurangabad
Summing Up
We’ve noted down some of the best 4 day weekends 2026 as well as 3 day weekends that you can utilize to explore India’s surreal beauty. We’re talking about enigmatic hill stations, tranquil beach getaways, and spiritual and cultural retreats that will soothe your soul. 2026 is jam-packed with holidays that you can extend and enjoy as long weekends. So which destinations and which holidays are on your 2026 travel bucket list in India?
