Plan your 2026 holidays smartly with a month-by-month guide to India’s best long weekends—festivals, adventure escapes, beach breaks, and romantic getaways.
If there’s one quiet luxury in travel, it’s knowing how to make the calendar work for you—and 2026 is unusually generous. A well-placed public holiday, a cleverly timed day off, and suddenly the week stretches open, inviting everything from seaside slow-downs to culture-rich city breaks and festive escapes. This is a year made for mini vacations: short, satisfying journeys that don’t demand long leaves or elaborate planning.
We’ve mapped out the long weekends, spotlighted the ones worth circling in red, and shared smart ways to turn three-day breaks into indulgent four-day getaways—because travel doesn’t always need distance, just intent. Whether you’re chasing nature, nightlife, or a change of pace, 2026 offers plenty of reasons to pack light, leave early, and return refreshed.
LONG WEEKENDS IN JANUARY, 2026
Friday, January 23: Vasant Panchmi
Saturday, January 24
Sunday, January 25
Monday, January 26: Republic Day
Where to go: January invites you to travel by mood. If winter thrills you, head north—think snow-dusted mornings in Manali, powdery slopes in Gulmarg, or the quiet, almost meditative beauty of Roing, where winter feels wonderfully unhurried. Prefer your holidays warmer? The desert comes into its own this time of year—golden evenings in Jaisalmer or the literary hum of Jaipur Literature Festival make for cultured, crowd-pleasing breaks. For something more celebratory, follow the colour and rhythm west: dance under the stars at Rann Utsav, or look skyward in Ahmedabad during Uttarayan, when the city turns into a canvas of kites.
LONG WEEKENDS IN MARCH, 2026
Wednesday, March 4: Holi
Thursday, March 5: take the day off
Friday, March 6: take the day off
Saturday, March 7
Sunday, March 8
Thursday March 19: Gudi Padwa/Navreh/Ugadi (regional holiday)
Friday, March 20: Eid-Ul-Fitar
Saturday, March 21
Sunday, March 22
Where to go: March sits at that sweet crossroads between seasons—when winter loosens its grip and summer hasn’t yet rushed in—making it one of the most rewarding months to travel. Follow colour and celebration to Mathura, where Holi spills joyfully into temple towns and streets, or head north to Anandpur Sahib for Hola Mohalla, a powerful blend of faith, martial tradition, and community spirit.
If you’re in the mood for quieter pleasures, March is ideal for wandering through the historic lanes of Ajmer or tracing the Konkan coast to Ratnagiri, where the sea air and slow pace feel especially restorative. Beach seekers can chase turquoise waters and white sands on Havelock Island, while those craving cooler climes will find springtime calm in Gangtok. And for a dose of drama, few experiences rival a March safari at Ranthambore National Park, when the forest thins and wildlife sightings peak. Wherever you land, March rewards travellers with colour, contrast, and just the right sense of escape.
LONG WEEKENDS IN APRIL, 2026
Friday, April 3: Good Friday
Saturday, April 4
Sunday, April 5: Easter
Where to go: April is when travel feels beautifully balanced—warm enough to wander, cool enough to linger. If slow days by the sea sound tempting, the clear, luminous waters of the Andaman Islands are at their inviting best. Hill lovers can escape rising plains temperatures in Mahabaleshwar, where strawberries, viewpoints, and misty mornings define the pace. Nature comes alive further south in Masinagudi, while Kalimpong offers a gentler Himalayan experience—less crowded, quietly charming, and rich in views.
For travellers craving a little adrenaline, the fog-laced cliffs of Mussoorie set the stage for rock climbing with a view. April is also peak bloom season in Kashmir, when Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden bursts into colour during the annual Tulip Festival—an unmissable, fleeting spectacle. And if your idea of adventure comes with salt spray and sunshine, head to Kovalam, where gentle waves make it one of the country’s most welcoming spots to try your hand at surfing. However you choose to travel, April rewards curiosity—with colour, contrast, and a sense of renewal.
LONG WEEKENDS IN MAY, 2026
Friday, May 1: Buddha Purnima
Saturday, May 2
Sunday, May 3
Saturday, May 23
Sunday, May 24
Monday, May 25: take the day off
Tuesday, May 26: Eid ul-Zuha (Bakrid)
Where to go: May is when India’s landscapes feel at their most generous—clear skies, fresh mountain air, and just enough warmth to make travel a pleasure. For high-altitude calm and cinematic views, head to Tawang, where monasteries, mountain passes, and silence set the rhythm of the days. Classic hill escapes like Kodaikanal and Panchgani are perfect for an easy long weekend—think slow walks, cool evenings, and unhurried meals.
If adventure is calling, answer it in Bir Billing, one of the world’s most celebrated paragliding destinations, or chase adrenaline on the rapids of Rishikesh. Night-sky lovers will find magic in the vast, untouched landscapes of Spiti Valley, where stargazing feels almost otherworldly. And in the eastern Himalayas, Gangtok comes alive with blooming rhododendrons, adding colour to already dramatic mountain vistas. However you travel—slow, spirited, or somewhere in between—May is made for journeys that linger long after you return.
LONG WEEKENDS IN AUGUST, 2026
Friday, August 28: Raksha Bandhan
Saturday, August 29
Sunday, August 30
Where to go: August is when India turns quietly cinematic—washed clean by rain, softened by mist, and alive in shades of green. Follow the monsoon south to Kanyakumari, where land, sea, and sky meet in moments of rare stillness. In the north, the brief bloom of Valley of Flowers National Park is nothing short of magical, a once-a-year spectacle that rewards those who time it right.
For travellers who love rain-soaked drama, Cherrapunji delivers waterfalls at their wildest, while Darjeeling wraps its tea gardens and colonial lanes in moody clouds. Closer to home, the emerald landscapes of Lonavala, Khandala, and the wider Western Ghats make for easy, rain-kissed weekend escapes. And for something truly otherworldly, head to Chorla Ghats, where bioluminescent fungi light up forest trails after dark—an August-only wonder that feels almost unreal.
LONG WEEKENDS IN SEPTEMBER, 2026
Friday, September 4: Janmashtami
Saturday, September 5
Sunday, September 6
Saturday, September 12
Sunday, September 13
Monday, September 14: Ganesh Chaturthi
Where to go: September travels at a gentler pace—post-monsoon freshness, clearer skies, and destinations that feel wonderfully unhurried. Along the Konkan coast, Tarkarli reveals its quieter side, making it an unexpectedly lovely spot for stargazing once the rains retreat. For cool air and calm views, head inland to Saputara, the state’s only hill station, where mornings are misty and days unfold slowly.
Those craving drama and distance will find it in Spiti Valley, where September brings clearer roads, sharp mountain light, and a sense of vastness that stays with you long after. For something more soulful, Varanasi offers a deeply immersive experience—early-morning ghats, evening aartis, and a rhythm unlike anywhere else. On the eastern coast, a visit to Jagannath Temple, followed by a quiet stroll along Puri Beach, balances spirituality with sea air. And if green escapes call your name, September is ideal for wandering the fragrant coffee estates of Chikmagalur, when the hills are washed clean and nature feels newly alive.
LONG WEEKENDS IN OCTOBER, 2026
Friday, October 2: Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti
Saturday, October 3
Sunday, October 4
Saturday, October 17
Sunday, October 18
Monday, October 19: take the day off
Tuesday, October 20: Dussehra
Where to go: October is when travel in India feels especially layered—festive, reflective, and beautifully temperate. Begin with the unmistakable spectacle of Durga Puja in Kolkata, a celebration so culturally significant it features on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list—and rightly so, for few festivals transform a city quite like this.
Nature takes centre stage elsewhere. Wildlife lovers can set out on jungle safaris in Kaziranga National Park or Manas National Park, while the valleys of Kashmir Valley slip into autumn, painted in warm golds and russets. In the south, Wayanad offers rainforest calm and cool air, while Gokarna remains blissfully understated for a beach escape. October, in every sense, is a month that rewards travellers who want a little of everything—culture, colour, and calm.
LONG WEEKENDS IN NOVEMBER, 2026
Saturday, November 7
Sunday, November 8
Monday, November 9: Diwali
Where to go: November brings a quiet elegance to travel—cool mornings, softer light, and destinations that feel perfectly in sync with the season. History and spirituality align beautifully in Jodhpur, where blue-hued lanes glow under the winter sun, and at the serene Golden Temple, best experienced at dawn when the air is crisp and the crowds thin.
For a slower rhythm, retreat to Ziro, where rolling hills and living traditions coexist with rare ease, or drift into Pushkar, tucked into the Aravallis, where sunset walks by the lake and temple bells set the pace. Elsewhere, Rajasthan’s great forts bask in clear winter light, Munnar wakes to mist-laced tea gardens, and Gulmarg hints at winter with the season’s first snow. In the east, Kolkata slips comfortably into its cooler months—unhurried, atmospheric, and quietly festive—making November one of the most rewarding months to wander.
LONG WEEKENDS IN DECEMBER, 2026
Friday, December 25: Christmas
Saturday, December 26
Sunday, December 27
Thursday, December 31: take the day off
Friday, January 1: New Year’s day
Saturday, January 2
Sunday, January 3
Where to go: December is when travel leans into indulgence—cool days, celebratory nights, and destinations dressed for the occasion. In Rajasthan, winter light adds a cinematic glow to Udaipur, where palaces shimmer against still lakes, and to Jaisalmer, where golden dunes feel especially magical under crisp desert skies. Head north-east to Gangtok for Himalayan winter charm, or seek a wilder escape in Bandhavgarh National Park, one of the country’s finest reserves for winter safaris.
As the year winds down, the coast comes into its own. Welcome the New Year amid French-colonial streets and sea breezes in Pondicherry, or slow things right down on a houseboat in Alappuzha. Sunshine seekers will find December bliss along the beaches of Goa, while the hills of Shillong surprise with cherry blossoms in bloom. And in the east, Kolkata lights up with Christmas cheer—lanes glowing, bakeries buzzing, and the city slipping effortlessly into celebration mode. December, in every sense, is made for endings that feel memorable and beginnings worth toasting.
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