VANAMCOVE Long weekends in India — the 2026–27 escape calendar
Every long break from now through December 2027, with how many leave days each one really needs — and hand-picked places that are in season that exact week.
Upcoming long weekends
Sorted by date. Each one has a ready list of escapes that fit the season.
Dussehra
Dussehra falls on a Tuesday, so a single leave day turns the weekend into a four-day break. The monsoon is fully gone, hills are green but walkable, and it is the last quiet window before Diwali-week crowds.
See escapes →Sat 7 – Mon 9 Nov 20263 days off · 1 leave dayDiwali
The festival of lights lands on a Sunday this year, giving the whole country a genuine three-day break. Evenings are for Diwali markets and food; mornings are for exploring a town that has emptied out.
See escapes →Sat 21 – Tue 24 Nov 20264 days off · 1 leave dayGuru Nanak Jayanti
Gurpurab falls on a Tuesday, so one leave day buys four. North India is properly winter-crisp now — the best walking weather of the year for Punjab, Rajasthan and the Himachal foothills.
See escapes →Fri 25 – Sun 27 Dec 20263 days off · no leave daysChristmas
Christmas Day lands on a Friday — a clean three-day break with zero leave. This is peak season on the coast and in the hills, so book stays early and expect festive prices.
See escapes →Fri 1 – Sun 3 Jan 20273 days off · no leave daysNew Year
New Year's Day is a Friday, so the first break of 2027 costs nothing. The whole country is on holiday — pick somewhere you can walk to everything, and book before mid-December.
See escapes →Sat 23 – Tue 26 Jan 20274 days off · 1 leave dayRepublic Day
Republic Day is a Tuesday in 2027, so one leave day gives you four. It is peak winter travel season: deserts are perfect, Kerala is warm and dry, and the hills have their clearest skies of the year.
See escapes →Sat 6 – Wed 10 Mar 20275 days off · 2 leave daysEid-ul-Fitr
Eid falls on a Wednesday, so two leave days stretch the weekend into five. Early March is the sweet spot almost everywhere — hills before the summer haze, coasts before they get humid.
See escapes →Sat 20 – Tue 23 Mar 20274 days off · 1 leave dayHoli
Holi falls on a Monday in most states (Tuesday in Gujarat, MP and Chhattisgarh), so one leave day buys four. Holika Dahan is on the evening of Sunday 21 — the celebration really starts then.
See escapes →Fri 26 – Sun 28 Mar 20273 days off · no leave daysGood Friday
Good Friday lands on a Friday — a free three-day break right at the end of March. Kerala and Goa observe it as a quiet public holiday, which makes them especially pleasant that weekend.
See escapes →Thu 15 – Sun 18 Apr 20274 days off · 1 leave dayRam Navami
Ram Navami is a Thursday in 2027, so one leave day makes it four. Mid-April is the last comfortable window in the plains before the summer heat — hill stations are waking up but not yet crowded.
See escapes →Sat 15 – Mon 17 May 20273 days off · no leave daysEid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid)
Bakrid falls on a Monday — a free three-day weekend. The mountains are opening up properly now: Ladakh and Spiti roads reopen, and Kashmir hits its best month.
See escapes →Sat 12 – Wed 16 Jun 20275 days off · 2 leave daysMuharram
Muharram is a Wednesday in 2027, so two leave days give you five. Mid-June is high-mountain season: Ladakh is warm by day, and the monsoon has only just reached the coasts.
See escapes →Sat 21 – Wed 25 Aug 20275 days off · 2 leave daysJanmashtami
Janmashtami is a Wednesday, and two leave days make it a five-day break. Late August is peak monsoon-green: waterfalls are thundering, the Ghats are lush, and cities are cheap.
See escapes →Fri 29 – Sun 31 Oct 20273 days off · no leave daysDiwali
Diwali lands on a Friday in 2027 — a free three-day weekend. Pair it with Naraka Chaturdasi (Thu 28 Oct, an optional holiday in many states) and you get four days for one leave.
See escapes →No extra days these years
Falling on a weekend — no bridge, no leave math. Still worth a look if you can stretch it.
- Independence Day — Sun 15 – Sun 15 Aug 2027 · Sunday — no substitute weekday in most workplaces
- Gandhi Jayanti — Sat 2 – Sat 2 Oct 2027 · Saturday — weekend only
- Dussehra — Sat 9 – Sat 9 Oct 2027 · Saturday — weekend only
- Guru Nanak Jayanti — Sun 14 – Sun 14 Nov 2027 · Sunday — weekend only
- Christmas — Sat 25 – Sat 25 Dec 2027 · Saturday — weekend only (Christmas Eve, Fri 24 Dec, is an optional holiday)
Or browse by month
In-season picks for every month — useful even without a holiday.
Dates follow the central-government gazetted holiday lists for 2026–27. Islamic festival dates can shift by a day with the moon sighting, and Holi is observed on different days in different states — confirm locally before booking non-refundable travel.
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