Long Weekends 2027 in India: Every Holiday Break and the Leave Days That Stretch Them
Using the central government's 2027 holiday list: the three-day weekends, the four- and five-day breaks you can make with one day of leave, and the festivals that fall on a weekend. Plan trips before fares climb.
The central government has published its holiday list for 2027, which means you can start planning next year's breaks now, before fares and hotel rates climb. Here is every long weekend in 2027, plus the leave days that turn short breaks into proper holidays.
This planner uses the gazetted holidays for central government offices in Delhi. State governments, banks and private employers set their own lists, so check your office calendar before you book.
Quick answer: the best breaks of 2027
- Republic Day: Saturday, January 23 to Tuesday, January 26, with one day of leave on Monday, January 25.
- Holi: Saturday, March 20 to Tuesday, March 23, with one day of leave on Monday, March 22.
- Good Friday: Friday, March 26 to Sunday, March 28, no leave needed.
- Ram Navami and Mahavir Jayanti: Thursday, April 15 to Monday, April 19, a five-day break with one day of leave on Friday, April 16.
- Bakrid and Buddha Purnima: Saturday, May 15 to Sunday, May 23, a nine-day break with three days of leave.
- Diwali: Friday, October 29 to Sunday, October 31, no leave needed.
January to March
New Year's Day, Friday, January 1. A restricted (optional) holiday for central employees and a holiday at many private companies, giving a three-day weekend from January 1 to 3.
Makar Sankranti and Pongal, Friday, January 15. An optional holiday centrally, but a public holiday in Tamil Nadu and several other states, giving a three-day weekend there.
Republic Day, Tuesday, January 26. Take Monday, January 25 off for a four-day weekend. Good for: Rajasthan's desert in its best season, Goa, or the snow in Himachal and Kashmir.
Id-ul-Fitr, Wednesday, March 10. The date depends on the moon. A mid-week holiday.
Holi, Tuesday, March 23. The central list marks Holi on Tuesday, March 23 (many panchangs give March 22). Take Monday, March 22 off for a four-day weekend from March 20. Good for: Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan, or escaping the colours to the hills.
Good Friday, Friday, March 26. A three-day weekend, March 26 to 28. Combine it with Holi and take March 22, 24 and 25 off for a single nine-day break from March 20 to 28 with just three days of leave.
April to June
Ram Navami (Thursday, April 15) and Mahavir Jayanti (Monday, April 19). Take Friday, April 16 off for a five-day break, April 15 to 19. Good for: the first trip of the summer to Ladakh's lower valleys, Sikkim or the Northeast.
Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid), Monday, May 17. A three-day weekend, May 15 to 17, subject to the moon.
Buddha Purnima, Thursday, May 20. Take Friday, May 21 off for a four-day weekend, May 20 to 23. Add May 18 and 19 as leave to make May 15 to 23 a nine-day summer holiday with three days of leave.
Muharram, Wednesday, June 16. A mid-week holiday, subject to the moon.
July to September
Independence Day, Sunday, August 15. Falls on a Sunday, so there is no extra day off in the central list.
Janmashtami, Wednesday, August 25. A mid-week holiday. Taking Thursday and Friday off gives a five-day break from August 25 to 29.
October to December
Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) and Dussehra (October 9) both fall on Saturdays in 2027, so they give no extra day off for those who already have Saturdays free.
Diwali, Friday, October 29. A three-day weekend, October 29 to 31. Many states also give a holiday for Govardhan Puja or Bhai Dooj in the following days, so check your state list for a longer break.
Guru Nanak Jayanti, Sunday, November 14, and Christmas, Saturday, December 25, both fall on weekends.
How to use these breaks well
- Book early: long weekends push up flight and hotel prices sharply. Booking six to eight weeks ahead usually helps.
- Travel on the holiday itself: the day before a long weekend is the busiest for roads, trains and airports.
- Go against the crowd: if everyone heads to the hills, consider the coast or a city break.
- Check state holidays: your state may have extra holidays, such as Pongal, Bihu, Onam, Chhath or Durga Puja, that create breaks the central list does not show.
- Use optional holidays wisely: central employees can pick a limited number of restricted holidays; choose ones that sit next to weekends.
Common questions
Does this list apply to private companies? No. Private employers set their own holiday calendars, usually with fewer gazetted holidays plus some optional ones. Use this list as a guide and check yours.
Are bank holidays the same? Bank holidays follow the RBI's state-wise lists, and banks also close on the second and fourth Saturdays.
What about the rest of 2026? Our long weekends planner for October to December 2026 covers this year's remaining breaks.
Related reading
Sources
This article draws on the following reporting. Dates are when each source was originally published.
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Source: <a href="https://www.thedailymagazine.in/travel/long-weekends-2027-india">Long Weekends 2027 in India: Every Holiday Break and the Leave Days That Stretch Them</a>, The Daily, 15 Oct 2026.Written by
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