If you plan your calendar well, 2026 can easily become a year of travel. With around 14 carefully chosen office leave days, Indian professionals can realistically plan more than 16 trips through the year. This can include 12 to 14 short domestic trips and two international holidays, without stretching leave balances or taking long breaks from work.

What makes this possible is how national, regional and optional holidays fall across the calendar in 2026. Many important holidays fall on Mondays, Fridays or midweek, making them ideal for extending weekends into three to seven-day travel windows. Instead of one long annual vacation, 2026 allows frequent, well-spaced breaks that suit modern work patterns and hybrid offices.

Below is a holiday-by-holiday guide showing how each break can translate directly into travel time.

Republic Day – January 26

Republic Day falls on a Monday, creating a ready-made three-day travel window from January 24 to 26. This is perfect for a short domestic trip to nearby destinations.

Taking leave on Friday, January 23, extends this into a four-day break, ideal for hill stations, wildlife reserves or quick international trips to nearby countries.

Holi – March 3 and 4

Holi week is one of the biggest travel opportunities of the year. With Holika Dahan on Tuesday and Holi on Wednesday, taking leave on Monday and Thursday unlocks a five-day travel window from February 28 to March 4.

This duration works well for longer domestic trips or even a short international holiday to destinations in South East Asia or the Middle East.

Good Friday – April 3

Good Friday on a Friday creates a three-day break from April 3 to 5, ideal for a quick getaway.

Adding leave on Thursday, April 2, turns this into a four-day trip, making it suitable for coastal destinations or cross-country travel without rushing.

Buddha Purnima – May 1

Buddha Purnima falls on a Friday, offering another three-day travel break from May 1 to 3.

Taking leave on Monday, May 4, creates a four-day trip window, perfect for early summer travel before peak holiday crowds arrive.

Independence Day – August 15

Independence Day falls on a Saturday, but taking leave on Friday, August 14, still creates a three-day break.

This is a good window for monsoon destinations or shorter trips where flexibility matters more than duration.

Ganesh Chaturthi – September 14

Ganesh Chaturthi on a Monday delivers a three-day break from September 12 to 14 without using leave.

Taking Friday, September 11, off creates a four-day trip window, ideal for post-monsoon travel as weather conditions improve across India.

Gandhi Jayanti – October 2

Gandhi Jayanti falls on a Friday, creating a three-day break from October 2 to 4.

By taking leave on Monday, October 5, this becomes a four-day trip, a great time for hill destinations or cultural travel before the festive rush intensifies.

Dussehra – October 20

Dussehra falls on a Tuesday. Taking leave on Monday, October 19, opens up a four-day travel window from October 17 to 20.

This is one of the best periods for domestic travel or extended family trips, especially in northern and western India.

Diwali – November 8

Diwali falls on a Sunday, but most offices offer optional holidays around the festival.

Taking leave on Friday, November 6, and Monday, November 9, creates a four-day festive travel window, often used for visiting family or quick domestic trips.

Christmas – December 25

Christmas on a Friday gives a three-day break from December 25 to 27.

Using leave between Christmas and New Year can easily convert this into a five to seven-day break, making it one of the best windows for an international holiday in 2026.

Regional and Optional Holidays that Boost your Break Count

Beyond national holidays, regional and optional holidays are the real game-changers in 2026, especially for employees working in states with strong local observances. Many of these holidays fall on weekdays close to weekends, making them perfect for converting one leave day into a long break.

Ugadi and Gudi Padwa

Ugadi and Gudi Padwa, celebrated as New Year in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra, fall on Thursday, March 19, 2026. By taking leave on Friday, March 20, employees can enjoy a four-day break from March 19 to 22. Even taking leave on Friday alone is enough to stretch the holiday into a long weekend, making this one of the easiest regional breaks of the year.

New Year festivals

In April, multiple regional New Year festivals create similar opportunities. Puthandu (Tamil New Year) and Vishu (Kerala New Year) fall on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Taking leave on Monday, April 13, turns this into a four-day break from April 11 to 14. For employees in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, this is a high-value leave window that often goes underutilised.

Baisakhi

Baisakhi, widely observed in Punjab and northern India, falls on Monday, April 13, 2026. This automatically creates a three-day weekend from April 11 to 13. Taking leave on Tuesday, April 14, can further extend the break to four days, especially useful for those travelling home during harvest celebrations.

Onam

Onam, Kerala’s biggest festival, offers flexible leave options even though the main holiday often falls midweek. In 2026, Thiruvonam is observed on Thursday, August 27. Taking leave on Friday, August 28, creates a four-day break from August 27 to 30. Many organisations in Kerala allow optional holidays around Onam week, making it easier to plan extended time off without using excessive leave.

Ganesh Chaturthi

Another important regional opportunity comes from Ganesh Chaturthi, observed widely in Maharashtra and parts of western India. In 2026, it falls on Monday, September 14, creating a natural three-day weekend from September 12 to 14 without using any leave. Employees who take Friday, September 11 off can extend this into a four-day break.

Guru Nanak Jayanti

In November, Guru Nanak Jayanti falls on Tuesday, November 24, 2026. Taking leave on Monday, November 23, turns this into a four-day break from November 21 to 24. This holiday is particularly valuable in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, where it is widely observed and often supported by additional local closures.

For employees in states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Punjab, these regional holidays can realistically add two to four extra long weekends in 2026. When combined with national holidays and smart leave placement, they play a crucial role in pushing the total number of extended breaks beyond the 16-mark.

How 14 Leaves Translate into 16 Trips

By spreading leave usage across the year and focusing on high-impact dates, around 14 office leave days are enough to plan more than 16 trips. Most of these can be three or four-day domestic trips, while at least two five to seven-day windows work well for international travel.

Instead of waiting for one long holiday, 2026 rewards those who travel often, travel smart and plan early. For Indian professionals who value experiences over long absences from work, the calendar is quietly stacked in their favour.

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