Long Weekends in India 2026
India has 18 public holidays in 2026, creating 15 long-weekend opportunities — 7 automatic 3-day weekends and 8 bridge chances where a day or two of leave buys a longer break.
Smartest break
Take 1 leave day around Rama Navami (March 26, 2026) for 4 days off — Mar 26 – Mar 29.
| Holiday | Date | Leave to book | Days off | Your break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Day | Mon, Jan 26 | None — automatic | 3 | Jan 24 – Jan 26 |
| Holi | Wed, Mar 4 | Mon, Mar 2, Tue, Mar 3 | 5 | Feb 28 – Mar 4 |
| Rama Navami | Thu, Mar 26 | Fri, Mar 27 | 4 | Mar 26 – Mar 29 |
| Mahavir Jayanti | Tue, Mar 31 | Mon, Mar 30 | 4 | Mar 28 – Mar 31 |
| Good Friday | Fri, Apr 3 | None — automatic | 3 | Apr 3 – Apr 5 |
| Ambedkar Jayanti | Tue, Apr 14 | Mon, Apr 13 | 4 | Apr 11 – Apr 14 |
| Buddha Purnima | Fri, May 1 | None — automatic | 3 | May 1 – May 3 |
| Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) | Wed, May 27 | Mon, May 25, Tue, May 26 | 5 | May 23 – May 27 |
| Muharram | Fri, Jun 26 | None — automatic | 3 | Jun 26 – Jun 28 |
| Id-e-Milad | Wed, Aug 26 | Mon, Aug 24, Tue, Aug 25 | 5 | Aug 22 – Aug 26 |
| Janmashtami | Fri, Sep 4 | None — automatic | 3 | Sep 4 – Sep 6 |
| Gandhi Jayanti | Fri, Oct 2 | None — automatic | 3 | Oct 2 – Oct 4 |
| Dussehra | Tue, Oct 20 | Mon, Oct 19 | 4 | Oct 17 – Oct 20 |
| Guru Nanak's Birthday | Tue, Nov 24 | Mon, Nov 23 | 4 | Nov 21 – Nov 24 |
| Christmas Day | Fri, Dec 25 | None — automatic | 3 | Dec 25 – Dec 27 |
Long weekend FAQ
- What is a bridge day?
- A bridge day ("puente" in Spanish) is a workday wedged between a public holiday and the weekend. Book it off and the holiday and weekend join into one unbroken break.
- How many long weekends does India have in 2026?
- India has 15 long-weekend opportunities in 2026: 7 that need no leave and 8 that need one or two days off.