Hey everyone, come on be honest with me. When the new year hits, do you actually care about marking birthdays on the calendar first? Nah, we’re all straight-up scanning for those long weekends and holidays where we can finally ditch work and plan a proper getaway.
We’ve been there, wasting hours searching dates online, so we figured I’d put together a no-nonsense list of the big holidays in India for 2026. Focused on the ones that give you real breaks, with notes on how they fall for trips.
Holidays 2026
- Early Year Vibes (January – March)
- Summer Heat (April – May)
- Monsoon Mode (August – September)
- Festival Season Peak (October – December)
Early Year Vibes (January – March)
January’s mostly about shaking off the New Year haze, but there’s a solid one later. March brings the color chaos.
- New Year’s Day: January 1 (Thursday) – Gives you a nice Thursday off to ease into the year.
- Republic Day: January 26 (Monday) – Yes! First proper long weekend. Ideal for a quick hill station run or beach chill.
- Holi: March 4 (Wednesday) – Right in the week. If you’re traveling or heading home, probably need to take Thursday/Friday off for a longer break.
Summer Heat (April – May)
This is when it gets scorching, and everyone’s dreaming of cooler spots.
- Good Friday: April 3 (Friday) – Sweet long weekend right there.
- Ambedkar Jayanti: Around mid-April (Tuesday-ish) – Might squeeze in extra days off.
- Labour Day / Buddha Purnima: May 1 (Friday) – Friday off is perfect for a mini vacation.
Monsoon Mode (August – September)
June-July are quiet, but August-September picks up with family stuff.
- Independence Day: August 15 (Saturday) – On a weekend, so no extra day, but monsoon road trips can be moody and fun.
- Raksha Bandhan: Late August (Friday probably) – Good for sibling meetups.
- Janmashtami: Early September (Friday) – Another potential long one.
Safe Places To Visit in Monsoon
Pro tip: With Indy Day on Saturday, long weekend hunters might feel a bit shortchanged, but the rains make everything green and pretty.
Festival Season Peak (October – December)
My absolute favorite time—weather’s perfect, vibes are high, everywhere’s lit up.
- Gandhi Jayanti: October 2 (Friday) – Long weekend incoming!
- Dussehra: October 20 (Tuesday) – Mid-week, so tag on days for more time.
- Diwali: November 8 (Sunday) – Lands on a Sunday this year, bummer no automatic extra off.
- Guru Nanak Jayanti: November 24 (Tuesday)
- Christmas: December 25 (Friday) – Wrapping up the year with a bang—another long weekend to celebrate.
Winter Holiday Destinations in India With Family
Actually Making Plans Happen?
Finding the dates is half the battle won. The real pain is booking affordable flights before they jack up prices, hunting for hotels that aren’t ridiculous, and putting together an itinerary that doesn’t fall apart.
That’s why a bunch of us got together and started Emperor Traveline. You just ping us with the weekends you’re eyeing, like that Republic Day escape or a big festive family trip, and we sort the rest. Flights, good stays, cabs, even suggestions on what to do. Zero stress, all fun. Swing by Emperor Traveline or hit us up. Let’s turn those 2026 holidays into actual memories!
