Holiday planning
Long Weekends in India 2026
India has 14 long weekends in 2026. The longest natural break is 1 day around Holi (Wed 4 Mar). Take Monday and Tuesday off and turn the Holi break into a 5-day run.
14
Long weekends
5
Longest break (days)
14
Bridge day opportunities
All long weekends in India 2026
Sorted by calendar date. "Days off" = the natural break without any annual leave. "Bridge days" = working days to take as paid leave to extend the break.
| Date range | Holiday | Days off | Bridge days to take | Total break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 23 Jan – Mon 26 Jan | Republic Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 23 Jan) | 4d |
| Sat 28 Feb – Wed 4 Mar | Holi | 1 | Monday + Tuesday(Mon 2 Mar, Tue 3 Mar) | 5d |
| Thu 26 Mar – Sun 29 Mar | Rama Navami | 1 | Friday(Fri 27 Mar) | 4d |
| Sat 28 Mar – Tue 31 Mar | Mahavir Jayanti | 1 | Monday(Mon 30 Mar) | 4d |
| Wed 1 Apr – Sun 5 Apr | Good Friday | 3 | Wednesday + Thursday(Wed 1 Apr, Thu 2 Apr) | 5d |
| Thu 30 Apr – Sun 3 May | Buddha Purnima | 3 | Thursday(Thu 30 Apr) | 4d |
| Sat 23 May – Wed 27 May | Bakrid | 1 | Monday + Tuesday(Mon 25 May, Tue 26 May) | 5d |
| Thu 25 Jun – Sun 28 Jun | Muharram/Ashura | 3 | Thursday(Thu 25 Jun) | 4d |
| Sat 22 Aug – Wed 26 Aug | Milad un-Nabi | 1 | Monday + Tuesday(Mon 24 Aug, Tue 25 Aug) | 5d |
| Thu 3 Sept – Sun 6 Sept | Janmashtami | 3 | Thursday(Thu 3 Sept) | 4d |
| Thu 1 Oct – Sun 4 Oct | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti | 3 | Thursday(Thu 1 Oct) | 4d |
| Sat 17 Oct – Tue 20 Oct | Dussehra | 1 | Monday(Mon 19 Oct) | 4d |
| Sat 21 Nov – Tue 24 Nov | Guru Nanak Jayanti | 1 | Monday(Mon 23 Nov) | 4d |
| Thu 24 Dec – Sun 27 Dec | Christmas | 3 | Thursday(Thu 24 Dec) | 4d |
Best long weekends in India 2026
The top breaks ranked by total consecutive days off.
March
Holi
Sat 28 Feb – Wed 4 Mar
5
days
April
Good Friday
Wed 1 Apr – Sun 5 Apr
5
days
May
Bakrid
Sat 23 May – Wed 27 May
5
days
August
Milad un-Nabi
Sat 22 Aug – Wed 26 Aug
5
days
How to use bridge days in India
A bridge day (sometimes called a sandwiched day) is a working day that sits between a public holiday and a weekend. By taking it as paid annual leave, you connect the holiday to the weekend and create a longer uninterrupted break.
For example, if a public holiday falls on a Thursday, taking Friday off gives you Thursday + Friday + Saturday + Sunday — four consecutive days using only one day of leave.
In India 2026, there are 14 bridge day opportunities highlighted in the table above. The biggest gain is around Holi: take Monday and Tuesday off to turn a 1-day break into 5 consecutive days using only 2 days of annual leave.
Public holidays linked to long weekends
Holi
Wed 4 Mar
Good Friday
Fri 3 Apr
Bakrid
Wed 27 May
Milad un-Nabi
Wed 26 Aug
Republic Day
Mon 26 Jan
Rama Navami
Thu 26 Mar
Mahavir Jayanti
Tue 31 Mar
Buddha Purnima
Fri 1 May
Muharram/Ashura
Fri 26 Jun
Janmashtami
Fri 4 Sept
Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti
Fri 2 Oct
Dussehra
Tue 20 Oct
Guru Nanak Jayanti
Tue 24 Nov
Christmas
Fri 25 Dec
Continue exploring
More for India 2026
Public holidays
Public holidays in India 2026
Full list of 17 public holidays with dates and observance notes.
Working days
Working days in India 2026
Monthly breakdown of weekdays minus public holidays.
Other year
Long weekends in India 2027
Same bridge day analysis for 2027.
Country overview
India holidays overview
All years at a glance — upcoming public holidays.
Calculator
Working Days Between Two Dates
Net working days for any date range — public holidays excluded, 192 countries.
Frequently asked questions
How many long weekends does India have in 2026?
India has 14 long weekends in 2026 where a public holiday creates a break of three or more consecutive days.
What is a bridge day?
A bridge day is a regular working day that falls between a public holiday and a weekend. Taking it as annual leave creates an uninterrupted break of four or more days using just one or two days of paid leave — maximising your time off.
What is the longest long weekend in India in 2026?
The longest break is 5 days from Saturday, 28 February 2026 to Wednesday, 4 March 2026, centred around Holi (taking Monday and Tuesday as annual leave).
How can I get the most days off with the least leave in India 2026?
The best bridge day opportunity is around Holi (Wed 4 Mar). Take Monday and Tuesday as annual leave to get a 5-day break using only 2 days of paid leave.
Are bridge days public holidays in India?
No. Bridge days are ordinary working days — employees choose to take them as paid annual leave. They are not legally mandated public holidays.