OFFISTRIPOpen the calculator →Diwali vacation and holidays 2026: dates, leave, where to go
By Amit, who runs Offistrip, a corporate travel and MICE company in India.
Diwali falls on a Sunday this year - the honest implications of that are stated plainly below, not glossed over to sell a 'long weekend' angle that doesn't quite hold.
Diwali is Sunday, 8 November 2026. Because it lands on a day that's already off, it doesn't automatically create a long weekend the way a midweek holiday would - one day of leave either side gets you a real three or four-day break, not the holiday alone. What actually matters for planning a Diwali vacation is different: November happens to be one of the best months to travel, both across India and abroad, regardless of the exact leave math.
What's actually in season in November
Of the 21 domestic and 24 international destinations Offistrip prices, 19 domestic and 15 international are genuinely in season in November - computed from real climate data, not a trending tag.
Goa, Jaipur, Udaipur, Coorg, Rishikesh, Amritsar, Pondicherry, Ooty, Mussoorie, Mahabaleshwar, Mount Abu, Shimla, Manali, Munnar, Wayanad, Kerala Backwaters, Andaman, Sikkim (Gangtok), Meghalaya (Shillong)
Bangkok / Pattaya, Phuket, Dubai, Vietnam, Nepal, Maldives, Abu Dhabi, Mauritius, Bhutan, Baku, Muscat, Siem Reap, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong
Visa-free and in season - the useful overlap
With a short window around one weekend, a visa application can be the difference between going and not going. Bangkok / Pattaya, Phuket, Nepal, Maldives, Mauritius, Bhutan, Hong Kong are all visa-free for Indian passport holders and in season this November - no application, no lead time to plan around. Full visa breakdown for every destination, including visa-on-arrival and e-visa options, is on the visa-free countries page.
What it actually costs
Real round-trip flight fares for two people, ex-Delhi:
| Destination | Flights for 2 | Visa |
|---|---|---|
| Goa | ₹26,000 | Not applicable |
| Bangkok | ₹58,800 | Visa-free, up to 30 days |
| Bhutan | ₹98,000 | No visa, but ₹4,800 SDF for 2 people, 2 nights |
These are flights only - land, stay and activities vary by trip and are best priced with a real operator once you know where you're headed. Land arrangements get quoted separately once you request a match, the same as everywhere else on this site.
Plan your Diwali trip →Common questions
- When is Diwali in 2026?
- Sunday, 8 November 2026, per the central government holiday list.
- How many days of holiday do you get for Diwali 2026?
- No extra day. Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026, which is already a non-working day, so it does not add a day off the way a Thursday or Friday holiday would. One day of leave on Friday 6 or Monday 9 November makes a three-day break, and taking both makes four days (Friday 6 to Monday 9 November).
- Is Diwali 2026 a long weekend?
- Not automatically. Diwali falls on a Sunday this year, which is already a non-working day, so the holiday itself doesn't create an extra day off the way a Thursday or Friday holiday would. Taking Friday 6 November as leave gives a genuine 3-day stretch (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) for one day of leave; adding Monday 9 November extends it to four days for two days of leave.
- Where should I go for a Diwali vacation in 2026?
- 19 domestic and 15 international destinations Offistrip prices are genuinely in season in November, not just popular year-round picks. Goa, Jaipur and Udaipur lead the domestic list; Bangkok, Dubai and the Maldives lead international, based on real climate data for the month, not a "trending" tag.
- Which visa-free countries are in season for a Diwali trip?
- Bangkok / Pattaya, Phuket, Nepal, Maldives, Mauritius, Bhutan, Hong Kong are all visa-free for Indian passport holders and in season in November - useful if a short window around the holiday doesn't leave time for a visa application. Full visa breakdown, including visa-on-arrival and e-visa options, on the visa-free countries page.
Methodology
Diwali's date comes from the central government holiday list already used on the long-weekend planner. In-season status is computed live from real climate data for November - see the full pricing methodology for how flight fares and visa costs are checked. This page was built and checked on 16 September 2026; travel dates and fares move, so treat it as a starting point, not a locked quote.
Diwali 2027 is a different story: see the long weekends of 2027.
Planning for your whole team instead of yourself? Budget a corporate offsite or see the Offistrip Corporate Offsite Price Index.