OFFISTRIPOpen the calculator →Long weekends in 2027: where to go and what leave to take
By Amit, who runs Offistrip, a corporate travel and MICE company in India.
Only 2 of the 8 breaks fall in the second half of the year, and all 5 holiday dates lost to weekends do. The good ones are below.
The central government calendar has 17 holidays in 2027. 5 of those dates land on a Saturday or Sunday with no substitute day, so they add nothing. That leaves 8 breaks worth planning around. The best value is Ram Navami + Mahavir Jayanti, 15 to 19 Apr: 5 days off for 1 day of leave. The longest break without moon-dependent dates is Holi + Good Friday, 20 to 28 Mar: 9 days off for 3 days of leave. Diwali is Friday 29 October, a free 3-day weekend.
Note: Ram Navami and Holi are on the list for central offices in Delhi, but offices in other states choose their own holidays from the same set, so the breaks built around them may not apply to you. The best value that needs no Delhi-picked or moon-dependent holiday is Republic Day, 23 to 26 Jan: 4 days off for 1 day of leave.
How many long weekends are there in 2027?
4 long weekends need no leave at all. The 8 breaks offer 13 windows between them once you count the ones that use leave: 4 need no leave, 4 need 1 day of leave, 3 need 2 days of leave and 2 need 3 days of leave. Other calendars quote anything from 5 to 9 (checked 20 September 2026) because they count differently. Some only count holidays that give three days off with no leave, others include bridge days. This page shows every window and says which is which, so you can pick the definition that matches how much leave you are willing to spend.
Long weekends in 2027, month by month
Long weekends fall in 7 of the 12 months. February, July, September, November and December have none.
| January | Republic Day
|
|---|---|
| February | No long weekend. The central list has no holiday this month. |
| March | Id-ul-Fitr - date depends on the moon
Holi + Good Friday
|
| April | Ram Navami + Mahavir Jayanti
|
| May | Bakrid + Buddha Purnima - date depends on the moon
|
| June | Muharram - date depends on the moon
|
| July | No long weekend. The central list has no holiday this month. |
| August | Janmashtami
|
| September | No long weekend. The central list has no holiday this month. |
| October | Diwali
|
| November | No long weekend. Guru Nanak Jayanti is Sunday 14 November, a day off already, so it adds nothing. |
| December | No long weekend. Christmas is Saturday 25 December, a day off already, so it adds nothing. |
Every break in 2027, and the leave that stretches it
A break starts and ends on a day off. Leave is only spent on working days that sit between days off, which is what turns a Thursday holiday into Thursday to Sunday.
| Break | Dates | Days off | Take leave on | Days off per leave day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Republic Day | 23 to 26 Jan | 4 | Mon 25 Jan | 4.0 |
Id-ul-Fitr date depends on the moon | 6 to 10 Mar | 5 | Mon 8 Mar, Tue 9 Mar | 2.5 |
Holi + Good Friday on the Delhi list, varies by state | 26 to 28 Mar | 3 | None | no leave |
| 20 to 23 Mar | 4 | Mon 22 Mar | 4.0 | |
| 20 to 28 Mar | 9 | Mon 22 Mar, Wed 24 Mar, Thu 25 Mar | 3.0 | |
Ram Navami + Mahavir Jayanti on the Delhi list, varies by state | 17 to 19 Apr | 3 | None | no leave |
| 15 to 19 Apr | 5 | Fri 16 Apr | 5.0 | |
Bakrid + Buddha Purnima date depends on the moon | 15 to 17 May | 3 | None | no leave |
| 20 to 23 May | 4 | Fri 21 May | 4.0 | |
| 15 to 23 May | 9 | Tue 18 May, Wed 19 May, Fri 21 May | 3.0 | |
Muharram date depends on the moon | 12 to 16 Jun | 5 | Mon 14 Jun, Tue 15 Jun | 2.5 |
Janmashtami on the Delhi list, varies by state | 21 to 25 Aug | 5 | Mon 23 Aug, Tue 24 Aug | 2.5 |
Diwali | 29 to 31 Oct | 3 | None | no leave |
Breaks that overlap are grouped, with up to three options each: no leave, best value, longest. Id-ul-Fitr (Wed 10 Mar), Bakrid (Mon 17 May), Muharram (Wed 16 Jun), Id-e-Milad (Sun 15 Aug) depend on moon sighting and can move by a day or two. Holi, Ram Navami and Janmashtami are holidays for central offices in Delhi that other states choose for themselves, so check your own company calendar.
Holidays lost to weekends in 2027
When a holiday lands on a Saturday or Sunday, no substitute day is granted, so it gives nothing extra. The government order says so directly (para 3.2). In 2027 that happens on 5 dates:
- Independence Day and Id-e-Milad - Sunday 15 August
- Gandhi Jayanti - Saturday 2 October
- Dussehra - Saturday 9 October
- Guru Nanak Jayanti - Sunday 14 November
- Christmas - Saturday 25 December
Diwali gets better in 2027, Christmas gets worse
The same two holidays swap places between the two years.
- Diwali: Sunday 8 November in 2026, an already-off day, so it adds nothing. Friday 29 October in 2027, which gives 3 days off (29 to 31 Oct) with no leave.
- Christmas: Friday 25 December in 2026, which gives 3 days off with no leave. Saturday 25 December in 2027, which adds nothing.
Where to go on each break
For each break, destinations that are in season that month and sensible for the number of days. Short breaks stay close in India; five days opens a nonstop neighbour; longer ones make the more distant trips worth the fare. Flights are round trip for two people, ex-Delhi, flights only.
- Jaipur - flights for two ₹14,000, no visa needed
- Amritsar - flights for two ₹14,300, no visa needed
- Udaipur - flights for two ₹35,000, no visa needed
- Nepal - flights for two ₹36,000, Visa-free
- Sri Lanka - flights for two ₹61,200, Visa-free
- Amritsar - flights for two ₹14,300, no visa needed
- Lapland - flights for two ₹1,55,000, Visa required, about ₹12,000 per person
- Tokyo - flights for two ₹1,16,000, e-Visa required, about ₹2,700 per person
- Maldives - flights for two ₹71,400, Visa-free
- Nepal - flights for two ₹36,000, Visa-free
- Baku - flights for two ₹76,000, e-Visa required, about ₹2,450 per person
- Shimla - flights for two ₹29,000, no visa needed
- Mauritius - flights for two ₹1,35,600, Visa-free
- Tokyo - flights for two ₹1,16,000, e-Visa required, about ₹2,700 per person
- Baku - flights for two ₹76,000, e-Visa required, about ₹2,450 per person
- Almaty - flights for two ₹48,000, Visa-free
- Baku - flights for two ₹76,000, e-Visa required, about ₹2,450 per person
- Kashmir - flights for two ₹24,400, no visa needed
- Kashmir - flights for two ₹24,400, no visa needed
- Ladakh - flights for two ₹28,500, no visa needed
- Amritsar - flights for two ₹14,300, no visa needed
- Shimla - flights for two ₹29,000, no visa needed
- Rishikesh - flights for two ₹13,800, no visa needed
These are flights only. Land arrangements vary by trip and are best priced with a real operator once you know where you are headed. Full visa detail for every destination is on the visa-free countries page.
Try your own leave budget →Common questions
- How many long weekends are there in 2027 in India?
- 4 long weekends need no leave at all. The 8 breaks offer 13 windows between them once you count the ones that use leave: 4 need no leave, 4 need 1 day of leave, 3 need 2 days of leave and 2 need 3 days of leave. Other calendars quote anything from 5 to 9 (checked 20 September 2026) because they count differently: some only count holidays that give 3 days off with no leave, others include bridge days.
- What are the long weekends in 2027 in India?
- 8 breaks: Republic Day (23 to 26 Jan, 4 days, 1 day of leave). Id-ul-Fitr (6 to 10 Mar, 5 days, 2 days of leave) - moon-dependent. Holi + Good Friday (26 to 28 Mar, 3 days, no leave; 20 to 23 Mar, 4 days, 1 day of leave; 20 to 28 Mar, 9 days, 3 days of leave). Ram Navami + Mahavir Jayanti (17 to 19 Apr, 3 days, no leave; 15 to 19 Apr, 5 days, 1 day of leave). Bakrid + Buddha Purnima (15 to 17 May, 3 days, no leave; 20 to 23 May, 4 days, 1 day of leave; 15 to 23 May, 9 days, 3 days of leave) - moon-dependent. Muharram (12 to 16 Jun, 5 days, 2 days of leave) - moon-dependent. Janmashtami (21 to 25 Aug, 5 days, 2 days of leave). Diwali (29 to 31 Oct, 3 days, no leave). Dates come from the central government holiday list; your company's list may differ.
- Which holidays fall on a weekend in 2027?
- 5 dates land on a Saturday or Sunday with no substitute day, so they add no extra day off: Independence Day and Id-e-Milad (Sunday 15 August); Gandhi Jayanti (Saturday 2 October); Dussehra (Saturday 9 October); Guru Nanak Jayanti (Sunday 14 November); Christmas (Saturday 25 December).
- Which months have no long weekend in 2027?
- February, July, September, November and December have no long weekend in 2027 on the central government list. Long weekends fall in January, March, April, May, June, August and October.
- What is the best long weekend in 2027 for the least leave?
- Ram Navami + Mahavir Jayanti, 15 to 19 Apr: 5 days off for 1 day of leave, which is 5.0 days off per day of leave. The longest break without moon-dependent dates is Holi + Good Friday, 20 to 28 Mar: 9 days off for 3 days of leave. The best value that needs no Delhi-picked or moon-dependent holiday is Republic Day, 23 to 26 Jan: 4 days off for 1 day of leave.
- Is Diwali 2027 a long weekend?
- Yes. Diwali 2027 is Friday 29 October, which gives 3 days off (29 to 31 Oct) with no leave. It is the opposite of 2026, when Diwali fell on Sunday 8 November, an already-off day, and added nothing.
- Is Christmas 2027 a long weekend?
- No. Christmas 2027 is Saturday 25 December and no substitute weekday is given, so it adds no extra day off. Christmas 2026 is Friday 25 December and gives 3 days off with no leave.
- Is Republic Day 2027 a long weekend?
- Republic Day 2027 is Tuesday 26 January. Options: 23 to 26 Jan (4 days, 1 day of leave).
- Is Holi 2027 a long weekend?
- Holi 2027 is Tuesday 23 March. Options: 26 to 28 Mar (3 days, no leave); 20 to 23 Mar (4 days, 1 day of leave); 20 to 28 Mar (9 days, 3 days of leave).
- Which 2027 holiday dates can change?
- Id-ul-Fitr (Wed 10 Mar), Bakrid (Mon 17 May), Muharram (Wed 16 Jun), Id-e-Milad (Sun 15 Aug) depend on moon sighting and can move by a day or two; the government order names exactly these four as movable. Banks and state governments follow their own calendars too.
- Are Holi, Ram Navami and Janmashtami holidays for everyone?
- They are on the 2027 list for central government offices in Delhi, where the Department of Personnel and Training picked them out of 12 optional holidays. Central offices in other states choose their own three from the same 12, so these dates may not apply there. Private companies and state governments set their own lists, so check yours before planning around them.
- Can restricted holidays make a 2027 long weekend longer?
- Central government employees in Delhi can take any two Restricted Holidays of their choice on top of the 17 listed holidays. A restricted holiday on a Monday or Friday beside a weekend or one of these breaks adds a day without using casual leave. Private employers usually have their own rules, such as a floating holiday, so ask HR.
Methodology
Dates follow Annexure-I of the Department of Personnel and Training order F.No.12/2/2023-JCA dated 16 July 2026, the holiday list for central government offices in Delhi. On 20 September 2026 we read the order's text as published by StaffNews and GovtStaff, and all 17 dates and weekdays matched. We did not open the PDF scan of the order itself. Breaks are computed by the same engine behind the long-weekend planner: a break must be at least 3 days long and each day of leave must buy at least 2.5 days off. Your company's list may differ from the central one, and banks and state governments follow their own calendars. Flight fares come from our own checked fares; see the full pricing methodology. Fares move, so treat these as a starting point, not a locked quote.
Diwali 2026 falls on a Sunday; see Diwali vacation 2026. Planning for your whole team instead? Budget a corporate offsite.