Planning a holiday is easier when you know which dates can give you longer breaks without using too much annual leave.
In 2027, several public holidays fall near weekends, while others can be combined with one or two days of leave to create extended breaks.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has released its 2027 holiday list for Central Government offices, covering occasions such as Republic Day, Holi, Good Friday, Ram Navami, Bakrid and Diwali.
Here are the dates to mark on your calendar.
January Starts The Year With A Three-Day Weekend
1. 1 to 3 January: Three Days
Friday, 1 January: New Year's Day (restricted holiday)
Saturday, 2 January: Weekend
Sunday, 3 January: Weekend
New Year's Day falls on a Friday in 2027. If your workplace observes it as a holiday, you can begin the year with a three-day break.
2. 14 to 17 January: Four Days
Thursday, 14 January: Makar Sankranti (restricted holiday)
Friday, 15 January: Pongal (restricted holiday)
Saturday, 16 January: Weekend
Sunday, 17 January: Weekend
This combination could give you four consecutive days off without using annual leave, provided your workplace observes both festival holidays.
3. 23 to 26 January: Four Days
Saturday, 23 January: Weekend
Sunday, 24 January: Weekend
Monday, 25 January: Take one leave
Tuesday, 26 January: Republic Day
Republic Day falls on a Tuesday. Taking Monday off gives you four consecutive days to plan a short trip.
March Has Two Opportunities For Longer Breaks
1. 20 to 23 March: Four Days
Saturday, 20 March: Weekend
Sunday, 21 March: Weekend
Monday, 22 March: Take one day of leave
Tuesday, 23 March: Holi
Holi falls on a Tuesday in the Central Government holiday calendar. Taking Monday off can give you four consecutive days away from work.
2. 26 to 28 March: Three Days
Friday, 26 March: Good Friday
Saturday, 27 March: Weekend
Sunday, 28 March: Weekend
Good Friday creates an automatic three-day weekend for employees whose organisations observe the holiday.
You can also combine the two breaks. If you take leave on 24 and 25 March, you could potentially get nine consecutive days off, from 20 to 28 March.
April Offers A Five-Day Break With Just One Leave
3. 15 to 19 April: Five Days
Thursday, 15 April: Ram Navami
Friday, 16 April: Take one day of leave
Saturday, 17 April: Weekend
Sunday, 18 April: Weekend
Monday, 19 April: Mahavir Jayanti
This is one of the most useful combinations in the 2027 calendar.
Ram Navami and Mahavir Jayanti fall on a Thursday and Monday, respectively. Taking Friday off can give you five consecutive days away from work.
May Brings Two More Travel Opportunities
4. 15 to 17 May: Three Days
Saturday, 15 May: Weekend
Sunday, 16 May: Weekend
Monday, 17 May: Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid)
Bakrid falls on a Monday in the DoPT calendar, creating a three-day weekend for employees whose workplaces observe the holiday.
The date may be revised depending on moon sighting.
5. 20 to 23 May: Four Days
Thursday, 20 May: Buddha Purnima
Friday, 21 May: Take one day of leave
Saturday, 22 May: Weekend
Sunday, 23 May: Weekend
Buddha Purnima falls on a Thursday. Taking Friday off can give you four consecutive days for a short getaway.
February And March Also Have Optional Long Weekends
Not every long weekend comes from a gazetted holiday. Some dates in the restricted holiday list can also help you plan a break, depending on your workplace.
6. 19 to 21 February: Three Days
Friday, 19 February: Shivaji Jayanti (restricted holiday)
Saturday, 20 February: Weekend
Sunday, 21 February: Weekend
If your workplace observes Shivaji Jayanti as a holiday, you can get a three-day weekend.
7. 5 to 7 March: Three Days
Friday, 5 March: Jamat-ul-Vida (restricted holiday)
Saturday, 6 March: Weekend
Sunday, 7 March: Weekend
This is another possible three-day break for employees who can use the restricted holiday.
July Gives You A Mid-Year Break
8. 3 to 5 July: Three Days
Saturday, 3 July: Weekend
Sunday, 4 July: Weekend
Monday, 5 July: Rath Yatra (restricted holiday)
If your organisation observes Rath Yatra as a holiday, you can use the Monday break for a short getaway.
October Has Multiple Holiday Opportunities
9. 8 to 10 October: Three Days
Friday, 8 October: Mahanavami (restricted holiday)
Saturday, 9 October: Dussehra
Sunday, 10 October: Weekend
Mahanavami falls on a Friday, while Dussehra is on Saturday. Employees whose workplaces observe both dates as holidays can get three consecutive days off.
10. 15 to 18 October: Four Days
Friday, 15 October: Maharishi Valmiki's Birthday (restricted holiday)
Saturday, 16 October: Weekend
Sunday, 17 October: Weekend
Monday, 18 October: Karwa Chauth (restricted holiday)
This combination could give you four consecutive days away from work if your organisation observes both restricted holidays.
11. 29 to 31 October: Three Days
Friday, 29 October: Diwali
Saturday, 30 October: Weekend
Sunday, 31 October: Weekend
Diwali falls on a Friday in 2027, making it an automatic three-day weekend for employees whose workplaces observe the festival on this date.
However, some states observe Diwali on Naraka Chaturdashi, which falls on Thursday, 28 October. The actual holiday may therefore differ depending on the state.
December Ends The Year With A Festive Break
12. 24 to 26 December: Three Days
Friday, 24 December: Christmas Eve (restricted holiday)
Saturday, 25 December: Christmas
Sunday, 26 December: Weekend
Christmas falls on a Saturday in 2027. Employees whose workplaces recognise Christmas Eve as a holiday can potentially get three consecutive days off.
This is subject to the applicable workplace holiday policy.
Before You Book Those Tickets, Check This
India has no uniform holiday calendar. Central Government offices in Delhi observe gazetted holidays and allow employees to choose two restricted holidays. Offices elsewhere observe 14 compulsory and three locally selected holidays.
State governments, banks, private companies and educational institutions may follow different calendars. Eid and Bakrid dates may also change based on moon sightings and official announcements.
Restricted holidays are not automatically available to everyone. Check your organisation’s holiday calendar before booking travel.
TL;DR | News At A Glance
When is the first long weekend in 2027?
New Year's Day falls on Friday, 1 January. If your workplace observes it as a holiday, you can get three consecutive days off.
Which months offer the most opportunities for long weekends?
January, March, April, May and October have several opportunities to combine public or restricted holidays with regular weekends.
When can you get five consecutive days off in 2027?
15 to 19 April. Taking Friday, 16 April off between Ram Navami and Mahavir Jayanti can give you five consecutive days.
When is Diwali in 2027?
Diwali falls on Friday, 29 October, creating a potential three-day weekend.
Can you get a nine-day break in March?
Yes. If you have Monday, 22 March off for Holika Dahan and take leave on 24 and 25 March, you could get nine consecutive days off, from 20–28 March.
Do these dates apply to everyone in India?
No. State governments, private companies, banks and educational institutions may follow different holiday calendars. Restricted holidays also depend on workplace rules.
