Long weekends in India 2027, and how to plan your leave
Every long weekend in India in 2027 from the central government holiday list, and how to stretch Holi, Good Friday, Bakrid and Diwali with a few days of leave.
If you are planning holidays for 2027, here is the short version: there are four long weekends you get without taking any leave, and a handful of clever leave days can turn Holi and Good Friday or Bakrid and Buddha Purnima into nine-day breaks.
This guide is based on the Union government's 2027 holiday list for central government offices in Delhi, issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on 16 July 2026, and assumes a five-day week with Saturdays and Sundays off. State governments, banks and private employers have their own lists, so check yours.
Key points
- Four free long weekends: Good Friday (26 to 28 March), Mahavir Jayanti (17 to 19 April), Bakrid (15 to 17 May, subject to the moon) and Diwali (29 to 31 October).
- Best deal: 2 days of leave plus Holika Dahan (a restricted holiday) gives 9 days off from 20 to 28 March.
- 1 day of leave on 16 April gives 5 days off from 15 to 19 April (Ram Navami to Mahavir Jayanti).
- 6 of the 17 gazetted holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday in 2027, so they give no extra day off.
- Central government staff can take only two restricted holidays a year; plan which two carefully.
The four free long weekends of 2027
These need no leave at all for anyone with Saturdays and Sundays off.
| Long weekend | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Good Friday and Easter | Fri 26 to Sun 28 March | 3 |
| Mahavir Jayanti | Sat 17 to Mon 19 April | 3 |
| Bakrid (Eid al-Adha) | Sat 15 to Mon 17 May (if the moon allows) | 3 |
| Diwali | Fri 29 to Sun 31 October | 3 |
Long weekends with a restricted holiday
Central government staff can choose two restricted holidays (RH) a year from a separate list. These can create more long weekends without using leave:
| Weekend | Restricted holiday | Days off |
|---|---|---|
| New Year | Fri 1 Jan (New Year's Day) | Fri 1 to Sun 3 January |
| Pongal | Fri 15 Jan (Pongal) | Fri 15 to Sun 17 January |
| Holi | Mon 22 Mar (Holika Dahan) | Sat 20 to Tue 23 March (Holi is a gazetted holiday on 23 March) |
| Dussehra | Fri 8 Oct (Mahanavami) | Fri 8 to Sun 10 October |
| Karva Chauth | Mon 18 Oct | Sat 16 to Mon 18 October |
| Christmas | Fri 24 Dec (Christmas Eve) | Fri 24 to Sun 26 December |
Because you get only two, choose the ones that matter most to your family. Using the Holi RH, for example, opens up the biggest break of the year (below).
The best bridge holidays of 2027
These use a few days of earned leave to join holidays and weekends together.
| Break | Leave needed | Total days off |
|---|---|---|
| Holi to Easter: Sat 20 to Sun 28 March | Holika Dahan RH (22 Mar) plus leave on 24 and 25 March | 9 days |
| Ram Navami to Mahavir Jayanti: Thu 15 to Mon 19 April | Leave on Fri 16 April | 5 days |
| Bakrid to Buddha Purnima: Sat 15 to Sun 23 May | Leave on 18, 19 and 21 May | 9 days |
| Republic Day: Sat 23 to Tue 26 January | Leave on Mon 25 January | 4 days |
| Eid ul-Fitr: Wed 10 to Sun 14 March | Leave on 11 and 12 March | 5 days |
| Muharram: Wed 16 to Sun 20 June | Leave on 17 and 18 June | 5 days |
| Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan: Sat 14 to Tue 17 August | Leave on Mon 16 Aug plus Raksha Bandhan RH (17 Aug) | 4 days |
| Janmashtami: Wed 25 to Sun 29 August | Leave on 26 and 27 August | 5 days |
| Diwali week: Wed 27 to Sun 31 October | Leave on 27 and 28 October | 5 days |
| Chhath: Thu 4 to Sun 7 November | Chhath RH (4 Nov) plus leave on 5 November | 4 days |
Eid ul-Fitr, Bakrid and Muharram dates depend on the moon and can move by a day. Keep your bookings flexible around them.
Holidays that fall on a weekend in 2027
2027 is not a generous year for weekend-falling holidays. These gazetted holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday, and the government gives no substitute day off:
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| Independence Day and Milad-un-Nabi | Sun 15 August |
| Gandhi Jayanti | Sat 2 October |
| Dussehra | Sat 9 October |
| Guru Nanak Jayanti | Sun 14 November |
| Christmas | Sat 25 December |
That is 6 of the 17 gazetted holidays. If your office works on Saturdays, Gandhi Jayanti, Dussehra and Christmas will still be days off for you.
Month-by-month quick guide
- January: New Year (Fri 1), Pongal weekend (15 to 17), Republic Day (Tue 26).
- February: No gazetted holidays; Basant Panchami (Thu 11) and Guru Ravidas Jayanti (Sat 20) are restricted holidays.
- March: The best month of the year: Eid ul-Fitr (Wed 10), Holi (Tue 23), Good Friday (Fri 26).
- April: Ram Navami (Thu 15) and Mahavir Jayanti (Mon 19), with Baisakhi and regional New Years around them.
- May: Bakrid (Mon 17) and Buddha Purnima (Thu 20) in the same week.
- June: Muharram (Wed 16).
- July: No gazetted holidays.
- August: Independence Day (Sun 15), Raksha Bandhan (Tue 17, RH), Janmashtami (Wed 25).
- September: No gazetted holidays; Ganesh Chaturthi (Sat 4) and Onam (Sun 12) are restricted and fall on weekends.
- October: Gandhi Jayanti (Sat 2), Dussehra (Sat 9), Diwali (Fri 29).
- November: Chhath (Thu 4, RH), Guru Nanak Jayanti (Sun 14).
- December: Christmas (Sat 25).
Tips for planning your 2027 leave
- Book the big ones now: Holi, Diwali and the Christmas to New Year week are the busiest travel periods. Trains open for booking 60 days in advance; flights get expensive weeks before.
- Check your own calendar: State holidays, bank holidays (published by the RBI) and company holidays can be very different from the central list.
- Use the quiet months: February, July and September have no gazetted holidays, which makes them good months for off-season travel and cheaper hotels.
- Leave for festivals at home: If your family celebrates Pongal, Onam, Bihu, Chhath or Durga Puja, apply for leave early; these are the weeks when everyone from your region wants the same days off.
- Watch the moon: For Eid and Muharram trips, keep a day of flexibility in your plans.
- Families with children: School summer vacations in most of north India run from late May to June, and the Bakrid to Buddha Purnima week in mid-May falls just before them. If you have school-age children, that week and the Diwali break are the easiest times to travel together.
See every festival and its date in our full festival calendar for 2027.
Mark March, April and May in your 2027 diary now. With a little planning, that is where most of the year's best breaks are hiding.
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