Leave Planning · India 2026 · Updated June 2026
8 Leaves. 20 Days Off. The 2026 Map.
Every gazetted holiday in India 2026, every bridge leave opportunity, and the exact dates to request leave for maximum continuous time — mapped for international travel planning.
Every salaried Indian has roughly 12–15 paid leaves per year. The number that matters is how you arrange them around gazetted holidays and weekends. A poorly timed leave gives you 5 days off. A well-timed leave around the same holidays gives you 9. This guide maps every 2026 gazetted holiday, every bridge opportunity, and every strategic window for international travel.
Full India DoPT Gazetted Holiday List 2026
These are the Central Government gazetted holidays for 2026. State governments may add additional holidays — check your state's official list. Private sector employers follow varying schedules; confirm your company's specific holiday list.
January–March 2026
Republic Day: January 26 (Monday). Maha Shivaratri: February 26 (Thursday). Holi: March 4 (Wednesday). Good Friday: April 3 (Friday).
April–June 2026
Ram Navami: April 6 (Monday). Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti: April 14 (Tuesday). Eid-ul-Fitr: approximately March 31 or April 1 (date varies by moon sighting). Buddha Purnima: May 12 (Tuesday). Eid-ul-Adha: approximately June 7 (date varies).
August–October 2026
Independence Day: August 15 (Saturday). Janmashtami: August 22 (Saturday). Muharram: approximately July 27. Gandhi Jayanti: October 2 (Friday). Dussehra: October 20 (Tuesday).
November–December 2026
Diwali: November 8 (Sunday) — Diwali Amavasya. Guru Nanak Jayanti: November 16 (Monday). Christmas Day: December 25 (Friday).
⚠ Festival dates are lunar-based and subject to change
Best Leave Bridge Opportunities in 2026
Top Leave Bridge Windows — 2026
March–April mega window (Good Friday cluster)
Holi is March 4 (Wednesday). Good Friday is April 3 (Friday). Take March 5–6 (Thu–Fri) off — you get 5 days including the weekend. Then, if your work calendar allows, take April 6–9 (Mon–Thu) off after Good Friday (April 3) since Ram Navami is April 6 — making a 5-day Easter weekend. Two separate 5-day breaks using just 6 paid leaves.
October 2 + Dussehra cluster (Gandhi Jayanti to Dussehra)
Gandhi Jayanti is October 2 (Friday). Weekend follows. Dussehra is October 20 (Tuesday). Take October 21–23 (Wed–Fri) as leave — you get a 5-day break from October 19 (Sunday) to October 23 (Friday). Alternatively, take the week of October 19–23 as 3 leaves plus 2 weekends = 9 days off using just 3 paid leaves.
Diwali extended break (November 6–10)
Diwali Amavasya (gazetted) is November 8 (Sunday). Diwali celebrations typically span 5 days — Dhanteras through Bhai Dooj. Guru Nanak Jayanti is November 16 (Monday). Taking November 9–14 (6 working days) off around this cluster gives you 17 continuous days off from November 6 (Friday) to November 22 (Sunday). This is the single largest leave window of 2026.
Republic Day bridge (January 26)
Republic Day is January 26 (Monday). This is a natural 3-day weekend (Sat–Sun–Mon) with no bridging needed. Take January 27–30 (Tue–Fri) as 4 paid leaves — you get 9 continuous days off from January 24 (Saturday) to February 1 (Sunday). Excellent for a 7–8 day international trip.
Christmas–New Year bridge (December 25–Jan 1)
Christmas is December 25 (Friday). New Year is January 1, 2027 (Friday). Take December 26, 29, 30, 31 (4 days) as paid leave — you get 10 days off from December 25 (Thursday evening) to January 4, 2027 (Monday). One of the most popular international travel windows but also the most expensive.
20-Day Strategies: Maximum Leave Value
November mega window (best of 2026)
- ·Dates: November 6 (Fri) to November 22 (Sun)
- ·Total days off: 17 continuous days
- ·Paid leave required: 6 days (Mon Nov 9 to Sat Nov 15, less Guru Nanak Jayanti Nov 16)
- ·Cost context: Diwali period has elevated flight prices — book 8–10 weeks ahead
- ·Best for: Southeast Asia, Europe (post-monsoon, pre-winter)
March–April window
- ✓Dates: March 1 (Sun) to April 5 (Sun) — spread across two sub-windows
- ✓Total: Two separate 5-day breaks using 6 combined paid leaves
- ✓Paid leave required: 3 days each sub-window around Holi and Good Friday
- ✓Cost context: March–April fares are reasonable — not peak season
- ✓Best for: Southeast Asia, Middle East, Sri Lanka (good weather in March)
💡 State holidays multiply your options
Matching 2026 Leave Windows to International Trips
January 24 – February 1 (Republic Day bridge)
Destination match: Southeast Asia (Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Bali). Weather: excellent in all three cities. Flights: January is not peak season — reasonably priced. A DEL–BKK deal in January at Rs. 18,000–24,000 return is realistic.
March–April (Holi + Good Friday)
Two separate trips or one longer trip split around Holi and Easter. Middle East in March is ideal weather (25–32 degrees). Dubai flights in March from Rs. 16,000–24,000 return. Southeast Asia also excellent in April.
October 19–23 (Dussehra bridge)
Destination match: Singapore, Sri Lanka, Maldives. October is shoulder season in Southeast Asia — fares reasonable, crowds lower than November–December. A Singapore trip using this window: 4 days, 3 paid leaves, 5 nights in SIN.
November 6–22 (Diwali mega window)
Longest window of 2026. Long enough for Europe (London, Paris, Amsterdam) or beyond. Warning: Diwali period sees elevated demand for flights from India — book by August–September for this window. A 10-day Europe trip in this window is realistic with 6 paid leaves.
December 25 – January 1 (Christmas–New Year)
Most popular international travel window from India — also most expensive. Flights to all Southeast Asian destinations, Middle East, and Europe peak at this time. If you have leave budget and flexibility, the Diwali window is better value. Book December travel by September.
State Variations and Private Sector Notes
Important Caveats Before Planning Around This List
Private sector companies set their own holiday lists
The DoPT list governs Central Government employees. Most private sector companies publish their own annual holiday list (typically 12–16 holidays per year). Some follow the DoPT list closely, others substitute different festivals. Request your company's 2026 holiday list from HR before planning leave bridges.
State governments add significant holidays
Maharashtra adds Gudi Padwa. Karnataka adds Kannada Rajyotsava. Tamil Nadu adds Pongal and Tamil New Year. Kerala adds Onam. These state holidays create additional bridge opportunities not reflected in this guide. If you are in a state-government-heavy region or your company follows state holidays, you have more flexibility.
Weekend holidays lose most of their value
Independence Day (August 15) falls on a Saturday in 2026. Janmashtami (August 22) also falls on a Saturday. A gazetted holiday on a weekend is typically not replaced with a compensatory day for private sector employees (unlike Central Government). These two holidays have no bridge value in 2026.
Booking at the same time as everyone else costs more
Every Indian with the same holiday calendar knows about the November and October–November windows. Flight prices during Diwali and Dussehra are elevated because demand spikes. Use Wingit to monitor for deals 2–3 months before these windows — deals on popular routes occasionally appear 8–10 weeks out.
Leave approval lead time varies by company
Submit leave requests for popular windows (Diwali, Christmas) 2–3 months in advance. In competitive approval environments, first-come first-served may mean the difference between getting the October cluster or not. Plan early.
Frequently Asked Questions
The three National Holidays (fixed) are Republic Day (January 26), Independence Day (August 15), and Gandhi Jayanti (October 2). These are mandatory across all states and employers. The Central Government adds 14 more gazetted holidays covering major religious festivals. Total Central Government holidays: 17 in 2026.
The November 6–22 window (Diwali + Guru Nanak Jayanti cluster) is the longest at 17 continuous days using only 6 paid leaves. This is long enough for a UK or Europe trip and falls in the post-monsoon, pre-winter sweet spot at most destinations. The trade-off: Diwali period flights from India are more expensive than other months.
The statutory minimum for most private sector employees under the Factories Act or Shops and Establishments Act is 12 days per year, though most IT and services companies offer 15–24 days. Central Government employees get a more generous allocation. Combined with gazetted holidays and weekends, the strategic combinations in this guide are achievable on 12+ leave days.
For the Diwali mega window (November 6–22, 2026), book flights by August–September 2026 at the latest. This window is heavily used by Indian travellers for international trips and demand drives up prices significantly. Wingit's alerts will notify you if a deal appears on your preferred route during this booking window.
Partially. The National Holidays (Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti) are guaranteed. Other gazetted holidays depend on your employer's holiday list. Request your company's 2026 gazetted holiday notification from HR — then apply the bridge leave strategy to whichever holidays your company observes. The leave arithmetic works the same way.
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Updated June 2026. Holiday dates sourced from DoPT gazetted notifications and lunar calendar calculations. Festival dates (Eid, Muharram) are approximate — confirm official dates closer to the time. Always verify your employer's specific holiday list before planning leave.
Related: Best time to book international flights from India · How to read a flight deal
