Plan well and you can finally stop fretting about missing too many days off work and take that trip you’ve been dreaming of. Scroll down for our complete list of long weekend holidays in India in 2019.

Long weekends in January 2019

Saturday, 12 Jan

Sunday, 13 Jan

Monday, 14 Jan: Makar Sankranti/Pongal

Consider: Ahmedabad, Gujrat for the International Kite Festival (6-14 Jan); Bikaner, Rajasthan for the Bikaner Camel Fair (12-13 Jan); Skiing trip to Auli, Uttarakhand; Kutch Gujrat for the White desert.

Long weekends in February—March 2019

Thursday, 28 Feb: Maharshi Dayananad Saraswati Jayanti (Restricted)

Friday, 1 March: Take leave

Saturday, 2 March

Sunday, 3 March

Monday, 4 March: Maha Shivaratri

Consider: Madhya Pradesh for the Pench National Park; Udaipur for its rich heritage; Kodaikanal for trekking; Gulmarg for skiing; Kaziranga National Park in Assam; Nashik for Sula Vineyard; Lakshadweep for blue seas and beaches; Coorg for fresh air.

Thursday, 21 March: Holi

Friday, 22 March: Take leave

Saturday, 23 March

Sunday, 24 March

Consider: Vrindavan-Mathura for Holi; Ooty for picturesque views; Ranthambore, Rajasthan for wildlife spotting; Sikkim for a peaceful getaway; Mount Abu for a pilgrimage; Hampi for its ruins and landscapes.

Long weekends in April 2019

Saturday, 13 April

Sunday, 14 April: Dr Ambedkar Jayanti and Vaisakhi and Ram Navami

Monday, 15 April: Take leave/ Vishu (Restricted)

Tuesday, 16 April: Take leave

Wednesday, 17 April: Mahavir Jayanti

Friday, 19 April: Good Friday

Saturday, 20 April

Sunday, 21 April: Easter Sunday

Consider: Bali for a detox; Maldives for scuba diving; Jammu and Kashmir for the gorgeous landscape and cool weather; Dalhousie for snow-clad mountains; Sevilla for the Holy Week; Thailand for Songkran (water fight); Seychelles for the exotic islands.

Long weekends in May 2019

Thursday, 9 May: Guru Rabindranath Jayanti (Restricted)

Friday, 10 May: Take leave

Saturday, 11 May

Sunday, 12 May

Consider: Spiti for its mountainscapes; Bir Billing for paragliding; Kerala for its backwaters.

Mid year has arrived, June and July demand us to work our asses off to deserve that holiday for the rest of the year. Not a problem, let’s get our hands a little dirty with our professions and then August will be here to brighten up our lives again.

Long weekends in August 2019

Saturday, 10 Aug

Sunday, 11 Aug

Monday, 12 Aug: Bakrid (restricted)

Tuesday, 13 Aug: Take leave

Wednesday, 14 Aug: Take leave

Thursday, 15 Aug: Independence Day / Raksha Bandhan

Friday, 16 Aug: Take leave

Saturday, 17 Aug: Parsi New Year

Sunday, 18 Aug

Consider: Croatia for city life and beach life; Explore the Amalfi coast in Italy; Ha Long Bay, Vietnam for limestone islands and rainforests; Cappadocia, Turkey for a hot air balloon ride; Uttarakhand for the Valley of Flowers; Tanzania for its wildlife.

Long weekends in September 2019

 Saturday 31^st Aug

Sunday, 1 Sept

Monday, 2 Sept: Ganesh Chaturthi

Consider: Tarkarli, Maharashtra for stargazing and beach time; Daman and Diu for water skiing and camel riding; Kalimpong, West Bengal for a hill station getaway and monasteries.

Saturday, 7 Sept

Sunday, 8 Sept

Monday, 9 Sept: Take Leave

Tuesday, 10 Sept: Muharram

Wednesday, 11 Sept: Onam (Restricted)

Consider: Nainital for its lakes; Kerala for Onam; Sri Lanka for the elephant orphanage; Bundi, Rajasthan for the royal oasis; Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh for camping and the Apatani Tribe.

Long weekends in October 2019

Saturday, 5 Oct

Sunday, 6 Oct

Monday, 7 Oct: Take leave

Tuesday, 8 Oct: Dusshera and Durga Puja

Consider: Kullu, Himachal Pradesh for Dusshera celebrations; Rishikesh for river rafting; Kolkata for Durga Puja; Manas National Park, Assam for its endangered endemic wildlife such as the pygmy hog; Jodhpur for folk culture; Mysore for Dusshera.

Saturday, 26 Oct

Sunday, 27 Oct

Monday, 28 Oct: Diwali Holiday

Tuesday, 29 Oct: Bhai Dooj (Restricted)

Consider: Agra for Taj Mahal; Jaisalmer for its fort and museums; Amritsar for the Golden Temple Diwali celebrations; Varanasi for Diwali fireworks; Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh for tiger spotting.

Long weekends in November 2019

Saturday, 9 Nov

Sunday, 10 Nov: Eid e Milad

Monday, 11 Nov: Take leave

Tuesday, 12 Nov: Guru Nanak Jayanti

Consider: Rajasthan for the Pushkar Fair; Goa for nightlife; Bharatpur for bird-watching; Sundarban, West Bengal for the Royal Bengal Tigers; Manali for snow-capped Himalayan peaks.

Sadly, December is not that promising as it was in 2018!

But, nonetheless, we do take the last weekend of every year as a customary holiday to let go off our sins. Isn’t it!!

So what are you waiting for, start planning now!

– Rucha Khot