We saw in 2023 that there were hardly any long weekends without a day off from work. Almost all the 13–15 long weekends in the last year were considered long only with a day or two days off. But, to our surprise, this year 2024 has surprised us with true long weekends without troubling us to take many leaves to plan our holidays. So, with no further delay, let’s go over the list of long weekends in 2024, especially in India.
Important points to note
The weekends are listed month-wise in this article for easy reference.
The long weekends listed below are truly long, with a mix of national holidays, festivals, etc.
All these are promising mini-vacations. So, plan your trip well ahead and cherish the whole year with fun and frolic.
This list does not include the stranded public holidays occurring in the middle of the week.
This is a complete list of long weekends of 2024 that exclude the 2024 New Year’s weekend.
January 2024: 2 weekends
Makar Sankranti or Pongal
Dates: 13th – 15th January
Days: Saturday – Monday
Republic Day
Dates: 26th – 28th January
Days: Friday – Sunday
February 2024: No weekend
March 2024: 3 weekends
Maha Shivratri
Dates: 8th – 10th March
Days: Friday – Sunday
Holi
Dates: 23rd – 25th March
Days: Saturday – Monday
Good Friday/Easter
Dates: 29th – 31st March
Days: Friday – Sunday
April 2024: 1 weekend
Eid-ul-Fitr
Dates: 6th – 9th April
Days: Saturday – Tuesday
(You may have to take a day off on Monday as Eid-ul-Fitr falls on Tuesday.)
May 2024: 1 weekend
Buddha Purnima
Dates: 23rd – 26th May
Days: Thursday – Sunday
It is a 4-day-long weekend in India. But you may have to take a day off on Friday as Budhha Purnima falls on Thursday.
June 2024: 1 weekend
Eid al-Adha or Bakri-Id
Dates: 15th – 17th June
Days: Saturday – Monday
July 2024: No weekend
August 2024: 2 weekends
Independence Day & Raksha Bandhan
Dates: 15th – 19th August
Days: Thursday – Monday
It is the next long weekend in India, with four days, provided your organization considers Raksha Bandhan an optional holiday.
Janmashthami
Dates: 24th – 26th August
Days: Saturday – Monday
September 2024: 2 weekends
Onam & Ganesh Chaturthi
Dates: 5th – 8th September
Days: Thursday – Sunday
Eid Milad Un Nabi or Id-E-Milad
Dates: 14th – 16th September
Days: Saturday – Monday
October 2024: 1 weekend
Dussehra
Dates: 11th – 13th October
Days: Friday – Sunday
November 2024: 2 weekends
Diwali
Dates: 1st – 3rd November
Days: Friday – Sunday
(You may have to take a day off on Friday as Diwali falls on Thursday.)
Guru Nanak Jayanti
Dates: 15th – 17th November
Days: Friday – Sunday
December 2024: No weekend
FAQs
1. How to plan a long weekend in 2024?
The long weekends are meant to be enjoyed with your family, friends, and colleagues. So, don’t miss even a single long weekend. Alternatively, if you’re thinking of relaxing on the sofa at home or binge-watching Netflix, that could be the worst decision. Just plan your weekend, go out, breathe fresh air, have some fun, vent out your stress, and return with full rejuvenation and energy to resume your work. This is how a long weekend needs to be planned.
2. How many long weekends are there in 2024 India?
Out of the 52 weekends in 2024, you have 15 long weekends for which you can plan your vacation. Of these 15, almost all are 3-day weekends and only a couple of them are 4-day long weekends. Accordingly, you can plan your short trips and gateway tours. Explore Travel agency packages from Emperor Traveline, one of the leading tour operators in India—they’ll let you know potential tourist destinations this year, travel tips, new trending tourist places, visa help, etc.
3. How many govt holidays in 2024?
The central government of India has released 2024’s list of seventeen gazetted (official) holidays and thirty-one restricted (regional or optional) holidays. Together, the public holidays (national holidays) are forty-eight. For a detailed list, check out this Indian Express article!