Long Weekends in January 2026: Know When the 2nd Major Long Weekend Holiday Is This Month and Popular Destinations To Visit During Holiday Window
People are looking online to know how many long weekends there are in January 2026 as they eagerly await the second major holiday window, which is approaching toward the end of the month, centred around Republic Day 2026 (R-Day) on Monday, January 26. Scroll below to know more about the long weekend holiday from January 23 to January 26.
Mumbai, January 6: The start of 2026 is proving to be exceptionally favourable for travellers and professionals in India alike, with January offering two significant long weekend opportunities. People are looking online to know how many long weekends there are in January 2026. While many across the country are currently wrapping up an extended four-day New Year break, several are eagerly awaiting the second major holiday window, which is approaching toward the end of the month, centred around Republic Day 2026 (R-Day) on Monday, January 26.
Notably, these January calendar alignments have triggered a surge in early-year domestic tourism, as citizens look to leverage gazetted holidays and restricted leave options to secure extended time off without significant depletion of their annual leave balance. So, how many long weekend holidays are there in the first month of the New Year? Scroll below to know more. Holiday Calendar 2026: Month-Wise List of Public Holidays in India and Long Weekends.
The Republic Day Weekend (January 24 to January 26)
After the four-day New Year break, the most prominent break or long weekend holiday this month is the Republic Day weekend. As January 26 (Republic Day) falls on a Monday, it creates a natural three-day holiday (Saturday to Monday) for most government and private sector employees. It is worth noting that Saturday, January 24, is the second Saturday of the month, while Sunday is a weekend holiday. These, clubbed with the Republic Day holiday, make a long weekend for people looking to travel or take a short trip.
Complete List of Bank Holidays and Dates in January 2026
| Date: | Holiday: | City/Cities: |
| January 1 | New Year’s Day/Gaan-Ngai | Aizawl, Chennai, Gangtok, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohima, Kolkata and Shillong |
| January 2 | New Year Celebration/Mannam Jayanthi | Aizawl, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram |
| January 3 | Birthday of Hazrat Ali | Kanpur and Lucknow |
| January 12 | Birth Day of Swami Vivekananda | Kolkata |
| January 14 | Makar Sankranti/Magh Bihu | Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati and Itanagar |
| January 15 | Uttarayana Punyakala/Pongal/Maghe Sankranti/Makara Sankranti | Bengaluru, Chennai, Gangtok, Hyderabad and Vijayawada |
| January 16 | Thiruvalluvar Day | Chennai |
| January 17 | Uzhavar Thirunal | Chennai |
| January 23 | Birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose/Saraswati Puja (Shree Panchami)/Vir Surendrasai Jayanti/Basanta Panchami | Agartala, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata |
| January 26 | Republic Day | Across all cities in India |
Additionally, for those looking to extend the break further, Friday, January 23, marks Vasant Panchami (Saraswati Puja). In several states, the RBI has declared January 23 as a holiday. Travellers can use this opportunity to plan a four-day escape beginning Friday. Popular destinations for the four-day long weekend include the desert circuits of Rajasthan, the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, and heritage sites in Karnataka's Hampi, where the winter weather remains ideal for sightseeing.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 06, 2026 08:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).