Bank Holidays 2026 and How to Maximise Your Annual Leave

As someone who loves to travel but is constrained by a 9-5 job, I’m always look to maximise my annual leave. Using the UK bank holidays, I’ve stretched a handle of annual leave days into a collection of longer trips spaced out throughout the year. This approach has helped me visit over 55 countries!

I’ve put this guide together to help break down exactly which days to book off in 2026 to maximise your time away. I’ve also included a few global desintation recommendations to visit for each period based on reliable weather. From Easter getaways and May sunshine to late-summer breaks and winter sun holidays over Christmas, here’s how to make your 2026 annual leave work harder…so you don’t have to!

UK Bank Holidays 2026

The UK bank holidays in 2026 are as follows:

New Year’s Day: Thursday, 1st January 2026
Good Friday: Friday, 3rd April 2026
Easter Monday: Monday, 6th April 2026
Early May Bank Holiday: Monday, 4th May 2026
Spring Bank Holiday: Monday, 25th May 2026
Summer Bank Holiday: Monday, 31st August 2026
Christmas Day: Friday, 25th December 2026
Boxing Day: Monday, 28th December 2026

How to Maximise Annual Leave 2026

Spring / Easter Holidays – 4 days leave for 10 days off

Dates to book: Monday, 30th March – Thursday, 2nd April 2026
Total days off: 10 consecutive days offs – combined with the weekend, Good Friday and Easter Monday, you get Sat 28th Mar – Mon 6th April.
Leave used: 4 days

There are lots of great places to visit at this time of year. Countries in Asia with good weather at this time include Singapore, Malaysia and Bali. Morocco (Marrakech, Agadir), Cyprus, Canary Islands, Florida (other places in USA). A bucket list place for me would be the Japanese Cherry Blossoms!

Early May Break – 4 days leave for 9 days off

Dates to book: Tuesday 5th May – Friday 8th May 2026
Total days off: 9 consecutive days offs – with the May bank holiday, you get Sat 2nd May – Sun 10th May.
Leave used: 4 days

A few favourites to visit In May include places in USA (West Coast National Parks) Turkey, Malta, Northern Australia and Queensland, Greek Islands (Crete, Rhodes, Santorini) and Italy (Sicily, Amalfi, Puglia))

Late May / Spring Bank Holiday – 4 days leave for 9 days off

Dates to book: Tuesday 26th May – Friday 29th May 2026
Total days off: 9 consecutive days offs – with the bank holiday Monday, you get Sat 23rd May – Sun 31st May.
Leave used: 4 days

I love using this time to visit places in Europe before it gets too hot or crowded! Porto, Lisbon (or anywhere in Portugal!), Rome, Croatia, South of France, and Spain are some of my favourites. China is also meant to be good at this time of year (along with Autumn).

Summer Break – 4 days leave for 9 days off

Dates to book: Tuesday 1st September – Friday 4th September 2026
Total days off: 9 consecutive days offs – with the bank holiday Monday, you get Sat 29th August – Sun 6th Sept.
Leave used: 4 days

The August Bank Holiday is a great time to travel as it’s usually towards the end of the school holidays and avoids the peak European heat. One of the best places I’ve been to during this time was Jordan! I was there for about 10 days, visiting places like Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman and Dana Biosphere Reserve. Other great places are the Greek Islands, Spain, Portugal, Canada (Vancouver, the Rockies) and Indonesia.

Christmas Holidays and New Year – 3 days leave for 9 days off

Dates to book: Tuesday, 29th December – Thursday, 31st December 2026
Total days off: 5 (Wednesday, 1 January – Sunday, 5 January) – combine Christmas Day off on the Friday, the weekend and Monday 28th (boxing day substitute) means you’re taking 3 days off for a 9-day break
Leave used: 3 days

Travelling during the Christmas and New Year period is usually one of the most expensive times of year! Book ahead if you plan to go away during this time – particularly if you’re looking for a winter sun holiday. Great places to visit during this time include South Africa (Cape Town & the Garden Route), the Caribbean, the Maldives, Thailand (Phuket, Krabi, Bangkok), Mexico (Cancun, Tulum, Holbox), Hawaii, Sri Lanka, the Middle East (UAE, Qatar etc), and if you have more time, Australia and New Zealand!

Using this plan can stretch your annual leave in 2026 from 19 days to 46 days off! I recommend planning and booking early! Using bank holidays helps to maximise your annual leave but it’s the more expensive option.