Long weekends of 2021, and trips you can plan around them

The new year is upon us and it brings along the hope to travel once again. And when it comes to travel nothing beats that quick weekend getaway: refreshing, rejuvenating and yet easy on the pocket and the leave balance. We bring you the list of long weekends this year - and some recommendations of places you can go to.

January

January 14 – Thursday - Makar Sankranti
January 15 - Friday, Take the day off
January 16 – Saturday
January 17 – Sunday

January 23 – Saturday
January 24 – Sunday
January 25 – Monday, take the day off
January 26 – Tuesday - Republic Day

Recommended Breaks: Hiking trails in the Western Ghats, Varanasi, Lucknow, Delhi and Amritsar for food and culture and Gujarat for long road trips.

February

February 13 – Saturday
February 14 – Sunday
February 15 – Monday, take the day off
February 16 –Tuesday – Basant Panchami

Recommended Breaks: National parks across the country for tiger spotting, Madhya Pradesh for historic destinations, Himachal, Uttarakhand and Gulmarg to catch the snowfalls.

March

March 11– Thursday – Maha Shivratri
March 12 – Friday, take the day off
March 13 – Saturday
March 14 – Sunday

March 27 – Saturday
March 28 – Sunday
March 29 – Monday – Holi

Recommended Breaks: Vrindavan for Holi, Rajasthan for the last of the winter and North Eastern states before they become overcrowded with the summer crowds.

April

April 2 – Good Friday
April 3 – Saturday
April 4 – Sunday

Recommended Breaks: Ladakh for biking trips and hikes, Srinagar for the tulip season, Kodaikanal and Coonoor for its English weather.

May

May 13 – Thursday – Eid ul-Fitr
May 14 – Friday, take the day off
May 15 – Saturday
May 16 – Sunday

Recommended Breaks: Ooty for the flower show, Darjeeling for the cool weather and tea estates and Bhimtal for its lakes and hikes.

July

July 10 – Saturday
July 11 – Sunday
July 12 – Monday - Rath Yatra

July 17 – Saturday
July 18 – Sunday
July 19 – Monday, take the day off
July 20 – Tuesday – Bakri Eid

Recommended Breaks: Rishikesh and Haridwar to see the Ganges in spate, Kerala for its monsoon induced greenery, and Western Ghats for cooler climes.

August

August 28 – Saturday
August 29 – Sunday
August 30 – Monday – Janmashtami

Recommended Breaks: Rajasthan for the UNESCO recognized hill forts and food trails, Tamil Nadu for its temples, Indore for the food.

September

September 10 – Friday – Ganesh Chaturthi
September 11 – Saturday
September 12 – Sunday

Recommended Breaks: Andamans for adventure, Goa for off-season deals, and Jharkhand for nature, food and culture.

October

October 15 – Friday – Dussehra
October 16 – Saturday
October 17 – Sunday

Recommended Breaks: Calcutta for Durga Puja, Ahmadabad for Navratri, Mysore and Kullu for their special Dussehra celebrations.

November

November 19 – Friday – Guru Nanak Jayanti
November 20 – Saturday
November 21 – Sunday

Recommended Breaks: Chettinad for food and architecture, Punjab for Gurunanak Jayanti, Ayodhya for Dev Diwali.

December

December 24 – Friday, take the day off
December 25 – Saturday - Christmas
December 26 – Sunday

Dec 31 – Friday, take the day off
Jan 1– Saturday
Jan 2 – Sunday

Recommended Breaks: Pondicherry for heritage, food and culture; Bhopal for food and art, Spiti for chasing the snow and Kerala for a warm Christmas.