Long weekend calendar 2019—because we don’t want you to miss out on any weekend

If we are scanning through the list for 2019 long weekends, it means we have survived 2018. And as the saying goes—better late than never; it is always best to plan ahead, and keep the emotion of regret at bay. So, as you step into the new year, be prepared to face life head on and make it more colourful with all your travel diaries. Here, we are spilling the beans that in 2019, you will be graced by as many as more than 10 long weekends to meet your long-pending travel goals. We have compiled the list to give you a heads-up, so that you can plan better and avoid fretting in the last minute. The list will give you an idea as to when you should play your cards and manage a leave here and there, and turn your long weekend into an extra-long weekend.

December 29, Saturday – WeekendDecember 30, Sunday – WeekendDecember 31, Monday – (manage a LEAVE)January 1, Tuesday – New Year (HOLIDAY) Places to consider: Goa for Sunburn Festival (December 29-31); Manali for Winter Carnival (January 2), squeeze one or two more leaves; Mount Abu, Rajasthan for Winter Festival (December 29-31)

January 12, Saturday – WeekendJanuary 13, Sunday – WeekendJanuary 14, Monday – Makar Sankranti/Pongal (HOLIDAY) Places to consider: Auli and Gulmarg for skiing; Shimla; Khajuraho; the Great Rann of Kutch for Rann Utsav; Gujarat for International Kite Festival (January 6-14); Jaipur; Darjeeling; Mahabaleshwar

February 28, Thursday – Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti (restricted HOLIDAY)March 1, Friday – (manage a LEAVE)March 2, Saturday – WeekendMarch 3, Sunday – WeekendMarch 4, Monday – Maha Shivaratri (HOLIDAY) Places to consider: Kaziranga National Park in Assam; Jaisalmer for the weather is at its best during this time of the year; Nashik in Maharashtra for exploring vineyards; Agra for Taj Mahal, which is an all-time favourite in the tourism circuit; Lakshadweep for its unspoiled beaches; Bir Billing, in Himachal Pradesh for paragliding and other adventure activities.

March 21, Thursday – Holi (HOLIDAY)March 22, Friday (manage a LEAVE)March 23, SaturdayMarch 24, Sunday Places to consider: Vrindavan-Mathura for celebrating Holi; Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh as the weather is favourable during this time; Shillong in Meghalaya, which has over the time turned into a popular tourist hotspot; Munnar in Kerala for the love of lakes and tea gardens; Hampi in Karnataka to explore the ruins of bygone era; Wayanad in Kerala to be in nature’s abode; Ooty for scenic views.

April 17, Wednesday – Mahavir Jayanti (HOLIDAY)April 18, Thursday – (manage a LEAVE)April 19, Friday – Good Friday (HOLIDAY)April 20, Saturday – WeekendApril 21, Sunday – Weekend Places to consider: Pachmarhi, in Madhya Pradesh as the place is one of the most serene spots in the country; Cherrapunji in Meghalaya to explore the wettest place on Earth; Srinagar for pleasant weather and scenic beauty; Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh for being one of the cool mountain retreats; Mon in Nagaland to experience the vibrancy of modern and traditional cultures.

August 10, Saturday – WeekendAugust 11, Sunday – WeekendAugust 12, Monday – Bakrid (restricted HOLIDAY)OrAugust 15, Thursday – Independence Day (HOLIDAY)August 16, Friday – (manage a LEAVE)August 17, Saturday – WeekendAugust 18, Sunday – WeekendPlaces to consider: Panchgani in Maharashtra for that blissful monsoon experience; Kumarakom in Kerala to experience unmatched charm and varied landscapes; Kausani in Uttarakhand to enjoy the panoramic views of snow-clad Himalayas and also trek to Valley of Flowers; Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city; Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh to explore rich art in the midst of pleasant weather.

August 31, Saturday – WeekendSeptember 1, Sunday – WeekendSeptember 2, Monday – Ganesh Chaturthi (restricted HOLIDAY)Places to consider: Udaipur in Rajasthan to wander around the historically significant places when the weather is pleasant; Coorg in Karnataka to relax in the picturesque hilly setting; Pondicherry to enjoy water sports; Mandu in Madhya Pradesh to roam around minarets and domes; Mount Abu in Rajasthan for a holiday that demands quiet and relaxed ambience; Lahaul – Spiti blessed with nature’s bounty is an ideal place for rejuvenation.

October 4, Friday – (manage a LEAVE)October 5, Saturday – WeekendOctober 6, Sunday – WeekendOctober 7, Monday – Ram Navami (restricted HOLIDAY)October 8, Tuesday – Dussehra (HOLIDAY)OrOctober 26, Saturday – WeekendOctober 27, Sunday – WeekendOctober 28, Monday – Diwali (HOLIDAY)October 29, Tuesday – Bhai Dooj (restricted HOLIDAY)Places to consider: Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh for amazing weather and landscape; Rishikesh in Uttarakhand for some adventure sports; Varkala in Kerala for that offbeat vacation; Darjeeling in West Bengal; Nainital for those beautiful sunsets and scenic beauty; Jodhpur in Rajasthan to soak into the cultural beauty; Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh to spot a tiger.

November 9, Saturday – WeekendNovember 10, Sunday – WeekendNovember 11, Monday – (manage a LEAVE)November 12, Tuesday – Guru Nanak Jayanti (HOLIDAY)Places to visit: Rajasthan for Pushkar Fair; Amritsar to celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti in Golden Temple; Sunderbans in West Bengal for spotting Royal Bengal tigers; Bharatpur in Rajasthan for bird watching; Shantiniketan in West Bengal to catch your breath; Tarkarli in Maharashtra for a beach holiday; Diu to rejuvenate yourself; Varanasi to experience how Dev Diwali is celebrated.

December 21, Saturday – WeekendDecember 22, Sunday – WeekendDecember 23, Monday – (manage a LEAVE)December 24, Tuesday – Christmas Eve (restricted HOLIDAY)December 25, Wednesday – Christmas (HOLIDAY) Places to consider: Kohima, Nagaland for that perfect Christmas celebration; Goa for Christmas party; Mukteshwar in Uttarakhand for those scenic views of Himalayan ranges; Kovalam in Kerala to wander along the coastlines of the Arabian Sea; Orchha in Madhya Pradesh to dig deep into history; Thrissur in Kerala to explore art and culture of Kerala; Konark in Odisha to be a part of the annual dance festival, popularly known as Konark Dance Festival.