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The Best Days to Take Off in the UK in 2026

Here’s how you can get the most out of your holiday time in the UK this year.

Portrait of Konstantin
By Konstantin Bikos

Published 1-Jan-2026

A group of two adults and two children, facing away from the camera, looking at a lake in the distance, with blue sky and Sun overhead.
Play your 2026 vacation cards wisely to create some extra free time to roam—like this family enjoying the UK’s Lake District.
©iStockphoto.com/monkeybusinessimages

Northern Ireland Gets Most Long Weekends

The year 2026 offers UK residents plenty of chances to create extra long weekends by combining vacation days with bank holidays. Because holiday dates vary across most of the United Kingdom’s constituent countries, we’ve made separate lists for each—see below. (England and Wales have the same dates.)

People in Northern Ireland are particularly lucky in 2026: They can create a total of eight long weekends, while it’s only seven in Scotland and six in both England and Wales.

Still, each country gets its fair share of two standout opportunities where taking just one day off results in a 5-day break.

Print UK calendar 2026 with holidays

Best Days to Take off in England and Wales

  1. January 2: New Year’s Day falls on a Thursday. Take off the Friday after to create a 4-day weekend.
  2. April 2 or 7: Good Friday and Easter Monday bracket the weekend. Take off the Thursday before or the Tuesday after to create a 5-day break—or both for a 6-day break.
  3. May 1 or 5: The Early May Bank Holiday falls on a Monday. Take off the Friday before or the Tuesday after to create a 4-day weekend—or both for a 5-day break.
  4. May 22 or 26: The Spring Bank Holiday falls on a Monday. Take off the Friday before or the Tuesday after to create a 4-day weekend—or both for a 5-day break.
  5. August 28 or September 1: The Summer Bank Holiday falls on a Monday. Take off the Friday before or the Tuesday after to create a 4-day weekend—or both for a 5-day break.
  6. December 24 or 29: Christmas Day and the substitute bank holiday for Boxing Day on December 28 bracket the weekend. Take off the Thursday before or the Tuesday after to create a 5-day break—or both for a 6-day break.
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Best Days to Take off in Scotland

  1. December 31, 2025, or January 5, 2026: New Year’s Day falls on a Thursday and the following day, a Friday, is also a public holiday. Take off the Wednesday before or the Monday after to create a 5-day break—or both for a 6-day break.
  2. April 2 or 6: Good Friday precedes the weekend. Take off the Thursday before or the Monday after to create a 4-day weekend—or both for a 5-day break.
  3. May 1 or 5: The Early May Bank Holiday falls on a Monday. Take off the Friday before or the Tuesday after to create a 4-day weekend—or both for a 5-day break.
  4. May 22 or 26: The Spring Bank Holiday falls on a Monday. Take off the Friday before or the Tuesday after to create a 4-day weekend—or both for a 5-day break.
  5. July 31 or August 4: The Summer Bank Holiday falls on a Monday (four weeks earlier than in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland). Take off the Friday before or the Tuesday after to create a 4-day weekend—or both for a 5-day break.
  6. November 27 or December 1: St. Andrew’s Day falls on a Monday. Take off the Friday before or the Tuesday after to create a 4-day weekend—or both for a 5-day break.
  7. December 24 or 29: Christmas Day and the substitute bank holiday for Boxing Day on December 28 bracket the weekend. Take off the Thursday before or the Tuesday after to create a 5-day break—or both for a 6-day break.
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Best Days to Take off in Northern Ireland

  1. January 2: New Year’s Day falls on a Thursday. Take off the Friday after to create a 4-day weekend.
  2. March 16: St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Tuesday. Take off the Monday before to create a 4-day weekend.
  3. April 2 or 7: Good Friday and Easter Monday bracket the weekend. Take off the Thursday before or the Tuesday after to create a 5-day break—or both for a 6-day break.
  4. May 1 or 5: The Early May Bank Holiday falls on a Monday. Take off the Friday before or the Tuesday after to create a 4-day weekend—or both for a 5-day break.
  5. May 22 or 26: The Spring Bank Holiday falls on a Monday. Take off the Friday before or the Tuesday after to create a 4-day weekend—or both for a 5-day break.
  6. July 10 or 14: Battle of the Boyne falls on a Sunday, but the day after, a Monday, is a public holiday. Take off the Friday before or the Tuesday after to create a 4-day weekend—or both for a 5-day break.
  7. August 28 or September 1: The Summer Bank Holiday falls on a Monday. Take off the Friday before or the Tuesday after to create a 4-day weekend—or both for a 5-day break.
  8. December 24 or 29: Christmas Day and the substitute bank holiday for Boxing Day on December 28 bracket the weekend. Take off the Thursday before or the Tuesday after to create a 5-day break—or both for a 6-day break.