Weekends in 2017

The next year is packed with 14 long weekends, including two nine-day bonanzas—one in Aug and the other in Oct. Get prepping, folks!

Thu, 26 Jan: Republic Day
Fri, 27 Jan: Take leave
Sat, 28 Jan
Sun, 29 Jan
Consider: Gulmarg or Auli for skiing;  Jawai to spot leopards

Fri, 24 Feb: Mahashivratri
Sat, 25 Feb
Sun, 26 Feb
Consider: Agra for Taj Mahotsav (18–27 Feb); Andaman Islands for diving; Goa for Carnival (25–28 Feb)

Sat, 11 Mar
Sun, 12 Mar
Mon, 13 Mar: Holi
Consider: Mathura for Holi; Coorg to catch the white coffee flowers in bloom; Jaipur before summer kicks in

Sat, 25 Mar
Sun, 26 Mar
Mon, 27 Mar: Take leave
Tue, 28 Mar: Gudi Padva
Consider: Rishikesh for white-water rafting

Sat, 1 Apr
Sun, 2 Apr
Mon, 3 Apr: Take leave
Tue, 4 Apr: Ram Navami
Consider:  Srinagar for tulips

Thu, 13 Apr: Vaisakhi
Fri, 14 Apr: Dr Ambedkar Jayanti, Good Friday
Sat, 15 Apr
Sun, 16 Apr: Easter
Consider: Amritsar for Baisakhi (14 Apr) Mahabaleshwarfor the Mapro Strawberry Festival (Easter weekend)

Sat, 29 Apr
Sun, 30 Apr
Mon, 1 May: May Day
Consider: Shillong, Mashobra or Landour to beat the heat; Tadoba or Ranthambore to spot the big cat; Tawang for adventure

Sat, 24 Jun
Sun, 25 Jun
Mon, 26 Jun: Ramzan Eid
Consider: Hyderabad or Lucknow for Ramzan Eid; Munnar for the monsoon; Dharamshala for camping/trekking

Sat, 12 Aug
Sun, 13 Aug
Mon, 14 Aug: Janmashtami or take leave
Tue, 15 Aug: Independence Day
Wed, 16 Aug: Take leave
Thu, 17 Aug: Parsi New Year
Fri, 18 Aug: Take leave
Sat, 19 Aug
Sun, 20 Aug
Consider: Ladakh for adventure; Uttarakhand for trekking and Valley of Flowers

Fri, 25 Aug: Ganesh Chaturthi
Sat, 26 Aug
Sun, 27 Aug
Consider: Pune for Ganesh Chaturthi; Coonoor for cheese-making at Acres Wild; Agumbe, Karnataka for a monsoon drive; Bali for a beach break

Sat, 30 Sep
Sun, 1 Oct
Mon, 2 Oct: Gandhi Jayanti
Consider:  Bhutan for the Thimphu Tshechu festival (30 Sep–2 Oct); Bandhavgarh for wildlife season; Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh for the pleasant weather

Sat, 14 Oct
Sun, 15 Oct
Mon, 16 Oct: Dhanteras or take leave
Tue, 17 Oct: Naraka Chaturdashi or take leave
Wed, 18 Oct: Diwali
Thu, 19 Oct: Balipratipada
Fri, 20 Oct: Bhaiduj
Sat, 21 Oct
Sun, 22 Oct
Consider: Gangtok for clear views of the Kanchenjunga; Rajasthan for Diwali; Birand Billing for paragliding

Fri, 1 Dec: Eid-e-Milad
Sat, 2 Dec
Sun, 3 Dec
Consider: Nagaland for Hornbill Festival; Periyar for wildlife; Bharatpur or Odisha for spotting migratory birds

Sat, 23 Dec
Sun, 24 Dec
Mon, 25 Dec: Christmas @ Manali for the snow; Puducherry or Alappuzha for a winter break