How to hack your 2026 annual leave for even longer holidays
That’s right: we’re outsmarting the calendar (and your boss)
20/01/2026
Words: Hannah Ralph
Most of us enter the new year clutching our annual leave balance as if it’s a precious metal – and in the UK, it sort of is. With just 28 statutory paid leave days to play with (a smattering more if you’re blessed), finding ways to make them stretch is worth its weight in holiday gold.
One tactic is simply squeezing more life into your days off – long lunches, micro-adventures, day trips. But, for frequent flyers, the real power move is leave-stacking: the art of arranging annual leave days directly beside bank holidays (the days the Government gives you off anyway) to manufacture longer stretches away from the desk.
Last year, 28 days of annual leave could be paired with weekends and bank holidays to create 61 days off. This year, it’s even better, with 63 days (or more) of holiday time up for the taking.
When are the UK bank holidays in 2026?
There are eight bank holidays in England and Wales in 2026. We’d say mark them in your phone calendar, but they’re probably already there.
- New Year’s Day: Thursday 1 January
- Good Friday: Friday 3 April
- Easter Monday: Monday 6 April
- Early May Bank Holiday: Monday 4 May
- Late May bank holiday: Monday 25 May
- August bank holiday: Monday 31 August
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December
- Boxing Day: Monday 28 December
Scotland and Northern Ireland have additional bank holidays.
Scotland
- St Andrew’s Day: Monday 30 November
- St Patrick’s Day: Tuesday 17 March
- Battle of the Boyne: Monday 13 July
How do I turn this into at least 63 days off?
It all comes down to forward planning, lining up weekends like a pro and making leave requests that look something like the following.
New Year (January)
Take one day’s leave to enjoy four days out of the office.
The bank holiday: Thursday 1 January
The day to take off: Friday 2 January
Easter (March/April)
Take eight days of leave and jet off for 16 days.
The bank holidays: Friday 3 April and Monday 6 April
The days to take off: Monday 30 March–Thursday 2 April; Tuesday 7 April–Friday 10 April
Early May bank holiday (May)
Take four days of leave and get nine days away from the desk.
The bank holiday: Monday 4 May
The days to take off: Tuesday 5 May–Friday 8 May
Late May bank holiday (May)
Take four days of leave and enjoy another nine-day stretch.
The bank holiday: Monday 25 May
The days to take off: Tuesday 26 May–Friday 29 May
August bank holiday (August)
Same again – four days of annual leave equals nine glorious days off.
The bank holiday: Monday 31 August
The days to take off: Tuesday 1 September – Friday 4 September
Christmas/New Year (December)
Take seven days of leave and escape for 16 festive days.
The bank holidays: Friday 25 December and Monday 28 December
The days to take off: Monday 21 December–Thursday 24 December; Tuesday 29 December–Thursday 31 December
So, where should I go?
Our favourite question. With all that leave suitably stacked and calendars cleared, it’s time to let the planning commence. Considering sunny skies, local festivals, and all-around good vibes, we’ve done the hard work for you: rounding up the very best trips for every 2026 bank holiday.
Archway in the Agadir Medina citadel (Getty); harvesting coffee beans in Jamaica (Getty). Opening image by Peter Burdon/Unsplash
Agadir, Morocco
Perfect for: your New Year getaway
Since Morocco’s summers are too steamy for most, a winter break here is the smart (see: spectacular) play. Agadir, especially, which leans a smidge sunnier and warmer during these months than its cultural cousin – our newest Moroccan route – Rabat. And if your New Year Resolution is to be more adventurous, boy is Morocco the right country to kick things off: go from exploring fragrant souks to tasting Atlantic seafood straight off the boat and meet local artisans crafting unique Berber wares.
Where to stay: Beach breaks are best spent at Hyatt Regency Taghazout, which lays on regular shuttles to Agadir’s city centre and a secluded stretch of Taghazout’s famous beach.
Jamaica
Perfect for: your Easter break escape
Sure, the tail-end of Jamaica’s peak season means plenty of frozen cocktails by the pool. But it also means filling up on ripe fruits at local markets, dancing at beachside reggae raves and sipping java between the coffee trees, not forgetting donning your glad rags for Jamaica Carnival, an island fiesta returning to Kingston on 8-14 April 2026. From here, take an air-conditioned bus to the north coast (a 90-minute trip) where some of the island’s most idyllic beaches and waterfalls await.
Where to stay: Minimalist rooms, outdoor pool, and a prime-time location: S Hotel Kingston is the smart, city-centre choice.
Salerno Cathedral in the Old Town (Amazing Aerial/Michele Rinaldi); the Old Courthouse framed by the Gateway Arch, St Louis (Jimmy Woo/Unsplash)
Salerno, Italy
Perfect for: the early May bank holiday
Italy isn’t exactly getting less popular, so sneak in before off-season slips away. Even better, head for the mountainous west coast, where our new route, Salerno, has all the charms of its blingier Amalfi Coast neighbours. That includes mountain-backed vistas, fluffy focaccia, seaside promenades and mediaeval, clifftop fortresses – Salerno’s most famous is only an hour’s walk from the Old Town. And keep an eye out for celebrations of Saint Matthew – this time of year marks the 10th-century arrival of the patron saint’s relics to the city cathedral.
Where to stay: Casa Santangelo Suites is bursting at the hinges with history, from the 19th century frescoes to the hand-painted wallpaper.
St Louis, USA
Perfect for: the late May bank holiday
If ever there were a year to say: “Meet me in St Louis”, it’s 2026. As the USA gears up for its 250th birthday celebrations, get to Missouri while the buzz is still building and explore our new route to its state capital, St Louis. You’ll find the city also marking 100 years of Route 66 (fun fact: Missouri is considered the birthplace of the Mother Road). Add in a worthy rival to New York’s Central Park, world-class museums and an iconic musical heritage, and St Louis quickly becomes the one to watch.
Where to stay: The luxurious Westin St Louis has a prime spot in the city’s lively stadium district – perfect for those wanting to catch a Cardinals game while they’re in town.
The Mariahilf Church on the banks of the Mur River in Graz (Getty); Clifton Beach by the Twelve Apostles mountain range, Cape Town (Kylefromthenorth/Unsplash
Graz, Austria
Perfect for: the August bank holiday
Christmas markets and snow-capped churches have seen Graz pegged as a winter wonderland, but we love a long alpine summer – and this new British Airways route is a perfect place to spend one. As warm nights turn the view from Schlossberg hill into a golden panorama, Graz comes alive with open-air concerts and buzzing beer gardens. Summer days mean riverside coffees and modern art museums, tobogganing down Schöckl mountain and cooling off in the Straßgang natural pool. For greenery that rivals even the Sound of Music’s hills, lush city gardens and one of Europe’s best sculpture parks deliver.
Where to stay: Try Hotel Weitzer on the Mur River – it mixes high-design flourishes (hello, Eames) and a rooftop sauna.
Cape Town
Perfect for: a festive defrosting
You know that bit between Christmas and New Year, when time turns to mush? Make 2026 the year you spend it well – in warm, midsummer Cape Town. Use your annual leave on a trip to those adorable penguins on Boulders Beach, clinking glasses at world-class wineries and catching crowd-pleasers at the Galileo Open Air Cinema. For sunrise, Signal Hill offers epic views of Lion’s Head and Table Mountain (while being the easiest hike of all three). If you’re here for NYE, even better – the V&A Waterfront puts on a real show.
Where to stay: ’Tis the season, so counter all that wine and fine food with a most decadent spa – set on its own private island – and the city’s coolest gym at One&Only.
