Plan your Long Weekends in 2024 now with this itinerary

2024 is a happy year for the long weekend lovers. Whether you are a gourmand, outdoorsy, or seeking solace in a getaway from everyone/everything, there are multiple options within India. Remember to plan early so that you get the best flight/hotel rates. Here is a quick guide to the long weekend getaways within India and a few visa-free international destinations that you can add to your itinerary.

December 2023-January 2024

Saturday, December 30

Sunday, December 31

Monday, January 1: New Year’s Day

Tuesday, January 2: take the day off

Where to go: Goa. There couldn’t be a better place than Goa to let the hair down in the last weekend of 2023. And a lot is happening here (tickets are available at BookMyShow): Sunburn (December 28 onwards); Anjuna Open Air (December 30), New Years’s party at Tito’s, LPK Waterfront, The Mambo at Cafe Mambo, Paradisos at Thalassa Beach, Heineken Takeover at Westin, antiSocial party in Morjim beach (December 31). Hotel tariff hits the roof during the last weekend, so book now.

January, 2024

Saturday, January 13: Lohri

Sunday, January 14, Monday

January 15: Pongal

Where to go: Rann Utsav (Gujarat). Start with the International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad and then head to Dhordo for the Rann Utsav. Dhordo is a must-visit because it was recently named one of the best tourism villages in the world by World Tourism Organization of the United Nations (UNWTO), the only village in India to be conferred this prestigious award. Remember, you will require a permit to visit the white desert. Live in absolute luxury in the tents of Rann Utsav – The Tent City (rannutsav.net). Take your pick from AC/nonAC Swiss cottages, premium tents, and Darbari/rajwadi suites.

January, 2024

Friday, January 26: Republic Day

Saturday, January 27

Sunday, January 28

Where to go: Soak yourself in the nationalistic fervour at Amritsar. Go to Jallianwala Bagh and the Wagah Border. Or catch the last glimpses of snow in Kashmir. Head to Auli for snow adventure. Dharamshala and McLeodganj are also stunning in January. To escape the cold, spend the weekend in AliBaug or Gokarna.

March, 2024

Friday, March 8: Mahashivratri

Saturday, March 9

Sunday, March 10

Where to go: Before summer kicks in, go on a gastronomy tour to India’s best cities for food lovers - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur, Amritsar, Lucknow, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad.

March, 2024

Saturday, March 23

Sunday, March 24

Monday, March 25: Holi

Where to go: Varanasi, Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana, Jaipur, Shantiniketan, Agra, Udaipur, Purulia are at their glorious best during Holi. Mountain lovers head to Pahalgam, Nainital, Conoor; go to Tarkali for water sports; trek in Chail; float in the backwaters of Kerala.

March, 2024

Friday, March 29: Good Friday

Saturday, March 30

Sunday, March 31: Easter

Where to go: Puducherry comes alive during Easter for which the celebration begins a week before with Palm Sunday. Some of the other places to partake in the Easter festivities are Coorg, Goa, Visakhapatnam, Mumbai.

May, 2024

Thursday, May 23: Buddha Purnima

Friday, May 24: take the day off

Saturday, 25 May

Sunday, 26 May

Where to go: Head to some of the lesser known beaches to beat the May heat: Konduru (Maharastra); Baup, Ezhimala & Malpe (Karnataka); Marari (Kerala); Madhva (Gujarat); Gahirmatha (Orissa); Tharangambadi (Tamil Nadu), Guitar Island Beach (Andaman and Nicobar Islands). Or, go to Lucknow for the kebab, chaats and the mangoes.

June, 2024

Saturday, June 15

Sunday, June 16

Monday, June 17: Bakri Eid

Where to go: It is time to pack the bags for the hills. Of course, there are the obvious/popular choices like Mussoorie, Darjeeling, Shimla, Manali, Kasol, Kasuali, McLeodganj. But if you want to stay away from the crowd, pick the not-so-crowded hills stations like Landour (Uttarakhand), Mashobra, Chitkul, & Dharamkot (Himachal Pradesh), Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Gangtok (Sikkim), Araku Valley (Andhra Pradesh), Kurseong (West Bengal).

August, 2024

Thursday, August 15: Independence Day and Parsi New Year

Friday, August 16: take the day off

Saturday, August 17

Sunday, August 18

Monday, August 19: Raksha Bandhan (restricted)

Where to go: Five days are good enough for a quick international holiday. You can pick from the visa-free countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, HongKong, or even Singapore if you plan a little early and apply for an e-visa through an authorised agent. If you are in no mood to cross the seas, head to Cherrapunjee and Mawsynram for a glorious rainy holiday. Mawsynram is the wettest place in India. Combine it with a trip to Assam. Goa is also very pretty during the rains.

August, 2024

Saturday, August 24

Sunday, August 25

Monday, August 26: Janmashthami

Where to go: Good time to do quick road trips - the Golden Triangle (Delhi-Jaipur-Agra), Guwahati to Tawang, Shimla to Spiti Valley, Mumbai to Goa, Chennai to Pondicherry, Ahmedabad to Kutch, Mysore to Hampi, Bengaluru to Ooty, Chennai to Munnar.

September, 2024

Thursday, September 5: Onam (restricted)

Friday, September 6: take the day off

Saturday, September 7: Ganesh Chaturthi

Sunday, September 8

Where to go: You can do a quick trip to Dubai or Bahrain. Maldives, Bhutan & Nepal are also good 4-day holiday options. The weather is good for a South India tour.

October, 2024

Friday, October 11: Maha Navmi (restricted)

Saturday, October 12: Dussehra

Sunday, October 13

Where to go: If you want to indulge in festive fervour of Durga Puja, plan a trip to Kolkata or Mysore. Remember, it gets very crowded, so book early. If you want to getaway from everyone, everything, go on a wild adventure to any of the parks/sanctuaries: Jim Corbett, Ranthambore, Periyar, Goa, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Bandipur, Pench.

November, 2024

Friday, November 1: Diwali

Saturday, November 2

Sunday, November 3: Bhai Dooj

Where to go: How about quick train trips? IRTC has some good options: Kanyakumari to Trivandrum, Mumbai to Goa, Matheran to Neral, Jaisalmer to Jodhpur, Bhubaneswar to Brahmapur, Mandapam to Rameshwaram, Kalka to Shimla. Sunderbans & Kalimpong (West Bengal), Bharatpur (Rajasthan), Gulmarg (Jammu & Kashmir) are also very good options.