Grab your calendar because we’re about to spill the beans on the key dates you need to know, and how to turn 24 days of annual leave into 57 in 2026.
Plus, we’ll share our suggestions of what to book, to make the most of that extra time off.
How Much Annual Leave Are You Legally Entitled to in the UK?
The majority of full-time workers who follow a Monday to Friday work week are typically entitled to 28 days of paid holiday, which includes bank holidays. Some companies will throw in a few extra paid days of leave on top of the legal allowance.
If your workplace is closed on bank holidays, you will likely have them off. There will be eight bank holidays in 2026, although it’s up to your company whether they give you bank holidays off.
When Should You Request Your Annual Leave for 2026?
Don’t forget to get a head start on your leave requests, as many of our suggested dates are quite popular, and you might find yourself competing with your colleagues for time off.
New Year
1 day >> 4 days
in 2026, New Year’s Day is on Thursday 1 January. So if you book the following day – Friday 2 – as leave, you can turn 1 day of leave into a 4 day break to ease you into the new year.
Book 1 day annual leave:
2 January 2026
Get 4 days off:
1–4 January 2026
Easter
4 days >> 10 days
Easter weekend 2026 runs from Good Friday on 3 April to Easter Monday on 6 April.
So, if you book the four days before Good Friday off – 30 & 31 March and 1 & 2 April – then you get to use just 4 days of annual leave for 10 days off work.
If you’d like an extended holiday, then adding the four days after East Monday – 7, 8, 9 & 10 April – to your break will turn 8 days’ leave into 16 days of time off.
Book 4 days’ annual leave:
30 & 31 March and 1 & 2 April 2026
Get 10 days off:
28 March – 6 April 2026
or
Book 8 days’ annual leave:
30 & 31 March and 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 & 10 April 2026
Get 16 days off:
28 March – 12 April 2026
Where we would go: With the opportunity to get so many consecutive days’ leave, this is a great time to do a long-haul trip. James and I recently went to South Korea for the first time, and I have to say it would make a fab Easter getaway. We scored flights for under £400pp in October but they’re a little more at this time of year due to Easter being a peak period, though it’s pretty affordable while you’re there.
For a decent-value stay in Seoul, stay at the DRIP&DROP in Myeongdong, the city’s bustling shopping district. It’s partly a capsule hotel but… with windows! And the pods are really cute. You can get a private one with two double beds from £117 a night, or your own capsule in a dorm from £25 a night.
May
4 days >> 9 days... twice!
May is good to us when it comes to Bank Holidays. There’s one at the beginning of the month on Monday 4 May, and one at the end on Monday 25 May.
So, if you book the Tuesday-Friday after each of the Monday bank holidays as annual leave, then on BOTH occasions you’re turning a four day annual leave request into nine consective days off work.
If you don’t want to take so much holiday in May, another option is to turn the bank holidays into long weekends by booking the Friday before off. Then each time you’re just using 1 day of leave to get a 4-day break.
Book 4 days’ annual leave:
5, 6, 7 and 8 May 2026
Get 9 days off:
1-10 May 2026
and
Book 4 days’ annual leave:
26, 27, 28 and 29 May 2026
Get 9 days off:
23-31 May 2026
or
Book 1 day annual leave:
1 May 2026
Get 4 days off:
1 May – 4 May 2026
and
Book 1 day annual leave:
22 May 2026
Get 4 days off:
22-25 May 2026
Where we would go: Five days is an ideal amount of time to visit Corfu, when temperatures can reach a nice warm 24 degrees.
For a longer break at the end of the month, you could head to Spain’s Golden Triangle – the cities of Seville, Granada and Cordoba. This region (Andalusia) can get pretty hot in summer, so this is a good time to go. You won’t want to miss Granada’s epic Alhambra palace, the interiors of Cordoba’s mosque-cathedral or the drama of Seville’s flamenco shows.
August (& September)
4 days >> 9 days
For a nice long break in August, do a leave request for the 4 days after the August bank holiday, which falls on Monday 31 August. Then you can get a total of nine days off, which will stretch into early September.
If you don’t want a long break, then you could use 1 day of leave on Friday 28 August to get yourself a 4-day weekend.
Book 4 days’ annual leave:
1, 2, 3 and 4 September 2026
Get 9 days off:
29 August – 6 September 2026
or
Book 1 day annual leave:
28 August 2026
Get 4 days off:
28 – 31 August 2026
Where we would go: James and I like to do a city break in late August, since you get to enjoy warmer weather and the amazing deals on luxury hotels! In 2024 we went to Tallinn in Estonia and it didn’t disappoint. For just £76 per night, you can stay in a suite WITH YOUR VERY OWN SAUNA at L’Ermitage Hotel.
Who said you have to dial things back in peak periods?
December
7 days >> 16 days
The Christmas and New Year periods are a great time to use your annual leave as there are three national days off.
Both 25 and 26 December are bank holidays, as well as 1 January 2027, which is New Year’s Day.
In 2026, Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a Friday and Saturday – making Monday 28 December a bank holiday – so you can get four consecutive days off without taking any leave at all.
If you want a longer break over the festive period, then take off 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 & 31 December 2026, and you’ll turn 7 days’ leave into 16 consecutive days off.
Book 7 days’ annual leave:
21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31 December 2026
Get 16 days off:
19 December – 3 January 2027
Where we would go: If you’re chasing some winter sun, check out the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and Egypt. Or, for an affordable Christmas getaway that’s a little further afield, try The Gambia!
Turn Your Annual Leave Into 57 Days Off Work in 2026
Plan smart and get 57 days off work in 2026 by booking your time off from work around the UK bank holidays during January Easter, May, August and December.
