Long Weekends in the Philippines 2026: Complete List of Holiday Getaways
Filipinos plan their getaways around the long weekend — a few days off is all it takes for a quick gala out of town or a road trip home. Here is every long weekend in the Philippines for 2026, based on the official holidays declared under Proclamation No. 1006, including which need no leave at all and which you can stretch with a single day off.
How Philippine holidays work
Two categories matter for planning:
- Regular holidays — fixed by law, and if you work you are entitled to premium pay. These are the reliable ones.
- Special non-working days — declared by proclamation, with different pay rules, and occasionally moved or added during the year.
The president issues a proclamation setting the following year's dates, usually in the second half of the preceding year. Islamic holidays — Eid'l Fitr and Eid'l Adha — are proclaimed separately once the Islamic calendar dates are confirmed, so they can appear at relatively short notice and may create additional long weekends mid-year.
The practical implication: book refundable where you can, and re-check the calendar in the first quarter.
Long weekends with no leave needed
These holidays fall next to a weekend automatically:
| Dates | Holiday(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2–5 (Thu–Sun) | Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday | 4 days |
| May 1–3 (Fri–Sun) | Labor Day | 3 days |
| Jun 12–14 (Fri–Sun) | Independence Day | 3 days |
| Aug 21–23 (Fri–Sun) | Ninoy Aquino Day | 3 days |
| Aug 29–31 (Sat–Mon) | National Heroes Day | 3 days |
| Oct 31–Nov 2 (Sat–Mon) | All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day | 3 days |
| Nov 28–30 (Sat–Mon) | Bonifacio Day | 3 days |
| Dec 24–27 (Thu–Sun) | Christmas Eve, Christmas Day | 4 days |
| Dec 30 – Jan 1 (Wed–Fri) | Rizal Day, Last Day of the Year, New Year's Day | year-end stretch |
August 2026 is the sweet spot — two three-day weekends back to back (Aug 21–23 and Aug 29–31). The Holy Week break (Apr 2–5) and the Christmas-to-New-Year stretch are the year's longest.
Stretch it with one leave day
File a single day of leave and turn these midweek holidays into long weekends:
| File leave on | Long weekend | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Jan 2 | Jan 1–4 | New Year's Day (Thu) |
| Mon, Feb 16 | Feb 14–17 | Chinese New Year (Tue) |
| Fri, Apr 10 | Apr 9–12 | Araw ng Kagitingan (Thu) |
| Mon, Dec 7 | Dec 5–8 | Immaculate Conception (Tue) |
Which long weekends to avoid travelling on
Not all long weekends are equal, and two of them are genuinely difficult:
- Holy Week (Apr 2–5) is the single busiest domestic travel period of the year. Beaches are full, provincial buses run at capacity, and many businesses in Metro Manila close entirely — the city empties. Book two to three months ahead or do not book at all.
- All Saints' Day (Oct 31 – Nov 2) sees an enormous internal migration as families travel home to visit cemeteries. Provincial bus terminals are overwhelmed and the northbound and southbound expressways back up for hours.
- The Christmas–New Year stretch combines the highest airfares of the year with the heaviest road traffic.
The easier long weekends for a getaway are Labor Day, Independence Day, and the August pair, which see less of the family-obligation travel that clogs the others.
Booking strategy
| When to book | For |
|---|---|
| 3+ months ahead | Holy Week, Christmas, New Year |
| 6–8 weeks ahead | All Saints' Day, festival weekends |
| 3–4 weeks ahead | Labor Day, Independence Day, August weekends |
Domestic airfares for these dates rise sharply once the proclamation is published, which is when everyone books at once. Getting in before that announcement, if your dates are predictable, is the single biggest saving available.
Plan your long weekend
- Catch a festival — many fall on holiday weekends. See our Sinulog, Panagbenga, and MassKara guides.
- Take a city break — Cebu, Davao, or Baguio.
- See what is happening this weekend or browse all events to fill the days.
FAQ
When are the long weekends in 2026? The no-leave-needed long weekends fall on Apr 2–5, May 1–3, Jun 12–14, Aug 21–23, Aug 29–31, Oct 31–Nov 2, Nov 28–30, Dec 24–27, and the Dec 30–Jan 1 year-end stretch.
Which month has the most long weekends? August 2026, with two three-day weekends — Ninoy Aquino Day and National Heroes Day.
Are these dates official? Yes, they follow Proclamation No. 1006, the government's official 2026 holiday declaration. Islamic holidays are added later by separate proclamation.
What is the difference between a regular holiday and a special non-working day? Regular holidays are fixed by law with statutory premium pay. Special non-working days are declared by proclamation with different pay rules and are more likely to change.
Which long weekend is busiest for travel? Holy Week, comfortably, followed by All Saints' Day and the Christmas period.
When should I book? Three months ahead for Holy Week and Christmas; three to four weeks for the quieter long weekends.
Can holidays be moved? Special non-working days can be adjusted by proclamation during the year. Regular holidays rarely move.
Last verified: August 2026. Holiday dates follow Proclamation No. 1006; Islamic holidays and any adjustments are proclaimed separately during the year.
Timing a whole trip rather than a weekend? See when to visit the Philippines.
Ready to plan? Browse events across the Philippines and more travel and event guides.