Long Weekend 2019: Travel Plans That’ll Fix Your Year in the Best Way

First Published on: 01 Apr, 2019 By Nidhi Singh

I went home on this recent long weekend in March, on the occasion of Holi. And what a refreshing trip it was! Sadly, my colleague was not able to visit her hometown because she lives 2363 km away from Delhi. The prime reason why she couldn’t go was the absence of this blog, no, I am kidding (pssst…though it is a fact); TBH the reason was the lack of planning. Ah-No, my colleague isn’t a bad travel planner but it’s just that she didn’t realize the gravity of an extended weekend – the independence day/s of the corporate prisoners. To her misfortune, not only was she unable to find a cheap air ticket to Dibrugarh but she couldn’t even book bus tickets to any of the popular destinations near Delhi. Resultant, the poor thing had to spend four effin’ four days in her PG. Did I just hear you guys go awwww? Well, an awwww situation was it, indeed. This is why I chose to write this blog because never again would I want her or anyone else sit idle in their homes on a long weekend. Take this blog as your 2019 Travel Bible, and you homies are going to be all set for this year. Let’s get rolling then!

Long Weekend in April 2019

• Saturday, 13 April
• Sunday, 14 Apr: Dr Ambedkar Jayanti and Vaisakhi and Ram Navami
• Monday, 15 Apr: Take leave/ Vishu (Restricted)
• Tuesday, 16 Apr: Take leave
• Wednesday, 17 Apr: Mahavir Jayanti
• Friday, 19 Apr: Good Friday
• Saturday, 20 Apr
• Sunday, 21 Apr: Easter Sunday

Whoa! Do you see what an amazing holiday opportunity the month of April brings for you? I mean if you manage to take a day off here and there between April 13 and April 20, then you’re likely to have a whole week to yourself! And what’s brilliant, is the fact – this month is replete with fairs and festivals across the world for you to enjoy. No, not all of them are related to the Holy Week and Easter, there is a wide variety, ranging from the Cherry Blossom season in Japan to world’s largest music festivals in Coachella, California to International Comedy Festival in Melbourne, that will make your April holiday a helluva time! Check below the places to visit in April 2019:

Want to Splurge

• Vatican City: for Holy Week
• Japan: for Hanami, the Cherry Blossom Season
• California,US: for The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
• Seville, Spain: for the Holy Week and Festival of the Patios
• Vienna, Austria: for a festival
• Budapest: for Spring Fair
• Prague: for Easter Markets
• Crete: for Greek Orthodox Easter
• Netherlands: for Tulip and Spring Beer Festival
• Mayrhofen, Austria: for Snowbombing (one of the world’s most popular electronic music festivals)
• Vancouver, Canada: for Cherry Blossom Festival
• Antigua: for its Holy Week Processions
• Havana, Cuba: for Ritmo Cuba
• Buenos Aires, Argentina: for Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema
• Aguascalientes, Mexico: San Marcos Fair (largest fair)
• Melbourne for International Comedy Festival

Affordable Holiday Destinations

• Sri Lanka
• Nepal
• Bali
• Maldives
• Papua New Guinea
• Thailand and Laos: for Songkran (water fight)

Holidays in India in April

• Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh
• Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh
• Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh
• Binsar, Uttarakhand
• Tungi, Maharashtra
• Chakrata, Uttarakhand

Here’s more on places to see in April in India

Long Weekend in May 2019

• Thursday, 9 May: Guru Rabindranath Jayanti (Restricted)
• Friday, 10 May: Take leave
• Saturday, 11 May
• Sunday, 12 May (Buddh Purnima)

The month of May also offers you 4 days break which you must make the most of, in case you didn’t travel on the long weekend in April. Yes like the previous month you might have to make a small adjustment with taking a leave or two (pssst… call sick in the office), and you can avail an exciting summer break. There is plenty of places to explore in India as well as at international destinations in May. Your options range from celebrating the 100th anniversary of Grand Canyon National Park in the US to attending Cannes Film Festival to sight Whale Sharks in Australia to paragliding in Bir Billing. Trust me, your May holiday is going to rock! Here are your best options of places to explore in May 2019:

If you want to Splurge

• Portland, US: for Rose Festival
• Monaco: for May’s Grand Prix
• Cannes: for the Film Festival
• Flagstaff, Arizona, US: for celebrating 50^th anniversary of the moon landing and the 100^th anniversary of Grand Canyon National Park
• Lofoten, Norway: for a preview of the region’s Midnight Sun
• Madeira, Portugal: for Flower Festival
• Florence, Italy: for Festa del Grillo
• Kelaa-des-Mgouna, Morocco: for Festival of the Roses
• Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth, Australia: for Whale Shark Festival
• Prague: for Prague Spring Music Festival and Czech Beer Festival
• Madrid, Spain: for San Isidro Festival
• Brighton, United Kingdom: for Great Escape new music festival
• Barcelona, Spain: Ciutat Flamenco Festival

Affordable Holidays in May

• Nepal: for Buddh Purnima Celebration
• Bhutan: for Buddh Purnima Celebration

Holidays in India in May

• Spiti, Himachal Pradesh
• Bir Billing, Himachal Pradesh
• Mcleodganj, Himachal Pradesh
• Lansdowne, Uttarakhand
• Kausani, Uttarakhand
• Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh
• Shillong, Meghalaya
• Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra
• Horsley Hills, Andhra Pradesh
• Kudremukh, Karnataka
• Ooty, Tamil Nadu
• Darjeeling, West Bengal
• Buran Ghati Trek
• Milam Glacier Trek
• Nagaland: for Moatsu Festival
• Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh: Buddh Purnima Celebration

Here’s more on places to visit in May in India

Long Weekend in August 2019

• Saturday, 10 Aug
• Sunday, 11 Aug
• Monday, 12 Aug: Bakrid (restricted)
• Tuesday, 13 Aug: Take leave
• Wednesday, 14 Aug: Take leave
• Thursday, 15 Aug: Independence Day / Raksha Bandhan
• Friday, 16 Aug: Take leave
• Saturday, 17 Aug: Parsi New Year
• Sunday, 18 Aug

Did your pupils dilate just like mine by looking at this longggggg weekend in August? I don’t know about you, but I am going to make the most of this extended weekend because there can’t be a better opportunity to travel in this entire year. August is an excellent month to plan a trip if you are a wildlife enthusiast or in case whale watching is in your bucket list. This monsoon month in India is a perfect time to relish treks like Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand. It is also a good time to explore the beauty of South India. Abroad, your options range from snorkelling with Whale Sharks in Mexico to witness the Great Migration in Kenya to Heli-Skiing in New Zealand. In short, August is an awesome month with even more awesome long weekend! Here’s what this amazing month have in store for you:

If You Want to Splurge

• Isla Holbox, Mexico: for Whale Sharks Sighting
• Newfoundland, US: for Whales and Dolphins Watching
• Riviera Maya, Mexico: for Snorkelling and Swimming with Whale Sharks
• Canadian Arctic Archipelago: for Beluga Whales Sighting
• Brazil: for Literary, Gastronomic, and Jazz Festivals
• Iceland: For exploring at cheaper rates
• Salzburg, Austria: for Classical Music Festival
• Botswana: for wildlife
• Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya: for Great Migration
• Great Barrier Reef: for Dwarf Minke Whales, Manta Rays, Humback Whales Sighting
• New Zealand: for Skiing and Heli-Skiing

Affordable Holidays in August

• Papua New Guinea: for Mount Hagen Cultural Show
• Cambodia: for it is shoulder season
• Ha Long Bay, Vietnam: for limestone islands and rainforests
• Tibet: for Nagchu Horse Racing Festival

Holidays in India in August

• Kerala: for Ayurvedic massages, monsoon rains
• Valley of Flowers: for trekking
• Jodhpur, Rajasthan
• Daman & Diu
• Goa
• Agumbe, Karnataka
• Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh
• Orchha, Madhya Pradesh
• Coorg, Karnataka
• Panchgani, Maharashtra
• Leh, Jammu & Kashmir
• Mount Abu, Rajasthan
• Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh
• Udvada, Gujarat: for Parsi New Year

Long Weekends in September 2019

Long Weekend #1

• Saturday 31 Aug
• Sunday, 1 Sep
• Monday, 2 Sep: Ganesh Chaturthi

Long Weekend #2

• Saturday, 7 Sep
• Sunday, 8 Sep
• Monday, 9 Sep: Take Leave
• Tuesday, 10 Sep: Muharram
• Wednesday, 11 Sep: Onam (Restricted)

September surely looks like a happy happy month! And planning a holiday in it could make it the happiest month of 2019. There are some lovely fairs and festivals around the world held in September that you should not miss out on, also, Kerala in India would celebrate its biggest festival, Onam in this month as well. You can also choose London, where you can be part of Camberwell Fair or Singapore where the Mid-Autumn Festival will bring to you the best of the country’s culture. You can also opt a tourist place in India like Tarkarli in Maharashtra for the best stargazing opportunity or maybe go to Kerala to witness the authentic celebration of Onam or what about choosing something different this year like Uzbekistan to challenge your travel perspective.

If You Want to Splurge

• London, England: for Camberwell Fair and the London Fashion Week Festival
• Huangshan, China: for Mid-Autumn Festival
• Cape Town, South Africa: for Cape Town Street Food Festival
• Barcelona, Spain: for Fiestas de la Mercè
• Zurich, Switzerland: for The Epicure
• Toronto, Canada:  Toronto International Film Festival
• Denver, US: Food & Wine Festival, Great American Beer Festival, and Grandoozy Music event
• Singapore: for Mid-Autumn Festival and Grand Prix

Affordable Holidays in September

• Sapa, Vietnam: for trekking
• Uzbekistan: for an offbeat experience
• South Korea: for a holistic experience

Holidays in India in September

• Kerala: for Onam
• Tarkarli, Maharashtra: for stargazing
• Lonavala, Maharashtra: for trekking and recreational activities
• Lachen, Sikkim
• Bundi, Rajasthan

Here’s more on best places to visit in September in India

Long Weekends in October 2019

Long Weekend #1

• Saturday, 5 Oct
• Sunday, 6 Oct
• Monday, 7 Oct: Take leave
• Tuesday, 8 Oct: Dusshera and Durga Puja

Long Weekend #2

• Saturday, 26 Oct
• Sunday, 27 Oct
• Monday, 28 Oct: Diwali Holiday
• Tuesday, 29 Oct: Bhai Dooj (Restricted)

Let us be honest, most of us want to be home during festival season in India. But for all those who have decided to not go home in October 2019 or probably want to take their families out with them, I do have some great holiday ideas for you. Like other months, October is also packed with numerous festivals not only in India but abroad as well. The most obvious one is, the Oktoberfest in Germany. The fan of Breaking Bad can even visit Albuquerque, well, you won’t find Walter White (duh! I know he dies in the last episode) or Jesse Pinkman there, but you can surely enjoy Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Back home in India, the wildlife sanctuaries open after the monsoon break. You can even plan a short trip to Bhutan if you think that you need to see other festivals this October.

If You Want to Splurge

• Chicago, US: Chicago International Film Festival
• Sardinia, Italy: Autumn Festival
• Albuquerque, US: for Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
• Germany: for Oktoberfest
• Mongolia: for Golden Eagle Festival

Affordable Holidays in October

• Egypt: Abu Simbel Sun Festival
• Bhutan: for Colourful Festivals

Holidays in India in October

• Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
• Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh: for Tiger Sighting
• Kolkata, West Bengal: for Durga Puja Celebration
• Vadodra, Gujarat: for Navratri Celebration

Here’s more on best places to visit in India in October

Long Weekend in November 2019

• Saturday, 9 Nov
• Sunday, 10 Nov: Eid-ul-Milad
• Monday, 11 Nov: Take leave
• Tuesday, 12 Nov: Guru Nanak Jayanti

The last long weekend of 2019! You have to make this one a special one. November is a pleasant month, weather-wise in India, which opens the door for visiting almost any tourist place or offbeat destination in India. However, November also makes for a great time to explore many places in Southeast Asia as well as in the West. There are Thanksgiving and the annual Waikiki Holiday Parade in Hawaii that you can witness or you can also visit Chiang Mai for the annual Lantern Festival. An affordable and totally legit holiday idea for November 2019 would be to visit Myanmar, an underrated country with a lot of tourism potential. Back home in India, Pushkar and Kutch make for some must-visit places if you haven’t explored them already!

If You Want to Splurge

• Hawaii: for Thanksgiving and the annual Waikiki Holiday Parade
• Denver, US: for Annual Festival
• Patagonia: for Trekking
• San Antonio, US: for San Antonio’s Annual Free Contemporary Arts Festival
• Abu Dhabi, UAE: for Taste of Abu Dhabi Food Festival
• Lisbon, Portugal: Mexefest Music Festival
• Reykjavik, Iceland: Iceland Airwaves Music Festival
• San Diego, US: for San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival
• Buenos Aires, Argentina: for Gaucho festival

Affordable Holidays in November

• Chiang Mai, Thailand: for Lantern Festival
• Myanmar

Holidays in India in November

• Sundarban National Park: for wildlife
• Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
• Kutch, Gujarat: for Rann Utsav
• Pushkar, Rajasthan: for Pushkar Camel Fair
• Amritsar, Punjab: for Guru Nanak Jayanti Celebration

Here’s more on best places to visit in November in India

There you go! You have the best travel ideas for all your long weekends in 2019. So now, quit worrying, and start planning your trip.

In case, you want us at Tour My India to help you, give us a call at 91-9212553106/07 or drop an email at info@tourmyindia.com. We offer the best travel packages for both your international holiday and Indian vacation. For any queries or suggestion, leave a comment below. And yes, you shouldn’t miss out on liking and sharing this blog. Happy Travelling!