2026 Public Holidays: How to Stretch Your Annual Leave
2026 will be a great year for travellers based in Singapore. Thanks to the high number of public holidays falling on Monday or Friday, there will be six long weekends, meaning more chances for an overseas getaway! If you are planning for multiple trips in 2026, consider purchasing annual travel insurance before leaving Singapore as it could be cheaper and you can jet-off whenever knowing that your trips would be covered.
Plan to use your annual leave days around public holidays and long weekends, travel longer for the same amount of leave taken. Plane tickets will also get more expensive in the near future, making it all the more important to maximise every trip.
From October 2026, passengers departing from Singapore will have to pay a sustainable aviation fuel levy. The levy will be added to the price of plane tickets sold from 1 April 2026.
For Economy and Premium Economy Class passengers, the levy will range from $1 to $10.40, while Business and First Class passengers will pay $4 to $41.60.
The levy will be distance-based, with flights to Southeast Asia being charged the lowest levy within their class band, and those to the Americas being charged the highest.
The most cost-effective solution to the higher cost of air travel? Aim to be overseas for as long as possible on each trip by cleverly deploying your annual leave.
Here are our tips for making the most of your annual leave in 2026 to maximise your travel time.
How to Make the Most of the Six Long Weekends in 2026
There is a bumper crop of six long weekends in 2026—Good Friday, Labour Day, Vesak Day, National Day, Deepavali and Christmas.
The great thing about long weekends? They enable you to enjoy a three-day trip without having to take any leave at all. Just make sure you book your tickets in advance to avoid high prices.
With so many Southeast Asian destinations a quick flight or even bus ride away, three days is plenty of time to enjoy an overseas holiday. Popular options for weekend getaways include Bangkok, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur and Bali.
With three days at your disposal, you can rock out at a concert or festival while still having time to sightsee.
Southeast Asia’s biggest metal event, the Hammersonic Festival, takes place in Jakarta on the 2nd and 3rd of May, over the Labour Day long weekend, with a 2026 lineup that includes groups like New Found Glory and Of Mice & Men. In between head-banging, load up on local delicacies at the thousands of warungs and street food carts in town, and enjoy the cooler weather during Indonesia’s dry season.
Fans of My Chemical Romance can seize the chance to see the band in concert in Incheon, Korea on the 7th of November, over the Deepvali long weekend, while at the same time admiring the autumn foliage, at its best and reddest in early November all over the country.
How to Use Your Leave to Travel for Up to 16 Days
When planning longer trips of more than seven days, it is a good idea to travel during a week with a public holiday, and then take leave for the other days in the week not covered by the public holiday.
For instance, in 2026, Chinese New Year falls on 17 and 18 February (Tuesday and Wednesday). By taking leave for just three days, on Monday, Thursday and Friday in the same week, you can travel for up to nine days—from Saturday the week before to the Sunday after Chinese New Year.
In a similar vein, Hari Raya Haji, which falls on 27 May (Wednesday), also offers the opportunity to travel for a full week, this time by taking four days of leave within the same week—on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
With nine full days to travel, you can comfortably enjoy an overseas trip outside of Southeast Asia. Popular destinations for Singaporeans include Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
For an even longer trip, you might want to take advantage of the Christmas and New Year public holidays, which both fall on a Friday. By taking eight days of leave from Monday to Thursday over this two-week period, you will be able to travel for a total of 16 days—from the Saturday before Christmas to the Sunday after the New Year.
A 16-day trip will give you enough time to travel outside of the Asia Pacific region to dream destinations such as London, Paris and Rome.
Bonus: 5 Cooling Destinations to Escape the Singapore Heat
One of the biggest reasons Singaporeans travel is to take a break from our steamy tropical climate.
Not sure where to beat the heat in 2026? Here are some suggestions for places to visit, whether for a three-day weekend or a longer trip.
1) Cameron Highlands, Malaysia (year-round)
Cameron Highlands, located in Malaysia’s state of Pahang, is a hill station that enjoys cool weather all year round thanks to its elevation of approximately 1,500 m above sea level.
It is a convenient choice for a quick getaway over a long weekend, and is accessible via overnight coach in about nine hours.
Cameron Highlands is a key tea-growing zone, and was formerly a resort area for British settlers hoping to get some respite from the heat. There are various plantations, farms and gardens to explore, cultivating everything from tea and strawberries to roses and butterflies.
2) Kunming, China (year-round)
Kunming in China’s Yunnan Province is known as the “City of Eternal Spring”, as temperatures are mild all year round, even in summer, thanks to its altitude of about 1,900 m above sea level.
While a quick introduction to Kunming can be enjoyed over a long weekend, the city is interesting enough to keep you occupied for a week or more.
Kunming’s most famous natural wonder is undoubtedly the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Stone Forest, home to dramatic karst formations, and accessible by train from the city centre.
The city is also home to other scenic destinations such as Green Lake Park, Western Hills Forest Park and Kunming Waterfall Park.
3) Melbourne, Australia (middle of the year)
In the middle of the year, while the Northern Hemisphere swelters, Southern Hemisphere destinations like Australia enjoy the cool respite of winter.
Melbourne is our top pick for a well-rounded Australian destination that will delight kids and adults alike.
Located in the southeastern state of Victoria, the city offers access to culture, nature, good food and more. A day trip to Phillip Island and a drive down the Great Ocean Road are musts, as are visits to the beachside St Kilda and hipster neighbourhood Fitzroy.
Best of all, if you travel over the Hari Raya Haji public holiday, you can enjoy a 9-day trip by taking just four days of annual leave. In late May, it will be late autumn in Melbourne, offering pleasant, cool temperatures.
4) Queenstown, New Zealand (middle of the year)
New Zealand is another Southern Hemisphere destination that experiences winter in the middle of the year.
Over the Hari Raya Haji holiday in May, Queenstown, one of the island country’s most scenic destinations, will be experiencing late autumn.
Queenstown offers innumerable options for adventure enthusiasts, including hiking, bungee jumping, ziplining, paragliding and more.
The city and its surrounds are also home to unique sightseeing opportunities, most notably the majestic fjord Milford Sound and Te Anau Glowworm Caves, a must-see natural phenomenon that will transport you to another world.
5) Tokyo, Japan (beginning and end of the year)
Tokyo is a great travel destination any time of year. But if you’re looking for a chance to take your coats and scarves out of storage, winter-time, which stretches from December to February, is a good time to visit, as temperatures are cool but rarely harsh.
There is something extra-special about Tokyo at Christmas-time, thanks to the sumptuous street illuminations in the city’s popular shopping districts.
As Christmas is not a religious holiday in Japan, many shops and restaurants stay open. If you want to spend the holiday the Japanese way, visit KFC on Christmas Eve. Strangely enough, the fast-food chain is not only a wildly popular option for those celebrating Christmas in Japan, but even rolls out special Christmas-themed menus.
Regardless of whether there is a special occasion going on, Tokyo fully deserves its popularity as one of Singaporeans’ most sought-after travel destinations, with its long list of attractions such as Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Ueno Park and Tsukiji Market, just to name a few.
