How To Maximise Every Public Holiday In 2026 — And Where We Recommend Going

If your love language is maximising public holidays (PH) in Singapore, 2026 is your year. 

With 11 gazetted public holidays and several “bonus Mondays” in lieu, the calendar is practically begging you to plan overseas vacations almost every month in 2026. 

With a bit of strategy, you can turn just 15 days of annual leave into 51 days off when you count weekends and public holidays together. That’s almost two months of not staring at your inbox.

Quick overview: 2026 public holidays in Singapore

Here are the gazetted public holidays for 2026 in Singapore, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). 

Note: If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is declared a public holiday.

Now for the fun part: turning these PHs into maximum time off:

January — New Year’s Day

• Dec 27 & 28, 2025 (Saturday & Sunday): Weekend
• Dec 29, 2025 (Monday): Take leave
• Dec 30, 2025 (Tuesday): Take leave
• Dec 31, 2025 (Wednesday): Take leave
• Jan 1, 2026 (Thursday): New Year’s Day PH
• Jan 2, 2026 (Friday): Take leave
• Jan 3 & 4, 2026 (Saturday & Sunday): Weekend

What you get: Nine days off with four days of leave.

Since these holidays are already over, let’s focus on maximising your PHs from February 2026 onwards. 

February — Chinese New Year

• Feb 14 & 15, 2026 (Saturday & Sunday): Weekend
• Feb 16, 2026 (Monday): Take leave
• Feb 17 & 18, 2026 (Tuesday & Wednesday): CNY PH
• Feb 19 & 20, 2026 (Thursday & Friday): Take leave
• Feb 21 & 22, 2026 (Saturday & Sunday): Weekend

What you get: Nine days off with three days of leave.

Where to go

Gardens By The Bay: Spring Blossoms

Spot eight giant horse lanterns — handmade in ancient Chinese style — prancing with plum blossoms and orchids at Flower Dome. Wander pretty gardens with moon gates and spring flowers, and don’t forget to bang the lucky Blooming Drum to kick off the CNY vibes!

Get your tickets here

Chinatown and River Hongbao 2026

If you aren’t planning to take a trip out this year, marvelling at Chinatown’s street light-up and checking out the CNY Bazaar will make good family memories. Best of all, it’s free and the fam will look extra cute if everyone gets decked out in matching CNY wear. 

While details for River Hongbao 2026 are still emerging, this event ranks among Singapore’s top CNY celebrations at Gardens by the Bay. Expect giant lantern displays, nightly cultural shows, a lively food street, and carnival rides that keep kids entertained.

Travel ideas (if you really don’t want to give out ang baos): 

Tokyo, Osaka or Hokkaido, Japan

Ultra-safe streets, spotless trains, and DisneySea magic make Tokyo a family dream, with easy day trips to Izu Peninsula. February brings crisp winter weather minus peak crowds, letting you wander Asakusa temples or hit teamLab planets without the chaos. Heading to Osaka? Click here for the top kid-tastic things to do there. Want to avoid other Singaporeans? Check out these five underrated Japanese destinations. 

Bali, Indonesia

Pool villas with lazy rivers, nasi goreng feasts, and lively beach clubs keep the family buzzing without any CNY crowds. February stays warm with just spotty rain, making it spot-on for short escapes. Balance Ubud’s lush rice terraces and monkey forests for kids with Seminyak’s breezy cafes and surf lessons for relaxed family exploring.

Bintan, Indonesia

Skip flights entirely with a quick ferry ride to resorts loaded with kids’ clubs, white-sand beaches, and spa pampering for the grown-ups. Ideal setup for multi-gen trips where grandparents and toddlers stay happy in one contained paradise, complete with pools. Just three days here feels like a full recharge. Check out our list of family-friendly hotels in Bintan.

Phuket, Thailand

Picture sunny beaches and family resorts dishing out island-hopping tours, gentle snorkelling spots, and elephant sanctuaries kids adore. February delivers reliable warmth and dry-ish days, perfect for a breezy five day reset. 

Seoul and Jeju, South Korea

Walkable neighbourhoods full of kid cafes, glowing winter lights, and palaces make Seoul a safe playground for the whole family. Got a week and don’t mind the chilly weather? Base in Seoul for Nami Island day trips and Lotte World fun, then fly to Jeju for volcanic beaches, hikes, and chocolate museums — easy combo for max adventure.

March — Hari Raya Puasa

• Mar 20, 2026 (Friday): Take leave/off-in-lieu
• Mar 21, 2026 (Saturday): Hari Raya Puasa PH (tentative date)
• Mar 22, 2026 (Sunday): Weekend

What you get: Three days off with one day of leave or off-in-lieu.

Where to go:

If the travel bug is biting, somewhere near and affordable like Batam might just do the trick! 

Just a one hour ferry ride away from Singapore, Batam offers an attractive alternative holiday destination for Singaporeans who don’t enjoy getting stuck in causeway jams. Our top tip? Book your ferry tickets, hotels and massages early. 

Click here for things to eat in Batam, and here for the best family-friendly hotels on the Indonesian island. 

April — Good Friday

• Apr 3, 2026 (Friday): Good Friday PH
• Apr 4 & 5, 2026 (Saturday & Sunday): Weekend

What you get: Three days off, no leave needed.

Where to go

Genting Highlands

Genting Highlands, Malaysia is our go-to for easy family weekends — fun for all ages from grannies to tots. Hop one of the many cheap, reliable buses (book ahead, fares stay steady unlike flights); leave Thursday night to arrive Friday morning and squeeze in two full days before the afternoon return via bus at around 1pm. 

Here’s why Genting’s a winner: 

- Casinos for the old folks
- Premium outlet shopping for the parents
- Skytropolis Indoor Theme Park and the outdoor Genting Skyworlds Theme Park will excite the kids
- $3 scenic cable car will wow everyone

Best of all, Genting’s fantastic “air con” weather will have everyone’s patience extended by 100 per cent. 

May — Hari Raya Haji + Vesak Day

• May 23 & 24, 2026 (Saturday & Sunday): Weekend
• May 25 & 26, 2026 (Monday & Tuesday): Take leave
• May 27, 2026 (Wednesday): Hari Raya Haji PH (tentative date)
• May 28, 2026 (Thu): Take leave
• May 29, 2026 (Fri): Take leave
• May 30, 2026 (Sat): Weekend
• May 31, 2026 (Sun): Vesak Day PH
• Jun 1, 2026 (Mon): PH in lieu

What you get: 10 days off with four days of leave.

Where to go

Australia

Skip the mid-year heat in most countries by heading to Australia, particularly Melbourne. Melbourne offers cool weather (10 to 17 degrees) and top family value for Singaporeans, with direct round flights as cheap as around $400+ per person. 

10 days will comfortably fit Great Ocean Road’s epic cliffs and 12 Apostles, Puffing Billy Railway, Yarra Valley, Arthurs Seat, farm stays, Peninsula Hot Springs, the buzzing Melbourne CBD (Queen Victoria Market!), and the most adorable Phillip Island penguins.

Top tip: Rent a car when you’re there! 

August — National Day

• Aug 8, 2026 (Saturday): Weekend
• Aug 9, 2026 (Sunday): National Day PH
• Aug 10, 2026 (Monday): PH in lieu

What you get: Three days off, no leave needed.

Where to go

While many will stay in Singapore to celebrate Singapore’s birthday, be it attending the National Day parade, watching fireworks at heartland locales or watching the parade from home, there’s also the option of getting away for a short break.

With three days (stretch to five by taking Friday and Tuesday leave), zip to Bangkok, Thailand or Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam for cheap street eats, massages and shopping. 

A quick Google search shows round-trip flight prices to Bangkok going for around $285, and HCMC for around $220. It’s almost a hundred dollars more compared to usual flights, but hey, it still costs less than getting a 90-minute couple massage in Singapore. 

November — Deepavali

• Nov 7, 2026 (Saturday): Weekend
• Nov 8, 2026 (Sunday): Deepavali PH
• Nov 9, 2026 (Monday): PH in lieu

What you get: Three days off, no leave needed.

Where to go

Hanoi, Vietnam

November’s cooler Hanoi weather calls for a quick Vietnam trip. Fly in on Friday night to maximise time, and spend the rest of the days taking chill walks around Hoan Kiem lake, feasting on tasty pho and bun cha, and enjoy a water puppet show at Thang Long Theatre.

December — Christmas & New Year

• Dec 19 & 20, 2026 (Saturday & Sunday): Weekend
• Dec 21 to 24, 2026: (Monday to Thursday): Take leave
• Dec 25, 2026 (Friday): Christmas PH
• Dec 26 & 27, 2026 (Saturday & Sunday): Weekend

What you get: Nine days off with four days of leave.

If you wanna be extra (and if your boss approves), bridge to 2027 New Year’s Day for a longer vacation. 

• Dec 28 to 31, 2026 (Monday to Thursday): Take leave
• Jan 1, 2027 (Friday): New Year’s Day PH
• Jan 2 & 3, 2027 (Saturday & Sunday): Weekend

What you get: 16 days off with eight days of leave. 

With 16 days, honestly just go wherever you want. The only limit here is your boss, and your wallet. Chase northern lights? Sure. European Christmas markets? Yeah girl slay. Ski trip in Japan or Switzerland? Flex.