Top Tips: Holiday Planner 2026!

Looking to make the most of your precious annual leave in 2026? Ray Au has this year’s vacations all worked out for you

PHOTO COURTESY OF Pexels

As I write, I’m imagining you happy and raring to go, and just back from a fabulous Christmas break somewhere sunny and relaxing, or snowy and action-packed. Either way, I hope you enjoyed a full 12-day escape (December 24 to January 4) by cashing in four days of your 2025 annual leave (December 24, 29, 30, 31) and just one day of your leave for 2026 (January 2).

Safe to assume that moving into 2026, you’re looking to establish a fulfilling work-play balance: nailing your job, while making time for leisure and personal wellbeing, minibreaks and long vacations. Here’s your guide to doing just that in 2026.

The good news is that Hong Kongers enjoy 17 ‘general’ holidays, aka ‘public’ holidays, a year: these are statutory holidays for banks, schools, government offices and most businesses. Added to which many of us work a five-day week, Monday to Friday, leaving our weekends free. The bad news is that Hong Kong bosses are obliged to give staff just 14 days paid leave per year, and that only kicks in once we’ve been with the same company, on a continuous contract, for nine years. Of course, many employers have a more enlightened attitude to our need for downtime (and you need to be savvy about this when negotiating your employment contract) but still, it’s a good idea to maximise the leave you get by planning it around those 17 government-given holidays.

CNY ON TOUR: FEBRUARY

If you’re on the ball, you’ll have already booked a full nine-day Chinese New Year holiday, using just two days of your annual leave. February 17 to 19 (Tuesday to Thursday) are public holidays, so by taking February 16 and 20 off work, you’ll have a generous amount of time to welcome in the Year of the Horse.

A nine-day trip in February? Think Rajasthan: the weather is ideal (warm days, cool nights) and a series of kaleidoscopic festivals are in full swing. Book a private car and you’re looking at a few short, scenic drives (five hours max) between each of the big-ticket destinations – Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur. Medieval for ts and palaces, camel rides to dusty desert outposts and safaris through tiger-stalked national parks: that’s Rajasthan.

SPRING BREAK: APRIL

There are no public holidays in March, so by April you’re going to be ready for a vacation. The Easter and Ching Ming Festivals come together in 2026 – April 3 to 7 – so by taking time off work from April 8 to 10, you can grab yourself a tasty 10-day break for the price of three.

How about ticking the Seychelles off your bucket list this year? Base yourself on Mahé, the main island, home to over 60 white-sand beaches backed by lush jungle. Water temperatures rarely dip below 27ºC in the Seychelles, and scuba divers can expect up to 30 metres of visibility in the crystal-clear Indian Ocean. Every watersport imaginable is on offer – if you can summon the willpower to leave your idly swinging hammock, that is.

SUMMER ESCAPES: MAY, JUNE AND JULY

We’re not blessed by many public holidays midyear (if you want a traditional summer holiday, or to spend time with your kids over the long vac, you’re going to have to dip heavily into your annual leave) but there are a couple on which to hang some lovely long weekends. Labour Day, May 1, is a Monday; the day following the Buddha’s Birthday, May 25, is a Monday; Tuen Ng Festival, June 19, is a Friday; and HK SAR Establishment Day, July 1, is a Wednesday.

A minibreak in South East Asia… Let’s see: Bangkok, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Siem Reap, Hanoi. Been there, done that? Well, how about Seoul? The South Korean capital is an unexpected delight – in addition to the futuristic skyline and buzzing nightlife, you’ll find culture-rich temples, palaces, teahouses, parks and lakes. Be sure to visit Gyeongbokgung, a palace complex reminiscent of Beijing’s Forbidden City, complete with a picturesque pavilion in the centre of an artificial lake. And for a glimpse of ‘new Seoul,’ head to Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). This popular cultural centre – DDP stands for Dream- Design-Play – is filled with galleries, event spaces and shops. Designed by the late, great Zaha Hadid, it’s a futuristic sight to behold in undulating aluminium and concrete, with lawns that rise up to its roof.

AUTUMN GETAWAY: OCTOBER

Two more opportunities for a long weekend away present themselves in October, since National Day falls on October 1, a Thursday, and the Day following the Chung Yeung Festival on October 19, a Monday.

Macau is always a great option for a couple of nights, whether you’re chasing glitz and gaming on the Cotai Strip, or Coloane’s leafy trails and quiet beaches… but how about a quick trip to Tokyo? The mesmerising Japanese capital is easy to get around and wacky as they come. With three or four days in hand, you can mingle with the manga crowd on Harajuku Bridge; catch a kabuki show, ‘bathe’ in the lucky incense at Sensoji Temple and – on a clear day – get a glimpse of Mount Fuji.

WINTER VACATION: DECEMBER

Having worked hard all year, you may well decide to secure yourself an ‘out of office’ experience at Christmas and/ or New Year. The public holidays fall on December 25, 26, and January 1. Taking two days off (December 24 and 28) will give you five days to unplug, or you could jingle all the way through to the New Year by also booking leave from December 29 to 31.

Should you choose the latter option, grabbing an 11-day break for the price of five, you’ll want to make the most of your time off. So how about treating yourself to a big-ticket, white Christmas? If you’re a fan of romantic comedies – like Miracle on 34th Street (1947), When Harry Met Sally (1989) and Serendipity (2001) – you already know that a New York Christmas is hard to beat. There’s skating at the Rockefeller Center, the annual Christmas Spectacular at Radio City, and, of course, shopping on Fifth Avenue. Enjoy!