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PTO Calendar 2026 & 2027: Best Days to Take Off Work
These are the best days to take off in 2026 and 2027 to maximize your time off. By requesting PTO on the working days between a public holiday and the nearest weekend, you can turn a handful of vacation days into 9-day breaks — and the Christmas–New Year stretch into a two-week escape. Pick your country below for the exact dates.
Each row is an independent option — pick the breaks that fit your PTO balance; you don't need to take them all. Full-year reference for 2026 and 2027.
Best days to take off in United States (2026)
| Holiday | PTO days to request | PTO used | Total days off | Your break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's DayThu, Jan 1 | Jan 2 | 1 | 4 days | Jan 1 – Jan 4 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. DayMon, Jan 19 | Jan 20–23 | 4 | 9 days | Jan 17 – Jan 25 |
| Washington's BirthdayMon, Feb 16 | Feb 17–20 | 4 | 9 days | Feb 14 – Feb 22 |
| Memorial DayMon, May 25 | May 26–29 | 4 | 9 days | May 23 – May 31 |
| JuneteenthFri, Jun 19 | Jun 15–18 | 4 | 9 days | Jun 13 – Jun 21 |
| Independence DayFri, Jul 3 | Jun 29 – Jul 2 | 4 | 9 days | Jun 27 – Jul 5 |
| Labour DayMon, Sep 7 | Sep 8–11 | 4 | 9 days | Sep 5 – Sep 13 |
| Columbus DayMon, Oct 12 | Oct 13–16 | 4 | 9 days | Oct 10 – Oct 18 |
| Veterans DayWed, Nov 11 | Nov 9–10, Nov 12–13 | 4 | 9 days | Nov 7 – Nov 15 |
| Thanksgiving DayThu, Nov 26 | Nov 23–25, Nov 27 | 4 | 9 days | Nov 21 – Nov 29 |
| Christmas Day + New Year's DayFri, Dec 25 + Fri, Jan 1 | Dec 21–24, Dec 28–31 | 8 | 16 days | Dec 19 – Jan 3 |
Best days to take off in United States (2027)
| Holiday | PTO days to request | PTO used | Total days off | Your break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Luther King Jr. DayMon, Jan 18 | Jan 19–22 | 4 | 9 days | Jan 16 – Jan 24 |
| Washington's BirthdayMon, Feb 15 | Feb 16–19 | 4 | 9 days | Feb 13 – Feb 21 |
| Memorial DayMon, May 31 | Jun 1–4 | 4 | 9 days | May 29 – Jun 6 |
| JuneteenthFri, Jun 18 | Jun 14–17 | 4 | 9 days | Jun 12 – Jun 20 |
| Independence DayMon, Jul 5 | Jul 6–9 | 4 | 9 days | Jul 3 – Jul 11 |
| Labour DayMon, Sep 6 | Sep 7–10 | 4 | 9 days | Sep 4 – Sep 12 |
| Columbus DayMon, Oct 11 | Oct 12–15 | 4 | 9 days | Oct 9 – Oct 17 |
| Veterans DayThu, Nov 11 | Nov 8–10, Nov 12 | 4 | 9 days | Nov 6 – Nov 14 |
| Thanksgiving DayThu, Nov 25 | Nov 22–24, Nov 26 | 4 | 9 days | Nov 20 – Nov 28 |
| Christmas Day + New Year's DayFri, Dec 24 + Fri, Dec 31 | Dec 20–23, Dec 27–30 | 8 | 16 days | Dec 18 – Jan 2 |
Based on national public holidays for United States. State, provincial, and company days off can unlock even longer breaks — customize this in the optimizer.
Best days to take off in Canada (2026)
| Holiday | PTO days to request | PTO used | Total days off | Your break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's DayThu, Jan 1 | Jan 2 | 1 | 4 days | Jan 1 – Jan 4 |
| Good FridayFri, Apr 3 | Mar 30 – Apr 2 | 4 | 9 days | Mar 28 – Apr 5 |
| Victoria DayMon, May 18 | May 19–22 | 4 | 9 days | May 16 – May 24 |
| Canada DayWed, Jul 1 | Jun 29–30, Jul 2–3 | 4 | 9 days | Jun 27 – Jul 5 |
| Civic HolidayMon, Aug 3 | Aug 4–7 | 4 | 9 days | Aug 1 – Aug 9 |
| Labour DayMon, Sep 7 | Sep 8–11 | 4 | 9 days | Sep 5 – Sep 13 |
| National Day for Truth and ReconciliationWed, Sep 30 | Sep 28–29, Oct 1–2 | 4 | 9 days | Sep 26 – Oct 4 |
| ThanksgivingMon, Oct 12 | Oct 13–16 | 4 | 9 days | Oct 10 – Oct 18 |
| Remembrance DayWed, Nov 11 | Nov 9–10, Nov 12–13 | 4 | 9 days | Nov 7 – Nov 15 |
| Christmas Day + New Year's DayFri, Dec 25 + Fri, Jan 1 | Dec 21–24, Dec 28–31 | 8 | 16 days | Dec 19 – Jan 3 |
Best days to take off in Canada (2027)
| Holiday | PTO days to request | PTO used | Total days off | Your break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good FridayFri, Mar 26 | Mar 22–25 | 4 | 9 days | Mar 20 – Mar 28 |
| Victoria DayMon, May 24 | May 25–28 | 4 | 9 days | May 22 – May 30 |
| Canada DayThu, Jul 1 | Jun 28–30, Jul 2 | 4 | 9 days | Jun 26 – Jul 4 |
| Civic HolidayMon, Aug 2 | Aug 3–6 | 4 | 9 days | Jul 31 – Aug 8 |
| Labour DayMon, Sep 6 | Sep 7–10 | 4 | 9 days | Sep 4 – Sep 12 |
| National Day for Truth and ReconciliationThu, Sep 30 | Sep 27–29, Oct 1 | 4 | 9 days | Sep 25 – Oct 3 |
| ThanksgivingMon, Oct 11 | Oct 12–15 | 4 | 9 days | Oct 9 – Oct 17 |
| Remembrance DayThu, Nov 11 | Nov 8–10, Nov 12 | 4 | 9 days | Nov 6 – Nov 14 |
Based on national public holidays for Canada. State, provincial, and company days off can unlock even longer breaks — customize this in the optimizer.
Best days to take off in United Kingdom (2026)
| Holiday | PTO days to request | PTO used | Total days off | Your break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's DayThu, Jan 1 | Jan 2 | 1 | 4 days | Jan 1 – Jan 4 |
| Good Friday + Easter MondayFri, Apr 3 + Mon, Apr 6 | Mar 30 – Apr 2, Apr 7–10 | 8 | 16 days | Mar 28 – Apr 12 |
| Early May bank holidayMon, May 4 | May 5–8 | 4 | 9 days | May 2 – May 10 |
| Spring bank holidayMon, May 25 | May 26–29 | 4 | 9 days | May 23 – May 31 |
| Christmas Day + Boxing Day + New Year's DayFri, Dec 25 + Mon, Dec 28 + Fri, Jan 1 | Dec 21–24, Dec 29–31 | 7 | 16 days | Dec 19 – Jan 3 |
Best days to take off in United Kingdom (2027)
| Holiday | PTO days to request | PTO used | Total days off | Your break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good Friday + Easter MondayFri, Mar 26 + Mon, Mar 29 | Mar 22–25, Mar 30 – Apr 2 | 8 | 16 days | Mar 20 – Apr 4 |
| Early May bank holidayMon, May 3 | May 4–7 | 4 | 9 days | May 1 – May 9 |
| Spring bank holidayMon, May 31 | Jun 1–4 | 4 | 9 days | May 29 – Jun 6 |
| Christmas Day + Boxing DayMon, Dec 27 + Tue, Dec 28 | Dec 29–31 | 3 | 9 days | Dec 25 – Jan 2 |
Based on national public holidays for United Kingdom. State, provincial, and company days off can unlock even longer breaks — customize this in the optimizer.
Best days to take off in Australia (2026)
| Holiday | PTO days to request | PTO used | Total days off | Your break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's DayThu, Jan 1 | Jan 2 | 1 | 4 days | Jan 1 – Jan 4 |
| Australia DayMon, Jan 26 | Jan 27–30 | 4 | 9 days | Jan 24 – Feb 1 |
| Good Friday + Easter MondayFri, Apr 3 + Mon, Apr 6 | Mar 30 – Apr 2, Apr 7–10 | 8 | 16 days | Mar 28 – Apr 12 |
| Christmas Day + Boxing Day + New Year's DayFri, Dec 25 + Mon, Dec 28 + Fri, Jan 1 | Dec 21–24, Dec 29–31 | 7 | 16 days | Dec 19 – Jan 3 |
Best days to take off in Australia (2027)
| Holiday | PTO days to request | PTO used | Total days off | Your break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia DayTue, Jan 26 | Jan 25, Jan 27–29 | 4 | 9 days | Jan 23 – Jan 31 |
| Good Friday + Easter MondayFri, Mar 26 + Mon, Mar 29 | Mar 22–25, Mar 30 – Apr 2 | 8 | 16 days | Mar 20 – Apr 4 |
| Christmas Day + Boxing DayMon, Dec 27 + Tue, Dec 28 | Dec 29–31 | 3 | 9 days | Dec 25 – Jan 2 |
Based on national public holidays for Australia. State, provincial, and company days off can unlock even longer breaks — customize this in the optimizer.
Holiday dates come from public-holiday data and can vary by region, employer, and year. This is a free planning tool, not official guidance — always confirm dates against your country's official public-holiday calendar and your employer's leave policy before booking time off.
Want a plan built around your PTO?
The tables above use national holidays. Add your PTO balance, company days off, and location to get a personalized 2026 plan you can export to your calendar.
Open the PTO OptimizerPTO calendar 2026 FAQ
- What are the best days to take off in 2026?
- The best days to take off are the working days that sit between a public holiday and the nearest weekend. Bridging them turns a single holiday into a long break — for example, in many countries taking 4 PTO days around a mid-week holiday yields 9 consecutive days off. See the country tables above for the exact dates in 2026.
- How many days off can I get from my PTO in 2026?
- By stacking PTO around public holidays and weekends, most people can roughly double or triple their time off. A common result is turning about 15 PTO days into 40+ total days off across the year. Use the optimizer to calculate the exact plan for your PTO balance and country.
- Does this PTO calendar work for my country?
- This page covers the US, Canada, UK, and Australia using national public holidays. The Holiday Optimizer tool supports 100+ countries plus state, provincial, and company-specific days off for a fully personalized plan.