4 days off for 1 day of leave
Long weekends 2026 in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has 9 public holidays in 2026, and 6 of them land on a weekday. Your best deal is 1 to 4 January: 1 day of leave turns into 4 days off in a row. The longest break with up to 10 days of leave: 10 days, 25 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, for 4 days of leave.
- Bank holidays 2026
- 9
- on weekdays
- 6
- bridge days
- 2
- off for 4 days of annual leave
- 10 days
How 2026 works in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has 9 public holidays in 2026, taken from the official government list. 3 fall on a weekend.
Leave rules differ by employer and contract in the Netherlands, so the planner shows every budget from one to ten days. Among the 16 countries we cover outside our main markets, the Netherlands ranks number 15 for full days off this year.
1 more day appears on the official list without counting here: Goede vrijdag (3 April, not a day off for most workers). The planner leaves them out so every break works for everyone in the Netherlands.
Every public holiday in the Netherlands in 2026
Here is each day off in date order, what it marks, and the quickest way to turn it into a longer break.
AmsterdamiPhoto: Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Italy- Thursday, 1 January: Nieuwjaarsdag. New Year's Day follows the fireworks at midnight and is a quiet day of rest across the country. Take Friday, 2 January off and you have 4 days in a row, 1 to 4 January.
- Sunday, 5 April: Eerste Paasdag. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection with church services, family meals and, in many places, egg hunts. Most shops close for the day. It falls on a Sunday, and the Netherlands's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.
- Monday, 6 April: Tweede Paasdag. Easter Monday closes the long Easter weekend with family outings and, in Italy, Pasquetta picnics in the countryside. You get 3 free days in a row, 4 to 6 April, with no leave needed.
- Monday, 27 April: Koningsdag. King's Day on 27 April turns the Netherlands orange, with street markets, canal parties and music in every town, especially in Amsterdam. You get 3 free days in a row, 25 to 27 April, with no leave needed.
- Thursday, 14 May: Hemelvaartsdag. Ascension Day always falls on a Thursday, forty days after Easter. Many people take the Friday off for a classic bridge and a four day weekend. Take Friday, 15 May off and you have 4 days in a row, 14 to 17 May.
- Sunday, 24 May: Eerste Pinksterdag. Pentecost Sunday marks the coming of the Holy Spirit, fifty days after Easter. It opens a spring long weekend with church services and outings. It falls on a Sunday, and the Netherlands's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.
- Monday, 25 May: Tweede Pinksterdag. Whit Monday follows Pentecost Sunday and gives a spring long weekend, popular for short trips and outdoor events. You get 3 free days in a row, 23 to 25 May, with no leave needed.
- Friday, 25 December: Eerste Kerstdag. Christmas Day is a day for family meals and church, with nearly everything closed. Leave in the week after it gives a long winter break. You get 3 free days in a row, 25 to 27 December, with no leave needed.
- Saturday, 26 December: Tweede Kerstdag. The second day of Christmas, St Stephen's Day, is another day off for family visits, winter walks and leftovers, before the quiet week until New Year. It falls on a Saturday, and the Netherlands's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.
AmsterdamiPhoto: Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsItalyThe best breaks in 2026, explained
Each break below starts and ends on a free day, contains at least one public holiday, and needs no more than 10 days of leave. They are ranked by how many days off each day of leave brings.
1 to 4 January: 1 day of leave (2 January) around Nieuwjaarsdag gives 4 days off, 4,0 days for every day used.
Around Eerste Paasdag and Tweede Paasdag, 4 days of leave on Tue 7 April, Wed 8 April, Thu 9 April and Fri 10 April unlock 9 days away, 4 to 12 April.
Around Koningsdag, 4 days of leave on Tue 28 April, Wed 29 April, Thu 30 April and Fri 1 May unlock 9 days away, 25 April to 3 May.
14 to 17 May: 1 day of leave (15 May) around Hemelvaartsdag gives 4 days off, 4,0 days for every day used.
Around Eerste Pinksterdag and Tweede Pinksterdag, 4 days of leave on Tue 26 May, Wed 27 May, Thu 28 May and Fri 29 May unlock 9 days away, 23 to 31 May.
25 December 2026 to 3 January 2027: 4 days of leave (28 to 31 December) around Eerste Kerstdag, Tweede Kerstdag and Nieuwjaarsdag give 10 days off, 2,5 days for every day used.
The best breaks 2026 in the Netherlands
Every row is a run of weekends, public holidays and days of leave. The highlighted row brings the most days off per day of leave.
| Dates | Result | Leave on | Bank holidays | School holidays | Plan a trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jan 1 to Sun, Jan 4 | 4 days offfor 1 day of annual leave, 4 days off per day of leave | Fri, Jan 2 | Nieuwjaarsdag | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Apr 4 to Sun, Apr 12 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Apr 7 · Wed, Apr 8 · Thu, Apr 9 · Fri, Apr 10 | Eerste Paasdag, Tweede Paasdag | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Apr 25 to Sun, May 3 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Apr 28 · Wed, Apr 29 · Thu, Apr 30 · Fri, May 1 | Koningsdag | none | Plan a trip |
| Thu, May 14 to Sun, May 17 | 4 days offfor 1 day of annual leave, 4 days off per day of leave | Fri, May 15 | Hemelvaartsdag | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, May 23 to Sun, May 31 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, May 26 · Wed, May 27 · Thu, May 28 · Fri, May 29 | Eerste Pinksterdag, Tweede Pinksterdag | none | Plan a trip |
| Fri, Dec 25 to Sun, Jan 3 | 10 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.5 days off per day of leave | Mon, Dec 28 · Tue, Dec 29 · Wed, Dec 30 · Thu, Dec 31 | Eerste Kerstdag, Tweede Kerstdag, Nieuwjaarsdag | none | Plan a trip |
What 1 to 10 days of leave bring
For each budget, the longest run of days off in 2026.
1 day of annual leave
4 days
January 1 to January 4
Nieuwjaarsdag
3 days of annual leave
6 days
May 9 to May 14
Hemelvaartsdag
4 days of annual leave
10 days
December 25 to January 3
Eerste Kerstdag, Tweede Kerstdag, Nieuwjaarsdag
8 days of annual leave
16 days
December 19 to January 3
Eerste Kerstdag, Tweede Kerstdag, Nieuwjaarsdag
10 days of annual leave
18 days
May 14 to May 31
Hemelvaartsdag, Eerste Pinksterdag, Tweede Pinksterdag
2026 calendar for the Netherlands
- Bank holiday
- Annual leave in a break
- Weekend
- School holidays
- regional holiday
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
The maths: days of leave in, days off out
With 1 day of leave the longest run you can build is 4 days, 1 to 4 January. Three days stretch to 6 days off (9 to 14 May). Five days, a typical week, become 10 days off around Eerste Kerstdag, Tweede Kerstdag and Nieuwjaarsdag, 25 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 18 days in a row, 14 to 31 May. For nine days or more away you need 4 days of leave.
2026 through the seasons
Winter: Nieuwjaarsdag on 1 January, Eerste Kerstdag on 25 December and Tweede Kerstdag on 26 December. The pick of the season is 1 to 4 January with 1 day of leave for 4 days off.
Spring: Eerste Paasdag on 5 April, Tweede Paasdag on 6 April, Koningsdag on 27 April, Hemelvaartsdag on 14 May, Eerste Pinksterdag on 24 May and Tweede Pinksterdag on 25 May. The pick of the season is 14 to 17 May with 1 day of leave for 4 days off.
Summer and autumn have no public holiday in the Netherlands this year, which makes them the time to use a full week of leave for a longer trip.
The Netherlands next to the other countries
South Korea has the most with 18 public holidays in 2026, Mexico the fewest with 7. The Netherlands sits in between with 9.
Mexico
South KoreaiPhoto: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsIts best break, 1 to 4 January, returns 4,0 days off per day of leave. 3 countries get a better ratio this year, mostly thanks to an extra public holiday next to a weekend.
MexicoSouth KoreaiPhoto: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Long Weekend Planner 2026 for Netherlands as a PDF
Every stretch, holiday and school break in NL on one printable page. Plus The Sunday Getaway every week and a note whenever a long weekend is worth it.
Public holidays 2026 in the Netherlands
| Date | Weekday | Bank holiday | Applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Thursday | Nieuwjaarsdag | nationwide |
| April 3 | Friday | Goede vrijdag | |
| April 5 | Sunday | Eerste Paasdag | nationwide |
| April 6 | Monday | Tweede Paasdag | nationwide |
| April 27 | Monday | Koningsdag | nationwide |
| May 14 | Thursday | Hemelvaartsdag | nationwide |
| May 24 | Sunday | Eerste Pinksterdag | nationwide |
| May 25 | Monday | Tweede Pinksterdag | nationwide |
| December 25 | Friday | Eerste Kerstdag | nationwide |
| December 26 | Saturday | Tweede Kerstdag | nationwide |
Where to go on a long weekend from the Netherlands
The Dutch use long weekends for the Wadden Islands like Texel in summer, the Veluwe forests in autumn, and the tulip fields in spring. Antwerp, Ghent and the German Eifel are close by for a short trip.
AntwerpiPhoto: Klaus with K · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
GhentiPhoto: Michielverbeek · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsYour strongest breaks this year fall in January, April and May, so pick the trip that suits that season, and book early: everyone else in the Netherlands has the same days off.
AntwerpiPhoto: Klaus with K · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsGhentiPhoto: Michielverbeek · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsThe Netherlands in other years
2027 and 2028 are planned as well, each with its own dates and breaks.
Holiday dates move every year: fixed-date days change their weekday, and Easter moves between late March and late April, which is why the best breaks are never the same twice.
Where these dates come from
Every date on this page comes from the official source for the Netherlands: Rijksoverheid: officiële feestdagen, read directly and compared day by day with an independent second source. A year appears once its official list is published, and we never fill a gap with another country's dates.
The planner treats weekends and full public holidays as free days and works out where your days of leave turn into the longest time off. Days kept in part of the Netherlands or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on 1 October 2026.
Long Weekend Planner 2026 in NL: frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does the Netherlands have in 2026?
9 public holidays: Nieuwjaarsdag on 1 January, Eerste Paasdag on 5 April, Tweede Paasdag on 6 April, Koningsdag on 27 April, Hemelvaartsdag on 14 May, Eerste Pinksterdag on 24 May, Tweede Pinksterdag on 25 May, Eerste Kerstdag on 25 December and Tweede Kerstdag on 26 December. 6 fall on a weekday.
What is the best long weekend in the Netherlands in 2026?
1 to 4 January: 1 day of leave gives 4 days off around Nieuwjaarsdag.
How many days of leave do I need for nine days off in 2026?
4 days of leave: take 28 to 31 December off and you are off 25 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
Is Good Friday a public holiday in the Netherlands in 2026?
No. Good Friday is not on the Netherlands's official list for 2026, so it is a regular workday unless your employer gives it.
Is Christmas Eve a public holiday in the Netherlands in 2026?
No. Christmas Eve is not on the Netherlands's official list for 2026, so it is a regular workday unless your employer gives it.
2026 in the other countries
How the Long Weekend Planner works
Holidays: the public holidays from the official list in NL, checked date by date. The planner counts only days off for the whole region.
Stretches: start and end on a day off, include at least one holiday and at most 10 days of annual leave. Ranked by days off per day of leave; Saturday and Sunday count as free.
School holidays: officially published dates only, checked every month. Trip ideas: the month's climate and flights from the region's main airport.
