A New Year means one thing: a fresh bundle of annual leave days to enjoy. And for us globetrotters, the wonderful challenge is how to max out those precious days off. The good news is that if you’re smart about it and plan your trips around UK bank holidays, you can turn 25 days of annual leave into a whopping 55 days off. Read on for our rundown of the bank holidays to use in 2024 and the top trips our travel experts recommend taking...
March and April – 16 days off
Colombia
Plan a trip around the Easter bank holidays (29th March and 2nd April) and you’ll only need to take ten days of annual leave for 16 glorious days off. Colombia is always popular at this time of year, and we can tailor-make an epic tour from the streets of Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena to the winding Camino Real trail, which passes through cobbled towns and tobacco fields. Along the way, you can even marvel at a 700-year-old mummy, which was discovered in one of the many Chicamocha Canyon caves and is now displayed in the Museum of Paleontology & Archaeology.
May – nine days off
Slovenia
In May, combine one of the spring bank holidays (6th or 27th May) with four days of annual leave for nine days off – perfect for a Slovenian road trip. Soak in views of the Istrian coastline, sip your way through the Goriška Brda wine region and wander through the cobblestoned capital of Ljubljana. And don’t miss a trip to the enchanting Bled Island. Cruise out on a traditional plenta boat and climb the 99 steps to the church to ring wishing bell which, legend has it, will make your hopes and dreams come true.
August – nine days off
Namibia
Schedule a trip around the summer bank holiday (26th August), when four days of annual leave gives you nine days of holiday heaven. Spend them in Namibia, where you can combine a safari in Etosha (home to the world’s largest population of black rhinos) with time in Kaokoland, meeting the Himba people, and a stay in the starkly beautiful Namib Desert for R&R and landscape safaris from luxurious tented camps.
December – 12 days off
Australia
Looking to migrate somewhere warmer in winter? Enjoy 12 days off by combining the December and January bank holidays with five days of annual leave. We recommend spending them in sunny Southern Australia. Get your fix of the great outdoors with coastal walks, whale watching and a stay on the wildlife haven of Kangaroo Island which, believe it or not, is bigger than Singapore. Round off your Aussie adventure with a spot of surfing at Manly Beach and a walk to one of Sydney’s clifftop vantage points for views over the city’s skyline.