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Victoria public holidays

Take the right leave.
Make the long weekend worth it.

The dates are the easy part. PlanSorted helps you work out which breaks are worth travelling for, which are better kept local, and what to book before everyone else has the same idea.

Open the 2026 plannerPlan my next break

Next useful break

1 leave day · 4 days off

AFL Grand Final 2026: take Monday, get 4 days off

Late September is good for spring gardens, coastal walks and food-led weekends, but Melbourne event crowds can be heavy.

Plan this long weekendView leave windows

2026 at a glance

Turn leave into long weekends. The windows where one to four days off become something worth planning.

Full 2026 planner
1 leave day = 4 days off

AFL Grand Final 2026

25 Sep – 28 Sep

Late September is good for spring gardens, coastal walks and food-led weekends, but Melbourne event crowds can be heavy.

Plan this break
1 leave day = 4 days off

Melbourne Cup 2026

31 Oct – 3 Nov

Early November is ideal for spring energy, gardens, coast and winery lunches.

Read the guide
3 leave days = 10 days off

Christmas/New Year 2026

25 Dec – 3 Jan

Summer planning needs heat backup, early starts and beach safety common sense.

Plan this break
4 leave days = 10 days off

Easter 2026

3 Apr – 12 Apr · been and gone

Early April is strong for autumn colour, forest drives, food regions and cooler walking weather.

Plan this break
1 leave day = 4 days off

King's Birthday 2026

5 Jun – 8 Jun · been and gone

June is winter — lean into it. Plan for warm interiors, good food, shorter daylight and a weather backup that does not feel like a compromise.

Read the guide

Coming up

Official Victorian dates, useful leave windows and the breaks worth planning before accommodation, restaurants and train seats get difficult.

2026 · 3 NovMelbourne Cup long weekendThe spring leave day that can become four: coast, gardens, wine regions, city food and a smarter way to use the Tuesday off.Read guide 2026 · 25 DecChristmas and New Year breakThe big summer reset. Best planned early: heat backups, early starts, travel realism and fewer last-minute accommodation mistakes.View 2026 planner

For next time

Been and goneKing's Birthday winter long weekendBeen and gone for 2026. Keep it as a winter planning guide for next June — the ideas still work for any cold-weather weekend.Read guide

Where locals go on long weekends

Tap one and I'll plan it.

The Twelve Apostles at sunriseGreat Ocean RoadTwo nights, one long driveA couple looking over Yarra Valley vineyards at duskYarra ValleyLunch first, cellar doors afterThe Black Spur road through tall mountain ashMarysville and the SpurForest road, slow morningA misty rainforest waterfall with tree fernsThe DandenongsFerns, falls, a train homeBrighton bathing boxes at sunsetMornington PeninsulaHot springs and a coastal walk

The season matters

A good long weekend is not just a calendar trick. June wants warmth, short daylight assumptions and indoor backups. Spring is better for gardens, coast, walking and lunch-led plans, but crowds and booking pressure rise. Summer needs heat backups, early starts and travel realism. Plan the break for the season it lands in.

Turn the dates into plans

Melbourne Cup long weekendAll guidesMarysville, the slow wayDaylesford, the slow wayAdd a Moment

Official public holiday dates are based on Business Victoria. Dates are accurate at publishing but may change. Check the official source before booking travel or leave.