Travel Counsellors presented with the King’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation

Maximise your 2026 annual leave with smart touring holidays

23 January 2026

Making the most of your annual leave is an art form. With careful planning, a standard nine-day break, using just a handful of leave days around a bank holiday, can be transformed into an epic adventure. While this strategy works wonderfully for a week on a sun lounger, it becomes even more powerful when applied to a touring holiday.

Maximise your 2026 annual leave with smart touring holidays

Why is timing so crucial for touring? Unlike a beach break, where good weather is the primary goal, a touring itinerary has multiple moving parts. You might be travelling across different regions, each with its own microclimate and seasonal patterns. The right timing ensures that mountain passes are open, wildlife is active, and cultural sites are not overwhelmed by crowds or adverse weather. We can help you navigate these complexities. Here is how you can turn your 2026 annual leave into a series of unforgettable touring holidays, with expert timing at the core of each plan.

Easter 2026: A cultural tour of Sri Lanka
30th March – 2nd April & 7th – 10th April 
8 days leave for a 16-day holiday
Sri Lanka is a fantastic choice for a touring holiday at this time of year, with warm, generally settled weather across its key regions. Late March and early April are typically hot and dry in the Cultural Triangle and Kandy, making it ideal for exploring ancient cities and sacred temples. The Hill Country around Nuwara Eliya and Ella is cooler and beautifully atmospheric, with morning mists giving way to clear, green landscapes.
On the south and west coasts, the weather is usually still excellent before the south-west monsoon patterns begin to shift later in the season. This makes it a perfect time to combine a cultural tour with a relaxing beach stay. We can tailor the exact route and choice of hotel based on your dates, ensuring you experience the best of the island with confidence.

Early May Bank Holiday: USA Ranches and National Parks
5th – 8th May 
4 days leave for a 9-day holiday
Early May is a brilliant time for a ranch and national parks adventure in the American West. Using the Bank Holiday, you can create a nine-day trip that offers cooler temperatures, fewer crowds, and great value in the shoulder season. It’s a sweet spot where lower elevations in Utah and Arizona are very comfortable for hiking and exploring.
Some ranches in lower- to mid-elevation areas begin their main season around this time, giving you an authentic taste of the cowboy lifestyle. It’s important to note that high-altitude areas, such as parts of Yellowstone or some mountain passes in the Rockies, can still have snow closures. We can guide you towards the ranches and routes that work well at this time of year, avoiding areas that might be affected by late-season snow. 

Late May Bank Holiday: Japan by rail
26th – 29th May 
4 days leave for a 9-day holiday
Late May is one of Japan’s sweet spots. It’s a perfect time for a compact city-and-onsen rail tour using the late-May Bank Holiday. The weather is generally warm and pleasant, often before the main summer humidity and the rainy season, which typically starts in June. The scenery is lush and green after spring, creating a beautiful backdrop for your travels. This window is ideal for exploring Tokyo’s bustling districts, enjoying views of a snow-capped Mount Fuji from Hakone, and wandering through Kyoto’s serene temples and gardens. 

September break: South Africa city & safari
1st – 4th September
4 days leave for a 9-day holiday
For a classic city-and-safari combination, early September is one of the best times for a South African adventure. This period falls within the dry season, creating superb conditions for wildlife viewing in the Greater Kruger area and its surrounding private reserves. The vegetation is thinner, and animals tend to congregate around water sources, making them easier to spot. You can expect cool mornings and evenings perfect for game drives, with pleasant daytime temperatures.
While it is technically late winter in Cape Town, the city and its surrounding winelands are often still beautiful. You can experience some rain, but it’s balanced by crisp, clear days and spectacular green landscapes, with the added benefit of fewer crowds than in high summer. 

To book your adventure holiday in 2026, contact your Travel Counsellor today.

Carlisle Bay enters a new chapter in Antigua

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