Mexico long weekends and holidays 2026-2027: the calendar for planning trips

Two mandatory rest days remain in 2026 (Monday, November 16 and Friday, December 25) and 2027 brings seven more, four of which fall on a Monday or Friday and create a long weekend, or puente as Mexicans call it: January 1, February 1, March 15 and November 15. Add the public school breaks set by the SEP (December 21 to January 6 and March 22 to April 2) and the Friday teacher-council days, and you have the full map for planning getaways months ahead, which is the only way to pay reasonable prices. Here it is, date by date, with where to go on each long weekend.

The official holidays left in 2026

Under Article 74 of the Federal Labor Law, the remaining mandatory rest days of 2026 are:

Monday, November 16: third Monday of November for the Mexican Revolution. A three-day weekend, the longest left this year, and it overlaps El Buen Fin (November 13 to 17).
Friday, December 25: Christmas on a Friday, giving a long weekend from the 25th to the 27th.

November 1 and 2 (Day of the Dead) are not legal rest days, although in 2026 November 2 falls on a Monday and public schools close that day; many offices and companies give it too. December 12, the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe, falls on a Saturday and is not an official holiday either.

Every official holiday in 2027

Friday, January 1: New Year. Long weekend January 1 to 3.
Monday, February 1: Constitution Day (first Monday of February). Long weekend January 30 to February 1.
Monday, March 15: Benito Juárez's birthday (third Monday of March). Long weekend March 13 to 15.
Saturday, May 1: Labor Day. Falls on a Saturday, so no long weekend and no substitute day.
Thursday, September 16: Independence Day. Many take Friday the 17th for four days.
Monday, November 15: Mexican Revolution (third Monday of November). Long weekend November 13 to 15.
Saturday, December 25: Christmas, no long weekend.

The law also makes federal election day a rest day; 2027 has midterm elections and the vote is on a Sunday, so nothing changes for travel. Holy Week 2027 runs from Palm Sunday, March 21, to Easter Sunday, March 28; Holy Thursday and Good Friday (March 25 and 26) are not legal holidays, but banks, schools and a good share of offices close. May 5 falls on a Wednesday and May 10, Mother's Day, on a Monday; neither is a mandatory rest day.

The SEP 2026-2027 school calendar: the dates that move prices

If you travel with children, or want to avoid the families who do, the public school calendar matters more than labor law. The 2026-2027 cycle started Monday, August 31, 2026 and ends Friday, July 9, 2027, with 185 class days.

Winter break: Monday, December 21, 2026 to Wednesday, January 6, 2027; back to class Thursday, January 7.
Holy Week break: Monday, March 22 to Friday, April 2, 2027; back Monday, April 5.
Official suspensions: Wednesday, September 16 and Mondays November 2 and 16, 2026.
Teacher-council Fridays (no classes): September 25, October 30 and November 27, 2026; January 29, February 26, April 30, May 28 and June 25, 2027.

Those council Fridays are gold for families: each one opens a three-day weekend without asking the school for anything, and two of them sit next to an official holiday.

The real long weekends of the year, in order

October 30 to November 2, 2026 (four days for families): council Friday plus the Monday, November 2 school suspension. This is the Day of the Dead weekend.
November 14 to 16, 2026 (three days, official): Revolution Day, right in Buen Fin week.
December 19, 2026 to January 6, 2027 (school break) with two long weekends inside: December 25 to 27 and January 1 to 3.
January 29 to February 1, 2027 (four days for families, three for everyone): council Friday plus Constitution Monday. The best long weekend of the year for price and weather.
February 26 to 28, 2027 (three days for families): council Friday.
March 13 to 15, 2027 (three days, official): Juárez's birthday, a week before Holy Week.
March 20 to April 4, 2027: Holy Week and Easter, with school break March 22 to April 2. High season nationwide.
April 30 to May 2, 2027 (three days for families): council Friday and Children's Day; May 1 falls on a Saturday.
May 28 to 30 and June 25 to 27, 2027 (three days for families): council Fridays.
From July 10, 2027: summer vacation until late August.
September 16 to 19, 2027 (four days if you take Friday): Independence Day on a Thursday.
November 13 to 15, 2027 (three days, official): Revolution Day.

Where to go on each long weekend

Day of the Dead (October 30 to November 2): Oaxaca, Pátzcuaro and Mixquic are the classics, which is why lodging must be booked from September. Our Day of the Dead guide explains what happens where.
Revolution Day (November 14 to 16): colonial cities close to home. From Mexico City, Puebla, Querétaro or Taxco; from Guadalajara, Tequila or Tapalpa; from Monterrey, Real de Catorce. It is also Buen Fin week, the time to buy 2027 flights.
Christmas and New Year: the most expensive season on the Caribbean. If budget rules, go for the monarch butterflies in Michoacán, the start of whale season in Puerto Vallarta, or Bajío towns with posadas.
Constitution Day (January 29 to February 1): time for the Pacific beaches and Los Cabos, with whales at their peak, or the monarchs in their best month.
Juárez (March 13 to 15): beaches before the Holy Week crowds, or Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende in dry weather.
Holy Week (March 20 to April 4): for the beach, book in January. To avoid it, Mexico City empties out and becomes the best week of the year to explore without traffic.
May and June weekends: Yucatán cenotes and Oaxaca before the heavy rains; sargassum season starts on the Caribbean in June, so lean Pacific.
Independence (September 16 to 19): the Grito in the Zócalo, Dolores Hidalgo or any main square in the provinces.

To choose with the weather in hand, see the best time to visit each destination.

How long weekends move prices and when to buy

Domestic fares for an official long weekend climb clearly in the final three weeks, especially the Friday out and the Monday back; beach hotels require two or three night minimums at Holy Week and New Year. Three simple rules: buy long-weekend flights six to eight weeks ahead, use El Buen Fin (November 13 to 17, 2026) for January to May 2027 trips, and if you can shift the trip by a day, leave Thursday night and return early Monday instead of Friday and Monday afternoon. Compare flights with flexible dates before locking in the weekend.

Practical tips

Pair a council Friday with an official holiday: January 29 plus February 1, 2027 gives four days without asking for a single day off.
Book Day of the Dead and Holy Week three or four months ahead; other long weekends, six to eight weeks.
For three-day weekends pick destinations under three hours from home or with a direct flight; road time eats the rest.
Check whether your destination has its own festival that weekend: it may be the reason to go or the reason to avoid it.
On holiday Mondays many toll booths and return highways jam between 16:00 and 20:00; head back before lunch or after dinner.
Save this calendar and compare it with your employer's: some sectors also give November 2, December 12 and Holy Thursday and Friday.

Frequently asked questions

Which official holidays are left in 2026?

Two: Monday, November 16 (Mexican Revolution) and Friday, December 25 (Christmas). November 2 only closes public schools.

What are the official long weekends of 2027?

Friday, January 1, Monday, February 1, Monday, March 15 and Monday, November 15. May 1 and December 25 fall on Saturdays and September 16 on a Thursday.

When is Holy Week 2027?

From Palm Sunday, March 21 to Easter Sunday, March 28, 2027. The SEP school break runs March 22 to April 2.

When is the SEP 2026-2027 winter break?

December 21, 2026 to January 6, 2027, with classes resuming Thursday, January 7.

Are Holy Thursday and Good Friday mandatory rest days?

No. The Federal Labor Law does not include them, although banks, schools and many companies close. It is up to each employer.

Which 2027 long weekend is best for cheap travel?

February 1: low season at the beaches, good weather almost everywhere and, with the January 29 council Friday, four days for families.