Travel planning calendar
Public Holidays and the Best Windows to Travel
Two calendars matter when you plan a safari: the one that decides when you can get away, and the one running in the country you are arriving into. This page tracks both.
Worth acting on
One day of leave, four days away
These holidays fall on a Tuesday or a Thursday, so a single day of leave bridges them into a four-day weekend. They are far enough ahead to still book.
When you can travel
Public holidays in our main source markets
France, Germany, Austria, Spain and Portugal. Where several countries share a date, demand for flights and lodges peaks together.
| Date | Holiday | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Oct 2026 Saturday | German Unity Day Germany | Falls on a weekend |
| 5 Oct 2026 Monday | Republic Day Portugal | Makes a three-day weekend |
| 12 Oct 2026 Monday | National Day of Spain Spain | Makes a three-day weekend |
| 26 Oct 2026 Monday | National Holiday Austria | Makes a three-day weekend |
| 1 Nov 2026 Sunday | All Saints' Day Austria, France, Portugal, Spain | Falls on a weekend |
| 11 Nov 2026 Wednesday | Armistice Day France | Midweek, best paired with surrounding leave |
| 1 Déc 2026 Tuesday | Restoration of Independence Portugal | Take the Monday off for a four-day weekend |
| 6 Déc 2026 Sunday | Constitution Day Spain | Falls on a weekend |
| 8 Déc 2026 Tuesday | Immaculate Conception Austria, Portugal, Spain | Take the Monday off for a four-day weekend |
| 25 Déc 2026 Friday | Christmas Day Austria, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain | Makes a three-day weekend |
| 26 Déc 2026 Saturday | St. Stephen's Day Austria, Germany | Falls on a weekend |
| 1 Jan 2027 Friday | New Year's Day Austria, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain | Makes a three-day weekend |
What you arrive into
Public holidays where the trips run
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique. Tours run on public holidays, but banks and government offices close and domestic travel picks up, so transfers and popular lodges fill earlier.
| Date | Holiday | Pays |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 2026 Thursday | Heritage Day | South Africa |
| 25 Sep 2026 Friday | Revolution Day | Mozambique |
| 30 Sep 2026 Wednesday | Independence Day | Botswana |
| 1 Oct 2026 Thursday | Botswana Day holiday | Botswana |
| 4 Oct 2026 Sunday | Day of Peace and Reconciliation | Mozambique |
| 19 Oct 2026 Monday | National Day of Prayer | Zambia |
| 26 Oct 2026 Monday | Independence Day | Zambia |
| 4 Nov 2026 Wednesday | Election Day | South Africa |
| 16 Déc 2026 Wednesday | Day of Reconciliation | South Africa |
| 22 Déc 2026 Tuesday | Unity Day | Zimbabwe |
| 25 Déc 2026 Friday | Christmas Day Peak | Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| 26 Déc 2026 Saturday | St. Stephen's Day | Botswana, Zimbabwe |
Tell us your dates and we will build the trip around them
A four-day weekend suits Victoria Falls and Chobe. A week or more opens up the Okavango Delta, Hwange and cross-border routes. We quote on your dates, not on a fixed departure list.
Read next
Dates come from the public holiday register at date.nager.at and were last refreshed on 2026-09-23. Governments occasionally add or move a day, so we confirm dates when you book.