Easter is the first long stretch of 2027 that does not need a Monday bank holiday to work. Good Friday and Easter Monday already wrap a weekend, so a few days of leave before or after turn it into a proper spring holiday. This guide uses England and Wales dates; Scotland skips Easter Monday, and Northern Ireland has both plus St Patrick's Day just before.
The Easter dates in 2027
Good Friday is Friday 26 March 2027. Easter Monday is Monday 29 March 2027. Together with the Saturday and Sunday in between, that is already four days off with no leave. The dates come from the GOV.UK bank holidays list.
Four days of leave: a nine-day spring break
Put leave on the four workdays before Good Friday and you leave on the previous Friday evening:
Book off: Mon 22, Tue 23, Wed 24 and Thu 25 Mar 2027.
Bank holidayBook offWeekend
That is 10 days off in a row. You come back to a short week, which softens the return.
Eight days of leave: the long Easter option
If you can spare more, start a week earlier and finish a few days after Easter Monday:
Book off: Mon 22, Tue 23, Wed 24, Thu 25, Tue 30 and Wed 31 Mar 2027 and Thu 1 and Fri 2 Apr 2027.
Bank holidayBook offWeekend
That is the longest Easter-shaped break the planner finds with up to eight days of leave in England and Wales.
Pair Easter with Early May
The Early May bank holiday is Monday 3 May 2027, about five weeks after Easter Monday. They are too far apart to join cheaply, so most people treat Easter as one break and Early May as a separate long weekend: book 1 day off (Fri 30 Apr 2027) and get 4 days off in a row (Fri 30 Apr – Mon 3 May 2027) with one day of leave, or book 4 days off (Tue 4, Wed 5, Thu 6 and Fri 7 May 2027) and get 9 days off in a row (Sat 1 May – Sun 9 May 2027) with four.
Your year at a glance
Easter is one of several high-value breaks in 2027. This is where 10 days of leave go furthest across the whole England and Wales calendar.
United Kingdom)One page for each break, in date order. Hover or tap a page for the days to book.
All 10 breaks in words
Fri 1 Jan – Mon 4 Jan 2027
New Year's Day
Book 1 day off: Mon 4 Jan 2027.
You get 4 days off in a row, from Fri 1 Jan 2027 to Mon 4 Jan 2027.
4× your leave
Fri 8 Jan – Sun 10 Jan 2027
Long weekend
Book 1 day off: Fri 8 Jan 2027.
You get 3 days off in a row, from Fri 8 Jan 2027 to Sun 10 Jan 2027.
3× your leave
Fri 15 Jan – Sun 17 Jan 2027
Long weekend
Book 1 day off: Fri 15 Jan 2027.
You get 3 days off in a row, from Fri 15 Jan 2027 to Sun 17 Jan 2027.
3× your leave
Fri 22 Jan – Sun 24 Jan 2027
Long weekend
Book 1 day off: Fri 22 Jan 2027.
You get 3 days off in a row, from Fri 22 Jan 2027 to Sun 24 Jan 2027.
3× your leave
Thu 25 Mar – Mon 29 Mar 2027
Good Friday & Easter Monday
Book 1 day off: Thu 25 Mar 2027.
You get 5 days off in a row, from Thu 25 Mar 2027 to Mon 29 Mar 2027.
5× your leave
Fri 30 Apr – Mon 3 May 2027
Early May Bank Holiday
Book 1 day off: Fri 30 Apr 2027.
You get 4 days off in a row, from Fri 30 Apr 2027 to Mon 3 May 2027.
4× your leave
Fri 28 May – Mon 31 May 2027
Spring Bank Holiday
Book 1 day off: Fri 28 May 2027.
You get 4 days off in a row, from Fri 28 May 2027 to Mon 31 May 2027.
4× your leave
Fri 27 Aug – Mon 30 Aug 2027
Summer Bank Holiday
Book 1 day off: Fri 27 Aug 2027.
You get 4 days off in a row, from Fri 27 Aug 2027 to Mon 30 Aug 2027.
4× your leave
Fri 24 Dec – Tue 28 Dec 2027
Christmas Day & Boxing Day
Book 1 day off: Fri 24 Dec 2027.
You get 5 days off in a row, from Fri 24 Dec 2027 to Tue 28 Dec 2027.
5× your leave
Fri 31 Dec 2027 – Mon 3 Jan 2028
New Year's Day
Book 1 day off: Fri 31 Dec 2027.
You get 4 days off in a row, from Fri 31 Dec 2027 to Mon 3 Jan 2028.
4× your leave
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland has Good Friday (Friday 26 March 2027) but not Easter Monday. The leave is better spent on the days before Good Friday than after it; see the Scotland bank holidays 2027 guide.
Northern Ireland has both Easter holidays, and St Patrick's Day (Wednesday 17 March 2027) sits just over a week before Good Friday. That makes late March unusually rich if you work there; see the Northern Ireland bank holidays guide.
What the law says about booking Easter
Most workers on a five-day week are entitled to 28 days of paid holiday a year, and an employer can count bank holidays as part of that (GOV.UK holiday entitlement). Easter is one of the most requested weeks of the year, so ask early. The default notice is twice as long as the leave you want, plus one day, unless your contract sets its own rules (GOV.UK: booking time off).
Frequently asked questions
When is Good Friday 2027 in the UK?
It is Friday 26 March 2027.
When is Easter Monday 2027 in England and Wales?
It is Monday 29 March 2027. Scotland does not have Easter Monday as a bank holiday.
How many days of leave do I need for a week off at Easter 2027?
Four days before Good Friday give you nine days off: book 4 days off (Mon 22, Tue 23, Wed 24 and Thu 25 Mar 2027) and get 10 days off in a row (Sat 20 Mar – Mon 29 Mar 2027).
Is Easter school holiday the same as the bank holidays?
No. School holidays are set locally and are longer than the two bank holidays. This guide only covers bank holidays and your annual leave.
Plan your own Easter 2027
Open the UK plannerHow to maximise annual leave in 2027 (UK)
How we work it out. Every date and number here comes from our holiday data, checked against official government sources (see About). Always confirm days off with your employer.