Republic Day long weekend 2026: From Goa to Thailand, here’s where Indians are travelling to - Full list

Republic Day holiday falling on a Monday has triggered a sharp surge in long-weekend travel this year, according to a report by MakeMyTrip, as Indian travellers looked to maximise time off by starting their trips early.

Bookings picked up from January 23 (Friday) and peaked on January 24 (Saturday), underscoring the impact of calendar-driven travel demand compared with last year, when January 26 fell on a Sunday.

The findings are based on MakeMyTrip booking data for travel between January 23 and 26, 2026, compared with the same period in 2025, and point to a strong preference for nearby leisure destinations even as international travel continues to gain momentum.

Goa holds its crown, Pondicherry enters the top five

Goa retained its position as India’s most popular domestic leisure destination in 2026, continuing its dominance from last year, the MakeMyTrip report showed. Jaipur and Udaipur followed closely, swapping places compared with 2025, while Manali remained a consistent favourite. Pondicherry emerged as a new entrant in the top five this year, replacing Munnar.

The top domestic leisure destinations in 2026 were:

• Goa
• Jaipur
• Udaipur
• Manali
• Pondicherry

Spiritual travel sees strong traction

Alongside leisure trips, spiritual travel witnessed strong demand during the extended weekend. The following destinations saw increased interest, reflecting a parallel trend of faith-based travel during national holidays, the report noted.

• Puri
• Varanasi
• Amritsar
• Ayodhya
• Ujjain
• Dwarka
• Udupi
• Tirupati

Thailand leads overseas travel, Vietnam surges

Internationally, Thailand emerged as the most preferred destination for the Republic Day long weekend in 2026, overtaking the UAE, which slipped to second place. Vietnam stood out as the biggest mover, rising from 10th place in 2025 to become the third most booked international destination this year. Malaysia and Singapore completed the top five.

According to MakeMyTrip’s data, Vietnam’s rise highlights a growing preference for easy-visa destinations with direct air connectivity, a theme that continues to shape outbound travel choices.

Metro-wise trends underline proximity bias

Booking patterns from key metro cities reinforced the preference for destinations within easy flying distance. From Delhi, Dubai, Bangkok and Phuket dominated international bookings, while Goa, Jaipur and hill stations led domestic travel.

Mumbai travellers favoured Dubai and Bangkok overseas, and Goa and Lonavala closer home. Bengaluru saw Bangkok and Dubai lead international choices, while Goa, Mysore and Coorg topped domestic picks. Chennai travellers leaned towards Bangkok and Dubai internationally, with Goa and Auroville prominent domestically. From Kolkata, Bangkok led international travel, while Mandarmani and Digha topped domestic bookings.

Holiday packages mirror broader trends

Holiday package bookings followed similar patterns. Kerala, Andaman and Goa topped domestic holiday packages, followed by Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. Internationally, Thailand led packaged travel demand, followed by Vietnam and Cambodia, the UAE, the Maldives and Indonesia.

Commenting on the trends, Rajesh Magow, Co-founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said: “The appetite for weekend travel remains strong, with the extended Republic Day weekend presenting an opportunity for travel."