- lastminute.com>
- Holidays>
- Bank holiday deals
Bank Holidays 2023
Everyone loves a bank holiday. These glorious free days off should be firm fixtures in everyone’s calendar. They can make a city break last a little longer or mean a two week holiday only requires eight days off rather than ten. So knowing when bank holidays are coming up, and planning your time off accordingly, are great ways of maximising your holiday allowances every year.
Our top August bank holiday deals
These are the bank holiday dates for 2023 and 2024 to get in your diary now:
Monday 2nd January 2023: New Year’s Day (substitute)
Tuesday 3rd January 2023: New Year’s Day (substitute-Scotland only)
Friday 7th April 2023: Good Friday
Monday 10th April 2023: Easter Monday
Monday 1st May 2023: May Day
Monday 8th May 2023: Kings coronation
Monday 29th May 2023: Late May Bank Holiday
Wednesday 12th July 2023: Battle of the Boyne (Northern Ireland only)
Monday 28th August 2023: Summer Bank Holiday
Monday 25th December 2023: Christmas Day
Tuesday 26th December 2023: Boxing Day
Monday 1st January 2024: New Year’s Day
Friday 29th March 2024: Good Friday
Monday 1st April 2024: Easter Monday
Monday 6th May 2024: Early May Bank Holiday
Monday 27th May 2024: Late May Bank Holiday
Friday 12th July 2024: Battle of the Boyne (Northern Ireland only)
Monday 26th August 2024: Summer Bank Holiday
Wednesday 25th December 2024: Christmas Day
Thursday 26th December 2024: Boxing Day
How to book around a Bank Holiday
In 2023, the UK gets to enjoy an extra day off, thanks to the coronation of King Charles III on May 8th. So you can book a long weekend in Spring.
However, you can make your time off go even further next year with some handy holiday hacks. By planning your annual leave around the bank holidays, meaning you’ll have plenty of time for all those trips you want to take, whether they’re long weekends away, or exciting long haul adventures.
Here’s how to maximise your bank holiday weekends in 2023
Around Easter, book off Monday 3rd April to Thursday 6th April, and Tuesday 11th April, making 4 days off into 11.
For the May bank holiday, the 1st will be a Monday so it means you can take a long weekend or book a full week as the 8th will be a bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles III. So you can turn 3 days weekend into 10 days off.
For the August Bank Holiday, book off Tuesday 29th August to enjoy a 4-day long weekend.
And for Christmas, you can book the Thursday 21st and Friday the 22nd off and take up to 6 days off. For New year's eve, you can also take a long weekend.
Please note that these dates are subject to change. It's always a good idea to double-check the dates to confirm that you have the correct information.
Here’s what you need to know about bank holiday weekends in the UK
We’ve been enjoying UK bank holidays for nearly 150 years now. They were introduced by the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 - but at that time there was only four days - as Good Friday (Easter) and Christmas had always been considered as days when the country took time out.
Due to cultural differences Scotland and Northern Ireland have slightly different days off. As Hogmanay (New Years) was traditionally a bigger deal than Christmas in Scotland, they get a New Year’s Holiday day off on the 2nd of January. They also have an early August Bank Holiday (first Monday in August) but don’t get the late August Bank Holiday off. If you’re booking your trip from Scotland, don’t forget St Andrew’s Day - which is the 30th of November but usually taken as the nearest Monday to that.
In Northern Ireland you also get St Patrick’s Day off in March, on March 17. As well as the Battle of the Boyne Day on July 12.
Where to go for the UK Bank Holidays in 2023
Now you have all the dates, the next question surely must be where’s the best places to go? We’ve pulled together our favourite Easter Bank Holiday destinations for you to consider. Looking for somewhere to visit over the May Bank Holiday? - these deals should give you something to think about for when the weather is warmer. The August Bank Holiday is a great way to finish off the summer.
Sign up to our newsletter
We'll send you exclusive offers and sneak peeks of our best deals,
plus travel tips and the latest advice on where you can go.
Support and useful information
