How to maximise your annual leave in 2025

Want to stretch your holiday allowance and enjoy longer breaks in 2025? With a few smart planning tricks, you can!

If working a typical five-day week, the minimum annual leave allowance in the UK is 28 days.

For most people, this is eight bank holidays, and then a minimum of 20 days they can book off. Many employers allow you to accrue additional days over time, so you may be in the lucky position of having even more to play with.

With some clever holiday hacking and annual leave know-how, you can strategically book 23 days off around bank holidays and weekends to get up to 54 days off work. 

How to maximise your annual leave 

We’ve broken down the best days to book off work to get the most from your holiday allowance in 2025. This is based on full-time employees, working Monday to Friday in England and Wales.

January 

• Wednesday 1st January – New Year’s Day

April - Get 10 days off for only four days of annual leave

• Friday 18^th April – Good Friday 
• Saturday 19^th April – Weekend 
• Sunday 20^th April - Weekend 
• Monday 21^st April – Easter Monday 
• Tuesday 22^nd April – Annual leave 
• Wednesday 23^rd April – Annual leave 
• Thursday 24^th April – Annual leave 
• Friday 25^th April – Annual leave 
• Saturday 26^th April – Weekend 
• Sunday 27^th April - Weekend 

May - Get 9 days off for 4 days of annual leave 

• Saturday 3^rd May - Weekend 
• Sunday 4^th May - Weekend 
• Monday 5^th May – Early May Bank Holiday 
• Tuesday 6^th May – Annual leave 
• Wednesday 7^th May – Annual leave 
• Thursday 8^th May – Annual leave 
• Friday 9^th May – Annual leave 
• Saturday 10^th May - Weekend 
• Sunday 11^th May - Weekend 

Plus, another 9 days off for only 4 days of annual leave at the end of May 

• Saturday 24^th May - Weekend 
• Sunday 25^th May - Weekend 
• Monday 26^th May – Spring Bank Holiday  
• Tuesday 27^th May – Annual leave 
• Wednesday 28^th May – Annual leave 
• Thursday 29^th May – Annual leave 
• Friday 30^th May – Annual leave 
• Saturday 31^st May - Weekend 
• Sunday 1^st June - Weekend 

August - Get 9 days off for only 4 days of annual leave 

• Saturday 23^rd August - Weekend 
• Sunday 24^th August - Weekend 
• Monday 25^th August - Summer Bank Holiday 
• Tuesday 26^th August – Annual leave 
• Wednesday 27^th August – Annual leave 
• Thursday 28^th August – Annual leave 
• Friday 29^th August – Annual leave 
• Saturday 30^th August - Weekend 
• Sunday 31^st August - Weekend

December / January - Enjoy a relaxing, long festive break by booking 7 days off and getting 16! 

• Saturday 20^th December - Weekend
• Sunday 21^st December - Weekend
• Monday 22^nd December - Annual leave 
• Tuesday 23^rd December – Annual leave 
• Wednesday 24^th December - Annual leave 
• Thursday 25^th December - Christmas Day 
• Friday 26^th December - Boxing Day 
• Saturday 27^th December – Weekend 
• Sunday 28^th December – Weekend 
• Monday 29^th December – Annual leave 
• Tuesday 30^th December – Annual leave 
• Wednesday 31^st December - Annual leave 
• Thursday 1^st January – New Year’s Day
• Friday 2^nd January – Annual leave
• Saturday 3^rd January – Weekend 
• Sunday 4^th January – Weekend 

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