Want to get more out of your days off in 2025? We’ve crunched the numbers to get our Kiwi friends going further.
Like the sound of spending King’s Birthday in Portofino? How about spending Labour Day in Japan’s scenic countryside? Intrepid’s here to make that happen – so here are our top picks to make the most of your annual leave for 2025.
Key dates:
- Christmas and New Year’s Day 2025: Take off 23 to 24 December, 27 December, 30 to 31 December and 3 January 2025 for a 16-day holiday.
- Waitangi Day: Take off 3 to 5 February and 7 February for a nine-day holiday.
- Easter and ANZAC Day: Take off 14 to 17 April and 22 to 24 April for a 14-day holiday.
- King’s Birthday: Take off 3 to 6 June for a nine-day holiday.
- Matariki: Take off 16 to 19 June for a nine-day holiday.
- Labour Day: Take off 28 to 31 October for a nine-day holiday.
- Christmas and New Year’s Day 2026: Take off 22 to 24 December and 29 to 30 December for a 14-day holiday.
December 2024/January 2025 – Christmas and New Year’s Day
As one year rolls into the next, you too can keep the good times rolling by giving yourself plenty of time to see the world. For Christmas and New Year’s Day, take off 23 to 24 December, 27 December, 30 to 31 December and 3 January 2025 for a 16-day holiday.
You’ll be starting the year how you mean to continue when you sit down for lunch with a Tamil tea worker in Sri Lanka, surf the sand dunes of Little Sahara on Australia’s Kangaroo Island or visit rural villages in Vietnam and Cambodia on two wheels.
February – Waitangi Day
Still clinging onto summer? Not quite wanting to settle back into the working routine? We’ve got something that might help. For Waitangi Day, take off 3 to 5 February and 7 February for a nine-day holiday.
Lock in that leave now and you could unwind in the peaceful village of Undisan in Bali, meet friends in their home on the border of sacred Pushkar Lake in India or go as far south as Stewart Island on a good ol’ local getaway.
April – Easter and ANZAC Day
Connect the dots just right, and you can set yourself up for an epic April adventure. For both Easter and ANZAC Day, take off 14 to 17 April and 22 to 24 April for a 14-day holiday.
Been meaning to explore medinas, Roman ruins and rural towns of Morocco? Curious about taking on the cultural odyssey and physical challenge that is Spain’s Camino de Santiago? Or maybe you’ve been longing for the sight of a Santorini sunset in Greece? Well, now’s your chance!
June – King’s Birthday and Matariki
Making it to the mid-point of the year is all the reason you need to carve out some time for yourself. Turn King’s Birthday into a weeklong bash by taking off 3 to 6 June for a nine-day holiday, or make Matariki one to remember by taking off 16 to 19 June also for a nine-day holiday.
Chuck the OOO on and head oooverseas to take in the sights and sounds of the Amazon in Peru, set sail around the picturesque port of Portofino in Italy or visit some of Australia’s most significant sites in the Red Centre.
October – Labour Day
Again, you really don’t need a reason to see more of the world – but making it through winter sure deserves some celebrating. For Labour Day, get your silly season started a few months early by taking off 28 to 31 October for a nine-day holiday.
That’ll give you time to experience a slice of rural Japanese life during a homestay in Kawane, swim in the Mediterranean on a traditional Turkish gulet cruise or jump across the ditch and search for wombats and wallabies in Tasmania.
December – Christmas and New Year’s Day
We started how we meant to continue, so it only makes sense to see off what will have been a spectacular year in style. For both Christmas and New Year’s Day 2026, take off 22 to 24 December and 29 to 30 December for a 14-day holiday.
Your end of year will be the envy of everyone as you make your own colourful lanterns in Vietnam with the family, search for rare mountain gorillas in the steamy forests of Uganda or compare the heaving streets of Buenos Aires with the jagged peaks of Patagonia.
Inspired to maximise your time off? Join a small group adventure with Intrepid.
