Republic Day travel: From Goa, Manali to Thailand, Indians' top picks

Travel firms say the four-day Republic Day break pushed travellers towards quick, nearby getaways, with Goa leading domestically and Thailand, Vietnam overseas

Republic Day’s long weekend has triggered a rush of short “minication” trips, with travellers choosing nearby metro getaways, while Goa held on to its position as the most popular domestic destination, according to travel companies.

 

Travel platforms and tour operators said the four-day break encouraged quick planning, with many travellers opting for destinations that were easy to reach and required minimal time off work.

 

MakeMyTrip sees strong pull for nearby breaks

 

“The appetite for weekend travel remains strong, with the extended Republic Day weekend presenting an opportunity for travel. There is a preference for nearby destinations, evident in the top travel choices from each metro,” said Rajesh Magow, co-founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip.

 

 

Goa continued to top the list for both domestic and international leisure travel, while overseas bookings showed a tilt towards destinations with simpler visa processes and strong flight connectivity.

 

“Countries with direct connectivity to multiple cities have led demand, with Thailand at the forefront and Vietnam also performed strongly,” Magow said.

 

Take a look at the top destinations during the Republic Day long weekend, as per MakeMyTrip:

 

Top 5 domestic leisure destinations

 

2025

 

1. Goa

2. Udaipur

3. Jaipur

4. Manali

5. Munnar

 

2026

 

1. Goa

2. Jaipur

3. Udaipur

4. Manali

5. Pondicherry

 

Top 5 international destinations

 

2025

 

1. UAE

2. Thailand

3. Singapore

4. Malaysia

5. Saudi Arabia

 

Note: Vietnam rose from 10th place in 2025 to become the third most booked destination for the long weekend.

 

2026

 

1. Thailand

2. UAE

3. Vietnam

4. Malaysia

5. Singapore

 

Top 5 domestic destinations from key metro cities

 

Delhi

 

1. Goa

2. Jaipur

3. Rishikesh

4. Mussoorie

5. Udaipur

 

Mumbai

 

1. Goa

2. Lonavala

3. Alibag

4. Mahabaleshwar

5. Karjat

 

Bengaluru

 

1. Goa

2. Mysore

3. Coorg

4. Pondicherry

5. Wayanad

 

Chennai

 

1. Goa

2. Auroville

3. Yelagiri

4. Yercaud

5. Ooty

 

Kolkata

 

1. Mandarmani

2. Digha

3. Darjeeling

4. Goa

5. Shantiniketan

 

Four-day breaks drive short-haul choices

 

Sharing a similar trend, Rajeev Kale, president and country head, holidays, MICE and visa at Thomas Cook (India), said the Republic Day weekend gave travel-hungry Indians a chance to plan compact four-day breaks.

 

“We have witnessed an increased travel intent for both domestic and closer-to-home locales. Destinations like Rajasthan, Andamans, Kerala, also Bhutan and Sri Lanka in the Indian subcontinent, Dubai-Abu Dhabi, Oman, Maldives, Mauritius, Central Asia’s Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, new emerging island destinations such as Sabah (Malaysia), Cebu and Boracay (Philippines), Sa Pa and Phu Quoc (Vietnam) have gained interest,” Kale said.

 

He added that demand was coming from a mix of traveller segments.

 

“Multigenerational families, Young India’s millennials and Gen Z and young professionals also looked at drivecations to nearby offbeat destinations such as Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, Lonavala, Coorg, Ooty, Munnar and Wayanad,” Kale said. 

Cleartrip flags Gen Z-led surge

 

Cleartrip also reported a carryover of strong travel demand from the year-end holiday season into the Republic Day weekend.

 

“We saw strong growth in bookings during the New Year 2025, and that growth momentum has carried into the Republic Day long weekend. Early trends in 2026 show bookings on Cleartrip already exceeded both last year’s New Year and Republic Day periods, signalling a clear shift towards short breaks and stay-led trips,” said Manjari Singhal, chief growth and business officer at Cleartrip.

 

She said younger travellers were playing a central role in the uptick.

 

“Our travel trends tracker PeekABoo shows that Gen Z is driving this surge, with overall travel up by over 20% year-on-year. International air travel has seen particularly strong traction, with bookings growing 73% as younger travellers increasingly opt for international experiences,” Singhal said.

 

With airfares holding steady and hotel bookings rising nearly three times year-on-year, she said demand remained concentrated around major hubs.

 

“Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad lead domestically, while Dubai, Bangkok, Phuket and Singapore remain the top international destinations, mirroring year-end travel patterns,” Singhal said.

 

Cox & Kings sees earlier planning

 

At Cox & Kings, bookings for the Republic Day weekend rose sharply compared with a typical January weekend.

 

“Based on internal booking trends, we have recorded a nearly 20 per cent increase in bookings for the 26 January long weekend compared to a regular January weekend,” said Karan Agarwal, director at Cox & Kings.

 

He said travellers were planning earlier and choosing itineraries that worked around tight work schedules.

 

“Long weekends like Republic Day have become intentional travel moments rather than impulsive breaks. Travellers are planning smarter, choosing destinations that allow them to truly switch off, and valuing curated experiences that remove the stress from short holidays,” Agarwal said.

 

Domestic travel continued to dominate long-weekend demand, accounting for about two-thirds of total bookings. The data also showed a shift in traveller profiles, with bookings from corporate professionals in the 25–45 age group rising, alongside higher demand from family and multi-generational travellers.