Planning your time off strategically can turn limited PTO into extended vacations throughout the year. By aligning your vacation days with public holidays, you can stretch your breaks into long weekends or even week-long escapes. Here’s your guide to the best days to take off in 2025 to make the most of your hard-earned time off. Keep reading to find out how to maximize your PTO in 2025.
January: New Year’s and Martin Luther King Jr. Day PTO
- Holiday: New Year’s Day (Wednesday, January 1)
- Holiday: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, January 20)
- Days to Take Off: January 2–3 (Thursday and Friday)
Start the year with a bang by turning the New Year’s holiday into a five-day vacation. Then, take Friday, January 17 off to create a four-day weekend around Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
February: Presidents’ Day Weekend PTO Value
- Holiday: Presidents’ Day (Monday, February 17)
- Days to Take Off: February 14 (Friday)
With Valentine’s Day falling on a Friday, taking this day off alongside Presidents’ Day gives you a four-day weekend. It’s perfect for a mid-winter ski trip or a cozy staycation.
April: Easter Break
- Holiday: Good Friday (April 18) (observed in some workplaces)
- Days to Take Off: April 14–17 (Monday–Thursday)
If your company observes Good Friday, taking the week leading up to Easter Sunday (April 20) off will give you a nine-day break using just four days of PTO.
May: Memorial Day Escape
- Holiday: Memorial Day (Monday, May 26)
- Days to Take Off: May 27–30 (Tuesday–Friday)
Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, and taking the rest of the week off turns it into a nine-day vacation. It’s an ideal time for beach trips or early summer adventures.
July: Independence Day
- Holiday: Independence Day (Friday, July 4)
- Days to Take Off: July 1–3 (Tuesday–Thursday)
Independence Day falls on a Friday this year, making it easy to turn this into a full nine-day vacation with just four days of PTO. So if you were thinking of planning a euro summer getaway this is the perfect time to do it!
September: Labor Day Reset
- Holiday: Labor Day (Monday, September 1)
- Days to Take Off: August 29 (Friday)
Start September right with a four-day weekend by taking off the Friday before Labor Day.
November: Thanksgiving Break Days Off
- Holiday: Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 27)
- Holiday: Black Friday (Friday, November 28) (observed in many workplaces)
- Days to Take Off: November 25–26 (Monday and Tuesday)
Turn Thanksgiving into a nine-day break by taking the two days before the holiday off. With Thanksgiving and Black Friday often observed together, it’s an easy way to enjoy a full week of relaxation.
December: The Holiday Stretch
- Holiday: Christmas Day (Thursday, December 25)
- Holiday: New Year’s Day (Wednesday, January 1, 2026)
- Days to Take Off: December 22–24, December 26, December 29–31
End the year with a long holiday break. By strategically using six days of PTO, you can enjoy 16 days off, from December 20 to January 4, 2026.
Since you have now found out how to maximize your PTO in 2025, get some inspo on places to go during your extended PTO, read our guide to the top 10 places to go in 2025.