The best time to book PTO in 2026
The Alaska year planner for 2026 is a free list of the public holidays in Alaska. It shows the days of PTO that turn each one into a proper break. Pick where you work.
Best value in 2026
Christmas & New Year
Fri 25 Dec – Sun 3 Jan 2027
4 days of PTO gets you 10 days away.
- Friday 25 December, Christmas Day
- Saturday 26 December, weekend
- Sunday 27 December, weekend
- Monday 28 December, leave
- Tuesday 29 December, leave
- Wednesday 30 December, leave
- Thursday 31 December, leave
- Friday 1 January, New Year's Day
- Saturday 2 January, weekend
- Sunday 3 January, weekend
Book off: Mon 28 – Thu 31 Dec
Veterans Day. Many employers don’t give them off.
Every good window in 2026
Each one puts your PTO next to a weekend and one of the public holidays. You get at least twice as many days away as you book. In date order, for Alaska.
- 9days
Thanksgiving Day
Sat 21 Nov – Sun 29 Nov
4 days of PTO · 2.3× your PTO
Book off Mon 23 – Wed 25 Nov, Fri 27 Nov
Plan a trip for these dates - 10days
Christmas & New Year
Fri 25 Dec – Sun 3 Jan 2027
4 days of PTO · 2.5× your PTO
Book off Mon 28 – Thu 31 Dec
Plan a trip for these dates
- PTO to book
- Holiday
- Weekend
Long weekends that cost nothing
Weekends next to public holidays in 2026: three or four days away without booking any PTO.
- Christmas · Fri 25 Dec · 3 days
2026 at a glance
Every day of 2026 in Alaska, Alabama and 13 more: the public holidays, and the days of PTO that each window above asks you to book.
Public holidays in Alaska, 2026
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | |
| Presidents Day | |
| Memorial Day | |
| Juneteenth National Independence Day | |
| Independence Day | |
| Labour Day | |
| Indigenous Peoples' Day | |
| Veterans DayOptional | |
| Thanksgiving Day | |
| Christmas Day |
Already used some PTO? Plan around what you have left.
Tell Be Outside your allowance and how many days you have left. We start you at 15 days, a common starting point in the US, and plan around trips you have already booked. Then turn a window into a trip, or start from a plan someone else has published.
Questions
When is the best time to book PTO in 2026?
In Alaska, Christmas & New Year is the best value in 2026. 4 days of PTO (Mon 28 – Thu 31 Dec) gives you 10 days away, Fri 25 Dec – Sun 3 Jan 2027. The other public holidays each turn 4 days of PTO into as many as 9 days off.
How do you work out the windows?
We look at every run of 6 to 16 days around weekends and public holidays. For each one, we count the working days you'd need to book. We keep the runs that give you at least twice as many days away as days of leave. Where two overlap, only the better one is kept.
What if I have already used some of my PTO?
Tell Be Outside your allowance and how many days you have left. The year planner plans around trips you have already booked, only suggests dates from tomorrow on, and shows the PTO you have left as you plan.
Which countries does the year planner cover?
It covers 26 countries. In Europe: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. In the Americas: Canada and United States. In Asia-Pacific: Australia and New Zealand. Each has its own regions where their holidays differ. Inside Be Outside, the planner uses the holidays where you work. That can be a different country from where you live.
Public holidays from Nager.Date. Check substitute days with your employer.