Make the most of your time off in 2023 (Picture: Getty)

Happy New Year! 2023 is here, which means it’s time to get back to work… and plan when you’ll next be off.

Following New Year’s Eve celebrations, and perhaps the making of New Year’s Resolutions, many will be looking forward to what’s to come over the next 365 days.

That includes the crop of new UK bank holidays, including the extra day off for King Charles III’s coronation in May.

Some will also be keen to make a note of when they are so they can plan their next getaway, and also plot the best times to book annual leave to get the most days off possible.

So, when are the 2023 bank holidays, and what holiday should you book to make the most of them?

Diaries at the ready – here is the ultimate guide.

When are the 2023 UK bank holidays?

We get a New Year’s Day bank holiday all over the UK – but only Scots get one on January 2 (Picture: Getty)

Monday, January 2: New Year’s Day
Includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Tuesday, January 3: Second Day of January
Includes Scotland only

Friday, March 17: St Patrick’s Day
Includes Northern Ireland only

Friday, April 7: Good Friday
Includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Monday, April 10: Easter Monday
Includes England, Wales and Northern Ireland only

Monday, May 1: Early May Bank Holiday
Includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

We’re all getting a bank holiday two days after King Charles III’s coronation on Saturday, May 6 (Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Monday, May 8: King Charles III Coronation Bank Holiday
Includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Monday, May 29: Spring Bank Holiday
Includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Wednesday, July 12: Battle of the Boyne
Includes Northern Ireland only

Monday, August 7: Summer Bank Holiday
Includes Scotland only

Monday, August 28: Summer Bank Holiday
Includes England, Wales and Northern Ireland only

Thursday, November 30: St Andrew’s Day
Includes Scotland only

Every UK country also gets Christmas Day and Boxing Day as bank holidays (Picture: Getty)

Monday, December 25: Christmas Day
Includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Tuesday, December 26: Boxing Day
Includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

How to maximise your annual leave – and get 47 days off work for 19 days of leave

If the aim of the game is to use as little annual leave as possible to get as many days off as possible, we’re here to help.

You can secure a total of 47 days off by booking a very specific set of 19 days leave, in chunks of three of four days, according to Unearth PR – that surely wouldn’t affect your work too much.

Here’s how to do it:

April 2023

Start by taking four days off prior to Good Friday and Easter Monday for a full 10-day break.

Monday, April 3

Tuesday, April 4

Wednesday, April 5

Thursday, April 6

More: Work

May 2023

Taking these four days off after the Early May Bank Holiday will give you nine whole days to relax.

Tuesday, May 2

Wednesday, May 3

Thursday, May 4

Friday, May 5

May/June 2023

Having two days off at the end of May, after the Spring Bank Holiday, and another two at the start of June will give you nine consecutive days off.

Tuesday, May 30

Wednesday, May 31

Thursday, June 1

Friday, June 2

Fancy a lengthy break in 2023? You could spend nine or 10 days on holiday for just four days annual leave this year (Picture: Getty)

August/September 2023

If you book off four days after the August Bank Holiday, you’ll have nine days off work.

Tuesday, August 29

Wednesday, August 30

Thursday, August 31

Friday, September 1

December 2023

If you take three days off work after Boxing Day, you’ll get 10 days out of office – which will end the year nicely.

Wednesday, December 27

Thursday, December 28

Friday, December 29

More: Bank Holiday

Of course, you might not be able to swing them all off – but even just one of these clever tricks for booking annual leave will help you get nine or 10 days off in a row, ideal for a relaxing break.

Royal fans in particular will be keen to snap up Tuesday, May 2 to Friday, May 5 as annual leave.

This will get you nine days off around King Charles III’s Coronation – and also incorporate the Early May Bank Holiday.

Another sweet option involves booking off Tuesday, May 30 to Friday, June 2.

These four days come just after the Spring Bank Holiday, meaning you’ll get that Monday off anyway – and two weekends on either side – equalling a nine-day break.

Georgia Gadsby March, co-founder of Unearth PR, says: ‘Maximising your annual leave and taking time off is hugely important for your mental health and ability to reprioritise.

‘When we’re busy at work every day we often forget that work should come second to other aspects of our life, such as family and our general health and wellbeing.

‘Taking nine and 10 days off at a time can help us properly reconnect with those priorities, have a break from any work-related stress, and enjoy time doing whatever it is that makes you happy outside of work.’

Might as well get that annual leave request in now….

MORE : When is King Charles III’s coronation and will we get a bank holiday?

MORE : How to get 10 days off in a row in May 2023 using just four days of annual leave

MORE : These are the unique getaways people have been lusting over on Airbnb

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