NSW School Holidays 2026 & 2027 + Term Dates and Public Holidays

Looking for NSW school holidays for 2026 and 2027? Here are the official New South Wales school holiday dates, plus school term dates and public holidays in one easy guide.

Whether you’re planning a family holiday, long weekend or trip around the school calendar, this page has the key NSW dates in one place.

All dates are based on official NSW Government calendars.

These dates apply to NSW public schools. Catholic and independent schools often have similar holiday periods, but term dates can vary slightly, so it’s worth checking with your child’s school.

---

NSW school holidays 2026 & 2027

---

Here are the official NSW school holiday dates:

NSW school holidays 2026

Term	Dates
Autumn	7 April – 17 April 2026
Winter	6 July – 16 July 2026
Spring	28 September – 9 October 2026
Summer (Eastern Division)	18 December 2026 – 27 January 2027
Summer (Western Division)	18 December 2026 – 3 February 2027

NSW school holidays 2027

Term	Dates
Autumn	12 April – 23 April 2027
Winter	5 July – 16 July 2027
Spring	27 September – 8 October 2027
Summer (Eastern Division)	21 December 2027 – 28 January 2028
Summer (Western Division)	21 December 2027 – 4 February 2028

Tip: These dates are the busiest (and most expensive) times to travel – book early if you’re planning a family getaway.

---

NSW term dates 2026 & 2027

---

NSW term dates 2026

Term	Dates
Term 1 (Eastern Division)	2 February – 2 April 2026
Term 1 (Western Division)	9 February – 2 April 2026
Term 2	22 April – 3 July 2026
Term 3	21 July – 25 September 2026
Term 4	13 October – 17 December 2026

NSW term dates 2027

Term	Dates
Term 1 (Eastern Division)	28 January – 9 Apr 2027
Term 1 (Western Division)	4 February – 9 April 2027
Term 2	27 April – 2 July 2027
Term 3	19 July – 24 September 2027
Term 4	11 October – 20 December 2027

For more information on the NSW term dates and school holidays, visit the NSW Government Website.

---

NSW public holidays 2026 & 2027

---

NSW public holidays	2026	2027
New Years Day	Thursday 1 January	Friday 1 January
Australia Day	Monday 26 January	Tuesday 26 January
Good Friday	Friday 3 April	Friday 26 March
Easter Saturday	Saturday 04 April	Saturday 27 March
Easter Sunday	Sunday 05 April	Sunday 28 March
Easter Monday	Monday 06 April	Monday 29 March
Anzac Day*	Saturday 25 April + Monday 27 April	Sunday 25 April + Monday 26 April
King’s Birthday	Monday 08 June	Monday 14 June
Labour Day	Monday 05 October	Monday 4 October
Christmas Day	Friday 25 December	Saturday 25 December + Monday 27 December
Boxing Day*	Saturday 26 December + Monday 28 December	Sunday 26 December + Tuesday 28 December

^{* When a public holiday falls on a weekend, an additional weekday public holiday is observed. For more information on NSW Public Holidays, visit the NSW Industrial Relations website.}

---

Best times to travel based on NSW term dates

---

Now that you’ve got the key dates sorted, here’s how to use them to plan a smarter (and less chaotic) family holiday.

Best value: Start or end of school holidays

If you can travel right at the start or end of the holidays, you’ll often find:

• Slightly cheaper flights, accommodation and car rental
• Fewer crowds than smack in the middle of the school holidays
• More availability for tickets and experiences

This is a great time to plan a trip to places like the South Coast, Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley.

Quietest time: Mid-term travel

If you’re comfortable taking the kids out of school for a few days or have younger kids, travelling mid-term is a great option. Prices are lower and there are less tourists.

Destinations like coastal holiday parks and Sydney are especially good outside peak holiday periods due to the lower accommodation costs and availability.

Peak periods

Peak periods such as Christmas holidays, Easter holidays and long weekends, unfortunately, come with peak pricing. If you’re travelling during these times, try to book as early as possible, especially for accommodation.

Sweet spots

If you’re flexible with your travel dates, there are a few “golden windows” in NSW where you get the best of everything – good weather, fewer crowds and better prices.

Late February to early April (before Easter) is one of the best times to travel in NSW. You’ll (usually) have warm weather along the coast, school is back in so it’s quiet, and accommodation prices are lower after the summer peak. It’s perfect for beach destinations like the South Coast, Central Coast or Byron Bay.

Late April to early June is also a top choice once Easter and the autumn holidays wrap up. The crowds thin out quickly, mild weather makes it ideal for exploring and its a good time for regional trips. It’s ideal for places like the Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley or country NSW road trips.

August to early September is often overlooked but this late winter sweet spot often has crisp, clear days, lower prices and fewer tourists. It’s perfect for a relaxed getaway to Katoomba, Mudgee or even Sydney city without peak crowds.

💡 Pro tip: These “in-between” periods are where you’ll often find the best deals on accommodation and flights and a much more relaxed travel experience overall.

---

FAQs: NSW term dates

---

---

Where to next?

---

📌 Save this article to Pinterest so you’ll have it handy when planning your own trip.