Welcome to our guide on how to hack your annual leave for 2025: the United States edition.
If you’re unfamiliar with this series, it’s all about encouraging you to make the most of your holiday allowance when it resets for the upcoming year, thus creating more time for adventure - whether that’s tramping coast to coast across New Zealand or discovering the Mexican jungle.
We never feel more alive than when we’re out exploring a new part of the world, but naturally, if you work full-time, the amount of paid time off you can take will be a limiting factor to this.
Now, we can’t promise to work any magic here, or sweet talk your boss into giving you more paid time off (sorry), but what we can offer is a simple trick which can make your allocation work harder for you than it might’ve done otherwise. That can create more time for adventure.
All this involves is choosing your travel dates so that they match up with national holidays, which are scheduled throughout the year to mark momentous or significant occasions. Of course, how much paid time off you get from your employer is the big variable here. We hope that you have a boss who lets you out to play in the snow and gives you long lunch breaks to hike up mountain summits, but regardless, this concept works even with one paid day off.
The average number of paid days off that employees receive in the USA is 10, so it’s important to use them wisely. If you live in the UK, you’ll get significantly more annual leave than this, and may instead wish to read our guide on how to hack your annual leave in the UK for 2025.
There are 11 federal holidays in the USA for 2025, as listed by the United States government:
- Wednesday 1 January (New Year’s Day)
- Monday 20 January (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
- Monday 17 February (Presidents’ Day)
- Monday 26 May (Memorial Day)
- Thursday 19 June (Juneteenth)
- Friday 4 July (Independence Day)
- Monday 1 September (Labor Day)
- Monday 13 October (Columbus Day)
- Tuesday 11 November (Veterans Day)
- Thursday 27 November (Thanksgiving)
- Thursday 25 December (Christmas Day)
And here’s how to use those national holidays to make the most from your annual leave:
January
New Year Resolutions are lovely and all, but rather than setting yourself a target like going to the gym more or cutting down on carbs, why not do something you’ll remember forever? Coast to coast across Costa Rica, anyone?
Bank holidays in January 2025: Wednesday, 1 January (New Year’s Day) and Monday 20 January (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
Days away from the office: 9 (28 Dec-5 Jan, or 18-26 Jan)
Days to book off work: 30-31 Dec & 2-3 Jan (4 days off) or 21-24 Jan (4 days off)
Annual Leave Hack Adventure ideas for January 2025:
- Trek the Atlas Mountains (30 Dec-4 Jan)
- 250km Coast to Coast Expedition Through Costa Rica (30 Dec-10 Jan)
- Kayak, Hike and Tree Camp the Hidden Rainforests of Costa Rica (30 Dec-5 Jan)
- Amazon Rainforest Adventure in Ecuador (30 Dec-5 Jan)
- Nomadic Trek Through Egypt’s Sinai Desert (30 Dec-6 Jan)
- Snow and Saunas in Estonia (2-6 Jan)
- Humpbacks and Huskies Under the Aurora in Norway (3-6 Jan)
- Hike the Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia in Winter (3-7 Jan)
February
Make the shortest month of the year the most memorable, by booking a big old adventure. Learn a new skill on Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland (and indeed, in the UK), find some winter sun on the Canary Islands or hike and kayak your way around Slovenia, beneath the Julian Alps.
Bank holidays in February 2025: Monday 17 February (Presidents’ Day)
Days away from the office: 9 (15-23 Feb)
Days to book off work: 18-21 Feb (4 days off)
Annual Leave Hack Adventure ideas for February 2025:
- Summit Ben Nevis and Learn Winter Mountain Skills (14-16 Feb)
- The Ultimate Arctic Circle Adventure in Norway (17-20 Feb)
- Hike the Volcanic Island of Gran Canaria (16-21 Feb)
- Hike and Kayak Slovenia in Winter (16-21 Feb)
May
You could stay at home in May. Or you could get the best of Scotland in, before the midges take hold in the summer, and just when the weather is brightening up. You could visit the islands of Italy - or hike your way through the mountains of Greece.
Bank holidays in May 2025: Monday, 26 May (Memorial Day)
Days away from the office: 9 (24 May-1 June)
Days to book off work: 27-30 May (4 days off)
Annual Leave Hack Adventure ideas for May 2025:
- Hike, Kayak and Wild Camp the Norwegian Fjords (23-26 May)
- Summit to Sea Expedition in Scotland (23-27 May)
- Hike, Kayak and Raft Greece's Wild North (24 May-1 June)
- Island Hopping in the Sicilian Archipelago (24-31 May)
- Sea Kayak Italy's Cilento Coast (25-30 May)
- Kayak and Wild Camp the West Coast of Scotland (26-29 May)
June
If you’ve always wanted to visit the north of Europe - think Iceland or Norway, for example - then June is a mighty nice time to do so. Get yourself around the Lofoten Islands, one of the continent’s most beautiful spots, wild camp the fjords or walk long distance across Iceland on the legendary Laugavegur Trail.
Bank holidays in June 2025: Thursday 19 June (Juneteenth)
Days away from the office: 9 (14-22 June)
Days to book off work: 16-18 June, 20 June
Annual Leave Hack Adventure ideas for June 2025:
- Kayak, Hike and Wild Camp the Lofoten Islands (16-22 June)
- Trek the Tour du Mont Blanc in a Week: Hotel Edition (16-22 June)
- Kayak and Wild Camp Greek Islands (18-22 June)
- Trek the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland: Hut to Hut Edition (18-23 June)
- Hike, Kayak and Wild Camp the Norwegian Fjords (19-22 June)
July
Ah, summertime! The ideal time to go coast to coast across a country you’ve never been to before; head to a sunsoaked island and then hide from the heat in the water, get yourself up a mountain summit, or go full feral ranger and track animals through wild forests. Do promise us that you’ll remember what that Baz Luhrmann song says, though - always wear sunscreen.
Bank holidays in July 2025: Friday 4 July (Independence Day)
Days away from the office: 9 (28 June-6 July)
Days to book off work: 30 June-3 July (4 days off)
Annual Leave Hack Adventure ideas for July 2025:
- Hike, Kayak and Wild Camp the Isle of Skye (1-5 July)
- Raft, Kayak and Hike in Albania (2-7 July)
- Climb Mont Blanc, 4,805m (2-9 July)
- 100km Canoe Expedition Across Scotland (3-7 July)
- Hut to Hut Trekking in the Dolomites (3-8 July)
- Rewilding Adventure in Romania’s Tarcu Mountains (4-8 July)
September
September is shoulder season, meaning that in a lot of usually very busy places, you’ll get less crowded trails, more relaxed locals and cooler weather than you’d have probably got in August. All of which is to say that it’s an ideal month to travel.
Bank holidays in September 2025: Monday 1 September (Labor Day)
Days away from the office: 9 (Aug 30-7 Sept)
Days to book off work: 2-5 Sept (4 days off)
Annual Leave Hack Adventure ideas for September 2025:
- Trek the Tian Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan (24 Aug-2 Sept)
- 100km Expedition in Greenland (24-31 Aug)
- Climb Monte Rosa (4,554m) (24-28 Aug)
- Hike and Stargaze in Argentina’s Highlands (24-Aug-2 Sept)
- Wild Cycling Expedition in Uganda (24 Aug-3 Sept)
- Trek the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt (25 Aug-3 Sept)
October
October is Autumn in Europe. Travel and you’ll find yourself walking through leafy forests, coloured amber, red and yellow for the season. Mountain landscapes never look more beautiful than when framed in this palette, though do be sure to bring a rain jacket with you.
Bank holidays in October 2025: Monday 13 October (Columbus Day)
Days away from the office: 9 (11-19 Oct)
Days to book off work: 14-17 Oct (4 days off)
Annual Leave Hack Adventure ideas for October 2025:
- Coast to Coast Traverse of Madeira (12-18 Oct)
- Hut to Hut Trekking in the Picos de Europa, Spain (12-18 Oct)
- Hike, Bike and Wine in Spain’s Basque Country (12-17 Oct)
- Canyons to Coast Adventure in Albania (12-19 Oct)
- Hike, SUP and Kayak Montenegro’s Coast (13 Oct)
November
Most people don’t think of travelling in November. That’s because it tends to be quite cold, quite dark and the weather can be somewhat miserable. But let us let you into a secret: that’s not the case everywhere. Pick yourself a European island or a sandy beach somewhere hot, and you can enjoy November in style.
Bank holidays in November 2025: Tuesday November 11 (Veterans Day) and Thursday 27 November (Thanksgiving)
Days away from the office: 9 (8-16 Nov or 22-30 Nov)
Days to book off work: 10 Nov & 12-14 Nov (4 days off) or 24-26 Nov & 28 Nov (4 days off)
Annual Leave Hack Adventure ideas for November 2025:
- Raft, Kayak and Hike in Albania (5-11 Nov, 19-24 Nov)
- Hike, Kayak and Stargaze in Tenerife (19-24 Nov)
December
It’s Christmas! Which means you couldn’t possibly go away on an adventure, could you? Could you? Of course you could. The idea might seem unusual at first, but we know that the holidays mean a lot of different things for a lot of different people. Some may want to spend late December with their family or friends, stuffing themselves with, err, stuffing, while others, for whatever reason, might fancy getting away from the flashing lights and department store sad-verts to somewhere more tranquil and scenic. Imagine spending Christmas in snowy Lapland, or if that’s not your thing, then in the sunny Amazon? Doesn’t sound too bad, right?
Bank holidays in December 2025: Thursday, 25 December (Christmas Day)
Days away from the office: 9 (20-28 Dec)
Days to book off work: 22-24 Dec, 26 Dec (4 days off)
Annual Leave Hack Adventure ideas for December 2025:
- Trek to Everest Base Camp (20 Dec-3 Jan)
- Amazon Rainforest Adventure in Ecuador (21-27 Dec)
- Adventure Through Chilean Patagonia (22-31 Dec)
- Hike, Snorkel and Whale Watch in Dominica (23-29 Dec)
- Trek Ecuador’s Avenue of Volcanoes to Cotopaxi’s Summit (5,897m) (23 Dec-1 Jan)
- Rock Climb, Hike and Snorkel in Egypt (22-28 Dec)
Inspired? Browse our full range of adventure holidays now, protecting the world’s wild places - one adventure at a time!