Winter Vacation 2026-27 in Delhi NCR Schools: Dates for Every City
Part of: Schools and admissions
Last updated: 9 November 2026. We update this page as each state and district issues its order, so check back in late December.
Delhi NCR’s schools do not share one winter break. Winter vacation in Delhi schools follows the Directorate of Education’s calendar, Noida and Ghaziabad follow Uttar Pradesh, and Gurgaon and Faridabad follow Haryana. On top of that, district officers close junior classes for cold or fog at a day’s notice. Here is what each city has announced so far, and what happened last January.
Winter vacation 2026-27 at a glance
| City | 2026-27 | Last winter |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 1 to 15 January 2027, as reported from the DoE’s 2026-27 school calendar | 1 to 15 January 2026 |
| Noida, Greater Noida | Council schools: 31 December 2026 to 14 January 2027 | Nursery to Class 8 shut by district order until 15 January, and again on 16 and 17 January 2026 |
| Ghaziabad | Council schools: 31 December 2026 to 14 January 2027 | Classes up to 8 shut by a district order of 7 January until 10 January 2026 |
| Gurgaon, Faridabad | Not announced yet. The order usually comes in late December. | 1 to 15 January 2026, extended to 17 January; schools reopened on 19 January |
Delhi
The Directorate of Education fixes the winter break in its yearly school calendar, and it has been 1 to 15 January for the last two sessions. Reports of the 2026-27 calendar give the same dates, 1 to 15 January 2027. Private CBSE and ICSE schools recognised by the DoE follow the same order, though some start the break a few days earlier for Christmas.
The break is not fixed in stone. In 2023 the government brought it forward to 9 to 18 November because of the smog, and the January break that year was cut to six days, 1 to 6 January 2024. If the air turns severe in December, an early break is possible again. Our guide to pollution closures explains how those decisions are made.
Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad
Uttar Pradesh’s holiday list for council schools, issued by the Basic Shiksha Parishad, sets the winter break from 31 December 2026 to 14 January 2027. Private schools in Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad publish their own calendars, and most break in the last week of December.
What matters more in January is the district order. When the cold or fog is bad, the district administration or the Basic Education Officer closes classes up to Class 8 in all boards’ schools, CBSE, ICSE, IB and UP Board alike, usually a few days at a time. Last January Noida’s junior classes stayed shut until 15 January and then again on 16 and 17 January, and in Ghaziabad an order of 7 January shut them until 10 January. Classes 9 to 12 usually carry on, often with later start times.
Gurgaon and Faridabad
Haryana announces one winter break for all government and private schools in the state. Last year it ran from 1 to 15 January 2026, and on 15 January the Education Department extended it to 17 January, with schools reopening on Monday 19 January. Students of Classes 10 and 12 can be called in during the break for practicals, depending on the board’s schedule.
The 2026-27 order has not come out yet. Going by recent years, expect it in the last ten days of December.
Planning the holidays
- Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday, so most families get a long weekend from 25 to 27 December, before the break proper.
- Board students: pre-boards and practicals often sit right after the break. Check the school’s date sheet before booking travel.
- Our December events guide and Christmas guide list what’s on in the city.
- For cold mornings at home, the family games on NCR Guide Play run in the browser, with nothing to install.
Questions parents ask
When does winter vacation start in Delhi schools in 2026-27?
On 1 January 2027, running to 15 January, going by reports of the Directorate of Education’s 2026-27 calendar. Those were also the dates last winter.
Do private schools in Delhi follow the government’s winter vacation?
Recognised private schools come under the Directorate’s orders, so the break is broadly the same. Some start a few days early for Christmas, so your school’s circular has the exact dates.
When do Noida schools close for winter?
Uttar Pradesh’s council schools break from 31 December 2026 to 14 January 2027. Private schools in Noida set their own dates, and the district can close classes up to Class 8 for extra days when it is very cold or foggy.
When will Haryana announce winter vacation for Gurgaon and Faridabad?
Usually in the last ten days of December. Last winter the Directorate of School Education announced the 1 to 15 January break on 23 December 2025.
Can winter vacation be extended?
Yes, and in January it often is. Last winter Haryana added two days, to 17 January, and Noida closed junior classes on 16 and 17 January because of the cold.
How we keep this page right
We list only dates from the education department’s order or calendar, or from the district’s order. Where we rely on a report of an order rather than the order itself, the table says so. If your school’s dates differ from the state’s, your school’s circular is the one to follow.
Sources: UP Basic Shiksha Parishad holiday list for 2026, as published on 4 January 2026; Haryana Education Department notifications of 23 December 2025 and 15 January 2026, as reported; Delhi DoE school calendars for 2025-26 and 2026-27, as reported; Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad district orders of January 2026, as reported.
