Albury WodongaMotels · a local guide

Guide · 7 October 2026

School holidays in Albury Wodonga: how the NSW and Victorian calendars differ

NSW and Victorian school holidays start and finish on different days, so families on each side of the Murray are free at different times, and the stretch when both are on holidays is the one to plan around.

Albury and Wodonga share a river, a bridge and a lot of school-holiday traffic. They don't share a school calendar. Albury is in NSW and Wodonga is in Victoria, and each state sets its own terms. For summer 2026-27, NSW holidays start on a Friday and Victoria's start the following Monday. From then until late January, children from both states are out of school at once. That overlap is the stretch to plan around when you book family accommodation in Albury Wodonga.

When are the summer school holidays in NSW and Victoria?

Two calendars, one riverBoth states on holidaysNSWTerm 4 ends Thu 17 DecEastern division holidays Fri 18 Dec 2026 to Wed 27 Jan 2027Western division runs to Wed 3 Feb 2027Christmas Day Fri 25 DecBoxing Day Sat 26 DecAdditional day Mon 28 DecAustralia Day Tue 26 Jan 2027Murray RiverVICTORIATerm 4 ends Fri 18 DecHolidays Mon 21 Dec 2026 to Wed 27 Jan 2027Students start Thu 28 Jan 2027 (government schools)21 Dec28 Dec4 Jan11 Jan18 Jan25 Jan1 FebSun 7 FebMon 14 Dec 20262027NSW public holidayNSW Western division onlyTwo calendars, one riverNSWVictoriaBoth states on holidaysMurray River14 Dec21 Dec28 Dec4 Jan11 Jan18 Jan25 Jan1 Feb7 Feb20262027NSW: Term 4 ends Thu 17 DecVic: Term 4 ends Fri 18 DecNSW: Eastern divisionholidays Fri 18 Dec 2026to Wed 27 Jan 2027Vic: HolidaysMon 21 Dec 2026 toWed 27 Jan 2027NSW public holidays:Christmas Day Fri 25 DecBoxing Day Sat 26 DecAdditional day Mon 28 DecNSW public holiday:Australia Day Tue 26 Jan 2027Vic: Students startThu 28 Jan 2027(government schools)NSW: Western divisionruns to Wed 3 Feb 2027NSW public holidayNSW Western division only

Source: NSW Government and Victorian Government

NSW goes first. Term 4 ends Thu 17 Dec 2026, and NSW summer holidays run from Fri 18 Dec 2026. NSW schools don't all finish on the same day. The Eastern division's holidays end Wed 27 Jan 2027, while the Western division runs to Wed 3 Feb 2027. Check which one your school follows before you book the drive home.

Victoria starts later. Victorian government schools finish Term 4 on Fri 18 Dec 2026, with summer holidays from Mon 21 Dec 2026 to Wed 27 Jan 2027. Students go back on Thu 28 Jan.

Read the two calendars together and the busy stretch is plain. From Mon 21 Dec to Wed 27 Jan, government school students in both states are on holidays. The public holidays fall in that window too. In NSW, Christmas Day is Fri 25 Dec 2026, Boxing Day is Sat 26 Dec, and there is an additional public holiday on Mon 28 Dec. Australia Day 2027 is Tue 26 Jan, the day before both states' holidays end for most families.

That makes Fri 18 Dec the only school day when NSW children are on holidays and Victorian children are still in class. At the other end, the NSW Western division's holidays run to Wed 3 Feb, a week after Victoria's finish. If your dates are flexible, that is worth knowing. If they aren't, booking early for the Christmas and New Year weeks is simply sensible, because that is when both states are travelling.

Why NSW and Victorian holidays don't line up

Spring 2026: the same break, a week apartNSWMon 28 Sep to Fri 9 OctTerm 3 ended Fri 25 SepTerm 4 starts Tue 13 OctNSW Labour Day Mon 5 Oct (not a Victorian public holiday)Victoriabetween termsTerm 3 ended Fri 18 SepTerm 4 starts Mon 5 OctMon 14 Sep21 Sep28 Sep5 Oct12 OctFri 16 OctSpring 2026: the same break,a week apartNSWNSW Labour Day Mon 5 Oct(not a Victorian public holiday)Term 3 ended Fri 25 SepHolidaysMon 28 Sep to Fri 9 OctTerm 4 starts Tue 13 OctVictoriabetween termsTerm 3 ended Fri 18 SepTerm 4 starts Mon 5 OctMon 14 Sep28 Sep5 OctFri 16 Oct

Source: NSW Government, Victorian Government and ABC News

A "school holidays" date is not the same on both sides of the Murray: in 2026 Victorian students went back on Mon 5 Oct, while NSW spring holidays ran until Fri 9 Oct.

Spring 2026 shows how far apart the two calendars can sit. Victoria's Term 3 ended Fri 18 Sep, so Victorian families had the two weeks between terms first. NSW's Term 3 ended Fri 25 Sep, and its holidays ran from Mon 28 Sep. The two breaks overlapped for one week.

Public holidays split along the river as well. NSW Labour Day fell on Mon 5 Oct 2026, inside the NSW holidays, and it is not a public holiday in Victoria, as ABC News reported. On that one Monday, Albury had a day off while Wodonga's children were back at their desks.

There is one more wrinkle, and it matters here more than almost anywhere. The NSW Government notes that "a small number of schools in close proximity to the Victoria/Queensland borders operate on dates that differ from the standard calendar", and advises checking the individual school's website. If your children go to a border school, its own calendar beats any state table, including the ones on this page.

What to ask before booking family accommodation in Albury Wodonga

Questions to ask before you book

Unloading the car at the end of a summer drive.

A school-holiday stay works best when the room fits the family before you arrive. Every property does things differently, so ask rather than assume. At Albury Wodonga Motels, our view is that the right questions take two minutes and save a tired argument in the car park at 9pm.

Start with the room. A family room and a pair of interconnecting rooms suit different families: one keeps everyone together, the other gives the adults a door to close. Ask which is on offer, and how many beds each actually holds.

Then ask about the practical things a long drive throws up. Is there parking for a loaded car, or for a trailer if you're towing? Is there a fridge for drinks and snacks, or kitchen access for breakfasts? What is the latest check-in time, and what is the arrangement if traffic or a late start pushes you past it?

Travelling with grandparents or another family? Our guide to booking group accommodation in Albury covers keeping several rooms together. If the dog is coming too, our pet-friendly stays guide lists what to ask and where dogs can run on both sides of the river. And our page on why booking direct with Albury motels is worth a read before you compare options.

Driving in: clocks and school zones on the border

Two small things trip up interstate families arriving after a long drive.

The first is the clock. Daylight saving began on Sun 4 Oct 2026 in both NSW and Victoria, so there is no time difference at the border. A 3pm check-in in Albury and a 3pm check-in in Wodonga mean the same hour, whichever side you approach from.

The second is the speed limit outside schools. NSW school zones (40km/h) operate on all notified school days, including school development days. A day off for your family is not necessarily a day off for the school you pass on the Albury side. If you arrive on a weekday morning or mid-afternoon in NSW term time, slow down for the flashing lights.

Free and low-cost things to do on a school holiday stay

Both councils run activities for children through the holidays, and many cost nothing. In the 2026 spring break, AlburyCity's "A Butterfly's Journey" at Albury LibraryMuseum ran free for families and preschoolers from 28 Sep to 13 Oct. Programs like this change each holiday, so check the council's listings for the dates you're staying.

Across the river, the Bonegilla Migrant Experience offers guided tours, with adult, concession, child (16 and under) and family tickets listed by Wodonga Council. On the council's listed prices, the family ticket for two adults and two children costs less than four separate tickets.

For a fuller list, our guide to a weekend in Albury Wodonga covers what to do, and eating near your Wodonga motel sorts out dinner after a long day out.

Easter 2027: the next break to plan

Vic Term 1 ends Thu 25 MarVic Term 2 starts Mon 12 AprVictoria: between termsGood Friday Fri 26 Mar(NSW public holiday)Easter Monday Mon 29 Mar(NSW public holiday)Mon 22 Mar 2027Mon 29 MarMon 5 AprMon 12 AprVic Term 1 ends Thu 25 MarVic Term 2 starts Mon 12 AprVictoria: between termsGood Friday Fri 26 Mar(NSW public holiday)Easter Monday Mon 29 Mar(NSW public holiday)Mon 22 MarMon 5 AprMon 12 Apr2027

Source: Victorian Government and NSW Government

Once summer is booked, the next family stretch is autumn. Victoria's Term 1 2027 ends Thu 25 Mar, and Term 2 starts Mon 12 Apr. In NSW, Good Friday 2027 is 26 Mar and Easter Monday is 29 Mar. Victorian families finishing school on the Thursday can drive up for the Easter long weekend at the start of their break.

NSW families should check their own school's term dates for autumn before locking anything in, for the same border-school reason as above.

Summer 2026-27 key dates at a glance

NSWVICTORIATerm 4 ends Thu 17 Dec 2026NSW GovernmentHolidays from Fri 18 Dec 2026NSW GovernmentEastern division to Wed 27 Jan 2027NSW GovernmentWestern division to Wed 3 Feb 2027NSW GovernmentPublic holidays Fri 25 Dec, Sat 26 Dec,Mon 28 Dec (additional day),Tue 26 Jan 2027NSW GovernmentTerm 4 ends Fri 18 Dec 2026Victorian GovernmentHolidays Mon 21 Dec 2026to Wed 27 Jan 2027Victorian GovernmentStudents start Thu 28 Jan 2027Victorian GovernmentSame clock time on both sides from Sun 4 Oct 2026 (daylight saving in NSW and Victoria)ABC NewsNSWTerm 4 ends Thu 17 Dec 2026NSW GovernmentHolidays from Fri 18 Dec 2026NSW GovernmentEastern division to Wed 27 Jan 2027NSW GovernmentWestern division to Wed 3 Feb 2027NSW GovernmentPublic holidays Fri 25 Dec, Sat 26 Dec,Mon 28 Dec (additional day),Tue 26 Jan 2027NSW GovernmentVICTORIATerm 4 ends Fri 18 Dec 2026Victorian GovernmentHolidays Mon 21 Dec 2026to Wed 27 Jan 2027Victorian GovernmentStudents start Thu 28 Jan 2027Victorian GovernmentSame clock time on both sides fromSun 4 Oct 2026 (daylight saving inNSW and Victoria)ABC News

Source: NSW Government, Victorian Government and ABC News

Every date on this card comes from the NSW school holidays page, the Victorian school term dates page, the NSW public holidays page and ABC News. Screenshot it, then check your own school's calendar against it.

Booking your family's school holiday stay

Work out your calendar first: NSW Eastern, NSW Western, Victorian, or a border school's own. Then pick the nights, keeping in mind that Christmas through late January is when both states travel. When you have your dates and your list of questions, call the motel you have in mind and ask them for the nights you want. Our How to Book page explains how to book direct.

Sources