Visiting the US for Thanksgiving? Dates, Black Friday, Forex

Thanksgiving week is the busiest stretch on the American calendar. Airports run at capacity, hotel rates in the big cities climb, and half the country is on the move at the same time. It is also the single best week to see the United States at full volume, and the only week where the shopping itself is a reason to travel.

 Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, 26 November, and Black Friday follows on 27 November. New York hosts the 100th Macy's parade that morning. Indian visitors need a B1/B2 visa, with an MRV fee of USD 185, and first interviews currently take six months or longer, so this year’s trip realistically suits travellers already holding a valid visa. Carry dollars on a forex card rather than an Indian credit card. 

This guide covers the date and what closes, the parade, the Black Friday weekend, where to shop and eat, getting around, the visa, medical cover, the luxury options, and the cheapest way to carry dollars. 

The Date and What It Means

Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November, which in 2026 is Thursday, 26 November. It is a federal holiday, so government offices, post offices, banks and the stock markets close, and most Americans take the Friday as well for a four day weekend.

That closure shapes the week. In New York, the Met, MoMA, the American Museum of Natural History and the Statue of Liberty all close on Thanksgiving Day, and so do most offices, many restaurants and smaller shops. The Empire State Building stays open, and in Washington the Smithsonian museums open as usual. Plan the day around the parade and a booked dinner, and save the big museums for Friday. 

The Travel Crush

The Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after are among the heaviest air travel days of the American year. If your itinerary crosses those dates, book early, choose the first flight of the day, and leave a wide connection window. 

The 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The 2026 edition is the 100th parade, which makes it the marquee event of the week. It runs on Thanksgiving morning through Manhattan, ending at Macy's Herald Square, and is broadcast nationally.

Two practical notes. The balloon inflation on Wednesday evening near the American Museum of Natural History is a free event in its own right and far less crowded than the parade. And for the parade itself, the viewing spots along Central Park West fill before sunrise, so either commit to arriving very early or book a restaurant or hotel room along the route. 

Tipping

Tipping is a real budget line rather than a courtesy. Between 18 and 20 percent is standard in restaurants and bars, card machines now suggest more, and it applies to hotel staff, taxis and delivery as well. Add it into the daily estimate rather than treating it as an afterthought. 

Getting Around

The United States is continental in scale, so anchor the trip to one region. Domestic flights cross the country and car rental unlocks everything outside the big cities. Within New York, the subway is the fastest option, the MetroCard has been retired, and you tap a contactless card or phone at the OMNY reader.

From JFK, the AirTrain and subway combination is the cheapest route into Manhattan at USD 11.75, being USD 8.75 for the AirTrain and USD 3.00 for the subway, a yellow cab runs a flat fare before tolls and tip, and app rides swing widely with surge pricing during the holiday week. 

Visa Requirements for Indian Visitors

Indian passport holders need a B1/B2 visitor visa, since India is not in the Visa Waiver Program. The process starts with the DS-160 form online and the MRV fee of USD 185, followed by an in person interview at the US Embassy in New Delhi or one of the four consulates

A Visa Integrity Fee of USD 250 applies at the time of visa issuance where it is being collected, taking the government total to around USD 435 per applicant. Collection has been phased in across posts, so confirm the current position on the official payment portal before you pay. The fee is indexed to inflation and resets each US fiscal year on 1 October, which makes USD 250 a floor rather than a ceiling.

Interview waits are the real bottleneck, and in late September 2026 the estimated wait for a first visitor visa interview ran from about six months in Kolkata to nearly a year in Hyderabad. A first time applicant is therefore very unlikely to make Thanksgiving 2026 and should apply now with 2027 in mind. You may book at any of the five US posts in India, and a city with a shorter queue justifies the extra flight.

If your previous B1/B2 visa expired less than 12 months ago, you may qualify for the dropbox route, which skips the interview entirely. The new USD 750 paid fast track option does not cover any post in India, so check the State Department wait time tool before you fix any dates. 

Where to Check the Real Cost

Card and counter rates are rarely shown against the live interbank benchmark, which is exactly where a shopping trip leaks money. The  BookMyForex USD to INR converter  shows the interbank dollar rate in real time, so you can compare it against the rate your credit card quietly applies on the same spend.

Start the visa early, fly on the quiet days, load dollars before you leave, and Thanksgiving week delivers the discount you came for rather than handing it back at the till.