Best time to visit Italy
April to May and September to October. Month by month below, with the weather, what's on and what it costs to fly there from your city.
April to May and September to October
Spring (April and May) and early autumn (September and October) are named most often: mild weather and fewer crowds than July and August.
- “The best time to visit Italy is between April and May or September to October” intrepidtravel.com
- “The best time to visit Italy is late spring (April – May) or autumn (September – October)” scottdunn.com
- “The best time to visit Italy is from April through June or September through October” royalcaribbean.com
5 of the 13 travel guides we read name these months.
Italy month by month
Average high and low in Rome, and days with rain
JanuaryChecking fares…A true off-season month, except in the Alps where ski crowds arrive.Coastal villages are generally quiet in January and February while big cities carry on.Venice Carnival · Carnevale di Venezia, final days
FebruaryChecking fares…Venice Carnival falls in February.Carnevale runs toward the end of February and start of March.Battle of the Oranges · Almond blossom festival
MarchChecking fares…Still off-season, so walk-in availability is generally possible.Festa di San Giuseppe is March 19.One editor picks March as the best off-peak month.Scoppio del Carro · Rome Marathon
Best timeAprilChecking fares…Weather in April is typically unpredictable; pack for sun and rain.Easter usually falls in April, with extra visitors around Good Friday and Easter Monday.Milan's furniture fair takes place in April.Natale di Roma · Festa di San Marco (Festa del Bocolo)
Best timeMayChecking fares…May and June offer mostly clear, sunny skies without July and August heat.Labor Day on May 1 brings street festivals in Rome.Vogalonga · Infiorata di Noto
JuneChecking fares…Snow has melted from the trails, so trekking season opens in the Dolomites and Mont Blanc.June is a little less busy because European school holidays have not started.Calcio Storico Fiorentino · Palio di Siena (Provenzano)
JulyChecking fares…July and August are the busiest months in many cities and coastal areas.Siena's Palio horse race is in July.Festa del Redentore
AugustChecking fares…Ferragosto on August 15 sends much of Italy to the coast.Cities are slightly less crowded in late August, but smaller establishments may close.Venice Film Festival
Best timeSeptemberChecking fares…One editor calls September the best month to travel to Italy.Another source says September is now firmly part of the busy summer high season.Visitor numbers drop in Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast in September.Regata Storica · Autumn on the Seceda ridge
Best timeOctoberChecking fares…Cooler days and thinner crowds in Rome, Venice and the Amalfi Coast.October is considered the start of the rainy season.Alba International White Truffle Fair · Venice Marathon
NovemberChecking fares…Visiting the northern lakes in November is trickier because fewer attractions are open.Opera season begins at La Scala in Milan.November is the rainiest month in Florence.San Miniato White Truffle Fair · Festa della Madonna della Salute
DecemberChecking fares…December is always busy with Christmas markets.Christmas and New Year are the exception to the quiet winter.Epiphany in Rome and the Befana markets · Christmas nativity street of San Gregorio Armeno
Weather: Rome averages from ISPRA, Italy's national climate data (1991 to 2020 averages), as listed in its climate table on Wikipedia.
Every date to Rome from your city
Live fares from your airport. Watch them and we alert you when they drop.
What's on in Italy
Festivals and seasons through the year
- Venice Carnival
Carnevale di Venezia, final days- Battle of the Oranges
Almond blossom festival- Scoppio del Carro
Rome Marathon- Natale di Roma
Festa di San Marco (Festa del Bocolo)
Rome Rose Garden (Roseto Comunale)- Vogalonga
Infiorata di Noto- Calcio Storico Fiorentino
Palio di Siena (Provenzano)
Festa della Repubblica
Festa di San Pietro in Castello- Festa del Redentore
- Venice Film Festival
- Regata Storica
Autumn on the Seceda ridge
Romaeuropa Festival- Alba International White Truffle Fair
Venice Marathon- San Miniato White Truffle Fair
Festa della Madonna della Salute- Epiphany in Rome and the Befana markets
Christmas nativity street of San Gregorio Armeno
Busy, quiet and what to watch for
Busiest
- Late June to early SeptemberPeak holiday season, with Italians taking time off and prices rising.
- July and AugustHighest prices and biggest crowds.
- Christmas and New YearHigh season even within winter.
- Winter in the AlpsPeak ski season keeps prices up in the Dolomites and Alps.
Quietest
- November, January, February and early MarchCooler, wetter months.
- October to AprilFewer crowds outside the summer peak.
Watch for
- July and AugustSouthern cities and regions regularly pass 35C (95F).
- SummerSome days can top 100F (40C).
- October to JanuaryAcqua alta can flood parts of Venice, most often in November and December.
- WinterCoastal hotels, restaurants and attractions may close or cut hours.
- November to MarchRainiest period.
Questions people ask
- What is the weather like in southern Italy?
- Southern Italy, including Puglia and Sicily, is warmer year-round than the north, good for beaches into early autumn.
- How warm is the water in Italy?
- The sea is warmest in early autumn after heating all summer, though beach clubs in some towns close from September.
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