Located in southern Europe, Italy has a Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers and mild and wet winters. In general, the best times to visit Italy are spring and autumn.
Apart from understanding the optimal times to visit Italy, this page is also the place to find weather tips for planning your trip when your schedule doesn't align perfectly with the best times. We hope to help in effectively choosing the best month for your Italy trip and planning it according to the specific month you're traveling in.
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The Best Times to Visit Italy
Italy is a year-round destination. Most of the attractions in Italy are historical and cultural ones, such as museums, plazas, and architecture. Therefore, the weather would have little effect on your visit. Cities like Rome, Florence, Milan, and Venice are ideal for year-round visits.
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Best Times for Best Weather
If you have a flexible schedule, we recommend visiting Italy during spring (April to May) and autumn (September to October). These months offer the best weather (neither hot nor cold weather). What's more, you would enjoy a relatively-less-crowded Italy in these periods.
June could be another good option for family travels to Italy. Italy in June enjoys early summer weather (not too hot) and your family could enjoy less crowded attractions compared with July and August.
See How to Plan a Trip to Italy
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Best Times for Coastal Towns
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June to August is the peak season in Italy. It is also the best time for sunbathing on beaches along the Italian coast.
For families with school-age children, traveling at the end of May and the beginning of June could be a good choice for lower prices and crowding, as the large summer vacation crowds would not have arrived yet.
We understand that some school systems strongly discourage time off school for leisure, so you may be limited to July/August for your family vacation. See How to Plan a Family Trip to Italy
Best Time for Lower Prices
Winter (December to January) is Italy's low season, so it is the best time for smaller crowds. You would also enjoy favorable prices and a good Christmas atmosphere when traveling during this period.
Best Times for Wine Tours
If you are interested in a wine tour, September and October are the best time when the grapes are ripe, harvested, and turned into wine. Tuscany is one of the important wine regions in Italy. In addition to wine tasting, Tuscany has plenty more to explore, such as biking on the walls of Lucca and visiting Siena with its castle hotels.
The Worst Times to Visit Italy
If you wouldn't be able to stand the heat, then Italy's muggy summertime would not be a good time for you, especially in August. August sees an increase in tourists and the weather can be very hot.
If you don't like rainy weather, then winter would not be a good time for you. Winter in Italy is overcast and rainy. The month with the most rainfall is November.
However, these "worst times" are just a comparison with other months and not an indication that these times are entirely unsuitable for travel.
It means that you may have more things to consider when planning to travel in these months. That's what we could do for you: creating a hassle-free tour by managing the itinerary, transport, and accommodation, thus saving you from things like having to queue for more than 2 hours in the hot sun to buy a ticket to enter the Colosseum.
The worst times for travel also bring some advantages. For example, with a winter trip, you could enjoy less-crowded museums, see the original Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper without queueing, and get a good discount.
Suggested reading How to Plan a Summer Trip in Italy
Just contact us if you are planning your Italy trip. We would create your itinerary based on your interests and requirements.
Italy Travel Guide by Month
- April, May, September, and October are the best months to visit Italy with the nice weather and relatively fewer tourists.
- November, December, January, and February are the best months for favorable prices and fewer crowds.
- June, July, and August are the peak season months with hot, dry weather.
See more travel and weather information for each month below. Averages are given, which match central Italy (e.g. Rome). The south is drier in summer, wetter in winter, and warmer (Naples, Sicily…); the north is cooler, wetter in summer, and drier in winter (Venice, Milan…).
Whatever month you choose, be reassured: our tours are adjusted/customized based on your requirements to make the best of the seasonal opportunities and conditions. Just contact us for a tailored tour.
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
Italy in January
- Average temperature range: 3–11°C (37–52°F)
- Typical weather: cool and moderately rainy
- Rainfall: 66 mm (3 in) in Rome, 56 mm (2 in) in Venice, 73 mm (3 in) in Naples
- Rainy days: 13 in Rome, 9 in Venice, 14 in Naples
If you don't mind the occasional rainfall and cold weather, January could be a good option for traveling to Italy.
In January, popular cities, such as Rome, Florence, and Venice, which are crowded with tourists during the peak season, become quiet. You could enjoy museums and cathedrals without waiting in long lines.
See more on Weather in Italy in January.
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