When planning your trip to the Eternal City, you will undoubtedly be faced with the question of what the best time to visit Rome is.
Depending on your travel style and what you aim to get from the trip, you will learn that each month of the year has its own pros and cons for visiting. If you prefer to avoid the crowds and high prices, low and shoulder season, the times of the year in between the high tourism periods, are your best best for seeing everything there is to see without having to jostle through the crowds of tourists.
If you don’t mind the traffic and would prefer to visit during nicer weather, the high season is your best bet.
Best Time to Visit Rome: Month by Month Breakdown
January
Budget travelers and those hoping to avoid the largest of the crowds often proclaim January to be the best time to visit Rome, at least if you can tolerate the chill and rain.
The temperatures can range from a high of 55 degrees Fahrenheit during the day to a low around 37 degrees Fahrenheit, with night typically bringing the lowest of the low end of that spectrum.
While things might initially be crowded during the earliest part of the month, the religious holiday of Epiphany on January 6th marks the end of the busy Christmas holiday period and the crowds swiftly depart to leave the city quieter and easier to navigate.
Hotel accommodations and dining options will usually have bargain prices to make it through this low season, making it a great option for travelers hoping to stretch their travel dollars further. Combine that with the after-Christmas sales throughout all the shops and boutiques in the city makes this the best time to visit Rome if you are eager to experience the city without blowing your budget.
February
Still considered very much the low season, February is the best time to visit Rome for revelry and fun despite the cold temperatures that still chill the city. The holiday of Carnevale fills the streets with parades and dancing as well as elaborate costumes and confetti, while the excitement of the Six Nations Rugby Tournament, Italy’s hometown sports event, fill the streets with excited revelers every weekend from the beginning of February through the end of March.
Be sure to pack lots of layers and be prepared for the cold, since the temperatures will fluctuate between highs of around 57 degrees Fahrenheit to lows of an average of 37 degrees Fahrenheit. As it is still winter in Rome.
March
The month of March brings with it warmer temperatures and more sunshine despite the spring showers, making it the best time to visit Rome if you wish to avoid the crowds and the cold at the same time.
Considered a ‘shoulder season’, this time period is characterized by pleasant weather and sparse crowds, also often benefiting from lower prices associated with slower tourist seasons. Spring blooms flourish in the warmer temperatures, with lows in the comfortable 43 degree Fahrenheit range and highs hovering at or around 63 degrees Fahrenheit.
Frequent spring rains keep the tourism crowds sparser than in the summer months and the prices lower, but during the years when Easter falls during the month of March, it can prove to be busier during that time period.
April
April becomes the beginning of the high season for travelers visiting the city, and the weather as well as the festivities makes it, for some, the best time to visit Rome.
The weather is consistently sunny and warm, temperatures ranging comfortably from around 68 degrees Fahrenheit to lows around 46 degrees Fahrenheit and not as much rain as one would expect from the spring season.
Azaleas cover the Spanish Steps and during Easter, parades and festivities fill the streets, including one led by the Pope himself! Rome even celebrates it’s birthday on April 21 with huge fanfare, fireworks displays, processionals and reenactments of the Eternal City’s lengthy and storied history.
Due to the fact that the weather is so pleasant in April and there is so much to see and do throughout the month, you will often see prices for accommodations and admission climb higher toward peak season prices, so it pays to plan ahead to get the best of this popular shoulder season without paying too much.
May
By the time the merry month of May rolls around, the tourist season in Rome is well on its way to peak. Many travelers from all reaches of the world consider this warm and pleasant season to be the best time to visit Rome and for good reason.
Sunshine is plentiful and the flowers are still in full bloom with temperatures that hover in the comfortably warm range between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. You can expect hotel pricing to be at peak season rates as well as the crowds to match, but with careful planning, you will still be able to take advantage of deals and discounts by researching ahead of time and skip the line at most attractions if you buy the right tour or ticket options.
The warm weather brings with it al fresco dining, lush gardens and a number of outdoor events such as the annual May Day concert and the national tennis championships.
June
June is the best time to visit Rome if you are looking to experience the wealth of festivals and events that fill the streets with a festive taste of ‘la dolce vita’ in Italian style. Summer temperatures and school vacation periods bring thousands to the cobbled streets of the city, taking advantage of the plentiful sunshine and warm temperatures that range from lows of 63 degrees Fahrenheit and highs around 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
Music literally fills the streets, starting with the beginning of the summer-long world music festival Roma Incontro il Mondo at the Villa Ada and the summer festival concerts of Estate Romana throughout the entire city.
Those who wish to avoid the hot rays of the summer sun can still get in on the action at Lungo il Tevere, a summer-long music and dance festival along the Tiber River. This nightly event features not only music and dance but also hundreds of stalls selling all sorts of wares to intrepid night owls that hit the streets to embrace the vibrant nightlife of the summer festival season.
Also be sure to take advantage of the many outdoor cinemas and movie festivals that pop up all throughout the streets of the city. With so much to do, it comes as no surprise that this peak season month is often considered the best time to visit Rome!
July
The festival season doesn’t slow down even though the temperatures ramp up in July and classical music aficionados will insist that July is the best time to visit Rome for this exact reason.
While the summer sun bakes the city to a high temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the evenings and nights hover closer to 66 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the perfect time to hit the streets for a night tour or take advantage of the classical music concert series Concerti del Tempietto at the Teatro di Marcello.
You’ll also find opera and ballet at the ancient ruins of Terme di Caracalla, an almost otherworldly experience of history and art in one place. If you are looking for something a bit more raucous and invigorating, hop over the river to the Trastevere neighborhood for their two-week long street party at the end of the month!
Expect lots of crowds during this peak summer tourist season, but those crowds can often amplify the atmosphere of celebration and joy found throughout Rome’s winding cobbled streets.
August
Nestled in between two peak seasons is the surprisingly sparse season of August. High temperatures that range from 64 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit are made even more sweltering by high humidity, resulting in an exodus of locals and travelers alike to beaches in and around Italy.
The crowds are even sparser still due to the fact that widespread closures and shutdowns occur around the Festival of Assumption on August 15th.
For those who wish to experience the local charm of the city without all the crowds but aren’t partial to traveling during colder or rainier months, the month of August will have you feeling like you have the streets to yourself, free to roam unencumbered by throngs of eager tourists and travelers, making it the best time to visit Rome for those who want a more intimate and personal experience with the Eternal City.
An added bonus to visiting during the month of August is the deals on hotels who aim to increase revenue during this slump in tourist travel by offering deep discounts on accommodations.
September
Technically considered autumn, the month of September is still surprisingly warm and summer-like across the city, making September a new addition to the peak tourist season in Rome.
While peak season rates will still apply, the crowds aren’t quite as dense as more popular travel months and there will be a wealth of activities to experience in addition to the already plentiful list of things to see and do in Rome.
Comfortable temperatures that range from 61 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit are made even more bearable by dropping humidity levels that return the air to a more tolerable level of warmth, perfect for taking advantage of the sights throughout the city.
As the beginning of the autumn season, you’ll find a refreshed and renewed agenda of dance, music and opera performances throughout the city sprawl, adding a unique and exciting cultural experience to this already jam-packed wellspring of historical and culture sights.
October
As the tourist crowds begin to wane, the weather remains warm and pleasant and the skies sunny more often than not throughout the month of October.
Autumnally seasonal temperatures range from a comfortable 64 degrees Fahrenheit to a warm 73 degrees Fahrenheit, making the conditions perfect for sightseeing without the sweltering heat of the summer.
Autumn concert series are in full swing and the crowds are dispersing as school is back in session throughout the world. Prices are still closer to peak season ranges but as the month progresses, you will see a steady decrease as the slow tourism season swiftly approaches. At the end of the month, Festa del Cinema di Roma brings all sorts of movie big-names to the city of Rome for its annual film festival.
November
November brings with it a lot of rain and cooler temperatures, but the month is not a complete wash when it comes to deciding on the best time to visit Rome.
While the temperatures range from a cool 46 degrees Fahrenheit to a damp 64 degrees, the big benefits to traveling the Eternal City in November are the rock bottom prices and almost non-existent lines at many of the big attractions throughout the area.
You’ll find local markets filled with autumn harvests and the occasional musical event as well, so you won’t run out of things to see and do while visiting!
December
While technically part of the slower season, you’ll be surprised to learn that quite a few travelers consider December to be the best time to visit Rome to take advantage of the festive holiday spirit that fills the streets and to celebrate Christmas in Rome.
Bring lots of layers to keep the chill away, with temperatures dropping into the colder range of 39 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit you will find it often cold enough to require winter coats and scarves, if visiting Rome in December.
The weather can also be quite rainy, but Christmas in Rome is one of the most magical times of the year and no matter what the thermometer says, you will be sure to feel the warmth of the holiday spirit as you stroll through the Christmas markets and admire the many Nativity scenes scattered through the streets and plazas of this remarkable city.
One thing can be said about the remarkable Eternal City; any time is the best time to visit Rome! Filled with so many spectacular sights and sounds, this city is new and exciting any time of year, while also steeped in a lengthy and robust history nearly unrivaled by any other location in the world!
The best time to visit Rome is in fact any time you visit Rome, so be sure to research ahead of time and plan your visit so you too can see everything this city has to offer!
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