Best Time to Visit Rome
Planning a trip to Rome is always a great idea! No matter what time of the year is, Rome’s historical monuments, green landscapes, open-air museums and vibrant atmosphere will stun you! However, it’s important to take into account some factors such as budget, crowds and weather which are all subject to significant changes depending on seasonality.
Let’s see together what is the best time when it comes to visit Rome!
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Summertime in Rome: The High Season
June and July are definitely the busiest months of the year for every business working in Rome’s tourism industry. Hence, this time of the year is it is known for being the High or Peak Season. Generally speaking this is also true for other destinations in Italy and Europe as well.
These months also see the highest traffic of tourists in Rome. Have in mind that there are not only couples or families traveling, but Rome sees also the arrival of big groups from cruise ships or organized bus trips, which sometimes makes access to most popular attractions in Rome such as the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums not so easy.
Note that August is not properly consider high season in Rome. This is because there’s a drop in bookings on behalf of Italian tourists who rather other destinations along the Italian coastlines and to spend their holidays by the beach in Italy or abroad. Hence, on August you will see only tourists and really just a few locals. Starting from the second week of August people from Rome start packing for their summer holidays and the city is totally left to visitors.
As for the weather, June, July and August are also the hottest months of the year. Temperature can easily exceed 88 °F through July and August.
Feel comfortable packing light dresses, short trousers and flip flops. But have in mind to always bring comfortable, closed shoes such as sneakers for long walks and to make sure you have no troubles walking in archaeological areas.
 Rates: Hotels and flights rates are higher than the rest of the year |
 Crowds: Many tourists and only few locals |
 Weather: Heat and humidity may cause some discomfort |
 What to pack in your luggage: light clothes, suncream, hats and sunglasses |
Spring and Fall in Rome: The Shoulder Season
In terms of timing, the shoulder season happens twice a year between the high and the low seasons, from Mid-March to June and from September to November.
During Spring rates are still pretty high, but traveling to Rome is less expensive compared to the high season. Fall sees a significant decrease in hotels and flights rates.
Rome in Spring is just beautiful. The colors of the trees and clear blue sky completely change the aspect of the city. The warm weather makes it easy for travelers to discover off-the-beaten paths and enjoy long walks through typical cobblestone streets.
Autumn is a less popular season for tourists than spring. It is true though that September still sees a lot of tourist traffic, but this suddenly changes in October when most of the tourist traffic stops.
Fall in Rome can be quite mild, and from September to the middle of October there are mostly sunny, dry days. From the end of October till November there’s a drop in temperatures and more rainy days. You might want to bring some winter clothes if you decide to travel to Rome at the end of Fall.
As for clothing, t-shirts and long sleeves shirts, maybe a cotton jacket for the evening are the best choices. You might also want to bring your sunglasses if you are traveling during springtime. In Fall is better to dress in layers and bring a raincoat or waterproof jacket.
Spring and Fall are definitely the best time of the year to visit Rome with October being the best month!
| Rates: High rates in Spring / Traveling to Rome in Fall is cheaper |
| Crowds: More locals than tourists |
| Weather: Warm temperatures with some rainy days in Spring / Mild temperatures and rainy during Fall |
| What to pack in your luggage: T-shirts, long-sleeves shirts and hoodies |
Winter in Rome: The Low Season
December, January and February are chilly months in Rome. Generally the coldest month is January with an average temperature of 46 °F (8°C). Temperatures below 0° and snow are pretty rare. However, we had some pretty cold winters over the past years. You won’t see many tourists around, especially in December which is the most rainy month.
If you don’t mind the rain, Rome can be pretty fun and beautiful in Winter as well, especially on Christmas time when local markets open again to sell their Christmas decorations and there’s a festive atmosphere. The most famous one is the Christmas Market in Piazza Navona which is open until January 6th.
| Rates: Definitely lower compared to the high season and you are likely to find special deals on flights and hotels |
| Crowds: Only a few tourists, especially from northern Europe |
| Weather: Chilly with many unexpected rainy days. Weather forecasts are pretty much unreliable |
| What to pack in your luggage: umbrella, heavy jacket and waterproof shoes. Be positive, and still bring your sunglasses for good luck! |
