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Best time to visit Italy

The best time to visit Italy is either late spring to early summer (May-July) or autumn (September and October). During these months, the weather is ideal for active holidays such as walking or cycling. Our guide to the best time to visit Italy gives you advice on when to go for wine tasting, winter activities and avoiding the crowds.

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Best time to visit Italy

Every month offers something beautiful or exciting somewhere in Italy.

The best time to visit Italy is late spring to early summer (May to July) and autumn (September and October), when the weather is comfortably sunny and dry. This climate is perfect for cycling and hiking everywhere from Tuscany to Sicily to the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. July and August are the hottest months in Italy, and popular cities and parts of the coast get very busy. Avoid the crowds in Italy in summer by making for less-known trails and towns. Winter is fantastic for snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the Alps and Dolomites, while colder months such as November and February also tend to be the cheapest time to visit Italy.

Call us for the best time to go to Italy

A month by month guide on when to go to Italy

January in Italy

Winter sports

Coldest month

Limited attractions

Italy in January is all about winter sports, with activities such as snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the Dolomites very popular. January is the coldest month of the year in Italy, the depths of low season, and many hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions simply batten down the hatches, while ferry and boat services on lakes and by the coast also close down. If you don’t mind the gloomy weather, you can enjoy peaceful city sightseeing in Rome, Venice and Florence.

January is great for our snowshoeing in the Dolomites holiday

February in Italy

Carnevale

Budget travel

Milder southwards

If you want to admire the bridges and squares of Venice without hordes of day trippers around you, then visit Italy in February. The moody skies can even enhance the city’s Gothic architecture. The colourful celebrations of Carnevale often fall in February too and Venice is the best place to join the fun. Winter sports continue in mountainous regions, while the further south you go, the more likely you’ll encounter mild, dry weather.

March in Italy

Easter

Low season deals

Fickle weather

If you’re wondering when to go to Italy, don’t rule out March. Yes, the weather in Italy in March is unpredictable, but especially later in the month and further to the south you’ll find generally clement conditions. Most of the walking trails of the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre are open by March, and they’re largely deserted. When Easter falls in March expect big crowds in the Vatican, especially for the Palm Sunday Mass in Saint Peter’s Square.

April in Italy

Spring flowers

Cultural festivals

Walking and cycling

April can be one of the nicest months to visit Italy, with the weather picking up, spring flowers in the landscapes, yet the crowds of high season still some way off. Italy in April typically sees dry, sunny and quite warm weather, though showers are still possible – the perfect climate for walking and cycling holidays from Tuscany to Umbria. The Amalfi Coast, too, is fabulous in April, and you can catch the aromatic lemon harvest.

April is great for our Trieste to Pula self guided cycling tour

May in Italy

Warm, sunny weather

Month of the rose

Iris Garden open

Botanists, get booking. Symbolising love and passion, roses are in bloom the length of Italy in May, and you can also visit the celebrated Iris Garden of Florence, which is open to visitors for just a few weeks every year. Idyllic weather conditions continue for walkers and cyclists, while in southern regions it’s starting to feel distinctly summery. Visitor numbers reflect that – May is the last month before Italy’s peak season gets underway.

June in Italy

Peak season

Beach breaks

Temperatures rising

June marks the start of summer in Italy, and with almost 8,000km of coastline to choose from, now is the right time for a beach break before the crowds really descend. Lakes Como, Garda and Maggiore are blissful at this time of year, but by mid-June walkers and cyclists will want to be conscious of the heat. Another excellent reason to visit Italy in June? It’s the beginning of the summer opera season in Verona.

June is great for our Umbria cooking holiday

Most of the year you can go truffle-hunting. The best is the white truffle that you find after October – mainly during autumn and winter.

– Marina Caldera from our partner Podere le Olle

July in Italy

Mountains and coast

Family activity holidays

Crowded hotspots

The weather in Italy in July is hot and sunny, but bear in mind northern regions can be affected by summer thunderstorms. This is peak season – hotspots like Venice, Rome and the Amalfi Coast are swamped with visitors, while Italians join the tourists in coastal resorts to escape the sweltering cities. For a more peaceful environment head upwards instead, to cooler mountain climes, to enjoy walking and activity holidays amid gorgeous scenery.

July is great for our Mont Blanc walking holidays

August in Italy

Hot, dry weather

Head to the country

Avoid cities

Italy in August is the height of peak season and popular destinations like Venice and Florence get super busy, while popular walking trails in Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast can resemble queues. Families limited by school holidays to travelling in August should head to the mountains or into the countryside, where you’ll find fun-packed activity breaks in a calmer, usually cooler environment.

September in Italy

Amalfi Coast

Harvest produce

Shoulder season

September can be the best time of year to visit Italy for the weather – warm in the days and cooler in the evenings, but the time to be out and about is late afternoon when the golden light is absolutely stunning. A shoulder month, Italy in September brings harvest festivals with tables groaning under the weight of fresh produce, glamourous small ship cruising, and much quieter walking trails in places such as the Amalfi Coast after the peak season crowds depart.

September is great for our Amalfi Coast walking holiday

October in Italy

Amalfi Coast

White truffles

Vineyard tours

October is a lovely month to walk in Italy, with stunning autumnal foliage all around. You might encounter deer, chamois, wild boar or a host of migratory birds on your rambles. Hark, what is that snuffling sound? Why, ‘tis the truffle hounds, hard at work seeking out the white truffles that will soon be grated over pasta and rice dishes to create an earthy, garlicky flavour. And of course, Italy in October also welcomes the grape harvest – it’s a fabulous time of year for wine tasting.

November in Italy

Off-peak deals

City breaks and cooking holidays

Wettest month

The weather is on the turn in Italy in November. The days shorten, but it can still be a good time for walking the peaceful paths of the Amalfi Coast – and a great time for hunkering down for a cooking holiday. Restaurants and hotels in rural areas close the shutters as winter approaches and visitor numbers dwindle, but it can be the best time to visit Venice, for instance, when the city is refreshingly quiet.

December in Italy

Snowshoeing and cross country skiing

Christmas markets

Walking in Sicily and Puglia

Temperatures drop rapidly in December, particularly in mountainous regions where snow is beginning to fall. This is a good time for snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the Dolomites. Religious festivities abound as Christmas nears, and many cities have Christmas markets where you can snack on gingerbread and roasted chestnuts while wandering the stalls for souvenirs.

Tuscany, Italy Weather Chart

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RAIN (mm)

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Best times to visit Italy for festivals & events

Carnavale (February or March)

A fortnight-long fiesta of feasting and fun before the rigours of Lent, Carnavale is a big deal across Italy. Expect parades of gaudy floats that can take up to a year to build, kids in fancy dress festooning city streets with confetti and sweet treats, elaborate costumes, and masked balls. Two of the biggest events take place in Venice and Viareggio in Tuscany – catch the last night, on Shrove Tuesday, for the biggest parade and fireworks.

Monterosso Lemon Festival (May)

Monterosso is the largest of the five villages making up Cinque Terre, one of Italy’s most photogenic destinations. The hills around the village are strung with olive and lemon trees, and vines, and May sees the community, and visitors, coming together for a series of lemon-themed events. Who can bake the best lemony cake? Who has employed lemons most tastefully in their window display? And, of course, who can grow the biggest lemon? A lot of feasting goes on too – but can you guess which ingredient takes prominence?

Venice Biennale (May to November)

The Venice Biennale is a series of international contemporary culture festivals, two of which, celebrating art and architecture, are held in alternating years and last for six months. The others, focusing on music, dance, theatre and film, take place annually and only run for two weeks or so. Many events and exhibitions take place in the Giardini park, and the Arsenale area. This is the longest-running cultural festival of its kind, and one of the largest and most prestigious in the world.

Ferrara Buskers Festival (August)

Taking place in the northern city of Ferrara, in Emilia-Romagna, every summer, this is the largest busking festival in the world. Over 1,000 musicians and other street artists are working the pavements, so that with just a short stroll around Ferrara you can enjoy an enormous number and diversity of performances. The festival itself is free, but you’ll want a pocketful of cash to liberally distribute around hats and instrument cases.

Regata Storica (September)

Get up nice and early for this most Venetian of festivals, as you’ll want to secure a good viewing spot. This huge, colourful regatta begins with a procession of elaborate barges and historic crafts, but then gives way to gondola-racing! That gondolier who was poling you around the canals yesterday? He might have been singing opera to you, but his mind was on today’s race. Small teams are formed to sprint powerfully across the lagoon while spectators cheer for their heroes from the bridges and balconies above. A grand day out.

Our travellers also ask…

What is the best month to go to Italy?

The best month to go to Italy would be either side of the summer (June to August). Italy is glorious in spring (April to May) and autumn (September and October) with warm, sunny weather the norm, and fewer crowds. Spring means wildflowers, lush foliage and delightful conditions for walking and cycling; autumn means harvest festivals, vineyard touring and wonderfully warm seas.

What are the warm months in Italy?

June through to September are the hottest months in Italy, with temperatures at their peak in July and August. Daytime temps can often hit the 30°Cs and the city streets can be sweltering, as can historic sites such as Pompeii and Sicily’s Syracuse Archaeological Park, where there is little in the way of shade. If you’re limited to travel during summer then make like the Italians and head to the coast, or up into the mountains where it is usually significantly cooler.

What is peak tourist time in Italy?

Summer – June to August – is the peak tourist time in Italy, with most people coming in July and August. During these months popular locations such as Rome, Florence, the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre get very busy, making life difficult for residents. But it doesn’t detract from the views, and quieter routes offer a chance to escape the worst of the crowds.

What is the rainy season in Italy?

The wettest months in Italy are between October and February, however it varies between regions. Further north, including in the Italian Alps and the Dolomites, it’s quite common for the summer months (July and August) to see the most rain with frequent thunderstorms. Rain affects walking and cycling holidays, but it’s rarely heavy enough to spoil city sightseeing for those considering a winter break to avoid the crowds.

What is the cheapest month to go to Italy?

Look to the winter months of November, January and February for the cheapest travel deals to Italy. However, you’ll find that the weather is colder, often grey and wet, and outside of the big cities many attractions, hotels and restaurants are closed. So, it’s worth also thinking about shoulder months like March and October, when prices are lower, but the weather tends to be a little better towards the tail-end of the tourist season.