While the summer months lure many to the shores of Italy, this Mediterranean country has plenty of reasons to visit all year long. For those wanting to avoid the crowds, the period between October and November is the best time to visit Italy. In autumn, the weather becomes delightful for piazza hopping in Florence, Rome, and other popular cities and beaches get less crowded. But don’t knock the wintertime, when visitors can ski across the country and experience Italy as a winter wonderland.
Here are the best times to visit Italy, whether you intend to explore its coastal beauty, delve into its rich history and culture, or savor its culinary delights.
Best time to visit Italy for the beach
- Best months: April–June, mid-September–October
From the rocky riviera of Liguria in the northwest to the soft southern sands of Puglia, Italy has more than 4,700 miles of coastline, offering plenty of beaches to explore. Tradition dictates that the season kicks off around Easter weekend. By the first week of April, stabilimenti (beach clubs) begin to open their umbrellas along the Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, and Ionian seas and don’t close until October.
It can occasionally rain in spring and fall, but if the sun is shining, it’s time for spaghetti con vongole and sunbathing. Expect Fahrenheit temperatures ranging from the mid 60s to low 70s in northern beach regions like Tuscany, Liguria, and Emilia-Romagna, and in the low to mid 70s in Lazio and south.
Peak months for prices, temperature, and crowds are July and August. Average temperatures throughout the country then are in the high 80s—but expect the mercury to jump over 100 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the country when there’s a heat wave (in the south and Sicily especially), which has happened across Italy for the past several summers.
Outdoor enthusiasts can explore Italy’s mountains with Dolomiti Superski ski pass, which offers access to 12 different ski areas.
Photo by Michelle Heimerman
Best time to visit Italy for skiing
- Best months: December–March
Forty percent of the country is mountainous, and there are approximately 300 recognized ski villages and resorts spread throughout places like the Alps, Dolomites, and Apennines. With ski towns and lifts concentrated across six regions (Valle d’Aosta, Piemonte, Lombardia, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Abruzzo), snow fans can experience different regional cuisines and cultures. And it gets even better: Some of the larger and more popular ski areas, such as Cervinia and La Thuile, are interlinked within the territory as well as cross-country.
The public holiday on December 8 kicks off Italy’s ski season and gets busy by Christmas. For a calmer atmosphere, avoid the holiday period around December 8 as well as December 24 through January 6. You can also avoid the crowds by skipping well-known Alps resorts like Courmplayeur and heading instead lesser-visited places like Monterosa Trois Vallèes at the foot of Monte Rosa. Keep in mind that snowfall is not guaranteed, but resorts ensure top-notch skiing with advanced snowmaking tech.
Best time to visit Italy for food festivals
● Best months: May–October
Every Italian region has its own cuisine, and throughout the year, almost every town hosts a food festival devoted to local delicacies. These sagre include blockbusters like Piedmont’s Truffle Festival in Alba (October–December) and Naples’s Pizza Village in June.
Come during Italy’s bountiful season from May to October to catch sagre at their most bountiful, like celebrations of the red onion in Breme (June), snails in Casumaro (July/August), and fried frogs in Quadrelli (mid-August). Most of the local festivals are hosted in town centers with open-air eating and communal tables. You’ll find posters promoting sagre across towns, but for more in-depth research, visit Itinerarinelgusto and SagreinItalia.
The Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon—few cities have more iconic sights than Rome.
Photo by Phillip Minnis/age fotostock
Best time to visit Italy for its popular cities
● Best months: October–May
One of the benefits to visiting Rome is its climate, in which visitors can enjoy piazza life for 10 months of the year. Winters are short and mild, which means the best time to visit the Eternal City is in the fall shoulder season (October to early December) and mid-winter (January through mid-February). While late spring, summer, and early fall guarantee gorgeous weather, winter offers a quieter vibe perfect for meandering through museums and exploring ancient sites like the Forum. It may be a little chilly and rainy in winter, but the trade-off is walking through the city’s Foro Romano without the hordes.
As with Rome, the ideal time to visit the Grand Tour cities of Florence, Venice, and Naples to max out on the weather and enjoy less tourist traffic is mid-fall and winter. Remember: Tourist action picks up during the Christmas season (December 8 to January 6).
Best time to visit Italy for trekking and cycling
- Best months: April–June, September–October
The most ideal cycling conditions are from April to June and September to October. Expect mild weather, fewer possibilities of rain, and cooler temperatures averaging in the high 60s to low 70s across the country. Some of the best routes include the flat terrain from Lecce to Bari, the Como and Garda lakes, and the Sella Ronda loop in the Dolomites.
Meanwhile, trekkers can enjoy mountain hikes, like the Dolomites’ high routes, from May through October. But some of the most beautiful hikes in the country also include seaside landscapes, like the trek from Camoglio to Portofino in the northwestern region of Liguria, or even up the Etna volcano in Sicily.
Come to Italy at the right time and you can avoid the crowds while getting your aperitivo snacks.
Photo by Federico Ciamei
Best time to visit Italy for avoiding the crowds
● Best months: October–November, January–February
Italy’s high season is traditionally June through August, but it seems to kick off with Easter, as the weeks surrounding the holiday always bring in huge crowds. With the high season extending each year, you’ll want to strategically plan your trip to avoid the crowds.
By mid- to late September, beach draws like the Amalfi Coast and Puglia’s Salento as well as island escapes like Capri, Ischia, and Sicily begin to calm down while the weather is still glorious. Through mid- to late October, you can still take a dip in the waters in Italy’s southern regions. By late October, popular cities and towns like Naples, Siena, and Taormina are much quieter, and post–New Year’s there is a notable lull in most cities and towns, except ski destinations.
Best time to visit Italy for arts and culture
● Best months: June–September
Throughout the year, there are key events for aficionados of every art. In April and May, Venice goes contemporary with the Biennales of Art (even years) and Architecture (odd years), running through mid-fall. In April, Milan is busy with Salone del Mobile, a five-day furniture and design fair that spills throughout the city.
In January and June, Florence gets sartorial with Pitti Uomo, a four-day menswear event, followed by Milano Fashion Week (MFW) Men in Milan. But the fashion week most people know of is MFW Women, which brings seven days of Italy’s best designs to Milan in September and February.
Opera buffs follow an interregional circuit, heading to Lucca from June through August for the Puccini festival and Ravello for the Ravello Music Festival. In late July, travel to Pescara for the Rossini festival, and Parma in September and October for the Verdi festival.
In early July, Perugia becomes the center of jazz for the nine-day Umbria Jazz Festival, and nearby Spoleto lights up with the Festival of 2 Worlds, an annual summer music and opera festival from June to early July.
Film fans flock to the Venice Film Festival at the end of August; during the second week of October, Pordenone holds the Giornate del Cinema Muto, an acclaimed silent film festival.
