When to go · Italy
Italy, month by month
The best months for Italy: Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
Month by month
- JanuaryMixedCold north, mild south; winter sales from early January; ski season in full swing; short museum queues in Rome and Florence.Alps and Dolomites: cool · Po Valley and the north: cool · Central Italy: coolCrowds: Low · 3 festivals or holidays
- FebruaryMixedVenice Carnival fills the lagoon for about ten days before Lent; otherwise quiet and cheap; Dolomites busy at weekends.Alps and Dolomites: cool · Po Valley and the north: cool · Central Italy: coolCrowds: Medium
- MarchGoodSpring starts in the south and Rome; Easter can fall late March — check the date; coastal hotels still reopening.Alps and Dolomites: cool · Po Valley and the north: fine · Central Italy: fineCrowds: Medium · 1 festival or holiday
- AprilGreatEaster and 25 April make Rome and Florence busy; Venice's day-tripper fee starts on peak days; ideal walking weather.Alps and Dolomites: fine · Po Valley and the north: best weather · Central Italy: best weatherCrowds: High · 2 festivals or holidays
- MayGreatThe best month for most of Italy: warm, green, sea almost swimmable in the south; 1 May and 2 June long weekends fill trains.Alps and Dolomites: fine · Po Valley and the north: best weather · Central Italy: best weatherCrowds: High · 1 festival or holiday
- JuneGreatBeach season opens; Dolomite lifts start late in the month; cities get hot from mid-June.Alps and Dolomites: best weather · Po Valley and the north: fine · Central Italy: fineCrowds: High · 2 festivals or holidays
- JulyMixedHeatwaves in Rome, Florence and the south; mountains and lakes at their best; book beds and trains early.Alps and Dolomites: best weather · Po Valley and the north: hot · Central Italy: hotCrowds: High
- AugustMixedFerragosto (15 Aug): Italians on holiday, city restaurants shut for weeks, coast packed and priced at peak.Alps and Dolomites: best weather · Po Valley and the north: hot · Central Italy: hotCrowds: High · 1 festival or holiday
- SeptemberGreatWarm sea, grape harvest, cities reopen; Venice Film Festival early in the month; one of the best months overall.Alps and Dolomites: best weather · Po Valley and the north: best weather · Central Italy: best weatherCrowds: High · 1 festival or holiday
- OctoberGreatTruffle and olive season, autumn colour in Tuscany and Piedmont; St Francis Day (4 Oct) is a national holiday from 2026 — check.Alps and Dolomites: fine · Po Valley and the north: best weather · Central Italy: best weatherCrowds: Medium · 1 festival or holiday
- NovemberMixedWettest month in Rome and Florence; acqua alta risk in Venice; coastal resorts closed; cheap city breaks.Alps and Dolomites: cool · Po Valley and the north: rainy · Central Italy: rainyCrowds: Low · 1 festival or holiday
- DecemberMixedChristmas markets in Bolzano and Merano, cribs (presepi) in Naples; ski season opens around 8 December.Alps and Dolomites: cool · Po Valley and the north: cool · Central Italy: coolCrowds: Medium · 3 festivals or holidays
Weather by region
How each climate zone rates each month.
| Region | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alps and DolomitesBolzano, Cortina, Aosta, the Lakes' mountains | Cool | Cool | Cool | OK | OK | Best | Best | Best | Best | OK | Cool | Cool |
| Po Valley and the northMilan, Venice, Verona, Bologna, Turin | Cool | Cool | OK | Best | Best | OK | Hot | Hot | Best | Best | Wet | Cool |
| Central ItalyFlorence, Tuscany, Umbria, Rome | Cool | Cool | OK | Best | Best | OK | Hot | Hot | Best | Best | Wet | Cool |
| South and islandsNaples, Amalfi, Puglia, Sicily, Sardinia | OK | OK | OK | Best | Best | Best | Hot | Hot | Best | Best | OK | OK |