The Best Time to Visit Rome (Month by Month, 2026-27)
Come to Rome in May or October for warm days without the July and August heat, or in January, February or November for the quietest months. Weather month by month, sunset times, the 2026-27 public holidays, free museum Sundays and the August closures.
The best time to visit Rome Month by month, and by what you actually want
The best time to visit Rome is May or October. Average highs sit at about 23°C (74°F) in May and 22°C (72°F) in October, warm enough for dinner outside, without the heat of July and August, when highs average 31 to 32°C (88 to 89°F). Late April, early June and late September are close behind. If price matters more than weather, come in January, February or November: they're usually Rome's quietest months, with shorter queues at the big sights, and you trade that for cooler, shorter days and more rain.
The weather figures are the World Meteorological Organization's 1991-2020 averages for Rome Ciampino, on the south-east edge of the city, so they describe a typical month, not a forecast. The 2025 Jubilee year closed on 6 January 2026.
Whatever month you pick, the best things to do in Rome covers the sights, and where to stay in Rome covers the areas to base yourself. For the most-visited sight of all, our Colosseum guide explains the timed tickets that sell out first in spring and autumn. For budgets, see what a trip to Rome costs.
The best time to visit Rome for...
Good weather: May, early June, late September and October. May averages 23.3°C (74°F) with rain on about 5 or 6 days; October 22.2°C (72°F) with rain on about 7. Early June is warmer (28°C, 83°F, on average for the month) and very dry.
Fewer crowds: January and February (outside the New Year and Epiphany week) and November. Queues at the big sights are usually shortest then, though booking ahead is still wise.
The lowest prices: usually the same months, January, February and November. Rome's hotels tend to charge most around Easter, from May to October and over Christmas and New Year.
Christmas: from 8 December, the Immaculate Conception holiday, to 6 January, Epiphany. Piazza Navona's Befana market runs from 1 December to 6 January under Roma Capitale's notice for the 2025-26 to 2027-28 seasons.
Eating outside: May, June, September and October. Summer evenings are lovely too, but the afternoons are for shade.
Free museums: a first Sunday of the month, if you can stand the queues: state museums and sites, including the Colosseum, are free. More on the free days below.
Rome weather by month
Average daily high / low, the days with at least 1 mm of rain, monthly rainfall and monthly sunshine (WMO climate normals 1991-2020, Roma Ciampino), and roughly when the sun sets on the 15th of the month in 2026-27:
- January: 12.0°C / 3.4°C (54°F / 38°F); rain on 7 days; 66 mm; 156 hours of sun; sunset about 5pm
- February: 13.0°C / 3.4°C (55°F / 38°F); rain on 7 days; 63 mm; 172 hours; sunset about 5.45pm
- March: 15.8°C / 5.9°C (60°F / 43°F); rain on 7 days; 59 mm; 203 hours; sunset about 6.15pm
- April: 18.8°C / 8.6°C (66°F / 48°F); rain on 7 days; 69 mm; 221 hours; sunset about 7.50pm
- May: 23.3°C / 12.6°C (74°F / 55°F); rain on 5 or 6 days; 57 mm; 277 hours; sunset about 8.25pm
- June: 28.1°C / 16.7°C (83°F / 62°F); rain on 3 days; 30 mm; 299 hours; sunset about 8.45pm
- July: 31.0°C / 19.3°C (88°F / 67°F); rain on 2 days; 20 mm; 338 hours; sunset about 8.45pm
- August: 31.6°C / 19.8°C (89°F / 68°F); rain on 2 days; 30 mm; 320 hours; sunset about 8.10pm
- September: 26.7°C / 16.0°C (80°F / 61°F); rain on 6 days; 65 mm; 238 hours; sunset about 7.20pm
- October: 22.2°C / 12.4°C (72°F / 54°F); rain on 7 days; 88 mm; 201 hours; sunset about 6.30pm
- November: 16.9°C / 8.5°C (62°F / 47°F); rain on 9 days; 108 mm; 153 hours; sunset about 4.50pm
- December: 12.7°C / 4.7°C (55°F / 40°F); rain on 9 days; 98 mm; 147 hours; sunset about 4.40pm
Across the year Ciampino averages 752 mm (29.6 inches) of rain on about 74 days, and more than 2,700 hours of sunshine. The pattern that matters for planning: summer is long, hot and almost dry, with highs of 30°C or more on about 9 days in June, 21 in July and 23 in August; October to January are the wettest months, with about half the year's rain; and winter is mild, with a frost on only about 5 nights in January.
Spring in Rome: March, April, May
March warms to 15.8°C (60°F), with rain on about 7 days and the light coming back fast. Easter falls early in 2027: Easter Sunday is 28 March and Easter Monday, 29 March, is a public holiday. Holy Week brings the Pope's ceremonies at the Vatican and big crowds to St Peter's Square, so book hotels early if your dates touch Easter. The clocks go forward on Sunday 28 March 2027, pushing sunset towards 7.30pm.
April reaches 18.8°C (66°F) and is one of the prettiest months, and a popular one. 21 April is the Natale di Roma, Rome's birthday, marking the city's legendary founding in 753 BC; 2027 is its 2,780th. The city marks it with events, but the 2027 programme isn't announced yet. 25 April, Liberation Day, is a national holiday and a free day at state museums, and with 1 May, Labour Day, close behind, the last week of April is a favourite Italian break. Expect full trains and queues.
May is the pick of the year for many: 23.3°C (74°F) on average, rain on only 5 or 6 days, 277 hours of sunshine and light until about 8.30pm. It's popular, so book the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums as soon as their tickets open, and avoid the 1 May holiday if you can.
Summer in Rome: June, July, August
June is warm and dry, 28.1°C (83°F) on average with rain on 3 days, and early June is the sweet spot of summer. 2 June is Republic Day, a national holiday and another free day at state museums. 29 June is the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Rome's patron saints and a public holiday in the city only, with celebrations centred on St Peter's. Some offices and shops close for the day.
July is hot: 31.0°C (88°F) on average and 30°C or more on about 21 days, with almost no rain and long evenings. Queues at the big sights are in full sun, so start at opening time, take the afternoon off and come back out after 6pm.
August is the hottest month, 31.6°C (89°F) on average, 30°C or more on about 23 days. It's also the month Romans leave. 15 August, Ferragosto, is a national holiday, and in the weeks around it some family-run restaurants, bars and shops close for their summer break (chiuso per ferie); our Rome restaurant guide notes the ones that do. The big sights stay open. It's a hard month to walk around in.
Autumn in Rome: September, October, November
September is still summery, 26.7°C (80°F), with rain on about 6 days. Early September is hot; the second half is lovely. It's a popular month, so book the timed-entry sights early.
October is the other pick of the year: 22.2°C (72°F), soft light and warm afternoons, though it's wetter (88 mm on about 7 days), so carry a small umbrella. 4 October, the feast of St Francis of Assisi, became a national public holiday in Italy from 2026. The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October 2026 and 31 October 2027, and sunset drops to about 5pm overnight.
November is Rome's wettest month (108 mm on about 9 days) and cooler at 16.9°C (62°F), but it's usually quieter and cheaper than the months either side. 1 November, All Saints' Day, is a national holiday, and 4 November is a free day at state museums. It's a good month for the museums and churches, and the Christmas season starts at the end of it.
Winter in Rome: December, January, February
December averages 12.7°C (55°F) with rain on about 9 days. 8 December, the Immaculate Conception, is a national holiday that opens the Christmas season; the Vatican Museums are closed that day and on 25 and 26 December, and the Colosseum on 25 December and 1 January. Piazza Navona fills with the Befana market from 1 December. Christmas and New Year are a popular time to visit, so book hotels early.
January is the coldest month, 12.0°C / 3.4°C (54°F / 38°F), but it's mild by northern European standards, with 156 hours of sunshine in the month. Once 6 January, Epiphany, the last day of the Christmas holidays, is over, it's usually one of the quietest months. Some restaurants close for a week or two in January after the holidays.
February is similar, 13.0°C (55°F), with rain on about 7 days and lengthening days. It's usually still low season, a good time for the Vatican Museums and the Borghese Gallery. For more on a winter trip, see our Rome in winter guide.
Public holidays in Rome, 2026-27
On these days banks, offices and many shops close; museums have their own rules (some close, some open with holiday hours, and state museums are free on two of them, 25 April and 2 June, as well as on 4 November). Italy's national holidays, from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers' list and Law 151 of 2025:
- 8 December 2026: Immaculate Conception
- 25 and 26 December 2026: Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day
- 1 January 2027: New Year's Day
- 6 January 2027: Epiphany (the Befana)
- 28 and 29 March 2027: Easter Sunday and Easter Monday
- 25 April 2027: Liberation Day (free at state museums)
- 1 May 2027: Labour Day
- 2 June 2027: Republic Day (free at state museums)
- 29 June 2027: Saints Peter and Paul, Rome's patron saints (a holiday in Rome only)
- 15 August 2027: Ferragosto (the Assumption)
- 4 October 2027: St Francis of Assisi, a national holiday since 2026
- 1 November 2027: All Saints' Day
21 April, Rome's birthday, isn't a public holiday, but the city celebrates it. The 2025 Jubilee, which brought extra pilgrims through 2025, ended when the Holy Door of St Peter's was closed on 6 January 2026. The Vatican has said the next Jubilee is planned for 2033.
Free museum days
First Sundays. Under the Ministry of Culture's Domenica al museo, Italy's state museums and archaeological sites are free on the first Sunday of every month, and on 25 April, 2 June and 4 November. In Rome that includes the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine, the Borghese Gallery, Castel Sant'Angelo, the National Roman Museum and the Baths of Caracalla. The next first Sundays are 6 December 2026, 3 January 2027 and 7 February 2027. Booking rules vary: at the Colosseum free tickets are handed out at the ticket office on the day, first come first served, while the Borghese still needs a booking with its €2 fee.
Last Sundays. The Vatican Museums are free on the last Sunday of the month, from 9am to 2pm (last entry 12.30pm), unless the museums' calendar says otherwise. Expect a long queue.
Free days are worth it for flexible travellers who don't mind crowds. If your time in Rome is short, a booked ticket on another day is the better use of it, and don't spend Roma Pass days on a free day. The Pantheon is free on the first Sunday too, and the city's churches, piazzas and fountains are free every day.
What to pack for Rome, by season
All year: shoes with grip for the cobbles, and something to cover your shoulders and knees for St Peter's, the Vatican Museums and Rome's churches, which turn away bare shoulders and short shorts.
Spring and autumn: layers and a small umbrella. Nights are about 10°C (18°F) cooler than the afternoon high.
Summer: light, loose clothes, a hat, sunscreen and a refillable bottle; Rome's public drinking fountains (nasoni) run all day.
Winter: a warm jacket and a waterproof layer. It rarely freezes, but November and December are the two wettest months.
Plan the rest of the trip
Once you've picked your month, where to stay in Rome compares the areas, and the best things to do in Rome has the closing days for each sight, and getting around Rome covers the Metro and the airport trains. If you're going in summer, plan the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill for opening time: it's open ground with little shade. In winter, the Trevi Fountain can feel quieter late in the evening.
Our 3-day itinerary puts the big sights in order. Save your dates and your shortlist to Tourli, the app that turns travel guides into day-by-day plans.
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