Best time to visit Italy
Every month offers something beautiful or exciting somewhere in Italy.![]()
The best time to visit Italy is early summer (June and July) and autumn (September and October), when the weather is comfortably sunny and dry. This weather 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 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 snow activities in the Alps and Dolomites, while colder months such as November and February also tend to be the cheapest time to visit Italy.
When to go to Italy, month by month guide
Tuscany Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
1
9
69
FEB
2
11
67
MAR
4
14
71
APR
7
18
69
MAY
11
23
67
JUN
14
26
51
JUL
17
30
35
AUG
16
29
60
SEP
14
26
73
OCT
10
20
77
NOV
6
14
114
DEC
2
10
76
Our Italy Vacations
Amalfi Coast walking vacation, Italy
Walk in lemon groves and hillside villages
From
US $1949 to US $2479
8 days
ex flights
Puglia small group tour, Italy
Puglia, whitewashed towns, traditional farmland and fine cuisine
From
US $2399 to US $2479
8 days
ex flights
Matera to Puglia cycle in Italy
Nestled between the Adriatic and Ionian seas
From
US $2649 to US $2879
8 days
ex flights
Tuscany tours, walking and wine tasting in Italy
Walking and wine tasting in Tuscany
From
US $1999 to US $2179
8 days
ex flights
Umbria cooking vacation, Italy
Italian cooking in a farmhouse between Umbria and Tuscany
From
€1790
6 days
ex flights
Sicily history tour, Italy
One of the most fascinating islands in Europe
From
US $2479 to US $2879
9 days
ex flights
Travel Team
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What happens when in Italy
Etien Veeman from our walking supplier 46 Degrees explains why she believes spring and autumn are the best time to visit Italy:
“In spring and autumn nature offers different faces every day! Skies can be deep blue and it’s not too warm for a good hike. Spring mountain hikes are like walking through the seasons: in lower areas, especially lakeside, summer seems to have arrived with flowering camellia and bougainvillea next to palms. Heading upwards, primula colours the path yellow, while on shady mountain ridges crocuses still peek through snow - all on the same day! In autumn, mushrooms pop out, leaves colour and migrating birds can be spotted. Plus there's much more chance of encountering wild animals like deer, wild boar or chamois.”
Festivals & events in Italy
Did you know about...?
Ferragosto (August 15)
Now the Feast of the Assumption, this sprang from the pre-Christian Roman festival Feriae Augusti, offering a fun break after harvest exertions – hence the continuing decoration and parade of work animals like ox and mule. Each region parties differently: outdoor dancing (Rome), effigies and fireworks (Liguria and Abruzzo), historic pageants (Tuscany), climbing poles (Campania) and giant candles (Sardinia)!
More about Italy
Explore our Italy travel guide like a wild boar snuffling for truffles in a sun dappled oak orchard deep within the eternally undulating Etruscan countryside.
If you’re searching for where to go in Italy and how to make the most of your time then why not check out our interactive highlights map that will take you all the way from the Dolomites and the Italian Alps in the north down to the islands of Sardinia and Sicily, further south.
The Amalfi Coast jags along the underside of the Sorrentine Peninsula, dealing out cliffside villages and tiny polished pebble beaches along the way.
The sheer mountains of the Dolomites aren’t just for winter. Cross country skiing and snow shoeing are the themes when the snow falls, but come spring you’ve got a region creased with impossibly scenic alpine walking routes and WWI-era cycle paths – plus a good serving of vineyards. Read our Dolomites travel guide to find out more.
Travel to Puglia, and you’re diving into Italy’s deep south. Here, rural ways rule the roost. You can stay in masseria agriturismo and conical trulli farmhouses, and spend your days driving (or walking or cycling) from farm to vineyard to whitewashed city in search of some the best food and wine Italy has to offer.
Sicily is a Russian doll of an island. The closer you look, the more you’ll realise that everything from the food to the architecture is a puzzle of Greek, Roman, North African and Anglo influences. Sky-high Mount Etna is just the smoking cherry on top. Read our Sicily travel guide to find out more.
Most feel feel like they’ve got the measure of Tuscany before they’ve seen it. Florence, Chianti, medieval citadels and poppy fields, right? Well…yes. But there’s also everything in between, from the mountainous Apennines to hiking paths between vines that haven’t made it out of Italy yet. Read our Tuscany travel guide to find out more.
Find out what Responsible Travel recommends if you’re hell bent on traveling in Italy with kids.
Is this your first time in Italy? Here’s what you need to know about the country, from the parts you shouldn’t miss and the culture that you might not expect, to the best time to travel and how long you need for different adventures.
Our top activities in Italy tend to revolve around the cultural history, the cycling routes, the walking trails and the fabulous hillsides that surround some of Europe’s most iconic cities however, if you’re after things to do in Italy, look no further than the food as the locals truly live to eat and do so extremely well.
Our Italy travel advice page is just perfect for those who love to learn from the local experts with Marta Marinelli, Marina Caldera and Andrea Monti all imparting their pearls of wisdom in addition to our thoroughly worthwhile health & safety in Italy section.
From slow food and sealife centers to preserving rural communities and ancient traditions read our responsible tourism in Italy page if you’ve got plans to find out what you can do to travel right in Italy.
Find all of our Italy guides in one place, for Italy vacations in particular places such as the Tuscany or Sicily, or perhaps you would like to know more about the different types of Italy vacations such as walking or cycling.
