The Best Time to Visit Italy (It Isn't August)

Italy is wonderful year round. It just isn't equally wonderful every month, and August is the month most first timers accidentally choose.

Why not August

It's the hottest stretch of the year, and it's when Italians take their own holidays. Family run restaurants and shops close for weeks, cities empty of locals and fill with visitors, and the coast is at its most crowded and most expensive. If August is your only window, head north to the lakes or the Dolomites where the altitude helps.

Late April to early June

Our favorite. Long, warm days, gardens in bloom, sea warm enough by late May in the south, and crowds that haven't peaked. Book major sites in advance because this stretch is popular for good reason.

September to mid October

Just as good, arguably better. Warm water, harvest season in the wine regions, truffle season starting in Piedmont and Umbria, and softer light everywhere. Prices ease after the first weeks of September.

November to March

Quiet and inexpensive, with real advantages: the Vatican and the Uffizi without a wall of people, Venice in fog, and Christmas markets in the north. Bring layers, expect shorter days, and know that some coastal towns largely shut down.

North and south run on different clocks

Sicily and Puglia stay swimmable well into October and are pleasant even in winter. The Dolomites and the lakes are at their best from June through September. Rome, Florence, and Venice work all year with the right expectations.

Practical planning notes

Give us your travel window and we'll tell you exactly where it shines.