When is the best time to visit Rome?

In spring, Rome is in bloom – and there’s no better time to admire its beauty. Spring can be dreamily warm, or it can be weirdly wintery – usually it’s a bit of both. But whatever the weather, with glorious wisteria flowers cascading over walls and pergolas, and the Judas trees in bloom, this is when you’ll see the city at its lushest. Easter brings throngs for religious festivities, including the pope’s Stations of the Cross in the Colosseum during Settimana Santa on Good Friday.

🤫 Insider tip: ‘Be sure to visit the Spanish Steps between April and May, when the city’s most famous staircase is decorated with hundreds of pink azaleas to celebrate the season.’ 

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November is tops for average monthly rainfall in the Eternal City, but occasional stolen days of summery warmth and sunshine make up for the damp. Visiting crowds begin to thin at this time of year, but there are still outstanding offerings, from the RomaEuropa Festival to the Rome Film Festival which, though no rival for its big brother in Venice, offers the public a chance to see not yet-released titles, usually in the original language.

🤫 Insider tip: ‘Porcini mushrooms are in season in October and November so look for them among the seasonal specialties when you’re dining out. Have them tossed with fresh fettucine (often truffle too) or simply grilled with olive oil and parsley.’

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July and August in Rome will test the tolerance of even the greatest heat-lover, but there’s respite to be found in the city’s leafy parks and in a fantastic series of outdoor evening concerts. There’s also a vast choice of goodies in lovely venues around Rome that come under the Estate Romana summer entertainment umbrella. If none of that appeals, the air-conditioning in the city’s numerous museums and galleries, and the dark freshness of innumerable churches, offers a chance to cool off.

🤫 Insider tip: ‘Every summer, Rome’s Opera House moves its performances to the 3rd-century Terme di Caracalla, meaning you can see operas and ballets al fresco from June to August.’

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When the northerly tramontana wind whips down from snow-covered mountains, Rome can be icy. It can also be brilliantly blue: if you can take the cold, the view from the top of the Vittoriano on a crystal winter’s day is unbeatable. So wrap up warm if you’re coming to enjoy the Christmas celebrations or, later in the season, the Carnevale fun (though it should be said, this is a minor event here compared to Viareggio and Venice).

🤫 Insider tip: ‘You’ll find Rome’s largest nativity scene in front of the Vatican, but every church in Rome will have its own small nativity inside, usually until the end of January. It’s worth peeking into churches to admire this rich tradition of hand-painted figurines.’

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