Best time to visit Italy

Planning a trip to Italy? Here's when to go.

The best time to visit Italy for warm weather is between May and August. This is the driest time of the year across Italy, with temperatures hovering between 23 and 30 degrees and up to 12 hours of sunshine a day. And while these months are great if you want to bask in the sunshine, beaches are only part of the deal on a holiday to Italy. The ‘boot’ is also home to lagoon-like lakes, ancient archaeological sites and food just like mama used to make. Once you’ve decided when to go, start planning your trip and check out our last-minute deals on Italy holidays.

BEST TIME FOR BEACHES

Beaches in Italy come in all shapes and sizes. Sicily’s Lungomare Beach unravels like a ribbon along the coast for a kilometre. In Sardinia, Bidderosa Beach is part of a nature reserve and serves up picture-perfect golden sands. Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, however, are famous for their public pools and rocky sunbathing platforms. Head to Calabria, meanwhile, and you’ll be in for a beachy treat. Its 500-mile coastline is home to some of the best stretches of sand on the Italian mainland. Capo Vaticano’s the beach of the hour. Its white sand is tickled by turquoise waters and backed by granite cliffs. If you want to come home with a healthy holiday glow, book a break between May and August – the warm, dry weather lends itself perfectly to sunbathing sessions on Italy’s sun-bleached sands.

Book your time in the sun in Calabria

BEST TIME FOR SIGHTSEEING

Italy’s iconic cities have a tendency to make tourists act like kids in a candy shop. Except it’s not sweets they’re going crazy for – it’s time-stamped architecture, winding canals and postcard-worthy landmarks. Think daytrips to Pisa’s leaning tower, Rome’s Colosseum and Venice’s basilicas. Then there are dramatic ruins, like the ones at Pompeii and Herculaneum – both near Sorrento. Sightseeing in scorching temperatures isn’t everyone’s idea of fun. Skip the heat and hustle of peak season, as well as the steep hotel prices, by opting for one of the quieter times to visit Italy. The tail end of September and October are both great picks – the weather’s still warm and you’ll be able to avoid the rainiest months of the year.

Fancying ticking off Pompeii and the toe of Italy’s boot? Try a TUI Tour

BEST TIME FOR NATURE-LOVERS

Italy’s northern regions paint the country in a different light. Here, you’ll see some of Mother Nature’s best work, from glistening lakes to soaring mountains. When it comes to Italian lakes holidays, Garda, Como and Maggiore are the big names. Their glass-clear shores are fringed with forested slopes, tree-lined promenades and lavish villas. This spectacular scenery’s ramped up by the Dolomites – a cloud-tickling mountain range, where snow-crowned peaks mingle with village-lined valleys. The best time to visit the lakes is between May and October, when days are bright and sunny and the greenery is in full bloom. Looking to avoid the crowds? The start or the end of the summer season is your best bet.

Find your perfect holiday to the Italian Lakes

BEST TIME FOR FOODIES

The Italians know a thing or two about food. After all, this is the home of pizza, pasta and risotto – not to mention mouth-watering gelato and creamy tiramisu. And that’s not just in local trattorias – hotel chefs cook up traditional feasts each evening, too. The food’s good in Italy all-year round, but fresh fruit and vegetables aren’t so readily available in the winter months, when the high season has tailed off. If you’re an olive lover, consider booking your trip around the time of the yearly olive harvest. For green olives, that’s late September, while black olives are left to ripen until early December. Wine buffs, meanwhile, will be in their element on vineyard tours – the vines look their best between May and August.

Here’s everything you need to know about Italy’s Strada del Prosecco

Decided when to jet off? Now it’s time to book your holiday to Italy.

Plus, discover the best places to visit in Italy and take a look at the beaches you just have to tick off while you’re there.

Get holiday ready and find out more about travel money in Italy.

Pssst. Head to the Discover homepage for our latest articles.

Author: Danielle Penny

Last updated: 19.12.2018