Best time to visit Rome

Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like
22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.
Recent · 2020-2024
Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)
Day · avg daily high (?)
Night · avg overnight low (?)
Heatwaves · days/yr ≥35°C ETCCDI TX35 (?)
21310
Tropical nights · nights/yr ≥20°C ETCCDI TR20 — sleep killer (?)
623256
UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)
123568875321
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
77987
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
1518151291010109111217
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
243025171415161316182031
May 9/10 feels 24°C (+2°C vs 1991-2020) · HCI 88/100
Day 24° · Night 14° 53% humidity 17 km/h wind 11 rain days (99h) 270h sun
Thermal 10
Sky 9
Rain 7
Wind 10

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

Compare with another destination

Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.

Tours in Rome

30 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Rome).

  1. 1Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Private Tour4.94★ (735)from $225🔥 Selling fast
  2. 2Skip the Line: Small Group Vatican Museums & Sistine + St. Peter4.88★ (785)2h 30mfrom $153🔥 Selling fast
  3. 3Skip the Line: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel Tour & St. Peter's4.76★ (1,617)from $32🔥 Selling fast
  4. 4Rome Highlights City Tour by Golf Cart with Gelato4.92★ (1,370)3hfrom $107
  5. 5Small Group Tour: Colosseum & Roman Forum with Arena Floor Access4.81★ (860)2h 30mfrom $62🔥 Selling fast
  6. 6Skip the Line: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tour + Basilica4.70★ (6,337)from $34🔥 Selling fast
  7. 7Vatican Museums Sistine Chapel Tour with access to St Peter4.00★ (3,175)3hfrom $107🔥 Selling fast
  8. 8Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour4.49★ (40,326)3hfrom $82🔥 Selling fast
  9. 9Skip the line: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peters Tour4.63★ (2,453)3hfrom $21🔥 Selling fast
  10. 10Rome by Golf Cart Private Tour: Beyond the Landmarks4.97★ (4,670)from $213
  11. 11Explore Rome on a Golf Cart: Private Tour4.81★ (851)3hfrom $82
  12. 12Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel Tour and Basilica Access4.42★ (3,973)3hfrom $72🔥 Selling fast
  13. 13Rome Highlights by Golf Cart Private Tour4.97★ (2,543)3hfrom $180
  14. 14Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica Tour4.05★ (8,793)3hfrom $83🔥 Selling fast
  15. 15Rome Private Highlights Golf Cart Tour with Gelato4.93★ (585)3hfrom $139
  16. 16Skip the Line Vatican Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's | Small Group4.88★ (7,687)3hfrom $117
  17. 17Rome: Skip the Line Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St Peter Small Group4.85★ (4,000)3h 15mfrom $59
  18. 18Colosseum & Ancient Rome with Arena Floor Option I Max 6 People4.94★ (3,463)3hfrom $177
  19. 19Early Morning Vatican, Sistine, St. Peter's Semi or Private Tour4.90★ (3,959)3h 30mfrom $236
  20. 20Rome: Complete Early Morning Vatican Tour | Small Group4.93★ (2,514)3h 30mfrom $129
  21. 21Colosseum Arena & Roman Forum: Small Group Tour (MAX 10 People)4.87★ (251)from $34🔥 Selling fast
  22. 22Rome: Colosseum Guided Tour with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill4.66★ (2,875)from $64🔥 Selling fast
  23. 23Colosseum Arena Floor, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Tour4.70★ (1,668)from $94🔥 Selling fast
  24. 24Ultimate Rome: Colosseum, Vatican Museums & Walking Tour4.63★ (2,580)7hfrom $199🔥 Selling fast
  25. 25Winner 2026 Rome Twilight Trastevere Food Tour by Eating Europe4.92★ (5,759)4hfrom $123
  26. 26Rome Pasta and Tiramisu Class: Ravioli, Fettuccine & Fine Wine 5*4.97★ (2,769)3hfrom $36
  27. 27Golf Cart Small-Group Guided Tour: Rome City Highlights4.92★ (1,077)2h 30mfrom $104
  28. 283 in 1 Cooking Class near Navona: Fettuccine, Ravioli & Tiramisu4.91★ (8,300)3hfrom $62
  29. 29Rome to Pompeii Guided Tour with Wine & Lunch by High Speed Train4.80★ (1,490)9hfrom $239
  30. 30Pantheon Guided Tour with Reserved Entry Tickets4.82★ (698)45mfrom $14

Last refreshed 2026-05-25.

Similar climatesSiena93% · Pompeii92% · Madrid91%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Rome (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Rome's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.

Month-by-month

Month Temp °C Feels °C Rain days Rain h Rain h/day Humidity Wind km/h Sun h UV Interest Score
Jan 4–13 10 9 110 12.2 72% 16 164 1 Quiet 6
Feb 5–15 13 6 72 12.0 65% 16 185 2 Quiet 7
Mar 6–17 14 9 107 11.9 58% 17 219 3 Quiet 7
Apr 9–19 17 10 107 10.7 54% 17 243 5 Quiet 8
May 14–24 24 11 99 9.0 53% 17 270 6 Quiet 9
Jun 18–30 30 7 61 8.7 46% 17 296 8 Quiet 8
Jul 21–34 34 3 21 7.0 38% 19 322 8 Quiet 4
Aug 22–33 34 5 47 9.4 42% 18 296 7 Peak 4
Sep 17–28 29 9 85 9.4 52% 16 245 5 Busy 8
Oct 14–23 23 11 110 10.0 63% 15 204 3 Moderate 8
Nov 9–18 17 11 134 12.2 71% 15 163 2 Peak 7
Dec 6–14 12 12 131 10.9 76% 16 152 1 Moderate 6

UV Index in Rome by Month

UV index in Rome peaks at 8 (very high) in July, dropping to 1 (low) in January. July reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

Best months in detail

May

9/10

14–24°C · 11 rain days (99h) · 270 sun hours · 53% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)

September

8/10

17–28°C · 9 rain days (85h) · 245 sun hours · 52% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)

October

8/10

14–23°C · 11 rain days (110h) · 204 sun hours · 63% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 3 (moderate)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

January

6/10

4–13°C (feels 10°C) · 9 rain days (110h) · 164 sun hours · 72% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

February

7/10

5–15°C (feels 13°C) · 6 rain days (72h) · 185 sun hours · 65% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)

March

7/10

6–17°C (feels 14°C) · 9 rain days (107h) · 219 sun hours · 58% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate)

April

8/10

9–19°C (feels 17°C) · 10 rain days (107h) · 243 sun hours · 54% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)

June

8/10

18–30°C · 7 rain days (61h) · 296 sun hours · 46% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

July

4/10

21–34°C · 3 rain days (21h) · 322 sun hours · 38% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (very high)

August

4/10

22–33°C · 5 rain days (47h) · 296 sun hours · 42% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (very high)

November

7/10

9–18°C (feels 17°C) · 11 rain days (134h) · 163 sun hours · 71% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 2 (low)

December

6/10

6–14°C (feels 12°C) · 12 rain days (131h) · 152 sun hours · 76% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 1 (low)

Comparisons people search for

Pairs validated by Google Autocomplete demand — only pairs people actually compare.

Frequently asked questions about visiting Rome

When is the best time to visit Rome?

May is the highest-scoring month (9/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 14–24°C (11 rainy days). The top three months by score are May, September, October.

What is the worst time to visit Rome?

July is the lowest-scoring month (4/10, capped by extreme heat). Typical conditions: 21–34°C (3 rainy days).

Is Rome too hot in summer?

3 months (June, July, August) trip the heat deal-breaker in our scoring: apparent temperature crosses the comfort cap, so even with clear skies and low rain the score is held down. Plan around it if heat tolerance is low.

When are crowds lowest in Rome?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in January and peaks in August. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

Which months in Rome have good weather but fewer tourists?

May (climate 9/10, crowd index 17) and April (climate 8/10, crowd index 11) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.

What is the UV index in Rome by month?

UV peaks at 8 (very high) in July and is lowest in January at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 1, Feb 2, Mar 3, Apr 5, May 6, Jun 8, Jul 8, Aug 7, Sep 5, Oct 3, Nov 2, Dec 1. July reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

What is the UV index in Rome in July?

July is the peak UV month in Rome, with a daily-peak UV index of 8 (very high). At this level, sunburn can occur in under 20 minutes on unprotected fair skin. Apply SPF 50+, wear protective clothing and a hat, and avoid direct midday sun (11:00–17:00).

How high can UV get in Rome on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. June is the worst case: typical days average UV 8 (high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 9 (very high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: April, May, June, August, September. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.

Is air quality in Rome bad for travelers?

PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 10 months: January, February, March, April, June, July, September, October, November, December. The worst month is February with a typical-day mean of 18 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 30 µg/m³ (unhealthy) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.