Best time to visit Florence, Italy, and season to go

What’s the best time and season to visit Florence? This is certainly one of the questions I get most often from travelers. And in fact the time of year is a very important aspect to consider when planning a trip.

So I created this seasonal guide to the best time to visit Florence, evaluating the pros and cons of each month of the year. Will it be too hot? Or too crowded? Or too expensive? Any cool events going on? Here you will find all my tips on the subject. Hope you’ll find it useful!

• I’m local licensed tour guide in Florence, learn more about me and my job!

Average temperature in Florence, Italy

Here is a useful table that shows the average temperature in Florence, Italy, for each month of the year. I have used both Celsius and Fahrenheit degrees, but remember that temperatures in Europe (so also in Italy) are always measured in Celsius degrees.

As you can see, January is the coldest month in Florence, and July and August are the hottest ones. Also keep in mind that fall and winter can be rainy, while summer is very dry with almost no rain. This is not necessarily a good thing, as hot and dry summers are flaming hot.

Florence in springtime

Spring is a fantastic time to discover Florence. The city gardens are in bloom, the weather is lovely and there aren’t too many tourists yet, at least in the first part of the season. There are also many interesting events happening in springtime:

• the garden of Iris will be open from the end of April to the end of May.
• March 25th is the traditional Florentine’s New Year’s Eve, celebrated with markets, street food and historical parades.
• Dozens of cute little markets in the piazzas of the city during spring weekends.

To better understand which is the best time to go to Florence, I will divide spring in at least three periods:

Early spring (March and early April)

Until Easter arrives it is still low season so prices are generally lower. The beginning of the high season depends on when Easter comes each year. If Easter comes late (like in mid-April) probably the prices will start to rise a bit before Easter.

You can generally expect quite a good weather in March and April: warm during sunny days and more chilly at night. However, it could still be cold and there may be a few days of bad weather, especially in March. This is the perfect time to visit some of the best gardens of Florence, like Boboli, Bardini Gardens and the Roses’ one.

Easter and spring holidays

Mid-spring (April and early May) is one of the hottest times of the year, because in addition to Easter there are other national holidays in Italy (May 1st and April 25th) that make Florence very crowded and more expensive than in the previous weeks.

Another thing to keep in mind is that during April and May thousands of students flock into Florence for their school trips. They come from all over Italy and from the rest of Europe, they travel in large groups, and they have free entrance to museums. That means that during the “school trips season” the lines to enter the main museums can be longer than usual.

Late spring (May and early June)

In late spring, during months like May and June, the weather is perfect, very warm but not too hot yet (hopefully), and with long, sunny days. There are of course exceptions: we had some years when June was already scorching hot, and other ones when it was still quite chilly.

May and June are considered already high season, so both prices and the amount of tourists are higher, probably the highest of the whole year. If you are planning to visit Florence during that time of the year, plan your trip with large advance and book accommodation and guided tours as soon as you can.

Visiting Florence in summer

Summer is the hottest season, and Florence is definitely one of the muggiest cities of Italy. Personally, I do not recommend summer. I hate the heat, so in my opinion that’s the worst time to visit Florence, but I understand that sometimes you don’t have other choices. Especially in June, there are so many tourists, that booking everything in advance is absolutely necessary. Obviously this is also the most expensive time of the year (from Easter to the beginning of July).

However, the city is still gorgeous, and there is the bonus of more hours of light, and the large number of outdoor events such as concerts and historical parades. Some of the most interesting summer events in Florence are:

• Florentine Historic Soccer tournament: the most violent sport in the world (and one of the oldest ones) is played every year in piazza Santa Croce, with 2 semi-finals and a final match on Saint John the Baptist day. The two semi-finals usually take place 2 or 3 weekends before the final.
• Saint John the Baptist Day (June 24th). The city celebrates its patron saint with historical parades, fireworks and the final match of historic Florentine football.
• Pitti Immagine – Florence’s Fashion Week happens every year in the second half of June.
• Firenze Rocks – a big outdoor rock festival with international bands (usually at the half of June).

Even you if you aren’t interested in those events, consider them when planning your summer travel to Florence. During those days the city will be overcrowded, and will be harder to find accommodation, taxis and restaurants.

Florence in July and August

July and August are unbelievably hot months in Florence! Be prepared for temperatures as high as 38-40 ° C (100-104 ° F) and just forget about the rain. The heat is actually the biggest problem of those two months, and even if I am a local, I can barely stand it. The good news is that July and August aren’t that crowded anymore. Probably people has understood how horrible the heat in Florence can be, and the latest trend is to consider July and August as shoulder season.

August 15th is a national holiday (Ferragosto) and practically every shop and business in Italy is closed that day. But the holiday of Ferragosto is also an opportunity for many Italians to go on vacation, so even during the week of August 15 and the following, many places (restaurants, stores, etc.) could be closed for holidays. However, most tourist businesses will be open and operational.

Fall in Florence: October and November have a good weather

Autumn is definitely a good time to visit Florence, at least from a weather perspective. The climate is still warm until the end of October, while from November it becomes colder and rainier. In case of gloomy weather, here are some ideas about what to do on a rainy day in Florence.

The low season used to begin at the end of September, however in the last years the things are changing, and September an October are becoming more crowded than ever. Probably because the summer months aren’t so popular anymore.

Autumn is a great time to hike and explore the Tuscan countryside, with the warm colors of foliage. One of my favorite things to do in fall is truffle hunting in Tuscany. Furthermore, autumn is the best time to visit the vineyards in the countryside, because you can see and take part to the grape harvest (that usually takes place in late September and early October).

Visiting Florence in winter and Christmas time

Winter is the coldest season, especially the months of January and February, but in the area of Florence temperature drops below freezing for only a few days a year.

During the Christmas holidays (which run from 8 December to 6 January) the city is filled with lights, events and Christmas markets, it’s such a beautiful time to visit! But of course in those weeks the city becomes more crowded and the prices will skyrocket, reaching the peak between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

After January 6 prices drop and the crowds disappear, at least until the beginning of spring. Therefore January and February are the cheapest months to visit Florence, an excellent solution for those who want to save money and experience the city in a more authentic way, without too many tourists.

Carnival is usually starting in February: even if Florence doesn’t have any special events, you can still enjoy all the yummy seasonal, special sweets that are only made during the carnival time. Or you can go to the nearby city of Viareggio to see one of the biggest carnival parades in Europe.

So what’s the best time to visit Florence?

To answer this question clearly: considering the pros and cons, in my opinion the best times to travel to Florence are:

• Early spring (from mid-february to mid-march)
• Late fall (from early October to late November)

The cheapest time to visit Florence is between January and February.

Unfortunately, we can’t always choose which season to travel, but Florence remains a wonderful destination every month of the year. What’s important is being prepared for what awaits us during the trip in terms of weather, prices and seasonal trends.

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I hope this post was useful to you in organizing your trip to Florence! For a smart travel planning, read also all my best tips for visiting Florence. If you have already been here, let me know with a comment in which season and was your trip!