When to go · Rome
Rome in May
Great month. Warm and long days; good month.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C) / 12°C (54°F)54°F (12°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 5
- Crowds
- High
- Italy overall
- Prices
- High
- Italy overall
Verdict
Warm and long days; good month.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than May?
No other month rates higher than May for Rome in this guide.
Weather in May
- RomeHighs around 24 °C (75 °F), lows around 12 °C (54 °F), rain on about 5 daysHighs around 75 °F (24 °C), lows around 54 °F (12 °C), rain on about 5 days
- Central Italy, Italy · Florence, Tuscany, Umbria, Romebest weather
Rome and Florence reach 35–40 °C (95–104 °F) in July–August; November is the wettest month. Spring and autumn are the long sweet spots.Rome and Florence reach 95–104 °F (35–40 °C) in July–August; November is the wettest month. Spring and autumn are the long sweet spots.
Spring season
Mild days, wisteria and azaleas, long evenings; Easter week is busy.
Watch: Rain showers and Easter crowds.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Labour Day concert
1 May · Piazza San Giovanni
Free concert; crowds and transport closures.
Labour Day
1 May · Italy
Free concert in Rome; many shops closed, most big sights open.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Italy overall
- High
- Prices · Italy overall
- High
Italy overall: The best month for most of Italy: warm, green, sea almost swimmable in the south; 1 May and 2 June long weekends fill trains.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Rome, side by side.
Verdict
May: Great
Sep: Great
Daytime high
May: 24 °C (75 °F)75 °F (24 °C)
Sep: 27 °C (81 °F)81 °F (27 °C)
Night low
May: 12 °C (54 °F)54 °F (12 °C)
Sep: 16 °C (61 °F)61 °F (16 °C)
Rain days
May: 5
Sep: 5
Crowds
May: High
Sep: High
Prices
May: High
Sep: High
Festivals listed
May: 2
Sep: 1
May: Warm and long days; good month.
September: Still warm; crowds ease.
Rome: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm layer for the evenings