A mama’s guide to the best time to visit Italy with kids: month by month overview of the weather in Italy and the best places to visit in Italy with kids each season.
You can travel to Italy and enjoy a family vacation in Italy with kids all year round.
Each season has something to offer and there is not time that is just ‘bad’ and would require scrapping a trip entirely.
However, Italy has four distinct seasons with very different weather patterns and this means that your experience of Italy will be different depending on time of year chosen.
This also means that if you have specific activities in mind (farm visits or boat trips, for instance), some months are better than others.
So, while there is no such thing as a best time to visit Italy with kids as such, there are different best times depending on plans and age of kids.
I am an Italian mama of two. I am from Rome and have seen Italy in all seasons over a few decades; so, I am well equipped to talk about the best time to visit Italy with kids.
On this page, you find an overview of the best months to visit Italy as a family and month by month overview of when to go where, to make the most of your time in Italy.
With out article how to plan a trip to Italy with kids, this will be a great starting point to your planning.
Safe travel planning!
The Best time to visit Italy with kids – TL:DR (Summary)
The best times to visit Italy for a first trip with kids and have a mix of sightseeing, time outside, farm visits and boats trips (no swimming) are spring and early autumn, specifically the months of May up to mid June, when you may even be able to enter into the sea, and September up to mid October.
The best time to visit Italy for pool time and beaches are the months of July and August (very hot), plus end of June and early September (less hot).
The best time to visit Italy for budget and older kids who may not need as much time at the playground/ outside are the months of November and mid January – early March.
The worst time to visit Italy with kids
The worst time to visit Italy with kids depends on what you want to do.
If water play and a resort style vacation is what you are hoping for, anything outside the summer months will be a no go.
Italy doesn’t really do heated pools and we don’t have many indoor play centers, so you should aim to coming late June to mid September only. Outside of summer is ideal for sightseeing.
The worst time to visit Italy for city sightseeing with kids are the months of July and August as they are scorching hot and see the city full of tourists (July) and emptying out of locals for the holidays (August). These are the best months for the beach of hiking on the Dolomites.
The worst time for farm visits and outdoor time is the winter, unless you go to the mountains, for the snow. In winter, anything to do with agriculture closes for the season as it follows the natural pace of nature.
All this standing, as I mentioned above there are lots of ways to make each month wonderful! Let’s see one by one, what to expect.
Italy with kids in January
January is a winter month in Italy and a special one: the first week of the month is still part of Italian Christmas Holidays, and sees cities dressed up in festive lights and a high level of tourism.
After the 6th of January however, the country goes through a short low season, in terms of crowds, which means yo can normally count on fewer tourists and lower prices.
In terms of weather, January is winter and required wrapping up in coats, scarves, boots and babies will want baby winter suits and stroller footmuff.
Rain is possible and, depending on where you are, snow is possible too. Nowhere in Italy is warm in January, not even the South.
Usually it is still possible to have afternoons at the playground but this is a time best suited to city sightseeing, classes, museums and indoor endeavors.
This is usually not a good time to visit the countryside if you’re hoping for farm days and agricultural activities as these shut for winter.
The best places to visit in Italy with kids in January are the big cities (Rome, Florence, Venice, Bologna) and the Dolomites for skiing.
In January, you can still visit small coastal towns; however, since they are very much summer places, you may not find services catering to tourism at this time (you’ll still find all that caters to the locals).
January is the best time to visit Italy with kids for families on a budget.
Read here >> all you need to know about Italy in January
Italy in February with kids
February is a peculiar time to visit Italy as it is still very much the winter but, especially in Rome and the South, you start getting hints of spring in the air!
In February, you won’t yet be able to fully enjoy the coast or countryside activities, yet you will be able to enjoy sightseeing in cities and small towns with a relatively low number of other tourists around (the big exception to this would be Venice during the Carnival, often in February).
February is the best time to visit Italy with kids who don’t need extensive time outside or are hoping for big outdoor activities.
It is still however possible to spend time at the playground and the weather is often nice enough to have pleasant days outside sightseeing.
You can read here >>> My Guide to Italy in February
Italy in March with kids
The Italian saying about March is ‘Marzo pazzerello, esce il sole, prendi l’ombrello‘ (Crazy March, the sun comes you, get the umbrella’) and indeed, March has extremely changeable weather!
March in Italy is when winter starts turning into spring and so you have a real mix of days.
Usually no extremes either way, but is is good to expect anything from a need for a warm jacket and umbrella to some moments when you may be in the sun in short sleeves, especially towards the end of the month.
Since March is a time of transition, what you can do with kids partially depends on the weather that year and when in March you are going.
Early March tends to still be a time with no boat tours or farms, yet is the best time to visit Italy for sightseeing in cities and museums. Later in the month, things tend to reopen but when and to which extent is usually weather dependent and may not be planned with much notice.
March is not yet a time for pools or swimming.
March is one of the best times to visit Italy with kids for city travel.
You can read here >>> all about visiting Italy in March
Italy in April with kids
April is one of the most popular times to visit Italy with kids, mostly due to the fact that schools break up for Easter and the weather is not excessively hot.
Indeed, April not a bad time to visit Italy with kids yet, I feel it is important to know what the month is really like as i find often there is a misunderstanding about what April in Italy is actually like.
In terms of crowds, April can be VERY busy in April: Easter brings huge number of visitors to Italy and you can expect Rome, Florence and Venice especially to be at their busiest and with prices to match.
If Easter doesn’t fall in April things are better, yet crowds tend to grow as the month progresses, so it is good to consider the month as high tourism season.
The other things to know about April is that it can be very rainy, anywhere in Italy. Contrary to what a lot of the web may suggest, the whole of Italy can still be chilly and wet in April, so this is only the best time to visit Italy with kids if you are sightseeing and do not mind some rain.
At this time, the coast usually starts opening up again so you may start finding boat tours (no swimming, it is way too cold in most cases) and the countyside starts offering again farm tours and outdoor activities.
This is very much not a time for the beach or pools, although on good day a day on the beach is often possibles.
April is one of the the best time to visit Italy if you want mild weather, a mix of activities and you don’t mind the rain.
You can read here >>> my guide to Italy in April
Italy in May with kids
May is the best time to visit Italy with kids under pretty much all accounts!
May in Italy is a spring month and while it is possible to get some rain, usually it is a wonderful time of blue sky, flowers and temperatures warm enough to stay out all day yet not so hot to be unpleasant.
In Italy in May you can enjoy almost everywhere (the mountains wouldn’t be at their best but the rest will be ) and you can go sightseeing, enjoy the coast, farms etc.
Water is still often too cold for pools but in the South you may be able to get some swimming especially towards the end of the month. Do expect the water still to be on the cold side though.
May is the best time to visit Italy with kids if you want a mix of activities and don’t expect a full on see and sun vacation. The only downside to May is crowds as it can be already pretty busy.
You can read here >>> my guide to Italy with kids in May
Italy in June with kids
June is a spectacular month to visit Italy with kids. The start of the summer is the perfect time for most activities kids will enjoy, from adventure parks to days on the beach, to farm visits, classes and visiting cities.
While rain and chillier days are possible, June is usually mild at the start and hot at the end; so, you can easily mix sightseeing days at the start with time on the coast towards the end.
The one downside to visiting Italy in June is the crowds and many come now to get a nice summer feel without the scorching temperatures of July and August.
You can read here >>> my guide to Italy in June
Italy in July with kids
July is a peculiar time to visit Italy as it depends on what you want to do.
July, especially the start of the month, is the best time to visit Italy with kids for water play and going to the beach. If you are hoping for a sea and sun vacation, this is the time to bring the kids to all inclusive campsites, the beach or to rent a villa on a hilltop with a pool.
The Dolomites are also usually wonderful in July.
However, July is hot and busy so if you are hoping for a classic Italy itinerary with Florence, Rome, Venice and Pompeii, you need to brace yourself for intense heat and a need to plan your time around avoiding time outside is the middle of the day.
July is the best time for summer activities around water or the mountain, yet one of the worst for cities.
You can find here >>> my guide to Italy in July
Italy in August with kids
August is a peculiar time to visit Italy and a one I have noticed creates the most confusion in people as, let’s be honest: a lot of the info you find on the web about August in Italy are completely incorrect!
August in Italy is the height of summer: it is a hot month, a moment when schools are closed and when most offices close to, to allow people to leave the cities at the most unpleasant time of the year, heat wise.
This means that in August most people are in holiday destinations, with the following consequence:
the coast, the countryside and the mountains are PACKED as you have all the locals traveling at this time.
the cities on the other hand are at their quietest as the local demand is lower and anything not relying vastly in tourism slows downs or closes for a couple of weeks, taking their own break. So you will find shops serving locals and even many restaurants closing, especially around Ferragosto (August 15)
The combination of intense heat and lack of most of local life means August tends to be the worst month to visit cities – if you can face the crowds, this is the best time for the beach and the mountains instead, for kids who love a sea and sun vacation.
You can find here >>> my guide to visiting Italy in August
Italy in September with kids
September is among the best times to visit Italy with kids.
The first half of the month is usually still very much summer weather, yet normally without the extremes of July and August, and crowds tend to be a little lower on the coast especially as many return to work.
This is a fantastic time for families since you can usually enjoy sightseeing, boat tours, swimming, walks and getting into the water, especially during the first part of the month.
Read here >>> my guide to Italy with kids in September
Italy in October with kids
October is a lovely time to visit Italy with kids, specifically if you are planning first trip to see Italy’s main cities and the country’s most classic locations.
October is a time of transition: the summer slowly but surely leaves space to milder temperatures and while you won’t usually have much weather for the beach or pool, October is a lovely time to be out and about and treat kids to farm visits (especially early month), playground time and you are usually still able to go on boat trips especially in the south.
As you get further into the month, the weather becomes increasingly hit and miss yet, once you don’t expect summer, it can still be a lovely time to be out!
One thing that you should know about October in Italy is that October is still very much high season, especially in Rome and Florence. So, it is paramount to book big attractions early.
Find here >>> My guide to Italy in October
Italy in November with kids
November is a peculiar time to visit Italy with kids: one of the best if you are looking for a budget stay and low crowds, yet one that poses some limits to the activities you’ll be able to enjoy.
November is, usually, a mild enough month, when fall truly takes hold of the country.
This is a time for fall colors and warming meals, city sightseeing and museum, with also some good days for walks outside.
Yet, it is very much a time when the coast and the countrysides winds down for the season, so it is not a time for boat trips, farms and definitely not a time for pools and water activities.
November with kids is ideal for city trips especially: Venice and Rome are wonderful at this time. It is not a good time for Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre or anywhere relies on good weather for kids’ entertainment.
You can find here >>> My guide to Italy in November.
Italy in December with kids
December is a popular time to visit Italy as a family, mostly due to the school winter break.
Indeed, December can be nice in Italy but the experience you have depends very much much on where you go and when in December.
In general, December in Italy is a winter month so the best places to visit at this time are cities (which offer more indoor entertainment than small centers) and the area of the Dolomites.
In these two locations you’ll find the most to do for kids and real Christmas markets (they are a German thing and this area of Italy has strong German culture historically, so you get authentic markets).
Other locations such as the coast and the countryside are more hit and miss: farms are not operations at this time, the weather is not conducive to long time outside and the coast doesn’t have many tourism services operating since the water and beaches are not really accessible at this time.
If planning a trip to Italy with kids in December, the cities and Dolomites (to ski and market hopping) are the best places.
You can read here >>> my guide to Italy in December.
I hope you found this overview useful! Safe travel planning!
The best time to go to Italy with kids – pin this
