A glance at Florence immediately justifies its reputation as a year-round destination. The city is beautiful. Envision burnt-orange domes, the elegant sweep of the Arno River, and an emphasis on artwork — the majority funded by the former powerhouse of the Medici family. Florence shifts through the seasons, like the rest of Italy. Yet its allure remains static. The result? There is no singular best time to visit Florence, Italy.
With that said, different months offer different experiences. Never accept the flat recommendation of “visiting off-season to skirt the worst of summer crowds.” While dodging crowds sometimes pays off (especially for those without solid itinerary ideas), it’s equally important to consider your desired experience. Expecting excursions to pick olives and sample wine? With the city set in agricultural Tuscany, foodies should coincide their travel with the October harvest season. For endless markets and cozy layered outfits? Florence is wholesome and beautifully lit up by twinkling lights in winter.
Let your interests guide you. For a perfected itinerary to truly shine, it’s essential that visitors understand how seasons impact Florence’s aesthetic, attractions, and activities. Here is how Florence shifts throughout the seasons — and the knowledge that travelers need to finalize their trip dates.
Florence Through the Seasons
European seasons are simple to grasp, and Florence abides by this same mold. The city undergoes quarterly shifts, transforming in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Throughout these transformations, Florence retains an average (mean) temperature of 15.6°C. Yet its landscape shifts dramatically, and temperatures can drop anywhere from 2°C in January before rising to nearly 37°C in August.
These variations hugely shape your experience as a tourist, so it’s important to understand the changes Florence undergoes.
Spring in Florence (March to May)
Temperature: Lows of 5°C and highs of 25°C
Florentine springs are centered around blossoms and festivities. March is a slow whir into action, with temperatures still lingering in a lull of around 11°C. This peaceful month is when restaurants gradually begin reopening al fresco tables, but queues at attractions like the Uffizi Gallery aren’t yet eyebrow-raising.
April is when things really start to erupt, with roses and wisteria bursting into life across the city’s green spaces. As the crowds increase, so does the myriad of floral colors. Temperatures simultaneously rise to match, with averages of 14°C, but warm days spiking as high as 20°C. April marks a transition towards Florence’s busiest phase, yet the energy is infectious. Pencil in major calendar dates like the Holy Week, Easter, and the city’s marathon.
May is warmer still; temperatures creep to an average of 18°C, with highs of nearly 25°C. Catch the end of the floral season in scenic parks like Boboli or Bardini Gardens and bask in the ability to admire viewpoints in the sunshine. May is officially the last month of Florence’s shoulder season, but while there’s a briefly sedentary spell in the city’s event calendar, the atmosphere is definitely gearing up.
There are clear distinctions between early, mid, and end of springtime. March is quieter for peaceful enjoying main attractions, April is floral and full of cultural and religious events, and May is the warmest.
Fancy some itinerary inspiration? These are the best activities throughout the season:
- Prioritize visits to the city’s gardens. Boboli, Bardini, and Giardino delle Rose (located next to Piazzale Michelangelo) are beautiful candidates.
- Maximize enjoyment of main attractions during the quieter spells. Peak seasons leave major attractions like the Duomo and Uffizi Gallery almost unbearable. March to May is an ideal window to tick off the classics, from Brunelleschi’s Dome to Cappelle Medicee.
- Research festivals and events. Easter and the Holy Week are poignant times to experience Florence and its underlying culture. For those visiting in early April, the Firenze Flower Show is worth attending at the Corsini Gardens.
Summer in Florence (June to August)
Temperature: Lows of 16°C and highs of 33°C
Summer is Florence at its most eclectic. The streets are packed with tourists and residents, with everyone thrilled at the concept of maximizing their enjoyment of holidays and great weather. A jumbled mass of fun and festivity, it’s best to envision Florence as continually caffeinated from June to August. That Italian espresso really kicks the city into gear! And you’ll see this sipped street-side throughout summer as the heatwave enforces al fresco dining as the norm.
June is the mildest of a hot bunch, with average temperatures of 22.7°C and occasional anomalies of 29°C. The biggest events on this month’s calendar are Festa Di San Giovanni (a celebration of the city’s patron saint) and Mostra Del Chianti — a wine-tasting festival approximately an hour outside Florence. Crowds aren’t quite at their full August capacity, but they’re definitely getting there. June is warm and entertaining, a magnetic time to visit Florence.
July’s mean temperatures jump to 25.4°C. However, come prepared, as highs routinely exceed 32°C. As Florence is inland, the heat can be difficult to escape, especially without a blustery coastal breeze. On hotter days, prioritize cooling indoor attractions — like the stone-built Uffizi Gallery or Duomo. Temperature-wise, August is similar, but brace yourself for potential spikes of 40°C.
Across July and August, travelers are wise to consider accommodation with pool facilities. The ability to cool down on the hottest days is worth its weight in gold. Ideally, balance a few days in Florence with escaping inner-city heat with a countryside estate and swimming pool. Many Florentines actually leave the city in August for this exact reason; in Northern Italy, it’s common practice for Italians to move to second homes in nearby mountains.
Detours aside, these are the activities best suited to summertime in Florence:
- Plan visits to cooling indoor attractions. Cappelle Medicee, Florence Duomo, and Uffizi Gallery are good options since these landmarks are stone-built and stay cool during extreme periods of heat.
- Book accommodation with a pool or swim at nearby lakes. Bilancino and Renai are two lakes that visitors can swim at on the hottest days, and both have trees for shade from the midday sun.
- Research potential day trips. Venture to celebrate Mostra del Chianti in June and visit the countryside in August. Florentines leave the city in the height of summer; factor in at least a few days to follow suit.
Autumn in Florence (September to November)
Temperature: Lows of 7°C and highs of 27°C
Autumn is the return of the shoulder season for Florence. Temperatures are moderate, not stifling, and culturally, the capital is overseeing the region’s most poignant time of year: harvest.
Throughout autumn, it’s simple for visitors to organize oil and wine tastings, with plenty of transport-inclusive options available through third-party booking sites. However, for the most immersive experience, plan a detour — a few days booked into one of the Tuscany luxury villas hidden in rolling hills of nearby beauty spots like Val D’Orcia. Florence has dozens of high-caliber estates within an hour’s radius.
The approximate harvesting window is late September until early November. However, travelers should note that Tuscany harvests its olives earlier than the (otherwise-nation-wide) norm. Instead of waiting until November, farmers in Florence pick their olives around the end of September or early October. These barely-ripe olives are what grants Tuscan oils their peppery quality. Grape harvests follow a similar pattern, with groves emptied between late September and mid-October.
Is your interest piqued? These are the best autumnal activities:
- Book day trips or add additional packages to your standard Florence itinerary. Autumn is the ideal time to visit olive and wine estates outside the city’s boundaries. Tour the estates, enjoy tastings, and learn more about traditional cultivation processes. Utilize third-party operators like Viator or reserve separate accommodations for an extended countryside experience.
- Embrace fall foliage in Florence. Watch the trees turn fiery to match the city’s iconic terracotta roofing. Boboli Gardens offers beautiful views framed by leaves turned striking shades of orange and brown — and you don’t even have to leave Florence to see it.
- Try foraging experiences. Autumn is prime time for mushroom and truffle-picking in Florence, so reserve local foraging experiences and lean into locally sourced products at dinner.
Winter in Florence (December to February)
Temperature: Lows of 2°C and highs of 13°C
Winter in Florence has two distinct halves: festive and non-festive. December through early January is an opportunity to do some of the most romantic things in Florence. Wander through quaint Christmas markets in the historic Piazza Santa Croce, or wait until February to soak up the city’s complex art history without a quarter of the tourists you’d see in peak or shoulder seasons.
January is the coldest month, with lows of 2°C. Snow is rare, but mornings can become dramatically foggy, with increased rainfall compared to the clearer skies of mid-summer. By February, temperatures will gradually rise, with promises of almost 8°C mean averages and highs of 13 °C.
Veering towards a wintry Florence getaway? These activities could fill your itinerary:
- Wrap up warm for viewpoints. All those glistening lights and darkened skies make for gorgeous views over Florence. When visiting outside of Christmas market openings, viewpoints like Piazzale Michelangelo are at their quietest, too. Wrap up warm, and make the most of it.
- Research festivals and events. Christmas markets are in full flow from early December, and New Year’s Eve is a well-marked day on every visitor’s calendar. Consider alternative events, though. January’s Pitti Fashion Fair and Florence Carnival are experiential opportunities for those embracing Florence in what’s traditionally known as its “off-season.”
Best Month to Visit Florence Italy
Florence holds a unique category when calculating the best times to visit. Italian tourism hinges predominantly on its coastline; the standard format of timing trips is balancing pleasant temperatures with minimally crowded beaches. As an inland city, Florence skirts this degree of “sunbather responsibility.” In the absence of that summer-driven demand, perhaps it would be more appropriate to ask: Is there a best month to visit Florence, Italy?
Interestingly, there is still a degree of overlap. The best months to visit Florence are April and October; these shoulder seasons have distinct offerings for discerning travelers.
April: Flower Season
In a city with a name that nods to “blooming,” it would be tragically remiss to miss out on spring. Some say that the Romans actually named Florence after Floralia, the goddess of flowers. April sees floral Florence burst into life — Boboli Gardens, Bardini Garden, and even the Rose Garden start to bloom. With temperatures rising as high as 20°C, an April experience of Florence includes dreamy itineraries of warm wanders through beautiful flowered gardens. This stunning natural scenery earns the month the tentative title of the best time of year to visit Florence, Italy.
Admire cityscape views framed by purple wisteria at Bardini or weave through stone corridors dotted by glossy-leaved pink camellias at Boboli. Still tempted to visit Florence in the summer? The sacrifice is losing these flowers; many last only until June.
October: Harvest Season
As the capital of harvest-hailed Tuscany, October is a knee-jerk response when establishing the best time to visit. Florence is an ideal base to book oil or wine-tasting excursions into the Tuscan countryside. Alternatively, culinary enthusiasts can simply bask in the ability to taste fresh produce in Florence’s restaurants. October is prime time for seasonal foods like truffle and chestnuts.
In actuality, the exact harvest dates are difficult to predict. Cultivators decide on an annual basis, as weather is a significant factor, and individual estates time the process differently depending on altitude and pole-facing. However, October is an optimal gamble — especially considering Tuscany’s unique approach to olive harvesting.
Quietest Time to Visit Florence
Not everyone has a distinct interest in seasonal attractions, like harvests and flower blooming. There is an important caveat. If your priorities lay in experiencing the must-visit attractions in Florence, it could be worth reverting to the standard practice of seeking off-season travel. In these instances, the quietest time to visit Florence is in November, before the festive rush, or between February and March.
November: End of Harvest and Fall Foliage
November is a compromise. This month marks the end of the harvest season, with estates drawing to the end of a hectic period of picking and processing. However, while some properties close seasonally, many continue offering touring experiences, and some might still be picking the last bits of produce. November is a little cooler, well-suited to foodies still seeking seasonal dining experiences, and quieter for visiting Florence’s main attractions, like the Duomo.
February: Peaceful Vibes and Discounted Shopping
Skipping the Christmas crowds and January’s busy Pitti Fashion Fair, February is a peaceful month to experience Florence. The streets are quiet, queues are non-existent, and residents are strategically enjoying heavily discounted shopping.
To lively things up ever-so-slightly, straddle your dates between January and February — the Florence Carnival is a masked affair that justifies the crowds. Be aware that Valentine’s Day also causes a temporary spike in visitors. Who could blame them? Florence is amongst the most romantic cities in the world.
March: Creeping Temperatures and the Start of Spring
Not everyone wants sunbathing temperatures. But considering Florence has such a foodie culture and high numbers of outdoor parks and viewpoints, the weather does seriously impact your experience. The first half of March balances both creeping temperatures and fewer crowds. It is quiet enough to admire artwork in galleries like Uffizi without suffering jostled elbows and obscured vision. Yet it is warm enough to actually sit al fresco and stand leisurely (without shivering) at Brunelleschi’s Dome and Piazza Michelangelo.