If you're planning a trip to Florence, you're probably wondering when is be the best time to go. After all, you don't want to arrive there when it's cold and raining, if you were hoping to spend your time lingering outside at the sidewalk cafes. So here's a guide to when it's the best time to visit Florence!

Summer

A lot of tourists choose summer (June-August) for their vacation trip to Florence, and if you have to plan around school vacation schedules, you might not have much leeway in this choice. If your time is more flexible, though, there are some downsides to summer that you'll want to consider. Weather-wise this time of year can be hot (up in the 90s Fahrenheit), and it often gets quite humid in Florence, too. Florence is also the most crowded with tourists in the summer. So if you love hot weather, and don't mind crowds, going to Florence in the summer may be right for you.

Summer crowd outside the duomo in Florence

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Autumn

Autumn (September-October) is a very pleasant time to visit Florence. There are less crowds than in the summer, and the weather isn't too cold (think 68F in mid-October). Autumn is a great time to see the deciduous trees turning color, so if you love nature's different seasons and fall color, then autumn may be one of the best times for you to visit Florence. If you're interested in wine and plan to tour the Chianti wine area around Florence, you might be able to see some harvesting in the fall, too.

Winter

Winter (November-February) can be chilly. It's often rainy, and there is an occasional chance of snow (unlikely but possible). Winter temperatures average about 50F in January. If you're mostly interested in indoor pursuits, however, you'll find the museums nicely uncrowded this time of year - a world of difference from the summertime! Because there are so few tourists, you'll also get to feel a bit more of the real local scene, rather than finding all the streets and restaurants crowded with international vacationers.

Spring

Spring (March-May) is a lovely season to visit. The weather is nice, but not too hot - averaging around 70F in April. Quite a few other people are catching on to the spring option, so the tourists are starting to arrive, though it won't be quite as crowded as it is in summer. It's a good time if you want to see flowers blooming, perhaps taking a stroll in the Boboli Garden.

Flowers in the Boboli Gardens, Florence

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Attractions

One of the most important tips for any tourist is to do your research in advance, and decide what attractions are on your must see list. Then you can check the website for those attractions. Find out the schedule for your "must see sights", and make sure whether they are closed at some times of year. It's possible for museums or restaurants to close down in January, or over Christmas, Easter, or other major holidays. By identifying the places most important to you, you can make sure you don't run into this disappointment. Spending Christmas in Italy could be a memorable and wonderful vacation, indeed! Just make sure you know what will or won't be open for you before you book the tickets.

Festivals

If you're interested in seeing something special, beyond the typical attractions that are there all year, you might want to consider visiting Florence during one of the festivals. A few of the main festivals are:

- Festival of St. John - June 24
- Explosion of the Cart festival - Easter Sunday
- Florence music festival - Spread over 2 months in the summer
- Paper lantern festival - First week in September
- Florence antique festival - Sept-Oct, every other year

If you want to venture out of town a bit, there are also some very cool festivals in smaller towns near Florence, like the Infiorata (Flower Festival) in Pienza.

Planning your trip to Florence

Here's our recommended plan of attack for figuring out when is the best time to go to Florence:

- Is a particular festival very important to you? If so, plan around that.
- Are you tied to a particular season for school or work schedule reasons? If not, use the season overviews above to narrow down to an approximate window.
- Fine tune your trip dates based on knowing any closure dates for attractions you really care about, and any less important festivals that would be fun to see.

Of course, if you're visiting other cities on the same Italian vacation, then you'll want to do the same kind of process for them, so you can optimize all the locations you'll visit.

And now, you're ready to start planning your trip to Florence, Italy!

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1. Florence, Italy: Favorite things about Florence
2. Italy Weather - Pick your Season
3. Florence, beyond the Duomo - escape to Fiesole

June

Pisa, Luminar di Saint Ranieri: June 16th every year the city of Pisa celebrates the Luminara di Saint Ranieri, the Patron Saint of Italy, who died as a Saint in 1161, and who has been celebrated since the late 17th century. Along the river Arno, more than 70,000 candles are lit, which light up the river, the buildings, the bridges and the whole city. Several of the wax candles are also sent floating down the river. The only thing not lit by candles is the Leaning Tower, which is adorned by oil lamps, instead. The celebration also includes a fireworks celebration at the "Cittadella Vecchia" after dark, around 11 at night.

The next day, there's a regatta on the 17th, which has four boats rowed by men from each of Pisa's four competing districts. At the finish line, the winner climbs a rope to claim the Victory Flag.

Florence, San Giovanni Feast Day: On the Sunday following June 24th every year in Florence, San Giovanni Feast Day, the celebration of John the Baptist, is celebrated. This celebration includes a medieval tournament that dates back to when the festival started, followed by music, drinking and feasting.
There is also a fireworks celebration preceded by rowboats carrying lit candles paddling down the Arno River.

July

Genoa, Festa del Cristo degli Abissi: On July 29th, off the Ligurian coast, there is a procession that leads to the underwater statue of Christ. The statue is dedicated to those who lost their lives at sea, and a mass is held on the beach.

Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo: From July 1 through August 15, Rome celebrates Castel Sant'Angelo beside the Vatican. There are all kinds of concerts, shows, and plays performed in the evenings, until after midnight. There are also events for the children, so they enjoy the celebration too.

August

National, Ferragosto: Assumption Day, celebrated August 15th, is a national holiday, celebrated with music, food and fireworks. Since it is a national holiday, it's not a good day to go shopping, but there are plenty of other things to do. Food is sold inexpensively, and you can enjoy it while listening to music, watching concerts and admiring the fireworks.

These are just a few of the many, many options. No matter where you're going in Italy, there's a good chance you'll find a celebration!

Related posts:

1. Italy Weather - Pick your Season
2. When Is The Best Time to Go to Florence, Italy?