Fall in Italy

Customize a tour idea created by one of our local agents based in the destination

Start planning your fall trip to Italy

Experiencing fall in Italy should be on any traveler's bucket list. Each of the regions on the Italian peninsula offers unique activities, food and wines to indulge in. With dipping temperatures and more accessible open spaces, visitors get a more personal tour of all the top places in Italy during the fall.

Why should I visit Italy in the fall?

Italy is a joy to visit all year-round. In the fall, however, the country has a special appeal thanks to fewer crowds, cheaper airfares and more affordable accommodation. Food menus change drastically, giving visitors a chance to taste rare, once in a season meals prepared especially for the fall. Freshly pressed olives and porcini mushrooms are in abundance, and there are truffles to pick, too.

The best things to do in Italy in the fall

From music festivals to foraging for delicious truffles, the fall provides a fantastic opportunity to experience Italy at its best. Here are the top fall activities. 

See historic boat races

Venice's Regata Storica is held on the first Sunday in September and involves boat races and extravagant water pageants. In this ancient festival, participants normally dress in traditional costumes and row 16th-century-style vessels along the canals. This is a wonderful way to take part in a parade of unforgettable color.

Enjoy the Venice International Film Festival

Organized on Lido Island in early September, this festival has been in existence since 1895. Visitors can get a front-row view of the new trends taking shape in the arts, while enjoying all fall has to offer here.

Take part in the Feast of San Gennaro

Napoli's most important religious festival, the Feast of San Gennaro, takes place on September 19th each year. Thousands of revelers fill the piazza fronting the cathedral where relics of the saint are kept, before parading through the principal streets honking and singing tunes.

Go hunting for truffles

Fall is the truffle season in most parts of central and northern Italy. Piedmont and Tuscany are especially good regions to find white truffles, and there are truffle fairs all over the regions, where visitors can enjoy a taste of these delicacies in local cuisine and buy some to take home a taste of Italy.

Enjoy music in Milan and Torino

A festival with more than 2,000 musicians from over 30 countries, Festival MITO SettembreMusica is held in Milan and Torino every fall. Visitors get a chance to enjoy jazz, classical, experimental, and even folk music. There are hundreds of options to choose from across the 95 venues this festival takes place in.

What's the weather like in Italy in the fall?

September temperatures are quite warm in central and northern Italy, but October through to November tends to be a little wet. Rains are heavier in mountainous regions, meaning visitors should always go out with a coat and an umbrella. In the Alpine regions, snow comes very early, causing a sudden dip in temperature as early as October. There are clear skies in most places, while night temperatures start to fall rapidly as November approaches. In the south, fall is drier and warmer. As always, it is best to wear layered clothing in the north and adopt shorts in the south.

When to go in Italy?

jan
feb
mar
avril
may
june
july
aug
sept
oct
nov
dec

Spring and autumn are the best times of year to visit Italy. In summer, the central and southern parts of the country experience a few weeks of very hot weather; and it can get very cold in Northern Italy in winter, especially in the Alpine region. Take the area you intend to visit and explore into consideration when choosing the time of year for your trip. And avoid the month of August at all costs: the cities are absolutely teeming with people at that time of year.

Other trip ideas you might like

Traveller reviews of their trip to Italy

4.828 reviews
Tour of Italy
5
We landed in Rome and were picked up by a private van. We were dropped off at our hotel, and from there, we walked everywhere to tour the city, except when we did our night tour of Rome. We took a taxi to the Vatican, which our hotel helped to arrange, and we got a taxi to come back, which we were able to find ourselves very easily. We then left for Florence, where we picked up our rental car and drove straight through to Siena. Once we arrived in Siena, and got situated, we walked in to the city center everyday. It was rich full of history and culture. We loved the city center tremendously. We also drove to Montalcino and toured a vineyard, which was lovely, and we found a delicious restaurant and lots of fun things to do there. After five nights there, we drove back to Florence and returned the rental car. We stayed there one night and toured the city. We headed to Venice the next day and stayed for three days there, where we explored and had a magical time.
See more
Irresistible Italy
5
We were in Venice, Florence and Rome. Each of had been many times before. So the new cities were the most impressive. Lucca and Ostia Antica and Montepulciano. Andrea and one of the guides recommended an excellent restaurant in Lucca, *** in the basement of a castle. The food and atmosphere unexpected. Also in Lucca we managed to get tickets for a Puccini concert which was magnificent. A true highlight. Ostia Antica unbelievable. Mariapaola, our guide, had so much enthusiasm. Also true of our Forum and Colesseum guide, Dimo. He was thrilled we were so interested in the history and archeology of the sites. His passion was infectious.
See more
Italy
5
We had decided on Italy as it was a place my husband and I both had never been. The Italian coast was amazing. The excursions we had were beautiful. Each day was filled with new and exciting adventure and it was all planned out for us and organized very well! The food was amazing.
See more
See all reviews