December in Italy suits a city trip. Rome, Naples and Palermo stay mild enough for sightseeing in a light coat, with afternoons of 55°F (13°C) in Rome and 62°F (17°C) in Palermo, while Milan and Venice are properly cold.
Days are short, with about nine hours of daylight in Rome, and Rome, Florence and Naples see rain on around ten days of the month. Some visits also run on a thin schedule: the Domus Aurea opens only Friday to Sunday, and the Sforza Castle museums close on Mondays.
At a glance
- Rome: high 55°F (13°C), low 41°F (5°C)
- Milan: high 46°F (8°C), low 33°F (1°C)
- Palermo: high 62°F (17°C), low 53°F (12°C)
- Rainy days: 10 in Rome, Florence and Naples, 6 in Milan and Venice
- Sea: 62°F (17°C) at Naples and Palermo, 55°F (13°C) near Venice
- Daylight on December 15: 9 hours 10 minutes in Rome, 8 hours 43 minutes in Milan
What is the weather like in Italy in December?
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rain | Rainy days | Sunshine per day | Sea | Daylight (15th) |
|---|
December is mild in the south and cold in the north. Rome reaches 55°F (13°C) in the afternoon and drops to 41°F (5°C) at night. Naples is a few degrees warmer at 58°F (14°C) by day and 43°F (6°C) at night, and Palermo is warmer again at 62°F (17°C) and 53°F (12°C). Florence stays near 53°F (11°C) with nights at 37°F (3°C). Milan and Venice are cold, with afternoons of 46°F (8°C) and 47°F (8°C) and nights close to freezing.
Rome, Florence and Naples get rain on about ten days in the month, so a waterproof jacket and an umbrella belong in the bag. Milan and Venice have six rainy days each, which leaves more dry mornings for walking. Plan outdoor sights such as the Rialto Bridge, Boboli Gardens or the Forum for the drier hours, and keep museums for the wet ones. Venice averages only 2 to 3 hours of sunshine a day, so expect grey light on the canal.
The month sits between two different neighbors. November is warmer, with Rome at 62°F (17°C) and Naples at 65°F (18°C) in the afternoon, and it is wetter in Milan, with eight rainy days. January is colder in Milan, Venice and Rome, though Rome picks up some daylight. In the south the two months are close, and Palermo gives up several degrees from November.
Where to go in Italy in December
Palermo
Palermo has the mildest December of the cities with data, with afternoons of 62°F (17°C) and nights of 53°F (12°C). Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù are all UNESCO sites, and the Cloister of Santa Maria La Nuova in Monreale is one of them. Cefalù’s Duomo dates to 1131.
Naples
Naples is a good base for wet-weather sightseeing, with 58°F (14°C) afternoons. The National Archaeological Museum is at Piazza Museo 18/19, and the Sansevero Chapel is at Via Francesco De Sanctis 19/21. Both are indoors, which suits a month with about ten rainy days.
Rome
Rome gives 55°F (13°C) afternoons, good for walking between the Colosseum, the Forum and the Trevi Fountain. State museums in the city include the Pantheon and Castel Sant’Angelo. The Vatican Museums are on Viale Vaticano.
Florence
Afternoons reach 53°F (11°C), so a coat and a dry-weather plan for the tower and gardens are enough. The Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio’s art rooms give the rainy days somewhere to go.
Venice
Venice is cold at 47°F (8°C) in the afternoon and 34°F (1°C) at night. The St. Mark’s Square Museums ticket covers the Doge’s Palace, Museum Correr, the National Archaeological Museum and the Monumental Rooms of the Marciana Library. The Gallerie dell’Accademia hold Venetian painting in 24 rooms, so a cold day has plenty of indoor options.
What to do in Italy in December
Colosseum, Forum and Domus Aurea in Rome
A 24-hour ticket covers one entry to the Colosseum without the arena and one entry to the Roman Forum and Palatine. The Forum Pass SUPER ticket covers the Roman Forum, Imperial Fora and Palatine, but not the Colosseum. Rome has just over nine hours of daylight in December, so do the open-air Forum and Palatine in the morning.
The Domus Aurea is entered from via della Domus Aurea. It can be visited on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with visits every 15 minutes from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fix that day first and build the rest of the week around it. The free MyColosseum app has audio guides in Italian and English.
Pompeii and the Vesuvius trail near Naples
The Pompeii ticket covers the ancient city, the Villa of the Mysteries, the Villa of Diomedes and Villa Regina in Boscoreale. The Pompeii Plus ticket adds Oplontis, Villa Arianna, Villa San Marco, the Stabiae museum and Boscoreale, with a shuttle bus. The Pompeii Artebus shuttle links all the sites. Naples has about ten rainy days in December, so wear shoes that grip wet stone.
Trail no. 5 to the Great Cono starts at the square at 3,281 feet (1,000 meters) above sea level in Ercolano. The high route on the crater summit is closed to visitors. Start the climb in the morning, because daylight is short.
The Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio in Florence
The Uffizi holds paintings by Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Caravaggio, plus Medici statues and busts. The building was constructed between 1560 and 1580 to a design by Vasari. It is a good choice for one of Florence’s ten rainy days.
The tower of Palazzo Vecchio is 312 feet (95 meters) high and gives views of Florence from the top and during the climb. Palazzo Vecchio also houses Donatello’s Judith and Michelangelo’s Genius of Victory. Save the tower for a clear hour and the museum rooms for the rest.
Brera and the Sforza Castle in Milan
The Pinacoteca di Brera has 38 rooms and 500 works on display, from the 14th to the 19th century. It is 12 to 15 minutes on foot from the Duomo. The Castello Sforzesco is about ten minutes on foot from Brera.
The Sforza Castle ticket covers all the museums, including the Ancient Egypt Gallery, and the museums are closed on Mondays. Milan has nights near 33°F (1°C) and only six rainy days, which makes a walk between the two easy.
Is Italy busy in December?
The big dated events in Italy fall in other months. The Palio in Siena runs on July 2 and August 16. December has no such draw in the dates, and the schedule is mostly the museums themselves.
What limits a visit is access. The Domus Aurea takes visitors only three days a week, and the Vatican Museums ticket is valid solely on the day it is issued, so choose the date when you buy it.
Tourist taxes depend on the town. San Siro charges per person per night 5 euros in five-star hotels, 4 euros in four-star, 1.50 euros in three-star hotels and bed and breakfasts, 1 euro in two-star hotels and agriturismi, and 0.50 euros in one-star hotels. Youth hostels are exempt. Nesso’s tax of 2 euros a day applies only from April 1 to October 31, so it does not apply in December.
Can you swim in Italy in December?
The sea is cold in December. These are monthly averages: 62°F (17°C) at Naples and Palermo, and 55°F (13°C) near Venice. A quick dip is possible in the south, but a beach holiday is not what the month offers.
Positano has a pebble beach and offers boat tours along the coast. Visitors can also swim at the small beach at the bottom of the Fiordo di Furore.
What to pack for Italy in December
December asks for layers and rain gear.
- A warm coat and hat for Milan and Venice, where lows are 33°F (1°C) and 34°F (1°C)
- A waterproof jacket and compact umbrella for Rome, Florence and Naples, with about ten rainy days each
- Shoes with grip for the Vesuvius trail and the wet stone of Pompeii
- Light layers for Palermo, where nights stay at 53°F (12°C)
- A phone with the free MyColosseum app, and the MUVE app audio guide included in the Doge’s Palace ticket
- A small daypack, so museum cloakrooms and short daylight don’t slow the day
What to know before visiting Italy in December
The U.S. State Department has Italy at Level 2, Exercise increased caution, issued September 10, 2026, due to terrorism. It recommends enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and highly recommends buying travel insurance before you travel.
Check opening days before building a route. The Domus Aurea opens Friday to Sunday and the Sforza Castle museums close on Mondays. If you rent a car, know that about 300 Italian cities have a ZTL, a restricted traffic zone, and the fine is generally between 100 and 200 euros per passage.
Is December a good time to visit Italy?
Yes, for travelers who want museums, ancient sites and cities without summer heat. Rome, Naples and Palermo are mild enough to walk in, and Florence, Milan and Venice have plenty of indoor art. It is not the month for the beach.
Shifting to November brings warmer afternoons, 62°F (17°C) in Rome against 55°F (13°C) now, and a Naples sea of 67°F (19°C) against 62°F (17°C). November is also wetter in Milan, with eight rainy days against six. January is colder in Milan, where afternoons reach 45°F (7°C), and Venice’s sea falls to 50°F (10°C).
For swimming, the south in November is better than December, though Naples and Palermo still reach 62°F (17°C) in the sea. For mild city walking, pick Palermo or Naples. For winter sports, Lake Como’s mountain side lists skiing among its activities.
Sources
- ncei.noaa.gov (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/wmo-climate-normals), checked 2026-10-30
- italia.it (https://www.italia.it/en/campania/costiera-amalfitana), checked 2026-10-30
- whc.unesco.org (https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/it), checked 2026-10-30
- fondazioneravello.com (https://www.fondazioneravello.com/villa-rufolo/), checked 2026-10-30
- enit.it (https://enit.it/storage/202601/20260126134620_fespo_2026_ita_0126_compressed%201.pdf), checked 2026-10-30
- in-lombardia.it (https://www.in-lombardia.it/index%2Ephp/de/wohin-gehen-lombardei/comer-see), checked 2026-10-30
- visit.venice.it (https://visit.venice.it/things-to-do/rialto-bridge), checked 2026-10-30
- comune.sansiro.co.it (https://comune.sansiro.co.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Del_GC_96_2025_approvazione_tariffe_imposta_soggiorno_2026.pdf), checked 2026-10-30