Italy
Rome in December
🧥 WinterCool and some showers.
🎒 Pack: warm jacket for evenings
Why December scores 8.2What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort8.2
- !Cool (14.5°C highs / 6.2°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 5.8°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~79 mm rain)
- Air quality6.7
- !Elevated (PM2.5 ~27 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline7.5
- ·Increased caution
| Dec | May | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.2 Very good | 9.5 Excellent |
| Season | 🧥 Winter | 🌷 Spring |
| High / low | 15° / 6° | 24° / 14° |
| Rain | 79 mm | 53 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 6° | dew pt 12° |
| PM2.5 | 27 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Christmas Day 25–27 Dec · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Immaculate Conception (8 Dec)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore RomeEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyItaly's capital, with nearly 3,000 years of history from the Colosseum and Forum to the Vatican and baroque piazzas.
No major events on our calendar for December.
Coming up later
EasterDate variesUsually March or April, date moves each year
The Pope celebrates Holy Week services and gives the Urbi et Orbi blessing.
Why go: Expect large crowds.
Where: St Peter's Square and the Vatican
Natale di RomaEvery year21 April every year
Rome's legendary birthday is marked with historical parades in Roman costume.
Why go: Some museums hold special events.
Where: Circus Maximus and the centre
Feast of Saints Peter and PaulEvery year29 June every year
The feast of Rome's patron saints, a city holiday.
Why go: Some shops and offices close.
Where: Citywide, especially St Peter's
Colosseum, Forum and Palatine
Ancient Roman amphitheatre and the ruins of the city's political centre.
💡 Book tickets ahead.
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
Huge papal art collections including Michelangelo's ceiling.
💡 Book ahead to avoid long queues.
St Peter's Basilica
The world's largest church, with Michelangelo's dome.
💡 Shoulders and knees must be covered.
Pantheon
A Roman temple with a famous open dome.
Trevi Fountain
A huge baroque fountain.
💡 Very crowded; go early in the morning.
Trastevere
A neighbourhood of narrow lanes, churches and restaurants across the Tiber.
Cacio e pepe
Pasta with pecorino cheese and black pepper.
💡 Trattorias
Carbonara
Pasta with egg, pecorino, guanciale and pepper.
💡 Trattorias
Amatriciana
Pasta with tomato, guanciale and pecorino.
💡 Trattorias
Supplì
Fried rice balls with mozzarella inside.
💡 Pizzerias and street food shops
Carciofi alla giudia
Whole fried artichokes from the Roman Jewish tradition.
💡 Restaurants in the Jewish Ghetto, mainly in spring
Leather goods
Gloves, bags and belts.
💡 Leather shops
Religious items
Rosaries, medals and icons.
💡 Shops near the Vatican
Vintage finds
Antiques and second-hand goods.
💡 Porta Portese market on Sunday mornings