Visiting Italy in May: weather, best destinations, tips. All you need to know for a perfect trip [Updated for 2026]

Visiting Italy in May: all you need to know to plan a trip! The best places to visit in May in Italy, when to book what, what to expect from the weather.

May is one of the best times of the year to visit Italy, a time of bright days, mild temperatures and a hint of summer in the air.

It is my favorite time of all for a trip to Italy. I am from Rome and I got married in May, as I wanted my local and foreign guests to have the ,azimuth chance of a beautiful weather day and see Italy at its very best.

And May delivered! While you cannot be guaranteed good weather, there is a good chance that visiting Italy in May will treat you to the same beautiful weather we got back on that day (and almost on everyone of our 10+ anniversaries ever since!).

If you are looking at May to travel to Italy, this guide is for you! Based on my travels around Italy in late spring, I share the best places to go in Italy in May, what to expect from the weather and dates of notice that may impact your experience. I hope it is helpful!

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Please note: this is a seasonal travel guide about Italy in May, meant to help you decide the best time of the year for your visit. For official information and travel advisory that may affect your trip, Visa requirements etc, please refer to your Government travel advisory. Check here for official info if traveling from US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand.

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Why travel to Italy in May TL;DR (Summary)

May is a spectacular month to travel to Italy, one of the best ones if not the best one of all.

At this time, the weather tends to be warm and sunny yet not so hot to prevent safe and peasant sightseeing.

The cities are beautiful, the coast sparkling and fresh spring produce fills the tables, making it a great time for a foodie expedition.

The sea temperatures is still on the chilly side and while ferries and boat trips are wonderful at this time, swimming will be hit and miss: if you are used to cold waters you’ll be more than ok, if used to warmer ones, you may find Italian seas ‘refreshing’!

Waters at this time tend to be much warmer in Sicily and the South than in the rest of Italy.

May is still very early for the Dolomites, which cable cars only opening later in the season.

May however comes with one downside: it is SUCH a nice months, it gets busy, especially in cities. Advance booking of accommodation and tours (about 6 to 9 months ahead if you have specific dates / tours in mind) is a must.

The weather in Italy in May: what to expect

May is late spring in Italy and usually brings bright days, temperatures that range from pleasant to warm and the occasional colder day (rare, but it happens!)

At a glance, the weather in Italy in May is:

Name of the place	Temperature Low/High	Rainy days (average)
Milan, Lombardy	23C/F – 14C/F	8
Venice, Veneto	22C/F – 13C/F	7
Florence, Tuscany	24C/F – 12C/66F	8
Rome, Lazio	24C/F – 13C/F	5
Amalfi, Campania	22C/F – 18C/F	9
Palermo, Sicily	24C/F – 17C/66F	2

You can read what these temperatures mean in terms of packing in our packing list for Italy in spring.

May festivities in Italy you need to know about

The main festivity in May in Italy that can impact tour plans is May Day, 1st of May, called in Italian Festa del Lavoro (aka Labor Day).

The 1st of May is a day off and a big deal in Italy. Rome hosts a large concert on this day and you will find many local and national celebrations taking place.

If planning on museum visits on this day, double check opening hours and especially transport as the service may be reduced in some localities.

May Day is often an opportunity to go out of town: careful with traffic.

The best places to visit in Italy in May

May is such a lovely month in Italy it is hard to pick the best May destination: you can visit almost anywhere in May in Italy and find it lovely.

That said, some places are, I believe, even better than others.

Rome – the best city to visit in Italy in May

May brings very changeable weather to Rome however, it is one of my favorite months in the city!

Flowers are already in full bloom in Rome in May and all outdoor attractions from piazzas to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum are simply delightful to explore.

In Rome in May, you can mix traditional sightseeing with fun tours such as a vespa sidecar tour (to make the most of the breeze on your face!), a cycling tour or Via Appia, or you could take a food tour for seasonal specialties.

At this time, it is also easy to go on day trips out of town to enjoy the coast or the hills outside the city.

Good to know! I am from Rome, and I have more than a couple of tips to give you about visiting in May!You can find my full guide to visiting Rome in May here

Venice in May

May is one of the best month to visit Venice.

After the damp cold of the winter and the exciting yet tiring crowds of the carnival, Venice in May welcomes better temperatures, the canals in the sun shine in all their splendor and you can wander at leisure enjoying all the city has to offer on land and on water!

In Venice in May you can enjoy Venice’s top sites such as Piazza San Marco, the Doge’s Palace, Rialto but I also recommend to mix and match with less overrun areas, where you can experience a more authentic and truly magical Venice.

Among my favorite things to do in Venice in May there area walks if Cannaregio and the Ancient Ghetto area, a local walk in Dorsoduro and Castello, my recommended neighborhoods in Venice for a quiet walk.

I also highly recommend you also take a rowing class so you can experience the canals like a true Venetian!

If you get a very warm day, it can also be worth stretching to Lido, a lovely beach area in Venice with peculiar architecture.

The lagoon islands of Murano and Burano are also not to be missed at this time.

You can find our guides to Venice at the following links:

• How many days in Venice? Itinerary ideas
• The best places to stay in Venice
• Where to eat in Venice
• Venice with kids (see below)

Tuscany in May

Tuscany and its rolling hills go through a magical time in May. In May, Tuscany’s vines cover the hills in bright green tones, the warm sun invites you stroll and wander Tuscany’s famous hilltop towns and you are usually already able to head the coast for a plate of pasta with clams with sea views!

May is also a fantastic time to visit Florence, which is not yet scorching this time of year.

My favourite experiences in Tuscany in May are a day out on Tenuta Chiudendone, going wine tasting in Chianti castles (I love Verrazzano and Brolio), soaking in the beautiful Tuscan hot springs and letting the breeze caress my face on a vespa tour.

On a sunny day, you can enjoy the stunning rolling hills of this area, go for long days of sightseeing and even sit in the sun on one of the many Tuscany beaches.

The best places to visit in Tuscany in May are:

• Florence – too hot in summer, cold in winter but perfect in spring
• Val d’Orcia – an area of Tuscany of natural beauty so unique, it is now Unesco World Heritage Site
• San Gimignano – delightful medieval town and Unesco World Heritage Site
• Siena – One of the most beautiful small towns in Italy, with a wonderful historical town center
• Lucca – a pretty town with a lovely center and the option to cycle along its medieval walls
• Montalcino – wine town, perfect for wine lovers
• Montepulciano – one of the prettiest villages in Tuscany and my personal favorite
• Pienza – built in the Renaissance as the perfect city, no less!
• San Quirico d’Orcia – a delightful medieval town in the heart of stunning Val d’Orcia
• Monticchiello – a delightful country hamlet perfect to immerse yourself in relaxing country settings
• Bagno Vignoni and Saturnia, two thermal localities with some of the best thermal springs in Tuscany

Umbria in May

Often considered the little sister of Tuscany, Umbria is stunning in any season and can be a real treat in May. The region is often referred to as ‘the green heart of Italy’ and it is easy to see why: a landlocked area, Umbria has beautiful forested hills fantastic for a relaxing stay in the countryside and access to forest walks, waterfall and, of course pretty towns!

You can find here >>> my favorite prettiest towns in Umbria

Depending on the weather, you can enjoy long walks and days along the shores of the regions’ lake Trasimeno or you can warm up in its lovely museums and restaurants.

Not to be missed are:

• Orvieto – a stunning hilltop town with a long history and one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Italy (the Duomo)
• Perugia – a wonderful medieval town
• Assisi – the famous sand stunning town of St Francis. At the beginning of May, Assisi celebrates Calendimaggio, a fantastic historical festival during which you can experience performances and historical re-enactments.
• Spello – the town of flowers, a gem in spring, when its famous flower displays come back to life after the long winter
• Gubbio – one of the most fascinating and beautiful towns in Umbria
• Citta’ di Castello – a gorgeous renaissance town

Good to know: Umbria is best explored by car.

Puglia in May

Puglia is one of my favorite destinations in Italy in May, a part of Italy I can go to again and again and never get tired of.

Puglia in May offers a variety of options. If you love sightseeing, you will find plenty of adorable towns in Puglia that are great for a leisurely walk: whitewashed gems, coastal towns, and unique sites such as Alberobello are all ideal to visit at this time.

Farther South and warmer than other destinations in this list, in May in Puglia you will be able to enjoy long days out and you may even get the chance to enjoy the stunning beaches of this region, especially if you go to Salento, the beautiful province of Lecce, famous for clear waters and white beaches.

Wonderful places to visit in Puglia at this time are

• Ostuni and Monopoli, delightful whitewashed towns full of Italian charm
• Trani – a pretty, small village with a stunning church overlooking the sea (a vision!)
• Martina Franca – a lovely, whitewashed town with wonderful churches in a unique Baroque style called ‘Barocco Martinese’
• Alberobello – the famous town of trulli, UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Locorotondo – a delightful small town with whitewashed houses and pretty balconies everywhere (they win an annual prize for them, they are so special!)
• Lecce – the stunning art city so beautiful, it is often called the ‘Florence of the South’

You can see them all with a short road trip: you can find our 3 day Puglia itinerary here.

Matera in May

Close to Puglia but in the region of Basilicata, you have Matera, another wonderful destination to add to your May itinerary through Italy.

Matera is famous for its rupestrian churches and cave dwellings and is a unique place to visit.

One of the most ancient cities in the world, Matera was entirely built in the side of a mountain and has an appearance like nowhere else in Italy: here, you walk along pretty alleys along houses that alternate between traditional architecture and cave dwellings (now upscale and super clean) that make you feel like you are in a made up land of a faraway planet!

Winter is rigid here and summer can be hot while spring can bring lovely temperatures that make sightseeing easy and do justice to this wonderful city.

You can find our guide to Matera here.

Sicily in May

May is a wonderful month to visit Sicily with temperatures that range from nice to rather warm, without however usually reaching extremes. May in Sicily is a fantastic month to go sightseeing and enjoy Palermo, the Valley of the Temples in Agirgento, Mount Etna, Siracusa and Val di Noto with its baroque architecture and it is also a time when you can already enjoy boat trips, for instance in Scopello area.

Places we love in Sicily are:

• San Vito Lo Capo (beach town) and Scopello, a charming small village with a beautiful, historical ‘tonnara’ (tuna fishing station, not turned cultural/event venue), perfect to also explore Segesta, Erice and the Zingaro Reserve
• Palermo – one of the most beautiful cities in Italy
• Taormina – a town with a fantastic ancient theater and glamorous town center with shops and hotels, also a good place to explore nearby Mount Etna, which can be great this time of the year
• Siracusa – a fantastic town with a historical city center and one of the best archaeological parks in Italy
• Noto Valley – UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to the presence of unique baroque towns. My absolute favourites are Scicli and Ragusa.

You can find our recommended Sicily itinerary here. Sicily is best explored by car.

Amalfi Coast in May

May is a wonderful time to visit the Amalfi Coast.

This is the month when tourism starts to resume in this area and while you may find the water too cold for bathing (depending on what you are used to) on a sunny day the Amalfi Coast simply shines! This is a fantastic time to take in the beautiful views from Ravello, hike the famous Path of Gods and take boat trips to make the most of the stunning views of the high coastline from the water.

If you are in the area at this time, make sure you stay not just on the mainland but also stretch to the island of Capri, Ischia or Procida, magical Mediterranean paradise this time of the year.

You can find our guides to the Amalfi Coast at the following links:

• How many days to spend on the Amalfi Coast: itinerary recommendations
• The best towns to visit on the Amalfi Coast
• Travel guide to Capri
• Travel guide to Procida island

Cinque Terre in May

May is one of the best months for visiting Cinque Terre.

It is the first moment after winter when trails tend to reopen (always check specific conditions for the days of your trip) and a time when spring temperatures allow for drinks in the sun, taking in the stunning views of this area.

At this time, there is a good chance you will find the sea too cold for swimming but, especially later in the month, you will be able to enjoy boat trips and sea views

Find our Cinque Terre guides at the following links:

• My practical travel guide to Cinque Terre – start here!
• An introduction to the towns of Cinque Terre
• Cinque Terre packing list
• Visiting Cinque Terre with kids

Visiting the Italian Lakes in May

May is a wonderful month to visit Italy’s famous lakes. Lake Garda, Lake Como and Lake Maggiore top the list of lakes in Northern Italy tourists long to experience and this is a great month to do so.

On the lakes in May, you are likely to find mild temperatures and clear sky however, since they are close to mountains, the weather can be changeable. At this time, you are unlikely to want to swim in the lake but you can enjoy beautiful boat trips, aperitivo lakeside, you can cycle and drive to take in the stunning views of this part of Italy.

My favorite lake is Lake Garda: you can find here may recommended itinerary for Lake Garda for a stay as short as 4 days/

The area of the lakes have wonderful gardens and one of the best places to see flowers in Italy, special in spring!

May in Italy with kids

May can be a lovely time to visit Italy with kids as chances are the weather will allow them to spend time and the park and play in the spring sun at least for part of your stay.

At this time, I would be careful not to promise kids pool time (an error I have seen over and over again: May is not necessarily pool weather in Italy and only some areas will have pools open) but you can expect nice enough weather to go to the park, cycle, go to the zoo and, often, splash with your feet in the sea.

Destinations I feel work well with kids at this time are:

Florence with kids (click for the full guide) – always lovely with children but way too hot in summer, Florence in May with kids is wonderful. Here you can take game based tours of the top museums, take a gelato class (Did you know gelato was born in Florence?), visit interactive museums and you can of course venture out into the Tuscany countryside by car or train/

Tuscany with kids – May has the perfect temperature for hilltop town hopping mixed with farm visits and playground time. In Tuscany in May you can get the kids to take cooking classes, go cycling, you can visit castles, visit the leaning tower of Pisa and you can also head to the best beaches in Tuscany for beach play

Venice with kids – May is a fantastic time to visit Venice with kids. The weather at this time mild and devoid of mosquitoes, hungry and annoying in summer and ideal to explore the city and its islands. Fantastic things to do in Venice with kids in spring are a rowing class, a family friendly tour with gondola ride to see Venice’ top sites, and a self guided day trip to the islands of Murano and Burano.

Verona with kids – a fantastic city to visit in all seasons, Verona especially pleasant in May when you can couple it with a day trip to Venice or Lake Garda. Verona is pretty and kid friendly, easy to reach by train and a great getaway to the shores of Lake Garda which you can visit for the day or a few! You can find here >>> all my tips to visit Lake Garda with kids.

Rome with kids – Rome is AMAZING with kids and May in Rome is an exceptional time to to visit with kids as you can pretty much enjoy all the city has to offer. At this time, you can go sightseeing but also take bikes on Via Appia, take a gladiator’s class (so much fun!) and you can make the most of the weather with fun tours such as vespa side car and golf cart.

Sicily with kids – mild and beautiful perfect for family sightseeing and the occasional day on the beach (for sandcastles, not swimming), Sicily is wonderful in May! Since the island is so far south, this is the part of Italy with the highest chance of swimming and pool weather, especially towards the end of the month.

Emilia Romagna -Emilia Romagna is the region of Bologna and a fantastic place to visit with kids in Italy in May. Here you have interesting cities such as Bologna and Ravenna, super easy to visit with kids and famous for outstanding food (always a plus!) and it also has specific attractions for kids that make it easy to mix sightseeing with a day of fun: Mirabilandia, Italy in Miniature and the stunning Ferrari Museums are here!

Looking for family destination ideas in Italy? Find my selection of the best places to visit in Italy with kids here.

What to book in advance for spending May in Italy

May can be very busy in Italy and advance booking for all main attractions is recommended.

Top tip! Find here >> official sites and trusted booking resources for attractions, transport, tours and accommodation in Italy.

Attractions:

Attractions that need advance booking are:

• Last Supper (Milan) – book as soon as tickets come available as they sell out fast
• Uffizi Gallery (Florence)
• Accademia (Florence)
• Vatican Museums (Vatican City, Rome) – book as soon as tickets come available as they sell out fast
• Colosseum (Rome) – bookings become available 4 weeks before your desired date.

Trains, ferries, cars

Trains do not usually need to be booked in advance however, high-speed train on popular routes such as Rome to Florence do tend to book out or only have very expensive tickets available if left last minute, so advance planning is recommended. Tickets tend to come out any time between 6 to 3 months before. You can find all the info about train travel in Italy here.

You do not normally need to book ferries ahead for routes such as Sorrento- Capri or on the lakes.

I strongly recommend to book car rentals ahead of time for the widest selection and best price. I use DiscoverCars to find the best options.

Accommodation:

I always recommend booking accommodation in advance and my favorite booking engine is booking.com.

They have a large selection of accommodation options and excellent free cancellation opportunities too. If you want tried and tested properties, I recommend you search the ‘where to stay‘ section of this website which has my tops picks in several destinations around Italy.

How to get around Italy in May

Depending on your plans, you will want to travel around Italy by car or train. In general, cities and the area of Cinque Terre are best explored by trains, while anything rural and the vast majority of the south of Italy is best explore by car.

I recommend you read here >> how to get around Italy, which shows what mean of transport is most suitable for each area.

To help you plan, please find below:

Our guide to driving in Italy (no, you are not mad thinking about driving here!)

Our guide to train travel in Italy

I hope you enjoyed this quick guide to Italy in May. Don’t forget to also check out our 101 travel tips for Italy, for extra info. Safe travel planning!

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