Season guide · Florence · Italy
Florence in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Zolli, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Cold, sometimes frosty days, the lowest hotel prices and the easiest access to the Uffizi and the Accademia, plus Christmas lights in December. Expect highs up to 13°C (55°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 22 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 2°C (36°F) to 13°C (55°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 22
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11°C (52°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 7 | 9.3 h | 2/5 |
| February | 13°C (55°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 7 | 10.4 h | 2/5 |
| December | 11°C (52°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 8 | 8.9 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 12°C (54°F) against a yearly 21°C (70°F), and 22 of the year's roughly 79 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Winter sales — shop discounts across the city (usually from early January)
- January: Pitti Uomo — international menswear fair (usually mid-January)
- February: Carnival — costumes for children and Carnival pastries (February or early March)
- December: Christmas tree and nativity scene in Piazza del Duomo (usually from early December)
- December: New Year's Eve concerts in the city's piazzas
Good choices for winter
Religious site · Santa Maria Novella
Santa Maria Novella
Around the corner on Via della Scala, the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, founded by Dominican friars, is worth a look for its frescoed sales rooms.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Museum · Piazza del Duomo
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
The cathedral museum displays the originals removed from the Duomo complex for protection: Ghiberti's gilded Gates of Paradise and the north doors from the Baptistery, the Pietà Michelangelo carved for his own tomb, and Donatello's wooden Penitent Magdalene.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Uffizi riverfront
Museo Galileo
Use it as the rainy-afternoon option near the Uffizi, then walk the Lungarno to the Ponte Vecchio.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Off the beaten path
Market · San Lorenzo
Mercato Centrale
The 1874 cast-iron market hall has butchers, tripe counters, cheesemongers and greengrocers on the ground floor and a modern food hall upstairs with counters for fresh pasta, pizza, lampredotto and Tuscan wine at long shared tables.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · San Marco
Museo di San Marco
Combine it with the Accademia in one morning; the two are a short walk apart on Piazza San Marco.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Day trips in winter
- San Gimignano (About 1.5–2 hours by bus) — A walled hill town of medieval tower houses, more than a dozen still standing, above vineyards producing the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
- Chianti (Greve and Panzano) (About 1 hour by bus or 40 minutes by car) — The hills between Florence and Siena are planted with Sangiovese vines and olive groves.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Florence?
It is a trade-off: Cold, sometimes frosty days, the lowest hotel prices and the easiest access to the Uffizi and the Accademia, plus Christmas lights in December. The best months overall are April–May and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Florence in winter?
Highs of up to 13°C (55°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 22 rainy days over the season.