Month guide · Rome · Italy
Rome in August
What August is really like in Rome: weather, crowds, prices, events and what to pack.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
August is a quieter month with trade-offs. Expect average highs of 32°C (90°F), lows of 19°C (66°F), about 3 rainy days and roughly 13.9 hours of daylight. The hottest stretch of the year; around Ferragosto (15 August) many Romans leave and some family-run restaurants and shops close.
Key facts
- Average high / low
- 32°C (90°F) / 19°C (66°F)
- Rainy days
- About 3
- Daylight
- About 13.9 hours
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in August
August is the 2nd-warmest month in Rome: days average 32°C (90°F) against a yearly average high of 21°C (70°F), and nights fall to about 19°C (66°F). Rain falls on roughly 3 of its 31 days. Compared with July (32°C (90°F)), August is about as warm; by September highs drop to around 27°C (81°F).
- Sunrise (15 August)
- About 06:18
- Sunset (15 August)
- About 20:11
- Daylight
- About 13.9 hours
Summer (June–August). Hot and dry, with temperatures often above 30°C, open-air concerts and opera, and some local closures around Ferragosto in mid-August.
Crowds and prices
On a 1–5 scale, August rates 4 for crowds (the peak is May at 5) and 3 for hotel prices (highest in May). Prices sit in the middle of the year's range.
Events in August
- Ferragosto public holiday (15 August)
Dates move from year to year. Check the organiser’s site before booking travel around an event.
What to do in August
Mild, settled days suit walking, viewpoints and time outdoors.
Gallery · Villa Borghese
Borghese Gallery
Cardinal Scipione Borghese's villa holds one of the city's great private collections: Bernini's marble sculptures Apollo and Daphne and The Rape of Proserpina, a room of Caravaggio paintings, Titian's Sacred and Profane Love and Canova's reclining Pauline Bonaparte.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Couples
- Rainy day
- History
Religious site · Celio
Basilica of San Clemente
The upper basilica is free; pay for the excavations below, which are the real reason to come.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Market · Centro Storico
Campo de' Fiori
In the morning Campo de' Fiori is an open-air market for vegetables, flowers and spices beneath the hooded statue of Giordano Bruno, burned for heresy on this spot in 1600.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- After dark
Neighbourhood · Ghetto
Jewish Ghetto
Come for lunch in spring when Roman artichokes are in season, and see the synagogue on the museum's guided visit.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Food
- Free
- Off the beaten path
What to pack
For highs near 32°C, lows near 19°C and 3 wet days: light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and high-factor sunscreen; comfortable walking shoes.
Is August a good time to visit Rome?
A quieter month with trade-offs, with a notable event on the calendar. If your dates are flexible, April–May and September–October are better overall. Compare every month.
Rome in other months
Questions travellers ask
+Is August a good time to visit Rome?
It is a quieter month with trade-offs. The hottest stretch of the year; around Ferragosto (15 August) many Romans leave and some family-run restaurants and shops close.
+How warm is Rome in August?
Average highs are around 32°C (90°F) and lows around 19°C (66°F).
+Does it rain a lot in Rome in August?
Expect rain on about 3 days of the month, so it is usually dry.