Month guide · Rome · Italy
Rome in March
What March is really like in Rome: weather, crowds, prices, events and what to pack.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Livioandronico2013, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
March is a shoulder-season month. Expect average highs of 16°C (61°F), lows of 6°C (43°F), about 7 rainy days and roughly 11.8 hours of daylight. Spring arrives with blossom and outdoor tables; when Easter falls in late March, crowds at the Vatican swell.
Key facts
- Average high / low
- 16°C (61°F) / 6°C (43°F)
- Rainy days
- About 7
- Daylight
- About 11.8 hours
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in March
March is the 9th-warmest month in Rome: days average 16°C (61°F) against a yearly average high of 21°C (70°F), and nights fall to about 6°C (43°F). Rain falls on roughly 7 of its 31 days. Compared with February (13°C (55°F)), March is warmer; by April highs climb to around 19°C (66°F).
- Sunrise (15 March)
- About 06:22
- Sunset (15 March)
- About 18:17
- Daylight
- About 11.8 hours
Spring (March–May). Warm days, wisteria and outdoor tables, with Easter and Italian holidays creating some of the busiest weeks of the year at the Vatican.
Crowds and prices
On a 1–5 scale, March rates 3 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 March
- Rome Marathon (usually March)
- Holy Week and Easter at St Peter's (March or April)
Dates move from year to year. Check the organiser’s site before booking travel around an event.
What to do in March
Mild, settled days suit walking, viewpoints and time outdoors.
Historic site · Colosseo
Colosseum
Book the first slot of the morning or a late-afternoon slot, and visit the Forum and Palatine at a different time of day on the same ticket to spread the walking.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours (half a day with the Forum)
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Architecture
Museum · Vatican City
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
The popes' collections fill kilometres of galleries: classical sculpture such as the Laocoön, the Gallery of Maps, the Raphael Rooms with The School of Athens and finally the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo painted the ceiling and The Last Judgement.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
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Historic site · Centro Storico
Pantheon
Visit during a shower to watch rain fall through the oculus onto the marble floor, which has drainage holes beneath.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Landmark · Trevi
Trevi Fountain
Nicola Salvi's Baroque fountain, completed in 1762, shows Oceanus in a shell-shaped chariot drawn by sea horses against the back of Palazzo Poli.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- After dark
- Couples
- Photo spot
What to pack
For highs near 16°C, lows near 6°C and 7 wet days: layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings; a packable rain jacket for showers; comfortable walking shoes.
Is March a good time to visit Rome?
A shoulder-season month, with 2 notable events 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 March a good time to visit Rome?
It is a shoulder-season month. Spring arrives with blossom and outdoor tables; when Easter falls in late March, crowds at the Vatican swell.
+How warm is Rome in March?
Average highs are around 16°C (61°F) and lows around 6°C (43°F).
+Does it rain a lot in Rome in March?
Expect rain on about 7 days of the month.