If you were in Italy in 2024 and were put off by the intense crowds on your visit, don’t worry – there are ways to have Italy ‘more to yourself.’
And, if you’re planning your visit but have heard horror stories about long ferry lines in Amalfi, the packed-like-tuna Vatican Museums, or overcrowded Florence – don’t fret.
I’ve been living here and working here in tourism for over two decades. I’ve seen Italy’s tourism grow rapidly during this time (minus the major pause due to Coronavirus-19).
I’m often asked, “Where can we visit in Italy that’s not full of tourists?” or “How can I best avoid the crowds during my summer trip?”
These are my best tips for avoiding feeling like you’re stuck in a crowd in Italy. Some may be out of reach for you (for example, if you’re traveling with kids, summer may be your only time you can visit). And some may not be of interest to you (for example, if you’re a night owl, you may not want to wake up at dawn to see a quiet Rome).
However, I’m sure there’s at least one useful tip for you below that will help you avoid the crowds during your trip to Italy!
These are all based on my experience living, guiding, and planning trips here in Italy. It’s also important to note that I’ll update this annually, as the tourism dynamic changes due to travel trends (Portugal’s hot right now, so some will choose it over an Italy trip) and events (2025 is a Jubilee year, so we’ll get an influx of religious tourists).
Let’s take a look at how to make your visit to Italy a little more tranquil!
Visit Italy in the Low(er) Season
In the past, Italy had true low seasons during the winter (outside of Christmas, and Carnevale time in certain destinations). Now, Italy is busy most of the year. The quietest times for the country as a whole tend to be in February (except for places like Venice that have big Carnevale celebrations) and November. And, depending on where you’re visiting, there are high/low seasons. To give you some examples:
Florence – Quietest from mid-October through March (with a bump of visitors for the holidays).
Tuscany – Fewer crowds late-fall through early-spring, but many small villages ‘close up’ and you won’t be able to enjoy the pool at your agriturismo!
Rome – I find that it’s crowded for a longer period of time each year. I prefer the quieter months from November through March (with a bump of visitors for the holiday season).
Venice – Venice in the winter is quiet and magical! Avoid Carnevale time if you’re not interested in the celebration, as it gets extremely crowded.
Dolomites – The mountains are crowded during the summer (mid-June through mid-September when the lifts are running) and during the winter ski season (dates depend on snowfall). February and November are the least busy months but in my experience, they’re grey and gloomy. Many hotels also close up during this time period.
Puglia – Puglia is jam-packed in the summer, and the crowds start coming around Easter and don’t leave until school begins.
Matera – Matera is busy (and toasty) in the main summer months of June, July, and August. I’m partial to spring (April) visits, and October works well too. Winter is quiet with many places closing up.
Amalfi Coast – The Amalfi Coast is much quieter outside of summer months, but I’m actually not a fan of visiting outside of high season. Many restaurants and shops close up and it feels a bit sad not to be able to take a dip in the sea.
Cinque Terre – Cinque Terre’s high season is during the summer. If you’re coming to hike and have some flexibility, spring and fall are quieter – but if the weather doesn’t cooperate you won’t be able to hike.
Piedmont – Piedmont’s busy season is in the autumn, but if you’re planning a visit to the area, you may really want to be there at that time to be a part of festivals (truffles, wine, etc) and to soak up the colorful vineyards.
Sicily – Winter is my absolute favorite time to visit Sicily because it will feel like it’s just you and your big Sicilian family. Most tourists flock to Sicily from late-spring through early-fall. Note that you may still be able to swim in the ‘winter months’ – my boys have happily played in the sea in January!
Umbria – Umbrian villages, like Tuscan villages, feel most alive from spring through fall. Aside from major tourist destinations like Assisi, Umbria still doesn’t feel overrun to me, even in the ‘busy’ summer season.
Sardinia – High season for Sardinia is definitely July and August, when international and Italian visitors flock to our ‘Italian Maldives.’ If you’re visiting for beaches, I’d stick to the summer months (including June), or you may find yourself in poor weather. I’ve visited in the spring and actually left early because of the non-beach weather.
Italian Lakes – While swimming won’t be on your itinerary, spring and fall visits are lovely in the Italian Lakes and you’ll be free of the intense summer crowds. Winter visits can be great, especially if you stay in a city (like Como) and have access to holiday markets, restaurants, and shops… in additional to quiet ferry rides on the lakes!
Visit Less Popular Regions and Cities in Italy
Try trading a popular destination for one that’s a little more off-the-beaten-path.
Intead of Rome, Florence, and Venice… try Modena, Pistoia, and Trieste.
Trade Tuscany for Umbria.
For mountains, try Aosta instead of the Dolomites.
For wine, skip Tuscany and head to Piedmont or Friuli.
For beach time, look to Le Marche’s Adriatic coastline.
Skip Bologna for one of its neighbors like Parma.
Escape Milan and head to charming Bergamo.
Skip Lake Como for Lake Iseo or travel to Lake Molveno over Lake Garda (for families).
Know the Italian Holidays
Foreign tourists aren’t the only travelers you’ll find while you’re here. Italians love to travel around their own country too! There are a few major holidays that tend to bring out Italian crowds. Some occur annually, others less often. A few of the main ones that tend to bring out crowds:
- Easter & Pasquetta (dates vary)
- The period around April 25th (Liberation Day) & May 1st (Labor Day)
- August, especially around August 15th (Ferragosto)
- November 1st (All Saints Day)
- Jubilee 2025 (Holy Year)
- Holidays you’re likely aware of, like Christmas and New Year’s
On these holidays, expect large crowds in Italy that will affect your travel (both volume of people at sites and using transportation – roads and public transport). For example, after a disastrous attempt at bringing my kids to the zoo one year on Pasquetta (the Monday following Easter Sunday), I will never again leave my house on the holiday.
Also, Italy’s school calendar may be different than what you’re used to. Major school holidays are about a week over Easter and the two weeks of Christmas holidays (usually a couple of days before the 25th, ending after the 6th of January. Plus, Italian students take off all summer from mid-June through mid-September. So, if you’re planning on visiting a popular family destination (or even the beach), know that right after school gets out they’ll be flooded with Italian families, and they immediately get quiet again a few days before the school year begins.
Read more about visiting Italy in January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December.
Know Major Italian Events
In addition to major Italian holidays, it’s a good idea to know about events that could bring hundreds or thousands of visitors to your chosen destination for a short period of time.
You may want to join in, or make sure you avoid the area completely.
Some are regional, while others may only concern a specific location or city. For example:
Venice Biennale – Venice’s festival of music, cinema, art, dance, and more takes place every two years.
Giro d’Italia – Italy’s major cycling race takes place each May on roads throughout the country.
Milan & Cortina Winter Olympics – Winter sports fans will head to northern Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Maratona dles Dolomites – 9,000 cyclists descend on the roads around Corvara in Badia in the Dolomites for this race on the first Sunday in July.
Concerts – Taylor Swift’s July 2024 concert brought 65,000 fans to Milan.
Siena’s Palio – Every July 2nd and August 16th, Siena’s grand Piazza del Campo is transformed into a track for a bareback horse race, drawing thousands of spectators.
Umbria Jazz – July in Perugia is full of jazz lovers attending Italy’s biggest jazz festival.
Alba White Truffle Fair – Each fall, truffle lovers flock to Piedmont’s Alba for the internationally-known truffle market, workshops, cooking shows, and more.
Pitti Uomo Florence – January’s men’s fashion event in Florence brings crowds of fashion-lovers to the city (and others like me who love the people-watching).
Milan Fashion Week – One of the ‘Big 4’ of fashion weeks (along with Paris, New York, and London), Milan’s Fashion Weeks in spring and fall both draw international visitors.
Smaller events – For example, the Pope addresses audiences in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City.
Stay Overnight in a Daytripper’s Destination
Living in Tuscany, one of my favorite places to visit is San Gimignano… in the evening. Daytime San Gimignano is a daytripper’s delight. In the morning, buses drop of visitors and return to pick them up in the afternoon or early evening. The city transforms into a delightful medieval town full of locals and in-the-know visitors.
Likewise, cruise ships bring visitors daily to Venice, but they take off in the evening, leaving a much quieter La Serenissima (the most serene).
If you can stay overnight in places like these, when everyone else wraps up their day trip and hops on the bus (or cruise ship), you can take a shower, get dressed, and head out for dinner and a magical evening!
Visit Italian Cities in August
Yes, August is busy in Italy… particularly in the mountains and at the beach. Cities, on the other hand, can be quiet – especially in the evening.
My husband jokes he feels like he ‘owns Florence’ on an August evening. We enjoy summer evenings in Italian cities, having aperitivo on the piazza, listening to live music, and going for a post-dinner stroll on unusually uncrowded streets.
Helpful Tip: Stay in the countryside and relax poolside during the hottest hours of the day and explore the city during the morning and evening. It’s harder in big (and spread out) cities like Rome, but doable in places like Florence.
Get Up Early and Stay Out Late
The early bird gets the worm… and more space!
Set your alarm and explore before the other visitors roll out of bed. Even large cities feel empty, except for shop owners sweeping their entrances, food markets setting up for the day, workers on their way to the office and students heading to class.
Likewise, late night can be quiet, even in the busiest time of year. One of my favorite things to do in Venice is get on a vaporetto after dinner and ride around the Grand Canal, looking up at the intricate ceilings of the canalside buildings.
Take a Private Tour at Night
Many museums and sites will open up in the evenings for tours and visits, especially during the hot summer months. And, usually the visits are for a limited number of guests, so you’ll have an amazing place (almost all) to yourself.
For example, here are a few big-name places that offer evening tours:
- Uffizi Galleries (Florence)
- Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel (Vatican City)
- St. Mark’s Basilica (Venice)
- The Doge’s Palace (Venice)
You can also walk on your own past sites that are closed (use common sense and trust your gut!).
Stay Overnight in Alternative Accommodation
A destination may be crowded, but you can sometimes escape the crowds by staying in alternative accommodation.
For example, if you’re visiting Ortisei in the Dolomites in July, you won’t be the only one. But, rather than staying in a hotel in the center of town with everyone else, you could take the gondola up to Alpe di Siusi and stay in a rifugio (mountain refuge) for the night. Share a mountain meal with a few others before sitting out on the deck looking at the stars, and then catch some zzzs.
Another example – Florence in the summer. Rather than marinating in the elbow-to-elbow crowds and staying in a hotel in the center of town, book a stay in an agriturismo or a castle in the Tuscan countryside. Relax on the property, take a dip in the pool, and head into Florence whenever you feel like it.
Read more about Accommodation Options in Italy
Rent a Car
If traveling by train in Italy, you’re moving around with everyone else! Rent a car and explore forgotten villages, stop at roadside fruit stands, and follow signs for local food festivals.
Plus, if you end up somewhere that feels too crowded for you, just hop in your car and try somewhere else!
Good To Know: Not every destination in Italy can be (or is easily) reached by car. For example, I prefer not to drive on the Amalfi Coast and I wouldn’t recommend trying to reach the Cinque Terre villages by car.
Read more about
Renting a Car in Italy
Driving in Italy
Paying Tolls in Italy
ZTLs in Italy
Stay Away from Famous Sites
Sounds simple, but sometimes it’s tough to stay away from the famous sites when you visit Italy. For example, if you’re in Rome, you may really want to visit the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums. Go for it! But know that you can also visit less popular sites like the Baths of Caracalla (instead of the Colosseum) or Centrale Montemartini (instead of the Vatican Museums). In Venice, walk past the crowds in Piazza San Marco and make your way to the less popular, but lovely Campo Santo Stefano.
Connect with a Local
If you’re getting your Italy travel recommendations for hotels, restaurants, and things to do from magazines, social media, and large websites, you’re likely missing out on a local’s perspective.
One of my favorite comments from readers and clients is “Wow, we never would’ve thought to eat/visit/stay here without your recommendation!”
I’ve got plenty of Italy destination guides on this site, and I also run The Tuscan Mom, which focuses on…. you guessed it – Tuscany. Claudia shares all about her home on her site, Strictly Sardinia.
Eat Dinner Early
It used to be that Italian restaurants didn’t open until 7:30pm (or later!), but now many open up much earlier, especially in bigger cities. Take advantage of the early time slots and have dinner early, before Italians and Europeans come in for their meal. True, you lose a bit of the local feel, but the restaurant will be less crowded!
My husband and I do this on date nights and when we eat out with our kids. Plus, after dinner, you’ve got time for a long passeggiata (stroll) and gelato!
Avoiding Crowds in Italy – What Doesn’t Work
Lunch time visits to museums and tourist sites – Everyone else has caught on and is trying to visit during lunch time.
Following popular guidebook recommendations – This is the perfect recipe for hanging out in crowds.
Following recommendations for ‘hidden gems’ from social media – Another way to find yourself in a crowded place with people taking selfies and setting up the perfect photo.
I hope this has given you a few tips for how to avoid crowds on your trip to Italy! Bella Italia is, well… bella, and a lot of people want to visit! Fortunately, there are ways to spread out a bit and enjoy Italy without playing footsie with a stranger!
Coming to Italy? Be sure to check out
200+ Italy Travel Tips
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