bigfootwanders
Where to go in December / Italy / December

A good place. At the right time.

Italy
in December.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

No scored region rates very good or better for weather this month.

National overnight stays are 25% of the August peak.

Regional afternoon highs
39–61°F
Very good weather
0 / 21 regions

Check seasonal openings: 3 regions have an off-season warning this month.

Find your December base

Based on 21 statistical regions. Typical conditions, not a forecast for individual towns.

Illustration of Roman Forum and Colosseum with umbrella pines
The Roman Forum and ColosseumDestination view, not month-specific.

One month. 21 possibilities.

Choose your December base.

The useful differences, side by side. Open a region for its full month guide.

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

Trip focus

21 of 21 regions · Best weather first

Overall scores use the Balanced mix. Choose a different priority to order the regions by that mix.

Illustration of Roman Forum and Colosseum with umbrella pinesCityRome & LazioRome · Tivoli · OstiaRead the December guide ↗ Overall6.8/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather6.6/10Good57°F afternoons Visitor seasonSteady all yearsimilar all yearLower price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Piazza Duomo in ParmaCityBologna & Emilia-RomagnaBologna · Rimini · ParmaRead the December guide ↗ Overall7.0/10#7 month here · Balanced Weather6.0/10Good51°F afternoons · 8 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Representative olive-growing slopes around Assisi, facing the Umbrian valleyCountrysideUmbriaPerugia · Assisi · OrvietoRead the December guide ↗ Overall6.9/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather6.0/10Good53°F afternoons · 8 rain days Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Val d’Orcia-style rolling hills, farmhouse and cypress laneCountrysideTuscanyFlorence · Siena · Pisa · Chianti · LuccaRead the December guide ↗ Overall7.2/10#8 month here · Balanced Weather5.9/10Good54°F afternoons · 10 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Langhe vineyard hillsCountrysidePiedmontTurin · LangheRead the December guide ↗ Overall7.1/10#7 month here · Balanced Weather5.9/10Good48°F afternoons · 5 rain days Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Lake Como from the Bellagio shoreCityMilan, Lake Como & LombardyMilan · Lake Como · BergamoRead the December guide ↗ Overall6.8/10#8 month here · Balanced Weather5.8/10Good49°F afternoons · 6 rain days Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Northern Lake Garda from the Trentino shoreMountainsTrentinoTrento · Lake Garda (north)Read the December guide ↗ Overall6.4/10#8 month here · Balanced Weather5.8/10Good47°F afternoons · 4 rain days Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level Illustration of Mount Etna upper volcanic landscapeBeachSicilyPalermo · Taormina · Syracuse · Mount EtnaRead the December guide ↗ Overall7.1/10#9 month here · Balanced Weather5.5/10Good61°F afternoons · 8 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Val Gardena Dolomite meadow landscapeMountainsSouth Tyrol & the DolomitesBolzano · Val Gardena · MeranoRead the December guide ↗ Overall6.1/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather5.3/10Good43°F afternoons · 6 rain days Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level Illustration of Alberobello trulli quarterBeachPugliaBari · Lecce · Alberobello · Polignano a MareRead the December guide ↗ Overall5.5/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather4.9/10Fair58°F afternoons · 7 rain days Visitor seasonOff seasonmany places closedLower price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Costa Smeralda granite shorelineBeachSardiniaCosta Smeralda · Cagliari · AlgheroRead the December guide ↗ Overall5.4/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather4.9/10Fair60°F afternoons · 7 rain days Visitor seasonOff seasonmany places closedLower price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Tropea cliff and beachBeachCalabriaTropeaRead the December guide ↗ Overall5.0/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather4.5/10Fair58°F afternoons · 9 rain days Visitor seasonOff seasonmany places closedNear usual price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Representative early-summer Val Ferret meadow and granite massif scenery near CourmayeurMountainsAosta ValleyCourmayeur · CerviniaRead the December guide ↗ Overall5.6/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather4.4/10Fair39°F afternoons · 8 rain days Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Positano coastal townBeachAmalfi Coast & NaplesAmalfi Coast · Naples · Capri · Pompeii · Sorrento · PositanoRead the December guide ↗ Overall5.7/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather3.7/10Fair58°F afternoons · 12 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Urbino Renaissance skylineBeachMarcheUrbino · AnconaRead the December guide ↗ Overall5.4/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather3.4/10Fair55°F afternoons · 8 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Campo Imperatore plateauBeachAbruzzoRead the December guide ↗ Overall5.3/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather3.3/10Fair54°F afternoons · 9 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Matera Sassi panoramaBeachBasilicataMateraRead the December guide ↗ Overall5.2/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather3.2/10Fair54°F afternoons · 7 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Portofino harbourBeachLiguria & the Cinque TerreCinque Terre · Genoa · PortofinoRead the December guide ↗ Overall4.8/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather2.8/10Poor55°F afternoons · 8 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Molise agricultural hillsBeachMoliseRead the December guide ↗ Overall4.6/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather2.6/10Poor53°F afternoons · 9 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Grand Canal toward Santa Maria della Salute from an Accademia-style viewpointBeachVenice & the VenetoVenice · Verona · Cortina d'Ampezzo · Lake Garda (east)Read the December guide ↗ Overall4.0/10#11 month here · Balanced Weather2.0/10Poor50°F afternoons · 6 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level Illustration of Trieste City Hall across Piazza UnitàBeachFriuli Venezia GiuliaTriesteRead the December guide ↗ Overall3.8/10#10 month here · Balanced Weather1.8/10Poor50°F afternoons · 7 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical regional seasonal index; national price level

Cost words compare a published regional accommodation level with Italy's typical level, or describe a region's price season against its own year. The Cost score still uses Italy's price level on the Europe scale; where regional money levels are unavailable, a cheaper season does not establish which region has the cheapest rooms.

What goes into the scores?

Overall combines weather, crowds and cost. It is not a weather rating. By default, the list ranks weather first and shows Balanced Overall scores (50% weather, 30% crowds, 20% cost). Other priorities order it by your Overall mix. Missing cost is excluded and the available parts are reweighted.

Visitor season compares each region with its own year. A higher crowd score does not establish which place has fewer people in absolute terms. Regions cover whole statistical areas; open a guide for its geographic scope. Read the scoring method.

Weather across the country

December weather & packing.

Regional averages vary; check a forecast closer to your trip.

Typical afternoons
39–61°F
Typical nights
27–48°F
Rain days
4–12 days

Ranges span available regional monthly averages, not daily extremes. A dash means a measurement is unavailable or withheld; individual guides explain the gaps.

What to bring.

Sicily: afternoons around 61°F (16°C): light layers; nights around 48°F (9°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 8 days with at least 1 mm of rain. Aosta Valley: afternoons around 39°F (4°C): a warm coat.

Weather, region by region Afternoons, nights, rain & weather
Available regional monthly averages. Very good weather means a displayed score of at least 7.0/10.
RegionAfternoonNightRain daysWeather
Rome & Lazio57°F42°F—good
Bologna & Emilia-Romagna51°F36°F8good
Umbria53°F38°F8good
Tuscany54°F40°F10good
Piedmont48°F33°F5good
Milan, Lake Como & Lombardy49°F34°F6good
Trentino47°F31°F4good
Sicily61°F48°F8good
South Tyrol & the Dolomites43°F27°F6good
Puglia58°F45°F7fair
Sardinia60°F47°F7fair
Calabria58°F45°F9fair
Aosta Valley39°F—8fair
Amalfi Coast & Naples58°F45°F12fair
Marche55°F—8fair
Abruzzo54°F—9fair
Basilicata54°F39°F7fair
Liguria & the Cinque Terre55°F42°F8poor
Molise53°F38°F9poor
Venice & the Veneto50°F35°F6poor
Friuli Venezia Giulia50°F—7poor

Before you go

Check the trip details.

The visitor season

Low season, nationally.

December records 25% of August's overnight stays. This measures overnight demand, not queues or day-trippers.

Hotel prices

A little below usual.

−9% on Italy's historical national hotel-price index, versus its usual month in 2024–2025. This describes a price season, not a live room quote.

The national index cannot tell you which region has the cheapest rooms.

Seasonal openings

Quiet can mean closed.

There is an off-season warning for Puglia, Sardinia, Calabria. Check accommodation and activities before choosing your base.

Thinking about the coast?

Check the water, too.

Among beach-focused regions, the warmest measured seas this month are Sicily (64°F), Amalfi Coast & Naples (63°F), Calabria (63°F). Sea temperature is one part of a beach trip; open a region for weather and seasonal closures.

Events & holiday dates Check the year against your trip

Holidays: 35% of people in Italy live where schools are out on a typical December 2026 day. Public holidays: 8 Dec Immaculate Conception; 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec St. Stephen's Day. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL, and the official calendars.)

Same country. A different chapter.

Dates still up in the air?

Italy through the year ↗

December is fixed, but the destination isn't? Find somewhere else in Europe ↗

How we know Sources, scope & limitations

Each row is a statistical region (NUTS 2); open it for the full month, the sources and what moving your dates would change. National lines are built from the regions: season is Italy's total tourist nights this month against its busiest month (Eurostat, primarily 2024–2025; earlier published years where needed); weather counts regions whose displayed Weather score is at least 7.0/10 (very good or better) rather than averaging across the country; visitors ranks overnight visitors per resident against all Europe's regions (for a region) or the other countries (for Italy) that month.

A regional accommodation level is shown only where publishable money data exists; elsewhere the cost words describe a regional season against its own year, and the score starts from the national price level. Separately, Italy's 2024 restaurants-and-hotels level is above EU average (107 where the EU average is 100). Full method.