Italy in Autumn: 5 Amazing Places to Visit

Have you ever considered visiting Italy in autumn? If you haven’t, you should! Weather is great, temperatures still warm, tourists are fewer and prices cheaper!

For more details about how and what to see in Italy in autumn, check our monthly guides: 

• Italy in September
• Italy in October
• Italy in November 

Autumn is fast becoming my favourite season to travel around Italy. Places like Florence and Venice are pretty much out of bounds in summer, due to high prices, extreme heat and terrible overcrowding .

When September comes to an end, chilly winds blow away the last of the summer warmth, and trees start to turn multi-coloured… well, I believe there’s no place more magical than Italy in Autumn.

Reasons to Visit Italy in Autumn

There are countless reasons to visit Italy in autumn – cooler weather, cheaper prices, far fewer tourists, great photo opportunities, food and wine events, and even the opportunity to have a stunning beach to yourself. Let’s have a look at each of them in detail.

1) Autumn in Italy: Fantastic Weather!

Nowadays, making weather-related prediction is getting increasingly hard, with freak weather patterns popping up every year. Generally speaking, Italy in September is still warm and sunny – temperatures start decreasing at night, but it remains warm during the day, usually in excess of 25° (even up to 30° in Southern Italy).

In autumn there’s usually more rain than in summer – the rains normally start in late September, with frequent heavy rainfall in October and November.

Temperatures decrease throughout October and November – in October you should still be able to get daytime high temperatures around 18-20°, whereas in November it’s more like 10-15°. To sum up, the weather in Italy is usually really good in Autumn!

2) Fewer Tourists

This is probably the #1 reason to visit Italy in Autumn. Tourists start to decrease from the end of August onwards, especially after schools starts again in mid-Sept. In October and November there are far fewer people around Italy compared to spring and summer – however, large cities are still fairly busy.

November is one of the best months for those that want avoid tourist crowds in places like Rome and Florence, but if you’re planning to visit offbeat places like Sardinia, Puglia or the Alps, it will be eerily quiet – maybe a bit too quiet?

3) Cheaper Prices

Fewer tourists mean cheaper prices and the opportunity to snag great hotel deals, making your autumn in Italy a budget-friendly option. And guess what – winter in Italy is even more affordable!

Tourist influx and prices rise and fall accordingly – as a result, in large cities or in places like the Amalfi Coast, where warm weather lasts for longer, prices remain high until mid-October, but tend to decrease dramatically in November.

4) Amazing Photo Opportunities

Those of you who are into landscape photography will know that there’s nothing better than a cool and crisp Autumn day to capture Insta-perfect shots – and you won’t have to wait for ages for people to move out of the way, as you would in summer. And if you like nature, October and November are the perfect time to capture the Fall foliage in all its glory!

5) Vendemmia and Food Festivals

Late September is also vendemmia (grape harvest) time, and many food and wine-related events take place – if you happen to come across a village sagra, a celebration involving copious amounts of food and wine, make sure you join in!

Northern and Central Italy are great for food and wine related events – check out our article about small towns in Emilia Romagna for example, with many cool ideas to include in your Autumn itinerary around Italy!

6) Beaches… or Snow?

As I said before, temperatures vary throughout Italy in Autumn – Sicily and Southern Italy can remain very warm (20° or more) even in late November, while the Alps may experience the first snow in October, at around 2000 m or so.

If you want beaches and sunshine even in Autumn, head to southern Italy or Sardinia – you’ll be able to enjoy stunning beaches with few other people in sight till the end of October for sure.

On the other hand, the ski season all over the Italian Alps doesn’t start until early December, but if you really want to ski there are some resorts located in the proximity of glaciers where it’s possible to ski year-round – and conditions are usually excellent in Autumn, including October and November. Check out Stelvio Pass, Val Senales and Cervinia/Breuil to know more about Autumn skiing in Italy!

Ok, Italy is a huge country – so, what are the best places to visit in Italy during the autumn? To be honest, pretty much everywhere from South Tyrol to Sicily is a good bet – but if I were to choose, these 5 places would be my pick!

1) The Alps

Italians visit the Alps in two separate seasons – in summer to hike (or just enjoy nature) and in winter to ski. Between late September and the beginning of December, when the skiing season kicks off, visitors to Alpine towns and villages are few and far between – but in my opinion, autumn is the best time to visit the Alps!

In recent years, the warm weather has lasted all through October and even early December, making hiking a lot more easy and comfortable than in the sweltering summer months. For instance, recently we went hiking in Garda Trentino in both summer and autumn – our summer hike to Rifugio Pernici was a real struggle, whereas our late September ramble to Monte Altissimo was a delight.

On top of that, from October onwards the foliage is in full swing – places like Val di Mello are becoming favourite destination to admire the autumn colours. Can it get any better? Actually, it can – October and November are classed as low season throughout the Alps, and bargains are easy to get!

Where to Stay in the Alps

• Hotels in Madonna di Campiglio
• Hotels in Cortina d’Ampezzo (close to the Dolomites)
• Hotels in Cervinia

Best Day Trips to the Alps

• Dolomites Day trip from Lake Garda
• Dolomites Day trip from Venice with Lunch

2) Cinque Terre

The five magical villages on the Ligurian coast are everyone’s favourites – in summer, overcrowding can truly spoil your experience, to the extent that I always recommend my readers to stay in nearby Levanto instead of Cinque Terre themselves. All through October the flow of tourists eases down to a trickle, and if the weather stays stable, autumn is a great time to visit Cinque Terre.

However, I would recommend watching the weather forecast closely if you’re planning to visit Cinque Terre in Autumn, especially in November – the area is prone to flooding and landslides, due to its precarious position between mountains and sea.

Where to Stay near Cinque Terre

• Hotels in Levanto
• Hotels in Monterosso
• Hotels in Manarola

Best Cinque Terre Tours

• Cinque Terre Day Trip from Florence by Train
• Cinque Terre Day Trip from Milan
• Cinque Terre Cruise with Lunch

3) Sicily

If you’re visiting Italy in autumn but still want to feel the summer atmosphere, our recommendation is to head south. Italy is over 1200 km long, and southern regions often still experience balmy weather when the Alps are covered in snow.

October and November are a great time to visit Sicily – it’s often still warm enough to visit beaches and go swimming, and it’s also a great time you want to go volcano hiking on Etna or visit the Sicily countryside.

Where to Stay in Sicily

• Hotels in Palermo
• Hotels in Catania
• Hotels in Siracusa

Best Sicily Tours

• Mount Etna Summit and Crater Trek
• Palermo Private Tour with a Local
• Palermo Sailing Adventure

4) Milan

Naturally, I simply had to include my own city! I always warn people against visiting Milan in summer – the heat and humidity are often unbearable, and as Milan is very much a ‘working city’ most locals leave the city in summertime for their holidays, and shops and restaurants outside the centre consequently close as well. With so many things to see in Milan, you don’t want to miss out on anything!

In autumn, Milan is bustling with events – Fashion week takes place in late September, bringing to the city a flurry of models, designers, journalists and all-round fashion victims. All through October, the weather often stays warm and the city comes back to life after the summer slumber, with new shops and restaurants opening up, and new exhibitions and shows.

Milan gets very busy in December and January with tourists for Christmas shopping and sales, so if you ask me autumn is the time to go!

Where to stay in Milan

• Babila Hostel (Budget)
• NYX Milan (Midrange)
• Sheraton Diana Majestic (Luxury)
• Or check out our Best Hotels in Milan post for more inspiration

Best Milan Tours

• Afternoon Food Tour With Beer Tasting in Milan
• Milan Cookery Class and Market Tour
• Milan Last Supper Tour

5) Le Marche

I’ve said that for a long time – Le Marche are the new Tuscany. If you’re after a countryside destination to experience the charm of Italian dolce vita, this region has it all. Visiting Marche in autumn will give you, once again, the opportunity to enjoy nature in total solitude – I visited a few years ago in October and had the wonderful Senigallia beaches and Mount Conero walking paths all to myself.

Where to stay in Le Marche

• Hotels in Ancona
• Hotels in Senigallia
• Hotels in Portonovo (for Mount Conero)

Best Tours around Le Marche

• Wine Tasting in Macerata
• Ascoli Piceno Gourmet Tasting Experience
• Ancona Private Walking Tour with a Local Guide

These five Italian destinations to visit in Autumn are just a suggestion – there are many more places that are wonderful in October and November, and naturally that includes the ‘Holy Trinity’ of Italian cities, Venice, Florence and Rome.

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