Rome In January - How To Plan For Your Best Trip

Where to Stay in Rome Italy in January

In January, Rome can be chilly, often reaching its coldest point of the year, so choosing accommodation in the city center is helpful for minimizing long walks in the cold.

We recommend staying in Centro Storico or Campo Marzo which are both near major landmarks, like the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, or the Pantheon, where you’ll be close to all the action.

The festive atmosphere still lingers throughout January, as Christmas decorations remain up until the Befana holiday on January 6th.

If you love to shop, January is the perfect time to visit.

The January sales kick off across the city.

Staying centrally means you’ll be able to walk Rome’s top shopping districts, like Via del Corso, in minutes.

Weather in Rome Italy in January

January is definitely the heart of winter.

Expect winter weather, but mild winter weather.

Rome doesn't get much sleet and snow (although I've seen a few snowy winters and even frozen fountains in Rome in January since I moved here in 2001).

Sometimes there is a quick hail shower, but it's not that common.

Does it rain a lot in Rome in January?

It can rain sometimes, sure.

The weather in Rome in January is mild, with lows near freezing, and highs of about 10-14°C / high 40s - low 50s°F.

The days are still short, being winter, but they are already getting longer since the winter solstice on December 22.

What to pack for Rome in January

Packing for Rome in January is easy, as the weather in Rome in January is consistently wintery cold.

It can be surprisingly warm for a few hours during the day when the sun is out, but it gets cold quickly the minute the sun even comes close to going down, which this time of year is around 4 PM.

This is why you should pack plenty of layers, including jackets and a heavier cardigan or pullover.

You should also be prepared for rain (or snow) in Rome in January, so I recommend bringing rain hats and a sturdy umbrella.

Visit my page of what to pack for Rome in January for specific packing recommendations and suggestions on what to wear in Rome in January.

Don't miss my page What to Pack for Rome for general packing tips for your Italy vacation.

Visit my Amazon page for all my shopping recommendations.

How to dress and what to wear in Rome in January

The key is to be comfortable.

And the other key is layering.

You'd be surprised at how warm you can feel during the day in the sunshine walking around the Coliseum.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to wear comfortable shoes, any time of year.

Make sure you bring quality, comfortable socks, too. Trust me, they make a big difference. 

I don't know about you, but I can't stand itchy socks or socks that rub my feet and defeat the comfortableness of my shoes.

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Rome in January - What to expect

If you want to visit Rome on a budget, you will find great deals on accommodations in January (after the 6th).

Weather-wise, you can expect wintery but often mild weather in Rome in January.

The days are short but it can be surprisingly warm and sunny between 11am and 4pm.

As far as crowds go...

Is it crowded in Rome in January?

You might expect January, being a winter month, to be pretty quiet in Rome.

That depends on which part of January you are here. 

The first week of January is high season in Rome, and much more crowded than you might imagine.

I always find visitors are shocked to find Rome so crowded in early January, as they assume that "January should be low season".

So why is the first week of January so busy in Rome?

First of all, it's still part of the New Year's and general holiday season.

January 6 is a major holiday in Italy and other Catholic countries:

It's the Day of the Kings (the day the Magi brought gifts).

In Italy, this holiday is mostly about kids, and is called Befana, which is the name of a not-very-pretty witch, who is actually nice, and who flies around bringing gifts to the kids.

The Christmas holiday season officially ends on the 6th of January (although you will still see lights up around Rome even through late January).

Most major tourist sites (except for the Vatican Museums) and shops are open on January 6.

However, schools and a lot of offices are closed through that date.

And often, this will stretch through whatever the following weekend is.

Then everything gets back to "normal" the following Monday.

So until then, Italian families are travelling and visiting Rome.

And that makes it pretty crowded here.

I've visited the Vatican in the first week of January and it's as crowded then as it is in May.

Finally, winter sales usually begin sometime the first week in January, and Italians will flock to their favorite stores that day, so it's yet one more reason you will see Rome's streets very busy in the first week of January. 

After that, Rome tourism drops to almost nothing.

And THEN, you can pretty much count on having a lot of sites, including the Sistine Chapel, to yourself.

Rome in January - Low Season

By the end of November, it's the beginning of (mostly) low season in Rome.

And once you get past the Christmas holidays, January is the quietest time of year to be a tourist in Rome.

Hotel rates and airfares are low throughout winter.

This is a great time to visit Rome without the crowds.

You can see all the popular sites and monuments in Rome, and have many of them nearly to yourself.

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Rome in Winter
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Foods in season in Rome in January

January is a great time to enjoy all the seasonal winter foods like artichokes, chicory, broccoli, cabbage, apples, pears, citrus fruits, and persimmons. 

Some of my favorite seasonal things to eat in Rome in winter include broccoletti (like broccoli rabe), puntarelle (pictured above), artichokes, clementines, and Sicilian blood oranges.

Rome in January - things to do

If you are here for the first week of January, you are probably enjoying the holiday festivities like New Year's Eve in Rome, and still checking out all the lit up streets and nativity scenes everywhere. 

If you're here on New Year's Day, there's also plenty to do.

If you're a shopper, you're in luck.

January is the beginning of winter sales in Italy, so if you are in Rome for the beginning of them, you can get the best stuff.

By the end of January, you will start to see all the new spring fashions arrive, and you can get a head start on all the latest spring fashion trends.

After the busy first week, January is a great time to visit monuments and museums, since they will be much less crowded.

It's also a good time to visit other parts of Italy, which will be equally as quiet - why not take the train from Rome to Florence for the day?

Free Things to do in Rome in January

On the Free Sunday you can visit Rome's museums for free.

State-run sites like the Colosseum and Castel Sant'Angelo, as well as civic museums such as the Capitoline museums are all free on the first Sunday of the month.

The Vatican Museums are free on the last Sunday of the month, for limited hours.

Visit my page about January events in Rome for more details.

Vatican events in Rome in January

There are a lot of things happening at the Vatican in January.

• On January 1, there is a mass for New Years, in addition to the Angelus.
• On January 6, you can watch a small procession celebrating the Befana.
• On January 17, there is my favorite event in Rome in January, the Blessing of the Animals in Saint Peter's Square.

For more details, visit my page about Rome events in January.

With cold and sometimes blustery days that January brings, it can be fun to enjoy a concert indoors. 

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Other Things to do Indoors in Rome in January

More ideas for things to do in Rome in January

Maybe it's your 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) time in Rome.

Or you have more than 3 days here.

Or you just want to see and do lots of fun things.

Besides the obvious must-see tourist attractions, there are lots of great things to see and do in Rome.

Here are some ideas for your visit:

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