Rome New Year's Day 2024

Wondering what you can do in Rome New Year's Day?

Some things are closed, but there is actually a lot that is open, and there are tons of things you can do. Get the scoop here!

Rome New Year's Day - Everything You Need to Know

If you will be in Rome for New Years, here's what you need to know:

• What's Rome like on New Year's Day?
• What's the weather like in Rome New Years Day?
• How to get around on New Years Day in Rome?
  
• What to do on New Years Day in Rome? 
• Can you shop on New Years Day in Rome?
• Where to eat brunch/lunch in Rome New Years Day?

Exciting news for 2024!

For January 1, 2024 - The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine will be open from 8.30am - 4.30pm (last entry 3.30pm) the SUPER sites will be closed.

Also, the Baths of Caracalla will be open from 9.00 to 16.30 (last entry 15.30).

Rome New Year's Day - what's it like?

If you spent New Year's Eve in Rome, you might be wondering what you can do on New Year's Day (after you've had a nice sleep-in, presumably!)

Don't be surprised to find Rome VERY crowded on New Years Day and for the rest of the first week of January.

The reason for the huge crowds is that the holiday season in Italy lasts from December 8 (Immaculate Conception, or Immacolata), through January 6 (Epiphany, or Epifania. Italians also refer to January 6 as the Befana, the name of a nice but not-pretty witch that flies around and brings gifts for kids.)

Weather in Rome New Year's Day

January is winter, so plan for cold.

Hopefully the sun will be out on New Year's Day, and you can enjoy something outdoors (see below for lots of ideas for things you can do!)

Just make sure to dress warmly and in layers. Start with a silk/cashmere/light wool undergarment like a tank top, camisole, henley or t-shirt.

Click here for my suggestions for what to pack for Rome in January.

How to get around in Rome New Year's Day

Public Transportation in Rome New Year's DAY

On New Year's Day, Rome's public transportation begins running at 8am.

For more about public transportation in Rome New Years Day, visit the ATAC website (much of this page is available also in English but holiday schedules are in Italian only.)

Taxis in Rome New Year's Day

Taxis will be running normally.

We don't really have Uber in Rome, only Uber Black. Find out about taking Uber and taxis in Rome.

What to do in Rome New Year's Day

Hopefully you've had a fun-filled Rome New Year's Eve, and probably got to bed late. So sleep in and enjoy a nice breakfast in your hotel or apartment.

Now, what to do with the rest of the day?

First of all, don't worry about finding someplace to eat. Some restaurants are closed for the day or just for lunch, but many are open.

• What's closed in Rome on January 1
• Vatican events on January 1
• Museums and exhibits in Rome open on January 1
• Things to do outdoors in Rome New Years Day
  
• Tours you can take in Rome New Years Day
  
• Concerts/Live music to attend on the evening of New Years Day in Rome

What's closed on New Year's Day in Rome

January 1 is a national holiday.

Most shops will be closed (with the exception of shops in Termini station, and some tourist shops around the center.)

The Vatican Museums (including the Sistine Chapel) are always closed on New Year's Day.

Usually, the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and Caracalla Baths are all closed on New Year's Day. But in 2024, they are open!

Vatican happenings on New Year's Day

January 1 is a Catholic holiday, called Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. 

On January 1, 2024 Pope Francis will be presiding at Holy Mass inside St Peter's Basilica in Vatican city at 10:00 AM. 

There will also then be the Angelus address in St Peter's Square at noon.

MUSEUMS AND EVENTS OPEN ON NEW YEAR'S DAY IN ROME

DART Chiostro del Bramante is open 11.00 am-9.00 pm (ticket office closing 8 p.m., exhibition closing 9 p.m.) For more information click here.

Palazzo Bonaparte is open from January 1st from 12.00 pm - 9.00 pm for the Maurits Cornelius Escher exhibit with 300 works on display in what is the "largest and most complete exhibition ever dedicated" to the Dutch graphic artist. For more details click here.

Churches open New Year's Day in Rome

The basilica of Saint Peter's (above) will be open after the mass is finished, from around noon to about 6:30pm. 

Many other churches in Rome will also be open. 

Whether you want to attend church services, sight-see, or just get out of the cold, visiting churches in Rome is a great way to spend New Year's Day.

OUTDOORS Things to do in Rome new year's Day 2024

Head to the Tiber River and Watch a Roman Spectacle!

At noon every New Year's Day in Rome, you can watch some (crazy) men jumping or even diving into the frigid, and rather shallow, Tiber river.

This Roman tradition began in 1946, when a Belgian Olympic diver, Rick De Sonay, dove from the Cavour bridge into the Tiber.

He'd hoped to gain attention by doing it at midnight, and land work as a stuntman.

The first time he did it, he came up out of the water with the hand-signal "OK", meaning he was OK. 

"Mr. OK" was born, and the legend grew.

Mr. De Sonay did this every year until he died at age 89 in 1988.

Since then, others have taken over.

It's now done at noon on New Year's Day, right after the canon is shot on the Gianicolo Hill.

Walking Tours you can take in Rome New Year's Day

If you're in Rome New Years Eve and not sure what to do New Year's Day, don't let the fact that a lot of the main sites and attractions are closed stop you!

For options for Rome New Year's Day walking tours, start here:

Culinary/Food Tours You Can Take in Rome New Year's Day

I think one of the most fun things you can do in Rome is take a culinary or food tour. So much about enjoying your visit to Rome has to do with enjoying the local cuisine!

Why not take a food/culinary tour on New Years Day? Shake out some of those late-night cobwebs!

Bike/Segway/Vespa Tours You Can Take in Rome New Years Day

Maybe you are feeling a bit exhausted from New Year's Eve festivities. Maybe you don't feel like walking around in the cold. Maybe you want to see a lot more than you would on foot.

There are lots of great options for taking a mobile tour with a Segway, Vespa or bicycle:

Hop-on Hop-off bus tours on New Year's Day

I often recommend taking a hop-on hop-off bus tour on your first day in Rome, especially when you are tired and/or jet-lagged. it's a great way to sight-see with minimal effort on your part, and you can relax and take in as little or as much as you want.

The same could be said for New Year's Day in Rome - if you're tired and/or otherwise want to keep it low-key but still want to sight-see, consider taking a Rome hop-on ho-off bus sightseeing tour.

Looking for tours for the disabled? Visit my page here to contact local tour companies specializing accessible travel and tours.

Evening Concerts in Rome New Year's DAY

Shopping in Rome New Year's Day

As an American, I am used to big New Year's Day sales.

It's January 1!

Let's watch football and/or go to the mall!

A very American thing to do.

The shopping scene is different in Italy.

You may be surprised to find that many shops are closed on New Year's Day in Rome.

There are some exceptions to this:

Where You Can Shop in Rome New Year's Day

Bottom line - January 1 is not a great day to shop in Rome.

But if you need to, you'll find something.

Winter Sales in Rome

Another thing about Italy's shopping traditions is that we have sales twice a year - once in winter and once in summer.

The winter sales have different start dates around Italy, but they generally start somewhere around the first weekend of January.

But not on New Years Day.

In Rome, winter sales almost always start on the first Saturday in January after the 1st.

Where to Eat Brunch/Lunch on New Year's Day

Admittedly, it can be difficult to find places to eat in Rome on Christmas Eve, but the opposite is true for New Years. 

Many places in Rome offer a big New Years dinner (cenone), and most Rome restaurants are open on January 1, too.

Brunch is less of a thing here than it is in some Anglo-Saxon countries.

Often, when Italian restaurants serve brunch, it is actually LUNCH.

So don't try too hard to find a great brunch in Rome New Years Day.

Plan on an early lunch if you like.

Bottom line, find a place you want to eat, and book it for your New Years Day lunch.

Happy New Year!!

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