At a Glance
Compared to this destination's peak season
Rome in November — Travel Guide
By Harry Nara · Last updated
Rome in November offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for local culture & quiet museums. Expect temperatures of 9–17°C, around 9 days of rain, and low crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around €55–120 for mid-range travellers. Rooms are easy to find last-minute and hotel prices stay noticeably softer through the season.
Contents14 sections
#Weather in Rome in November
Rome in November averages 9–17°C (48–63°F) with around 9 days of rain, and crowds are low.
| Measure | November in Rome |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | About 17°C / 63°F |
| Overnight low | About 9°C / 48°F |
| Wet days | About 9, and on average Rome's wettest month |
| Sunset | 5:05pm on 1 November, 4:40pm by the 30th |
| Clocks | Already on winter time (changed Sunday 25 October) |
| Crowds | Among the lowest of the year |
Figures are NOAA Ciampino 1991–2020 normals.
What that actually means for your trip:
- Is Rome cold in November? Not by northern European standards. Afternoons in the mid-teens are coat-open walking weather. It is the evenings that catch people out: once the sun goes, a damp 9°C feels colder than the number, and restaurant terraces empty fast.
- The rain comes in spells rather than every day. A wet November usually means two or three grey days in a row and then a clear, washed-bright one. Plan the outdoor sites for the clear days and keep the museums in reserve.
- The day is short. With sunset before 5pm, the Forum and Palatine need a morning slot; by mid-afternoon the light is already going over the ruins.
- Wet marble and sampietrini are slippery. Rome's cobbles and its church steps turn slick in the rain, so shoes with real grip matter more than a smart pair.
Is November a good time to visit Rome? For museums, food and a city running at its own pace, yes, and it is one of the cheapest months to stay. For sunshine on the Spanish Steps, no. The honest trade is a coat and an umbrella in exchange for the Sistine Chapel without the summer crush and a hotel room for a fraction of the June rate. First-time visitors who mainly want the classic sights outdoors will do better in October; anyone who has seen Rome in summer and found it exhausting should come now.
#What to Do in Rome in November
Romaeuropa's final weeks (to 15 November)
The Romaeuropa Festival, in its 41st edition, runs from 8 September to 15 November 2026 across about twenty theatres, from the Auditorium Parco della Musica to the Teatro Argentina and MAXXI. The closing weeks carry the contemporary dance, music theatre and digital work that Rome otherwise sees little of. Tickets are sold per show; the smaller productions sell out, so book once your dates are fixed.
The 50th Roma Jazz Festival (1–24 November)
The Roma Jazz Festival turns fifty in 2026 and is dedicated to Miles Davis's centenary, with eighteen concerts at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, the Casa del Jazz and the Alcazar. Paolo Fresu opens on 1 November; the Yellowjackets with Kurt Elling play on the 4th, Steve Coleman and Five Elements on the 5th, Gonzalo Rubalcaba with Hamilton de Holanda on the 6th, and Jason Miles closes on the 24th. The Casa del Jazz, a villa in its own park near the Baths of Caracalla, is the most atmospheric of the three rooms.
The big museums, the way they should be seen
November is when the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are closest to calm. Book a timed ticket on the official site even so: the queue for walk-up tickets still forms on weekends and the online slot costs you nothing but a few euros. The last Sunday of the month (29 November in 2026) is free, and it is the one day to avoid, because the free entry brings the longest queue of the month.
The Colosseum, Forum and Palatine now work only on timed, named tickets bought in advance, and they are released about 30 days ahead. There is no walk-up entry to the Colosseum any more, whatever older guides say, although November slots are far easier to get than summer ones.
The Borghese Gallery runs strict two-hour entry slots with a cap on numbers; in November you can usually book a week ahead rather than a month.
All Saints and All Souls (1 and 2 November)
All Saints' Day is a public holiday, and in 2026 it falls on a Sunday, so it closes nothing that a Sunday would not. The day after, All Souls, is when Roman families visit their graves.
The Verano cemetery beside San Lorenzo fills with flowers and candles; walk it respectfully in the morning and you see a side of the city that no other month shows.
Solo Travellers
Take a morning for San Clemente, near the Colosseum. A 12th-century basilica stands on a 4th-century church, which stands on a Roman house and a temple of Mithras, and you can walk down through all three levels to the sound of an underground stream.
Then climb to the Capitoline Museums, where the Tabularium gallery looks straight down the Forum. Both are quiet in November and both reward an unhurried hour.
Couples
Spend a slow Saturday in Trastevere, ending at Santa Maria in Trastevere for its 12th-century apse mosaics.
On 22 November the smaller basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere marks the feast of its saint, with music and a crowded, candlelit church.
For a day away, Assisi is about two hours by train, and the Basilica of San Francesco without the summer pilgrim coaches is a quieter place entirely.
Families
Explora, the children's museum near Piazza del Popolo, works for ages 3 to 12 and runs in timed sessions that school groups book up on weekdays; aim for a weekend slot.
Mercato Testaccio is a warm, covered morning of supplì and pizza bianca.
On a clear day, the Villa Borghese gardens have bikes and pedal carts for hire and the leaves are at their autumn colour in early November.
Groups
Book a group dinner in the Castelli Romani, the hill towns 30 minutes from Termini. The new wine is on sale from the end of October, and a cantina meal in Frascati with the season's first bottles is the most Roman way to spend a November evening. For a night in the centre, an evening walking tour of the Jewish Ghetto and the Forum works well in the early dark.
#Getting Around
Fiumicino airport connects to Termini on the Leonardo Express (32 min, €14) or the slower FL1 regional train (about 45 min, €8).
Ciampino is served by airport buses to Termini (40–45 min, €6–7).
In the city, a single BIT ticket costs €1.50 and covers 100 minutes on buses, trams and one Metro ride; 24-, 48- and 72-hour passes cost €7, €12.50 and €18. You can also tap a contactless bank card at the Metro gates.
November is the month when public transport is most useful and least pleasant. Buses are packed with commuters and students in term time, and a wet day doubles the numbers. For the centro storico, walking is still quicker than any bus.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | €50–65 | Hostel bed, bar breakfasts, pizza al taglio, one trattoria meal |
| Mid-range | €100–160 | 3-star hotel, sit-down lunch and dinner, one or two museums |
| Luxury | €270+ | Historic 5-star hotels at close to their lowest rates of the year |
November and January are Rome's two cheapest months for a room, and the saving is all in the hotel line: meals, transport and entry fees cost the same as in summer. Premium hotels in the centro storico often run 40–50% below their spring prices.
Costs worth knowing:
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Leonardo Express, Fiumicino to Termini | €14 |
| BIT ticket (100 minutes) | €1.50 |
| 72-hour transport pass | €18 |
| Pantheon | €5 |
| Trevi Fountain basin, 9am–10pm | €2 (free outside those hours) |
| Tourist tax, 4-star hotel | €7.50 per person per night |
| Tourist tax, 5-star hotel | €10 per person per night |
- The tourist tax is charged on top of the room. Roma Capitale sets it by the hotel's star rating, from €4 a night in a one-star to €10 in a five-star, with B&Bs and short-let flats at €6, and it stops after ten nights in the same property. Two people in a four-star for four nights pay €60.
- Book the museums directly. The Vatican, Colosseum and Borghese all sell timed tickets on their official sites; resellers add a margin for the same slot.
- Budget for the coperto, not for tips. A €1–3 cover charge lands on most bills.
#Food & Dining
November is the start of Rome's winter kitchen.
New olive oil (olio nuovo) arrives in the shops and on the bruschetta, green, peppery and at its best in the first weeks after pressing.
Chestnuts roast on street braziers around the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.
Puntarelle, the crisp chicory shoots dressed with anchovy and garlic, start appearing on menus, and porcini are still around early in the month.
- Trattoria Moderna (Campo de' Fiori area): Roman classics with a seasonal lean; the November menu brings mushrooms, chestnuts and new-oil dishes. Book at weekends.
- Agustarello a Testaccio: the quinto quarto kitchen of the old slaughterhouse district, open since 1957. The rigatoni con pajata and coda alla vaccinara are why you go.
- Roscioli Caffè: the pastry and coffee bar of the Roscioli family near Campo de' Fiori, the best breakfast stop on a wet morning.
- Antico Caffè della Pace: the ivy-covered café behind Piazza Navona, turning amber at the start of the month.
#Nightlife
The outdoor summer programme has long finished and nightlife moves indoors.
The universities are in term, which fills San Lorenzo, Pigneto and Trastevere with students from Thursday to Saturday.
The Auditorium Parco della Musica is at the height of its season, with the Santa Cecilia orchestra, the jazz festival and visiting international acts in its three halls.
For a quieter evening, the wine bars of Prati and Monti are at their best in November, when the new vintages start appearing on the lists. A long aperitivo at 6pm followed by dinner at 8.30pm suits the early dark better than fighting it.
#Shopping
November is the month for unhurried shopping: the autumn collections are in, the staff have time and there is none of the December crush. Black Friday (27 November in 2026) has arrived in Italy and the chains discount that weekend.
- Mercato Testaccio (Monday to Saturday): new-season olive oil sold direct by Lazio and Umbrian producers, plus cheese, salumi and wine.
- Campo de' Fiori (mornings): the produce market at its autumn best, with puntarelle, broccoletti and mushrooms.
- Via del Governo Vecchio: vintage and independent fashion, quiet enough in November for a proper browse.
- Volpetti in Testaccio: the city's great delicatessen, and the place to buy a bottle of olio nuovo to take home.
Christmas starts to appear at the end of the month, with the first lights over Via del Corso and shop windows dressed for December.
#Culture & Etiquette
- Church dress still applies in winter. Covered shoulders and knees for St Peter's and the major basilicas; a scarf in your bag solves most of it.
- The coperto is not a tip. A cover charge of €1–3 a head appears on most bills. A tip on top is optional; rounding up or leaving 5–10% for good service is plenty.
- Eat on Roman time. Lunch runs from about 1pm, dinner from 8pm. A table at 7pm is easy to get and the room will be empty for the first hour.
- Respect the cemeteries on 2 November. Visiting the Verano is fine; photographing families at the graves is not.
#Essential Local Phrases
| English | Italian | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | Buongiorno | Bwon-JOR-no |
| Good evening | Buonasera | Bwoh-nah-SEH-rah |
| Please | Per favore | Pehr fa-VOH-reh |
| Thank you | Grazie | GRAT-see-eh |
| It's raining | Piove | PYOH-veh |
| A table for two, please | Un tavolo per due, per favore | Oon TAH-voh-loh pehr DOO-eh |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favore | Eel KON-toh pehr fa-VOH-reh |
| New olive oil | Olio nuovo | OH-lyoh NWOH-voh |
#Packing List
- A waterproof jacket with a hood, warm enough to wear over a jumper
- A sweater or fleece for layering; evenings sit around 9°C
- Shoes with rubber soles for wet cobbles and marble steps
- A sturdy umbrella (the wind breaks cheap ones)
- A scarf, for churches and cold evenings
- A thermal layer if you run cold; late November can bring a sharp snap
- Gloves for early mornings and evening walks
- A small daypack that keeps a phone and tickets dry
#Backup Plans
If it rains all day: go to the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme near Termini, the finest collection of ancient Roman art in the city (the Boxer at Rest, the painted garden room from Livia's villa) and rarely busy.
Pair it with the Baths of Diocletian across the road on the same ticket.
If the grey gets to you: the Borghese Gallery has more energy per square metre than anywhere in Rome, and Bernini's marble sculptures read as brightly on a dark day as a sunny one. Book the morning slot.
If you want out of the city: Naples is 70 minutes by high-speed train from Termini. The Archaeological Museum holds the best of Pompeii, and a pizza at Sorbillo or Da Michele makes the day on its own.
#Safety & Health
Rome is a safe city and November, with the smallest crowds of the year, is its lowest month for pickpocketing. The usual places still need care: Metro Line A, the 64 bus to the Vatican, and the crowds at the Trevi Fountain and Termini. Keep your phone in a front pocket and your bag zipped.
The main November hazard is underfoot. Wet sampietrini and marble steps are slippery, and the short days mean more walking after dark; stick to lit streets in unfamiliar neighbourhoods. Street fountains (nasoni) are safe to drink from all year. Pharmacies, marked by a green cross, stock everything for a cold.
Emergency: 112, the EU-wide number; 118 for an ambulance.
#What's New for November 2026
- Romaeuropa Festival, 41st edition, runs to 15 November across about twenty venues
- The 50th Roma Jazz Festival, 1–24 November, is dedicated to Miles Davis's centenary
- All Saints' Day falls on a Sunday, so 1 November closes nothing extra this year
- The Colosseum is timed, named entry only; tickets are released about 30 days ahead
- The Trevi Fountain charges €2 to enter the basin between 9am and 10pm, since 2 February 2026
- Last free Sunday at the Vatican Museums is 29 November; expect the month's longest queue
#About This Guide
By Harry Nara (founder of WhenToWander), updated September 2026 for November 2026. Climate data: NOAA Ciampino 1991–2020 normals. Dates and prices verified against:
- Turismo Roma for the Romaeuropa Festival dates
- Spettacolo.eu for the Roma Jazz Festival programme
- Roma Capitale for the tourist tax tariffs
- Fontana di Trevi for the basin fee and hours
- Vatican Museums for timed tickets and the free last Sunday
- ATAC for transport fares
For the month before, with its warmer days and the tail of the festival season, see Rome in October. For Christmas lights, the Piazza Navona market and New Year at the Circus Maximus, see Rome in December.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is November a good time to visit Rome?
If you want value and quiet sights, yes. November has some of the lowest hotel rates of the year and short queues at the big sights. The trade-off is the weather: highs around 17°C that fall through the month, early dark, and about 9 wet days, which makes it Rome’s wettest month.
What is All Saints' Day in Rome?
Ognissanti (November 1) is a national public holiday. Locals visit cemeteries to leave chrysanthemums on family graves, and many shops and restaurants close for the day. It's a sombre but culturally significant day. Major sights stay open.
When is white truffle peak in Rome?
Late November is the peak of white truffle season. Trattorias in Centro Storico and Trastevere offer fresh truffle on tagliolini, risotto, and beef tartare. Expect a €15–30 supplement for a generous shave. The best truffles come from Alba in Piedmont and Umbria.
Are flights to Rome cheap in November?
Yes — November is one of the cheapest months of the year for international flights to Rome. Hotels follow suit. If you can pack for cool, damp weather, mid-November is one of the best value windows of the entire calendar.
What’s the weather like in Rome in November?
Rome in November typically sees temperatures of 9–17°C with around 9 days of rain across the period. Pack lightweight layers that suit both cooler mornings and warmer afternoons.