7 things to do on a rainy day in Rome

Suzy Pope

Suzy Pope

The Italian capital is often called an 'open air museum', where neon-bright spritzes are sipped al fresco in ancient piazzas and the roofless Colosseum and sprawling ruins of the Roman Forum are the highlights of any sightseeing itinerary.

There’s plenty to do in Italy’s capital if the heavens open
There’s plenty to do in Italy’s capital if the heavens open © Sergieiev - Shutterstock.com

Summer might sound like the ideal time to hit the sights of Rome, but the city can be stifling as crowds clog the historic streets and the sun beats down with barely any breeze.

If you want to experience Rome in the low season to avoid the crowds and blistering heat, you might be faced with a rainy day or two. Luckily, there are plenty of things to do in a downpour to get the same history, culture and foodie fix. Plus, you might find shorter queues and fewer people and unearth some (literally) hidden spots along the way.

Getting there: find great value escapes to Rome with Jet2CityBreaks*, which departs from airports across the UK year-round.

See the Pantheon at its most dramatic

Rome's ancient Pantheon* has stood for thousands of years in the city centre. The columned façade stands out from Venetian-style buildings around it, and the striking dome is still an architectural marvel.

It remains the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome, some 2,000 years after it was built. Tickets to see inside often sell out days in advance, and, as it is one of ancient Rome's few indoor activities, tourists tend to flock here on rainy days.

Don't worry if you haven't booked in advance, pay-what-you-like guided tours are always sweeping up unprepared visitors at the last minute, giving you entry inside.

One of the building's curiosities is the seven-foot hole in the ceiling. During heavy downpours, rain tumbles from this hole onto the marble floor, creating a soothing soundscape. When the light hits it, the drizzle looks like an almost holy sign from above.

Head underground

While Rome's most famous sights - the Colosseum*, Roman Forum, Spanish Steps* and Trevi Fountain* - are all in the open air, there's a secret underground world of history to discover.

Lost for centuries, the Case Romane del Celio is a collection of ancient Roman housing hidden beneath the site of the Basilica of Saints John and Paul.

Escaping the rain to delve beneath the city, you'll find a labyrinth of typical Roman houses, shops and places of worship from the 2nd to 4th centuries.

Frescos inside have been particularly well-preserved, retaining their detail and colour thanks to centuries hidden from the sun. The site is now a museum where visitors are free to wander the ancient rooms at their own pace.

Indulge in a long, lazy Italian lunch

In low season, you may have to forgo the romantic image of lunches outside at checkered-cloth tables in the sun-dappled street, but that doesn't mean missing out on the joy of a long, lazy Italian lunch.

Comforting Roman classics like spaghetti carbonara or cacio e pepe are perfect for grey-sky days. Admire the frescoed walls as you slurp up an iconic carbonara at Antica Trattoria da Carlone or sample delectable seafood pasta at Le Mani in Pasta in Trastevere.

Head to the Jewish Quarter for a long lunch of delicately fried artichoke (a Roman tradition) and seafood at the plethora of Roman-Jewish restaurants like Nonna Betta.

Sip a spritz indoors

Ideally, a spritz or negroni is enjoyed in the dying light of the evening, con designer sunglasses. But Italy's stylish orange cocktails were never intended for outdoor enjoyment.

There’s always time for a spritz whatever the weather
There’s always time for a spritz whatever the weather © Frédéric Prochasson - Adobe Stock Image

In the early 20th century, they would have been sipped in train station bars, perhaps as a young lover waited for his intended to return from a trip to visit her grandparents in rural Italy.

So a cloudy sky and a drop of rain doesn't have to put a dampener on apperitivo time. Drink a negroni or spritz as it was intended, at one of the indoor bars by Termini station.

Across the centre of Rome, there are vast bars with vaulted ceilings and cosy boltholes offering an atmospheric spot for a cocktail. The interior at Black Market Hall in Monti is like a museum dedicated to 1920s Italy, when bitter cocktails were all the rage. Meanwhile, the Jerry Thomas Speakeasy is considered Rome's first secret bar.

Go gallery hopping

With a history of art spanning from ancient times to the Renaissance and beyond, Rome isn't short of art galleries. Set in the sprawling green expanse of the Villa Borghese* grounds, Galleria Borghese is home to paintings by Titian and Rubens, and intricate marble sculptures by Canova and Bernini, which epitomise the Renaissance era.

The villa dates back to the 17th century, so it's a historic site in itself. One of Rome's most popular art galleries, tickets for Galleria Borghese book up months in advance.

The Vatican is home to mile upon mile of gallery space where rooms are packed with marble busts, dramatic paintings and (of course) hundreds of papal statues.

On a rainy day, you could easily spend the entire time exploring each gallery before ending with the iconic Sistine Chapel. The Vatican Museums and Capitoline Hill Museums all require booking well in advance.

Tapestries inside the Vatican Museums
Tapestries inside the Vatican Museums © Right Perspective Images - Shutterstock.com

If you're faced with a sudden deluge and need somewhere to shelter while enjoying some world-class artworks without planning ahead, Centrale Montemartini is lesser-known but no less impressive in terms of collection.

Housed dramatically in Rome's first power station, you'll find sculptures, mosaics and archaeological pieces on display in warehouse-style rooms.

Did you know? Technically, Rome has higher rainfall than London, with 752 mm compared with 627 mm annually. However, Rome sees fewer days with rain: 74 to London's 114.

Take refuge in an old-world shopping mall

Milan may be considered Italy's capital of fashion, but Rome isn't short of shopping streets either. In a downpour, there's no need to shlep between shops and get soaked to the bone.

Head to one of Rome's old, covered shopping arcades to get your retail therapy fix. Galleria Alberto Sordi sits in the streets between the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon.

Designed in the 1900s, it's a vision of Art Nouveau architecture where the wrought iron fixtures and carved stone shop façades are as interesting to admire as window displays of perfectly crafted patisserie and avant-garde threads from the world of fashion.

The ornate covered Galleria Alberto Sordi arcade
The ornate covered Galleria Alberto Sordi arcade © Baloncici - Shutterstock.com

For a more down-to-earth covered shopping experience, the Mercato Esquilino is a covered hive of activity near Termini station. Stalls overflow with fresh produce from sun-fattened tomatoes to magenta-pink dragon fruit in a fusion of African, Asian and Italian vendors.

In the early hours, you might spot the city's chefs squeezing and smelling the vegetables or buying a still-wriggling lobster or two.

Hop between the churches

Hiding ancient mosaics and pieces by Renaissance artists, Rome's churches show that the city's history isn't limited to open-air ruins. Santa Maria in Trastevere is considered the first building of Christian worship in Rome, dating back to 2 CE.

Its striking rose-stone clock tower wouldn't look out of place in the medieval streets of Bologna, but the interior is even more impressive; a gleaming golden Byzantine mosaic crowns the altar.

In central Rome, right by the Pantheon, Santa Maria sopra Minerva is a dramatic Gothic church built on the site of three pagan temples. Inside, midnight blue and gold frescos dating back to the 15th century draw the eye upwards, and there's a minor piece by Michelangelo by the altar.

The Church of Sant'ignazio is just a short hop away, where the Renaissance ceiling could rival the Sistine Chapel, but without the never-ending queue to get in.

Climate in Rome

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C
12°C maximum daytime temperature in January in Rome12
13°C maximum daytime temperature in February in Rome13
16°C maximum daytime temperature in March in Rome16
18°C maximum daytime temperature in April in Rome18
23°C maximum daytime temperature in May in Rome23
27°C maximum daytime temperature in June in Rome27
30°C maximum daytime temperature in July in Rome30
30°C maximum daytime temperature in August in Rome30
27°C maximum daytime temperature in September in Rome27
22°C maximum daytime temperature in October in Rome22
17°C maximum daytime temperature in November in Rome17
13°C maximum daytime temperature in December in Rome13
Hours of sunshine (daily)
Days with some rainfall
14 days with some rainfall in January in Rome14
13 days with some rainfall in February in Rome13
13 days with some rainfall in March in Rome13
13 days with some rainfall in April in Rome13
10 days with some rainfall in May in Rome10
8 days with some rainfall in June in Rome8
5 days with some rainfall in July in Rome5
6 days with some rainfall in August in Rome6
9 days with some rainfall in September in Rome9
12 days with some rainfall in October in Rome12
15 days with some rainfall in November in Rome15
14 days with some rainfall in December in Rome14

The above guide shows the climate in Rome. Find out more about conditions across the country in our complete guide to the climate in Italy.

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Suzy Pope

Suzy Pope

Posted on Thursday 1st May 2025 in: City Culture Europe

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