September is a great time to visit Italy. As the Summer comes to a close, long daylight hours still offer us plenty of opportunities to enjoy sightseeing, take a trip to the coast, or just sit in a historic square with a gelato and enjoy la Bella Vita. Temperatures are pleasant and it’s still warm enough to dine al fresco.
It’s can be quite busy in the most popular destinations (such as the major cities of art), but as the locals have finished their holidays, the coast and countryside towns are less crowded but still lively enough to enjoy. Weather is a few degrees warmer in the south, but it’s usually quite dry and you get many hours of sunshine everywhere around the Bel Paese.
Here we give you 5 great ideas for a September trip to Italy, from the famous wine towns of Tuscany to the best beaches, destinations for art lovers, and some mountains for the outdoors types.
Italy in September, 5 Great Trip Ideas
1. Check out the Wine Festivals in Tuscany’s top wine region
September is the most intoxicating month in the Chianti region, the famed wine region located south of Florence. While the vines are heavy with ripe grapes and the farmers are getting ready for the harvest, all around the region the air is filled with sweet smells and a festive feel for the annual “vendemmia“ (grape harvest).
You can plan to explore the scenic Chianti wine town, organise some wine tasting and drive around the Chianti hills with a landscape that looks like it has jumped out of a painting.
You could also organise your trip around one of the popular wine festivals that every year fill the calendar of the Chianti region in September, for a full immersion in the world of the Gallo Nero (Black Rooster) => See the Top Wine Festivals in September in the Chianti region.
Get a true taste of Italy’s famous Chianti region on this Full-Day Wine and Food Tour departing from Florence. Exploring the Tuscan hills on a 4×4 off-road vehicle, you’ll stop at a wine estate and historic villa, plus a Chianti Classico cellar. Taste top Chianti wines and enjoy a 3-course meal in the beautiful Chianti countryside.
=> Top 8 Experiences in the Chianti region
2. Great Beach Experiences in Italy in September
Once the school holidays are over in Italy – normally around the 15th September – and the scorching temperatures go down to a more pleasant standard, coastal towns and beaches become a real haven around the peninsula. Bathing establishments, hotels and restaurants are still open everywhere, and offer better deals and a more pleasant, crowd-free experience.
A couple of our favourites? You can choose to visit Sardinia’s famed beaches and enjoy the welcoming (and extremely relaxing!) atmosphere of Italy’s second biggest island, or explore the beautiful Salento area in Apulia with lovely white washed towns, heavenly food and clear waters.
=> If you’re planning a visit to southern Italy and the islands, for anyone who doesn’t enjoy the heat, it’s best to travel towards the second half of September, because in recent years temperatures remain quite high throughout the first part of the month.
3. Etruscan Trail in central Italy
This itinerary is a favourite with history buffs. Following the footsteps of the Etruscans in the Lazio region, you can discover the secrets of this fascinating people that inhabited central Italy since the 8th century BC.
You can start from the town of Viterbo, a lovely Medieval town that has an important Etruscan Museum, and then explore the necropoli nearby, Tarquinia and Cerveteri. As Unesco heritage sites, these vast cities of the dead are fascinating reminders of this mysterious civilisation. The frescoed tombs of the Tarquinia necropolis dug into the soft tufa are truly breathtaking, and a visit to the archeological museum will satisfy your craving for all things ancient.
For more Etruscan immersion check out the Sovana Archeological Park in Tuscany, central Italy, one of the so-called “tufa towns”, where you also find the “Vie cave”, sunken road also excavated by the Etruscans.
4. Dolomites, the charm of high peaks
Nothern Italy offers some breathtaking landscapes and gorgeous mountains that are a joy to explore. For anyone who loves the outdoors, unspoilt nature and majestic views, the Dolomites mountain range in the Italian Alps is a big draw. This is a popular holiday destinations with locals in August, so by September the crowds have thinned out and prices generally go down. It’s a good time for hiking too.
Highlights in the Dolomites include the charming Cortina d’Ampezzo, the scenic Val Badia with the famous Braies Lake (remember that until the 10th September the number of visitors is limited and the visit needs to be booked), Val Gardena with picturesque small town of Ortisei, and beautiful Val di Fassa that has the highest peak of the Dolomites, the gigantic Marmolada.
About the weather -> it might rain a bit so book yourself in a nice hotel (many have spas). As for clothes, bring layers as it gets quite cold once the sun goes down but you can get pretty warm days if it’s sunny. It’s advisable to visit in the first half of September, as the weather might be a bit chilly later on.
5. See the art without the crowds
Ok, we could tell you to visit Florence or Rome for a top-notch art experience. But September is still very much high season in these famous cities, and we prefer enjoying art in peace, without all the crowds. So why not discover less obviously famous but equally stunning masterpieces in other towns?
We suggest Padova to start with, with the stunning frescoes by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel. But also Mantua (this is the town where Romeo and Juliet was set!) with its beautiful churches and palaces surrounded by water.
There’s Orvieto with its striking Cathedral, and Urbino with its wondrous Ducal Palace, a Unesco Heritage Site.
Or try Lucca, still completely surrounded by its Renaissance walls, a welcoming town filled with Medieval art, including a house-tower that can be climbed. Take your pick!
Insider’s Tip => On the 13th September Lucca hosts the Volto Santo Festival, a unique occasion to see the town adorned with thousands of candles.
Weather in September in Italy
Temperatures in September are very pleasant everywhere in Italy – Average: 14°C-27°C (57°F-81°F).
Always consider the fact the Northern Italy is a few degrees colder than the South – and mountainous areas (such as the Alps) have a climate of their own (wetter and colder).
It rains for about 6 days of the month in northern and central Italy, for the rest of the month you mostly get clear skies and long hours of sunshine. In the South you’ll have fewer days of rain.
* Discovering Italy’s Top 5 Wine Regions
* Exploring the Beauty: A Guide to Italy’s Flower Festivals
What to Wear in September in Italy
The key here is to layer. Bring some cotton t-shirts, and long-sleeved shirts and dresses for the evening, plus light sweaters or jackets. Light scarves are definitely a must, something you can keep in your bag and cover your shoulders with in case the weather changes.
Author: Sabrina Nesi, founder of Lovefromtuscany.com, passionate about sharing the beauty of Tuscany and Italy with the world.
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