Visiting Rome in May and What to do and to see in Rome in May: 8 ideas and typical things of Rome that you don’t find in other periods.
Visiting Rome in May is a particularly rosy month. Spring has finally arrived and the city is full of initiatives.
Every year, in May, Rome is filled with colors, events and “warmth”: and not just the sun!
Here’s what you can expect and what you can’t miss if you visit Rome in May.
8 good reasons to visit Rome in May!
Rome in May – Essential Trip Planning Guide
Rome in May 2022: all you need to know to plan the perfect trip
1. Temperatures in Rome: a mild climate.
We are in full spring, the days have lengthened, the sun is warmer, but the temperatures are not yet high.
Temperatures in Rome in the month of May are generally between 11 and 23 degrees.
It is the ideal time to do outdoor activities, picnics, cycling, walking and sports.
2. Weather in Rome in April
Generally in this month the sun still alternates with some rain.
The rain we know is not the best ally of the city of Rome, but in reality it helps to maintain mild temperatures and deposit pollens on the ground, giving less discomfort to allergies.
Layered clothing is recommended and a waterproof jacket should be worn.
3. The gardens in bloom
Rome in the month of May is colored with the most varied shades: villas, gardens, flower beds host the flowering of many species.
In Rome, in spring, it is possible to watch the cherry blossom in many places, but the most famous are:
- Hanami near the Eur lake,
- Japanese garden at the Japanese Cultural Institute in Via Gramsci.
Another beauty not to be missed is the flowering of roses, which can be witnessed in full splendor at the Municipal Rose Garden of Rome.
The garden is open to the public only from late April to mid-June. This year it opened on Easter, April 21st 2019, and will remain open until June 15th, every day from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm.
Entry is free and you can book a guided tour at a cost of around € 5.
Spring shines in May even in the flowering of many different species in the Vatican Gardens.
4. Villas and parks of Rome: it’s time for picnics.
Rome is a city with a very high number of gardens, villas and green parks. If you visit the city in this period you will easily find groups, groups and families, lying on the lawns enjoying the mild warmth of the sun and having a picnic.
There is nothing to choose from which is your favorite nature corner.
We at “Roma Starbike” recommend the Ancient Appian Way Park, less famous than the famous villas of Rome (Villa Borghese, Villa Ada, etc.), but very suggestive from an archaeological point of view.
In the Appian Way Park we carry out one of our most characteristic electric bike tours!
The Via Appia bike tour is a mix of sports (light thanks to e-bikes), nature and history. The tour follows the ancient Roman aqueduct and also includes the Baths of Caracalla and the Catacombs.
More info on the Ancient Appian Way bike tour
5. The typical food of Rome in May: artichokes, broad beans and pecorino, strawberries
In Rome and throughout Lazio, May is a particularly rich month of first fruits and vegetables. The chefs of the capital indulge in the typical dishes of the Roman culinary tradition.
If you are visiting Rome in May, you can not stop in a local market to taste the fresh broad beans, which are traditionally eaten with pecorino. Nor can you miss a stop in a restaurant in the Jewish quarter to eat one of the last seasonal artichokes, strictly “alla giudia”.
In this period, asparagus, fresh peas and agretti are also used in Roman cooking.
The tastiest fruits arrive in Rome from neighboring places: the Terracina strawberries, the Palombara Sabina cherries (“le cerase”), the Nemi small strawberries … all delights that you can easily find in Rome, not present in any other period of the ‘year.
Many of these delicacies can be appreciated during our gastronomic tour of Rome by electric bike “Sights and delights”. The tour includes an itinerary in the historic center of Rome by electric bike with a mix of artistic-cultural and gastronomic stages. On the tour we will stop for example in the Jewish quarter of Rome to taste the famous artichoke “alla Giudia”, and we will pass in the historic local market of Campo de Fiori.
6. Trips, walks and outdoor excursions
May is one of the best times to visit Rome walking through its streets, alleys and squares.
The temperatures are ideal for excursions, on foot or by bicycle, following routes that cross the historic center, from one neighborhood to another, or naturalistic itineraries such as the one through the Appia Antica park.
Also for the itineraries in the historical center it is the ideal period, being still quite distant from the typical summer heat.
In the historic center of Rome, we in Rome Starbike offer one of the most suggestive Rome bike tours. Our bike tour of Rome, with 3D viewers!
It takes place exclusively with electric bikes, which allow you to select the degree of fatigue you want to deal with (or NOT to deal with). During the various stages of the tour, visitors will wear special visors that will show the city as it was 2000 years ago, in augmented reality mode.
7. The ice cream
In May, many patisseries and artisan ice-cream shops start again to unleash their best tastes and fill the counters, with a daily production of ice cream. It is not possible to do without it, to enjoy a break between one monument and another!!!
8. Sport events
Two major sporting events usually take place in May in Rome:
- Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the famous international tennis tournament in Rome,
- Race for the cure, marathon and events for the fight against breast cancer.
Rome May 2022 · Museums · Events · Hours
Museums
Many museums can only be visited by reservation. These include the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum, the Borghese Gallery and the museums of the Municipality of Rome. You can find information about the museums on our pages
St. Peter’s Basilica
Basilica 7 am – 7 pm – Dome 8 am – 6 pm – Treasure 9 am -6:15 pm
Details about St. Peter’s Basilica
Colosseum
9 am – 6:15 pm, closing 7:15 pm
Details about Colosseum
Vatican Museums
Monday – Thursday 9:00 – 16:00 closing 18:00, Friday, Saturday 9:00 – 20:30 closing 22:30. Closed on Sundays and May 1st. Free admission on May 29th. with opening time 9:00 – 12:30 with closing 14:00, but with very long waiting times.
The Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo is closed on May 1st. Otherwise, the opening hours are Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., closing one hour later.
Details about Vatican Museums
If you are in Rome in May, consider the idea of enjoying the opportunity to see international athletes in the field or participate in an important sporting and beneficial event.