Hello again! I wanted to get the opinion of those who have traveled to Rome during the hotter summer months. I wish to take a tour to visit the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. I wanted to know, would you recommend a morning tour (8:30 am) or an afternoon tour (3:15 pm)? I understand that I would be unable to completely avoid the heat, but I would like to hear other's experiences as to which time would be more bearable.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23267 posts
Absolutely 8.30am. In the summer, the heat and humidity can be pretty bad by 3.15. There is a reason that that part of the world doesn't do much between noon, one and four or five in the afternoon.
Posted by
Davis CA
759 posts
People often associate “high noon” as the hottest time of the day. Nope, generally the hottest part of the day is late afternoon during the summer, 3-5+pm. Morning is your friend and the coolest time of day. Enjoy your 8:30 am tour.
Posted by
northern CA
2456 posts
I agree with the above comments but would add that the lighting at night is worth seeing, too, and if you happen to be adept at climbing fences the couple of hours after midnight are a goldmine. Don't look for the obvious route, though; sometimes you have to go left to go right, if you catch my drift.
Posted by
NY
75 posts
Definitely go when they open in the morning. As the previous poster advised, it is generally hottest in the mid-afternoon. Right nearby the Colosseum are the ruins of Nero's palace, the Domus Aurea. This is a great place to tour in the heat of the afternoon as it is completely underground and, therefore, quite cool. We did the Forum and Colosseum in the morning with City Wonders, had lunch and then did the Domus Aurea. Here's the website if you are interested: https://www.coopculture.it/heritage.cfm?id=51
Posted by
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
4093 posts
Definitely morning. The sun will beat down on you in the afternoon in the Forum and Palatine Hill with very little shade to be found. We used Through Eternity Tours. Best group tour company we've used anywhere in Europe. https://www.througheternity.com/
Posted by
Noblesville, Indiana, USA
1370 posts
It's always good to get an early start. Assuming you'll be visiting the Forum as well. Doing all three took us 4-5 hours as I recall.
Posted by
Midwest
2768 posts
Morning.
The temperature will be cooler, but also it will be less crowded. Early mornings almost anywhere in the world are quiet, getting up and going before 8 is the most beneficial travel tip I have! The height of crowds is often mid day, and still heavy at 3-4PM. Fewer people get up early on vacation, many group tours aren’t until 10, and day trippers generally can’t arrive too early due to transportation time.