August, and the Empty City

Cormac Delaney · 12 July 2026

Rome half closes in August. Whether that ruins the trip depends entirely on what you came for.

What Shuts

A large number of family-run restaurants and neighbourhood bars close for two or three weeks around the middle of the month, and they close properly, with a handwritten sign and no notice online.

The places that stay open are the ones aimed at visitors, which inverts the usual advice about where to eat.

What That Leaves

A hot, quiet, strangely spacious city with no Romans in it. The evenings are pleasant, the traffic is gone and the famous sites are as busy as ever.

If you came for the buildings, August is not a bad month. If you came to eat where the city eats, it is the worst one.

The Compromise

The last week of August has most of the city back and the crowds thinning, which is the best of both.

September is better again, and the first half of it is arguably the best fortnight of the Roman year.