Best places to visit in Italy in April

Many people have the option to visit Italy in April, including families with children. After all, the month can often coincide with the American Spring break, UK school Easter holidays and other vacation periods around the globe. For those unrestrained by school holidays, April is still a wonderful time to visit Italy. After all, you’ll be visiting ahead of the crowds that you can expect to see in peak season. That said, don’t expect April to be crowd free. It may be shoulder season but the holidaymakers are certainly starting to make their presence felt.

Moreover, the weather in Italy is warming up nicely. April is a month when visitors will typically enjoy plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures. The countryside is lush and green in April. Blossoms are also in bloom and Italy is starting to be awash in a spectacle of Spring colour.

What is more, April usually coincides with the numerous Easter festivals that take place each year in Italy. These can be fascinating to watch. Italy remains a strongly Roman Catholic country and it takes its religious celebrations seriously. Sicily can boast some of the most dramatic and eye catching Easter processions in Italy. Here in Enna at Easter, thousands of friars make their way through the city streets accompanied by the sombre music of a marching band. Or in Trapani, the Good Friday procession – Misteri di Trapani – lasts a whole day. And in the streets of Marsala on Holy Thursday, the Via Crucis (the Stations of the Cross) sees local residents playing their roles with incredible pathos.

Other major processions in Italy include the Way of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa in Rome. Tens of thousands of Christians travel from all parts of the world to Rome to participate in this torchlit procession led by the Pope. Smaller but equally beautiful torchlit processions take place in Umbria in towns including Orvieto and Assisi. And in Florence, there is the Scoppio del Carro. This tradition involves an 18th Century cart being pulled to the Piazza del Duomo by a pair of oxen. This procession is accompanied by flag throwers and drummers. Once at the cathedral square, the fuse of a dove-shaped rocket is lit, setting off a spectacular display of fireworks.

Wherever you are in Italy at Easter, you will find that towns and cities, big and small, will all have their own way of marking the event. In short, wherever you are, there is bound to be a celebration that you can be a part of.

In short, with so much going on, what’s not to like about Italy in April?!! Here’s our guide to the best places to visit in Italy in April.

Holiday in the Italian Lakes

Any time between April and June is an ideal time to visit the Italian Lakes and enjoy a stay in an Italian Lakes villa. Whilst it’s impossible to predict the weather in this part of Italy, whatever the weather, April is the perfect time to explore. April is a great month to admire the many fabulous gardens that line the shores of the Italian Lakes. It’s also one of the best times to visit the Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore.

At the top of the lake in Locarno, the Camellia Festival takes place in April. Alternatively, in the gardens of Villa Taranto on Lake Maggiore, you will find the Tulip Festival in full bloom in April. One neighbouring Lake Como the gardens of Villa Carlotta, Villa Melzi and Villa Serbelloni are also spectacular in April with rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias in full bloom.

For those who simply want to relax on the lakeside beaches, temperatures in April are often warm enough for sunbathing too. They certainly won’t be sweltering but in 2023, they did make it above 70 degrees centigrade on occasion. Think of it as the perfect weather to enjoy walking in the surrounding hillsides or to discover the charm of the many lakeside towns and villages.

View our Italian Lakes villa rentals for your Italian Lakes holiday.

Holiday in Puglia

If you are after some early warmth, then April is the perfect time to visit Puglia and enjoy a stay in a Puglia villa rental. Soaring (almost stifling) temperatures are typical in Puglia in the peak Summer months. For many, it becomes too hot to then enjoy visiting Puglia’s towns and villages. Instead, in the Summer, temperatures allow you to do little other than relax by the the pool at your Puglia villa rental or spend time on one of the incredible beaches.

But, in April, temperatures are much more pleasant. Average high temperatures increase from 17 to 20 degrees centigrade from the start to the end of the month. Whilst we can’t guarantee you won’t see any April showers, average rainfall is less than 70 mm and the region sees on average only 10 days of rain in the month. Plus, you’ll enjoy an average of six or seven hours of sunshine per day and thirteen hours of daylight in total. In short, it’s the perfect weather to discover all that Puglia has to offer. Visit its beautiful towns and villages – Ostuni, Cisternino, Lecce, Locorotondo – and enjoy the opportunity to discover its incredibly beautiful countryside. It’s the ideal time to enjoy hiking in the Gargano National Park or to go cycling through its wonderful country lanes.

Puglia is also incredibly pretty in April. The countryside is awash with colour in April, with the hedgerows and lanes lined with a blooming mass of wildflowers. Expect to see flashes of red throughout Puglia’s fields, dotted as they are with beautiful poppies.

Not only that though. Puglia is also known for its delicious sea food and April is one of the best times to enjoy some of its freshest catches!

And there is plenty going on in Puglia to keep you entertained in April too. Puglia is no stranger to Easter festivals. Probably the most famous is the one in Alberobello where, on Good Friday, there is a parade and living passion play. However, there are others, among them the Fracchie procession in San Marco in Lamis near Gargano. Last but not least, Lecce plays host to the European Film Festival in April too.

View our Puglia villa rentals for your Puglia holiday.

Holiday in Sicily

Likewise, if you’re after some early warmth after a long winter, then April is also the perfect time to visit Sicily and enjoy a stay in a Sicily villa rental. You’ll already find temperatures to be pleasantly warm on the island of Sicily in April. Average daily temperatures range between 15°C and 21°C. And, in fact, by the end of the month, temperatures can even tend to be closer to 25°C. In short, you can already be relaxing on the beaches in April in Sicily. Unfortunately, the sea temperatures will still be very much on the chilly side. But, it’s not impossible to enjoy warmer waters. Head to the Aeolian Islands. Here you will be able to bathe in the Laghetto di Fanghi, a series of mud baths and hot springs.

Sicily is somewhat of a dichotomy in April though. Whilst you can be sunbathing on its beaches, you may even be able to go skiing on its most northern slopes. Even if skiing isn’t possible, its slopes will certainly offer the most wonderful opportunity for hiking and cycling. Like Puglia, Sicily’s countryside is dotted with wildflowers at this time of year. Hike to the top of Mount Etna, through the Zingaro Nature Reserve or up Monte Cofano. Alternatively, make your way to the peak of Torre del Filosofo. From its summit, the views of the island are fantastic.

And Sicily is no stranger to festivals in April either. We’ve already mentioned the staggeringly large Easter procession at Enna when 2000 friars parade through the streets. But there are many other Easter celebrations too such as the Dance of the Devils in the mountain town of Prizzi or the Madonna Vasa Vasa in Modica. There are non religious festivals too. The Festival del Vento (Festival of the Wind) in Trapani is extremely lively. Plenty of sports – kite and windsurfing, kayaking and sailing – all take place. There is also a triathlon. All accompanied with the backdrop of concerts, cooking demonstrations and theatrical performances. And there are a number of sagre in Sicily in April too. Our favourites include the Artichoke Festival in Cerda and the Sagra della Ricotta e dei Formaggio in Sampieri.

View our Sicily villa rentals for your Sicily holiday.

Holiday in Tuscany

There is never a bad time to enjoy a stay in a Tuscany villa! However, April is definitely a great time to visit Italy’s most famous region. As with so many other places in Italy, a visit in April will allow you to enjoy plenty of sightseeing without having to contend with the oppressive heat you’re likely to find in July and August. That said, the weather is far from predictable in April. Average temperatures range between 12°C and 19°C. But slightly cooler temperatures and a little bit of rain certainly won’t detract from a Tuscany holiday. Days are getting longer. And whilst you can’t perhaps expect to be sunning yourself on Tuscany’s fantastic beaches, there are so many wonderful museums and indoor sites to explore in Tuscany’s major cities.

Just as in Sicily and Puglia, the Tuscan countryside is also arguably at its very best in April. Filled with colourful wildflowers, cherry and almond blossoms, from the Chianti Classico region in the north of Tuscany to the rolling Maremma hills in the south, the Tuscan countryside looks simply stunning in April. The beautiful purple wisteria also starts to bloom in April too. It’s a wonderful time to drive through Tuscany’s rural lanes visiting wineries and hilltop villages.

And there are just as many festivities in Tuscany in which to partake as in Italy’s other regions. We’ve already mentioned the Scoppio del Carro in Florence. But, you will find a number of other towns re-enacting the passion of Christ over the Easter weekend too. These include Asciano, Grassina and Chianciano Terme. Whilst you can expect to find these places pretty packed over the Easter weekend, the rest of the month is relatively uncrowded. Although, as always, we still recommend you book your tickets in advance.

View our Tuscany villa rentals for your next Tuscany holiday.

Holiday in Umbria

There are plenty of good reasons to visit Umbria in April too. For one thing, as in Tuscany, there are numerous festivals in Umbria in April. With our love of nature, our favourite is certainly the colourful Tulip Festival in Castiglione del Lago. However, the Coloriamo i Cieli (kite festival) also follows on later in the month when the skies above the town are filled with the colour of not just kites but also hot air balloons.

Like elsewhere in Italy, you’ll also find crowds much fewer in April than later in the year. In turn, this means you’ll also find prices that bit lower too, saving you money on your Italian holiday. And, whilst temperatures may not allow you to be sunbathing by the pool each day, you will typically see less rainfall than in either March or May. And temperatures can easily reach a rather pleasant 18°C.

But, for us, the biggest reason to enjoy a holiday in an Umbria villa rental in April is to, once again, make the most of its stunning countryside. Umbria is commonly referred to as the ‘green heart of Italy’ and April is the very epitomy of this.

View our Umbria villa rentals for your next holiday in Umbria.

Holiday on the Amalfi Coast

Last but not least on our list of places to visit in Italy in April is the beautiful Amalfi Coast. Like elsewhere, this part of Italy also has its fair share of Easter celebrations. The most notable of these are the processions in Sorrento after nightfall on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. But also worth witnessing is the singing of religious hymns by locals in Minori. April is also the month when the Jazz Festival takes place in Positano.

However, with the exception of the Easter weekend, April is nevertheless pleasantly peaceful on the Amalfi Coast. The region is only really opening up again after being closed for the Winter and it’s typically quiet. If you’re looking to explore this stunning stretch of coast without the hoards of Summer crowds (and without the scorching heat of peak Summer), it’s the perfect time to travel. It’s definitely the best time to visit Capri which in July or August becomes almost unbearable with the amount of day trippers flocking to its shores.

Weather conditions make it the perfect time to hike the incredibly beautiful Path of the Gods. And it’s the ideal month to explore the beautiful coastal villages too. Many of these – Amalfi, Minori and Maiori – will also be participating in this months Amalfi Coast Art Festival. Local and international artworks are displayed in public, turning the coastline into a colourful open air gallery. That said, if you’re looking for a beach holiday, April is not the time to visit. The weather can be unpredictable. However, with average highs commonly between 18°C and 20°C, long, lazy, outdoor lunches are certainly to be enjoyed in April!

View our Amalfi Coast villa rentals for your next holiday in the Amalfi Coast.