How to Keep Cool in Rome in Summer

Rome summers can be brutally hot.

So how do you keep cool in Rome if summer is the only time you can come? 

Check out my top 15 tips on what to do - and what NOT to do - to beat the heat in Rome.

15 ways to Keep Cool in Rome

Summer in Rome can be sweltering.

So how do you sight-see and stay cool?

Here are my top 15 tips:

1. Rise with the sun
2. Get out of the sun in the middle of the day
3. Take in a nighttime show
4. Head underground
5. Pop into cool churches
6. Go for gelato, granita, grattacheccha
7. Try a refreshing spritz
8. Stay hydrated
9. Don't forget those mineral salts
10. Eat indoors
11. Dress the part
12. Listen to your mother
13. Head to the beach
    
14. Cool off in a pool
15. Enjoy a shady park

Timing is everything

1) Set your alarm clock

If you are visiting Rome in the torrid summer months, there is no time like 6-9 am to go for a walk (or run) around Rome.

It's still "cool" enough to be enjoyable, plus, you will have many sites, plazas, and fountains to yourself.

Yeah, you are on vacation, and part of that means getting some rest.

Bear with me.

I suggest getting up really early, enjoying the city and even doing sight-seeing as early as you can.

Then, see tip #2 below.

2) Adopt a Mediterranean lifestyle

Get off the streets by noon.

The sun is right above you and there is no shade.

Go have a siesta in your air-conditioned room.

Go inside a big air-conditioned shopping mall or department store. 

Or enjoy a long, late lunch (inside where it's air-conditioned - see tip #9 below.)  

Go back outside around 5pm.

Grab a cold coffee or better yet, granita di caffè, and then continue your sight-seeing.

Have dinner around 8:30/9pm, so if you sit outside, you might get a hint of a breeze.

See the Sights and Still Keep Cool in Rome

3) Go to an opera

A friend invited me to an opera one July in Terme di Caracalla.

She said to make sure to bring a stole.

I said what?

It's so hot and humid out!

She said, you will see.

And indeed, it was chilly.

And I needed my stole.

My friend explained it this way (not sure if it's true but it makes sense to me):

Since there is no asphalt and no stone flooring at the Caracalla Baths, only grass and soil, there is nothing to absorb and hold onto heat.

And at night, it miraculously cools down in there.

Plus, you can see an opera in a wonderful setting!

What a great way to keep cool in Rome.

Visit TicketOne for tickets to opera and other shows and concerts in summer at Terme di Caracalla.

4) Get down under

Some of the best things to see in Rome are underground.

I recommend the mithraeum under the Basilica of San Clemente, the Roman houses at Celio, and the Domus Aurea.

In hot summer months, going underground can be a great way to keep cool in Rome, as long as the space is ventilated and fairly spacious.

5) Visit a church

With nearly 1000 churches in Rome, there is respite from the heat all around you.

Plus, you get to look at some beautiful art and architecture too.

And, bonus!

There is someplace to sit down. 

Just remember, you should be modestly dressed (knees and shoulders covered), which is one reason I suggest carrying a scarf with you, even, especially, in summer.

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Eating and Drinking to Keep Cool in Rome

There is evidence that on a hot dry day, drinking something hot will cool you down.

To me, that sounds unappealing, and it turns out that since Rome summers are beyond humid, this would be a bad idea anyway.

So go with your instinct and have cool things to eat and drink.

6) The three G's: gelato, granita and grattachecca

One of the pleasures of summer (for me at least) is getting to eat even more gelato than normal (do I need an excuse?)

In summer, you can also get treats that are not available the rest of the year.

Specifically granita di caffè and grattacchecca.

Granita di caffè is sweetened coffee that's been kept in the freezer just long enough to form ice crystals.

For  more about coffee drinks you can find in Rome, visit my page about coffee in Rome.

You can also get granita di limone and sometimes other flavors.

You will usually find granita in a gelateria. 

Grattacchecca is an old-fashioned summer treat in Italy.

You can kind of compare it to Italian ices (which are American and which you otherwise don't find here in Italy.)

Take a huge block of ice.

Scrape it until you have enough shavings to put in a cup.

Pour one or more flavored syrups over it.

Voilà!

Grattacchecca.

You will see these stands pop up on street corners around Rome, only in summer.

7) To drink or not to drink?

One way to keep cool in Rome is not to drink alcohol.

Alcohol dehydrates you but if you do want a drink, why not try an Aperol spritz?

It comes with ice (hurrah!), has less alcohol than wine, and is refreshing to sip on.

Plus you will seem like a hip Roman.

8) Drinking water is another matter

A great and frankly important way to keep cool in Rome is to drink plenty of water.

Luckily for us, Rome is literally bursting with it!

And no, I don't mean the big Bernini fountains (well yes they do have water but it's not for you!)

I am talking about the drinking water fountains all over Rome that we call nasoni.

That water comes from the mountains, over the aqueducts, and is safe, clean, cold, and delicious....and free!

So to keep cool in Rome, buy one bottle of water (at a bar or grocery where it costs less), and just fill it as you go.

Or, bring this cool collapsible travel water bottle with you!

One tip to make things a bit easier: if the spigot has a hole on top, stop the water from coming out the bottom, so it shoots out the top hole. 

9) And speaking of water - put your salts in there too

If you are out walking around in the sun all day, sweating, you are going to need to put all those salts back in your body.

At some grocery stores, you may find some Gatorade or Powerade (or bring your own powder.)

Even easier, pop into any pharmacy and get a box of MG-K or Polase.

These are packets of mineral salts that you can add to your bottle of water.

You will be amazed at how much better you feel when you drink this while walking around in the heat.

10) Eat inside

I find everyone visiting Rome in summer wants that "eating outdoors" experience.

I am a big fan of eating indoors, especially in summer.

For one thing, it's (usually) air-conditioned, at least to some degree.

If you really want to eat outside in Rome, I'd suggest saving that experience for dinnertime when the air is a little less stuffy and sticky or for late summer in September and the start of October when it's cooler.

What to wear to keep cool in Rome

11) Dress to be cool - literally

Cottons and linens are the coolest materials you can wear.

Avoid synthetics and anything tight-fitting. 

I find the most comfortable clothes to wear to keep cool in Rome are breezy cotton sundresses (I suggest knee-length which allows your lower legs to get some air, but are long enough to allow you to pop into a church if you want to), bermuda shorts, and loose-fitting cotton tops.

Bring really comfortable walking sandals or cotton tennies, that allow room for your feet to swell a little.

Don't wear flip-flops which have no support and can easily break.

Having to cut your sightseeing short because of painful feet is no fun.

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12) Listen to your mother

My mother is always telling me to wear a hat in the sun.

Of course she is right.

So invest in a good sunhat with sunblock before you leave home.

You will not only keep cool in Rome during summer, but you will save your skin!

Splish Splash - Keep Cool in Rome by Taking a Dip

13) Go to the Beach

Probably the most popular way that Romans keep cool in Rome is to leave it!

Especially on weekends in summer, you won't find many Romans in town.

They are at the beach.

Read my guide of the best beaches near Rome.

The easiest one to get to with public transportation is Ostia Beach. 

14) Go to a Pool

There are a few pools around Rome.

Some are in posh hotels, others are part of sports clubs, and others are simply pools that open only in summer, and to which you pay an entry fee.

Find out where to go by checking this blog with a very complete list of Pools in Rome.

Parks and Recreation

15) Keep Cool in Rome By Having a Nap, a Stroll or a Picnic in a Park

We have a lot of beautiful parks in Rome.

They are full of shady trees and often, benches.

You will find plenty of Romans with the same idea.

For a complete list of Parks in Rome, visit this page of the Rome Tourist Board.