The birth of the Lord is the focus of the religious holidays and many pilgrims come.
Also in December you have to reserve the entrance time at the Colosseum, at the Vatican Museums and at the Borghese Gallery, otherwise there are long waiting times.
The heavy Roman cuisine is perfect for winter time. You can get to know many delicious specialties. Walks through the festively lit city are very atmospheric.
Museums opening hours
Colosseum Rome December
The Colosseum is the most visited museum in Italy. It can only be visited by reservation.
Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine are closed on December 25th 8:30 – 15:30 Closing 16:30. Details about the Colosseum Tickets>
On the 1st and 18th of December, admission to the Colosseum is free and no reservation is possible. Due to the high demand, there are long waiting times for the issue of free tickets as well as for the security check. On December 25, the Colosseum’s Archeopark is closed.
On Sunday, December 1st, admission to all National Museums is free. Any other day with free admission will be decided by each museum itself. All information and opening times can be found in the list of museums.
Tickets for the National Museums
Vatican Museums Rome December
The Vatican Museums are among the most visited museums worldwide. During normal opening hours the Vatican Museums are always very busy. It is much quieter before the official opening in the early morning.
For the Vatican Museums you should buy the tickets well in advance. Otherwise you risk long waiting times at the cash register. Details about the Vatican Museums>
Tickets Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
When is St. Peter's closed in December
7 – 18:30
St. Peter’s Basilica is closed during the pope’s celebrations, for which you need invitations.
These are in December:
Masses: 12.12. 18:00, 24.12. 21:30, 31.12. 17:00.
General audiences: 4.12., 11.12., 18.12.
Urbi et Orbi 25.12. 12:00 (free entrance).
Details can be found at the monthly events.
Events
23.11.-1.12. ROMA ANTIQUARIA Antique Fair
Mon-Fri 15-20 Sat-Sun 10-20 Fiera di Roma – Rome Fair Train FL1 direction Fiumicino airport
You need invitation cards for all the Pope’s Masses in St. Peter’s Basilica and for the General Audiences.
1.12. 12:00 Angelus prayer of the Pope
1.12. Fiesta Latina
Dance, Culture, Music, Gastronomy – Latin America & Caribbean at Cinecittà World 
4.12. Papal general audience
5.12. 16:30 Inauguration of the crib on St. Peter’s Square
8.12. 12:00 Angelus prayer of the Pope
December 8, Immacolata in Rome · Immaculate Conception Feast
You are in Rome on December 8 and see processions and praying people in the… ►►►
8.12. Christmas in the Biopark children’s program
10:30-14:45 Animals below zero: discovering the species that survive the cold
11, 12: Reptile house, nutrition of reptiles and amphibians
11:15 Feeding the lemurs
12 Feeding the elephant Sofia
Viale del Giardino Zoologico Tram 3, 8 Bioparco
10.-12.12. Newspace Economy Forum on space technology
Fiera di Roma – Rome Fair Train FL1 direction Fiumicino airport
11.12. Papal general audience
12.12. 18:00 Pope’s Mass St. Peter’s Basilica, Beata Vergine Maria di Guadalupe
14.12. Musei in Musica A night of music in the museums of Rome
Capitoline Museums, Centrale Montemartini, Trajan’s Markets and many others
20-2 1 €
14.-15.12. Millenium Auto Expo
Meeting of historic cars and beauty contest at Cinecittà World
15.12. 12:00 Angelus prayer of the Pope
12.-15.12. Arti e mestieri Arts and Crafts – Fair for craftsmen from all regions of Italy
10-20 Fiera di Roma – Rome Fair Train FL1 direction Fiumicino airport
13.-15.12. Roma Archery Trophy
Fiera di Roma – Rome Fair Train FL1 direction Fiumicino airport
18.12. Papal general audience
22.12. 12:00 Angelus prayer of the Pope
24.12. 21:30 St. Peter’s Basilica, Christmas Mass
25.12. 12:00 St. Peter’s Square, Pope Benediction Urbi et Orbi
26.12. 12:00 Angelus prayer of the Pope
29.12. 12:00 Angelus prayer of the Pope
31.12. 14:00 Baths of Caracalla, New Year’s Eve Run We Run Rome 10km and 5km
31.12. 17:00 St. Peter’s Basilica, Vesper and Te Deum
Exhibitions
Cinecittà si mostra Visit the dream factory of Roman cinema, Metro A Station Cinecittà Tickets
Stadium of the Domitian The stadium under Piazza Navona Via di Tor Sanguigna 3 Tickets
Galleria Colonna – one of the largest ancient private palaces in Rome. The most beautiful rooms of the palace and the art collection of the family with artists from the 15th and 16th centuries such as Pinturicchio, Cosmè Tura, Carracci, Guido Reni, Tintoretto, Salvator Rosa, Bronzino, Guercino, Veronese, Vanvitelli
Via della Pilotta 17 (near Piazza Venezia) Bus 51, 60, 63, 80, 83, 85, 160, 170, H, n5, n8, n11, n90, n543, n716 (Piazza Venezia) Tickets
Domus Romane – the Roman houses under Palazzo Valentini Piazza Venezia, Via Foro Traiano 85, opposite the pillar of the Trajan Tickets
Capuchin Crypt – Museum and Crypt of the Capuchins
Via Vittorio Veneto 27 Bus 52, 53, 61, 63, 80, 83, 160, n90, nMA (Barberini) Tickets
Leonardo da Vinci Museum – in the Galleria Agostiana at Piazza del Popolo
Piazza del Popolo 12 Metro A, Tram 2, Bus 61, 89, 160, 490, 495, 628, nMA (Flaminio) Roma – Viterbo Tickets
The Coliseum tells of itself, permanent exhibition in the Coliseum – with the support of Heinz Beste, DAI Rom
Piazza del Colosseo Metro B Colosseo Tickets
Arte Virtuale Van Gogh e Monet Experience – Virtual Art Van Gogh and Monet in Videocittà
Ex Barracks Guido Reni, Via Guido Reni 7 Hall X Tram 2 Apollodoro or Flaminia/Reni Tickets
Living Dinosaurs Live – an incredible journey through time in Videocittà
Ex Barracks Guido Reni, Via Guido Reni 7 Hall 11 + 12 Tram 2 Apollodoro or Flaminia/Reni Tickets
Gioiello. Intimo colloquio, jewels and sculptures in the Villa Torlonia, Casina delle Civette
Tuesday – Sunday 9-19 Via Nomentana Bus Nomentana/Villa Torlonia 60, 66, 82
Mo(nu)mentum . Robert Morris 2015-2018
National Gallery of Modern Art Tuesday – Sunday 8:30am – 7:30pm via delle belle arti 131 Tram 3, 19 Galleria Arte Moderna
Colors of the Etruscans, Treasures in terracotta in the Centrale Montemartini, Via Ostiense 106, Metro B Garbatella, Bus 23, 769, 792 Ostiense/Garbatella Tickets
Roads Of Arabia – Archaeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia, special exhibition in the Baths of Diocletian
via Enrico de Nicola 79 Termini train station, Metro A Repubblica Tickets
Carthage – The immortal myth, special exhibition in the Colosseum
Piazza del Colosseo Metro B Colosseo Tickets
Impressionisti segreti, treasures from private collections, including Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Pissarro, Sisley, Caillebotte, Morisot, Gonzalès, Gauguin, Signac, Van Rysselberghe and Cross
Palazzo Bonaparte – at Piazza Venezia Tickets
Bacon, Freud, La scuola di Londra, Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, two giants of painting for the first time in Italy in a joint exhibition Chiostro del Bramante Bus 30, 70, 81, 87, 492, 628, C3 Zanardelli
Tickets at 
Canova, eternal beauty, an exhibition of international collections, Museo di Roma Tuesday – Sunday 9-19 Piazza Navona
The sculptor Canova (1757-1822) with his marble figures is one of the main representatives of Italian classicism. Exhibition at the Museo di Roma Palazzo Braschi in Piazza Navona. Tickets for Palazzo Braschi
Frida Kahlo – Il caos dentro, a documentary Spazio Eventi Via Tirso 16 Tram 3, 19 Bus 63, 83, 92 Buenos Aires
Tickets at
Concerts
Christmas Concert in the Vatican
14.12. 18:00
The music park of Rome
A jewel is the Parco della Musica, built by the internationally renowned architect Renzo Piano, in the north of Rome on Via Flaminia. Tram 2
The Parco della Musica has several auditoriums and an open air theater. Here you find performances in all styles.
Some events are organized together with the House of Jazz Bus 160, 671, 714, 792
Classical music
1.12. 20:30 Ivo Pogorelich in Recital
2.12. 20:30 Verdi Requiem
Gustavo Dudamel: Rossini, Schubert, Brahms
7.12. 20:30 Evgeny Kissin in Recital
22.12. 12:00 Family Concert Piano & Voice
Harlem Gospel Choir 25.12. 17:30 – 21:30
South Carolina Mass Choir 26.12. 21:00
Dennis Reed & Gap 27.12. 21:00, 28.12. 21:00 29.12. 18:00
Danell Daymon & Greater Works 30.12. 21:00, 31.12. 22:00
Harry Potter e il Prigioniero di Azkaban™ in Concerto
29.12. 20:00, 30.12. 15:00 – 20:00
Tickets at
Practical tips for Rome December
Climate and clothing
The highest temperatures in December are in Rome at 15° C, the minimum temperatures at 4° C. In the morning the air is cold and there may be fog. As long as the sun is shining, it is pleasant. It’s cold in the evening and at night.
It can rain occasionally in December and there can be lightning storms. The rain does not last long, but it is very intense. Everything gets submerged within a few minutes and you have to find a shelter. After 15 or 30 minutes, everything is usually over again.
At the turn of the year there are often strong cold winds and in some years it can be quite uncomfortable with a long drizzle.
Since you spend a lot of time outdoors in Rome, you need warm clothing and rainwear. Also important in Rome are comfortable shoes, as you will be walking a lot and the walkways are often bumpy.
Rome for early risers
Of course, it takes some overcoming to get up in the dark. Nevertheless, I would like to recommend that you start a day early in the morning. There is very little traffic in Rome until six o’clock in the morning and you can take beautiful photos of monuments and squares undisturbed. With a little luck, you’ll find a misty morning that offers beautiful and unique photo opportunities. The sunrise is in Rome in November between 7:18 and 7:38.
The early morning is also the best time to jog.
Mid season in Rome, what you should consider
In the beginning of December is very nice in Rome, because the attractions are not so crowded. Nevertheless, you must always reserve for some attractions, such as the Coliseum, the Vatican Museums and the Borghese Gallery. From mid-December onwards, in Rome is in high season for Christmas and there may be long queues. The entry to St. Peter’s Basilica is free of cost.In any case, I would advise you to take a guided tour, because otherwise you will not be able to capture many of the details of the basilica with its more than 1,500-year history. If you book the tour in advance on the Internet, you can pass the queue at the security checkpoint with priority granted by the visitor service of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Trevi Fountain often attracts so many visitors that it has to be closed for security reasons. Book a hotel in the center and visit the fountains and squares before breakfast when no other visitors are there. This is a unique experience!
Very usful are the Hop on hop off buses, especially between the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Colosseum and Castel Sant’Angelo. The buses run at regular intervals and are more reliable than public transport.
If you are walking in the center, choose one of the small romantic back streets with less traffic. I have prepared some tips with half-day programs in the category Three days in Rome.
Food
The Romans have an extensive lunch only on Sundays. During the week they take only a sandwich at a bar or a first course in a small restaurant.
In Rome there is an interesting street food scene and of course the best pizza al taglio. Even in December, it is worthwhile to eat a good ice cream. The best ice cream parlors offer flavor variations for every season. For dinner, the Romans spend more time. It can take several hours between appetizer and dessert. There is a lot of fish and grilled. The heavy Roman Cuisine is very suitable for December. Book a street food tour to get a good introduction.
Also in December it is a good idea to take the train from the pyramid to Ostia and have a nice dinner by the sea.
Christmas Shopping
A special consumption temple is the department store La Rinascente in via del Tritone. In the basement you can visit the ancient aqueduct which supplies water to the Trevi Fountain and the fountains in Piazza Navona. On the roof terrace you have a wonderful view over the city. Also in the side streets around Piazza Navona and around Campo de ‘Fiori there are many nice little shops and boutiques. Other shopping streets are Via Cola di Rienzo and Via Appia. The Via Marconi and the Via Tuscolana as well as the newly built shopping centers are too far away from the center for most tourists. Read about shopping in Rome.
Rome Christmas 2019 · Markets · Nativity scenes · Museums
Rome Christmas 2019. Here you will learn everything about Christmas markets in… ►►►
Excursions
It’s a good idea to take a day to explore Rome’s surroundings.
Very popular is the drive to the sea to Ostia with the local train from the pyramid (Metro B) to Ostia Lido. On the way you can see the interesting archaeological excavations in Ostia Antica.
Here you will find a complete trading city with theater. The theater stages some concerts still today.
When the weather is nice, you can take a walk on the beach and enjoy the fresh salty sea air. Read also my Day trip to Ostia
