The Best & Worst Times to Visit San Marino in 2023

Learn the best time to visit San Marino, Italy for great weather, affordable hotels, and small crowds in this guide. We’ll also share the worst time to go with travel tips to plan your stay!

Why You Should Visit San Marino

Ever visited a country within a country? That’s exactly what the picturesque and historic country of San Marino is – a hilly enclave and independent nation nestled inside Italy. 

Not only is San Marino the world’s oldest constitutional republic and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it’s also the oldest sovereign state in the world, formed back in the year 301. 

As a sovereign nation, San Marino isn’t actually part of Italy. This tiny country is known for its ancient roots and architecture, wine, cheese, livestock, and incredible scenery. 

You’ll find massive towers (The Three Towers of San Marino) looming over the vineyard landscapes and villages, reminiscent of Rapunzel’s tower with an enchanting, historic ruggedness. 

If sightseeing and admiring architectural wonders is your thing, there are many examples of medieval Romanesque, Baroque, Classical, and Neoclassical architecture in San Marino.

You’ll see the stunning Basilica di San Marino, the Palazzo Pubblico in the heart of the capital city of San Marino, and the ancient rock quarry-turned-crossbow competition site Cava San Marino Balestrieri. 

Crossbows, as you’ll probably learn on your trip, have a long and storied history in San Marino.

Crossbowmen used to play a major role in the nation’s military, though now Sammarinese men have taken up the ancient art and hold annual competitions to keep tradition alive. 

But it’s not all about the incredible buildings throughout San Marino. The country has gorgeous, sweeping views of lush, rolling hills with vineyards and weathered cobblestone streets make it an amazingly scenic place. 

Monte Titano towers in the central part of San Marino. Adventurous travelers and those who prefer a leisurely stroll can both enjoy “summiting” the mountain with stone paths, elevators, and sidewalks leading up the highest peaks. 

San Marino is also a great place to grab a bite to eat at a street-side cafe or restaurant and enjoy a glass of wine. You’ll want to try biancale, the dry white wine from grapes grown locally and beloved around the world. 

The food in San Marino is very similar to the neighboring Italian cuisine, with dishes like pasta e ceci, a garlicky chickpea noodle soup, and nidi di rondine, a tomato-sauced pasta with smoked ham, beef, and cheese. 

Can you picture spending a few days sipping local wine, tasting fresh Sammarinese flavors, and taking in the abundant historic sights with beautiful views of the countryside?

We’ll look at the best time to visit San Marino – plus the cheapest, least busy, and worst times to go – next. 

What Is the Best Time to Visit San Marino?

• Overall best time to visit: May-July
• Cheapest time to visit: October-March
• Least busy time to visit: August-November
• Worst time to visit: October-November

Summers are warm and mostly dry in San Marino, making the period from May to July the best time to visit San Marino overall.

Budget-savvy travelers might come between October and March, when the best deals on hotels are available as the weather conditions turn rainy, chilly, and snowy.

Between August and November, fewer travelers come to San Marino. This is considered the low season, and it’s a great time to come if avoiding crowds is your goal.

Consider the potential for a very wet forecast if you plan on arriving between October and November – these are the rainiest months of the year and the worst time to visit in most cases. 

Let’s take a closer look at the best time to visit San Marino for different types of trips next!

Overall Best Time to Visit San Marino

May to July is the best time to visit San Marino due to warm, sunny weather with little rain making the perfect opportunity for sightseeing and outdoor adventures. 

Visiting between the summer months of May and July means you’ll get to take full advantage of the sunny, warm dry season in San Marino.

The daily highs start around 70F in May, warming to 78F in June and 83F in July. Average temperatures are between 62F-75F during these months. 

The weather is ideal for walking the cobblestone streets to check out the architecture, heading up Mount Titano, and dining at a street-side cafe.

Open air festivals are also at their peak this time of year, especially during July. 

• San Marino World Motorcycle Championship (June)
• Medieval Days Festival (July)
• Adriatic Music Festival (July)
• San Marino Ethnological Festival (July)
• San Marino Jazz Festival (July)

July is the driest month of the year here with only 1.2″ of rain on average. May sees around 1.9″ of rain, while June gets a bit less at 1.7″ on average.

That means you’re likely to see a few showers while you’re here, even in July. But compared to the wetter months of the year – April and September through December – the weather is especially pleasant from May to July. 

The country isn’t as popular with tourists as nearby Italy, but things do get more crowded during the peak summer season when most of the annual tourists arrive. 

Because of the influx of visitors, hotel prices in San Marino rise as the warm weather comes to town.

Here’s a look at the average nightly rates in San Marino from May to July, according to data from Google Hotels:

• May: $53-$141/night
• June: $57-$150/night
• July: $57-$151/night

July is one of the busiest months of the year in San Marino, so while it offers some of the best weather and festival opportunities, consider a May or June visit if you want to go when crowds are smaller. 

Cheapest Time to Visit San Marino

October to March is the cheapest time to visit San Marino, with hotel prices dropping to their lowest average nightly rate of the year around $51-$135/night. 

Between October and March, San Marino gets chilly, rainy, and snowy if conditions are right. It’s one of the reasons this extended period is the cheapest time to visit San Marino. 

October and November are the wettest months during this period, but they’re also the warmest of the period with highs from 65F to 53F. 

By December, things start getting much cooler in San Marino with average temperatures around 40F, then dropping to 38F in January. 

February and March start slowly warming up into the low-to-mid 40s. The chilly temperatures are enough to keep some tourists away, leading to lower prices on hotels in San Marino. 

You’ll see anywhere from 2″ (December) to 2.9″ (November) of rainfall during the rainy season in San Marino, which really isn’t bad compared to the wet season in other areas. 

Still, the chance of showers and storms can make it hard to plan outings and sightseeing tours around the cities here. Humidity is highest in December, when totals reach nearly 87% humidity. 

Snowfall should be on your mind if you plan on going to San Marino during the cheapest time of year, especially between December and January. 

The snowy season starts and ends around 0.1″ in November and March. In December, about half an inch of snow will fall, while January sees about 1.1″ of snow. February gets around 0.8″.

While it’s the coldest time of year and there are chances of snow between December and February, some tourists still find this a great time to visit San Marino for sightseeing, holiday festivals, and indoor attractions. 

December is actually one of the busiest months of the year in San Marino – a miniature peak season of sorts – due to the influx of visitors around the holidays. 

Still, the average hotel price per night is lowest from October to March, as you can see in the average nightly rates:

• October: $53-$132/night
• November: $51-$134/night
• December: $53-$139/night
• January: $52-$137/night
• February: $51-$129/night
• March: $51-$128/night

Be sure to check out the Marvels of Christmas market and fair during the month of December and the first week of January.

‘Christmas of Wonders’, an event with tons of attractions like an elven village, archery booths, and art installations, takes place the first week of December. 

Least Busy Time to Visit San Marino

August to November is the least busy time to visit San Marino with fewer tourists arriving. Daily highs range from low 50s to the low 80s and regular rain showers occur during this time. 

If you want to escape big crowds and experience San Marino like a local, the best time to come is between August and November. This is when the fewest visitors come to the country. 

It’s mostly due to the increased rainfall during this time of year. San Marino’s rainy season begins to pick up in August, when monthly rainfall totals reach 1.5″.

It’s much wetter come September (2.4″) and October (2.7″), but November is the rainiest month of all. 

With about 2.9″ of precipitation on average in November, this month sees 8-9 rainy days and may require you to create some backup plans if showers begin while you’re out and about. 

Be sure to check out the San Marino’s Day festival in September with crossbow competitions, military concerts, fireworks, and flag displays that showcase the nation’s pride. 

Since August and September are drier than October and November, you’ll find that more people are in the country during these still-warm months. 

Still, the crowds are nowhere near the peak summer season or spring shoulder season during August and September.

You’ll find that hotels charge more during the month of August to catch the very end of summer travel:

• August: $71-$187/night
• September: $54-$143/night
• October: $53-$132/night
• November: $51-$134/night

If you’re serious about avoiding crowds and want to feel like you’ve got the place to yourself, save your visit for October or November – but know that it’ll be wetter during this time. 

If you’re just looking for a laid-back, less-crowded stay and don’t mind paying slightly more for your room, you’ll enjoy visiting in August or September more. 

Worst Time to Visit San Marino

The peak of the rainy season – October and November – is the worst time to visit San Marino if you’re hoping to spend time sightseeing and enjoying the outdoors. 

During October and November, you’ll deal with the most rainfall of the year in San Marino and have fewer opportunities to get out, sightsee, and stroll down the historic cobblestone streets through the cities. 

October and November are some of the cheapest and least busy months to go to San Marino, but the tradeoff is the poor weather during this time of year. 

You’ll see anywhere from 2.7″ to 2.9″ of rain per month in October and November, which translates into 8-9 rainy days per month. 

On top of the increased precipitation during this time, the temperatures begin to cool rapidly. Average temperatures are between 48F-58F in the fall. 

But nighttime lows can be very chilly, reaching into the low 40s with chances of snow at higher elevations.

If you’re after smaller crowds and low prices, it can still be a reasonable time to visit since hotels are much cheaper this time of year:

• October: $53-$132/night
• November: $51-$134/night

Make sure you have plenty of indoor plans and attractions to check out if a sudden downpour interrupts your walking tour of the city or a leisurely “hike” up Mount Titano.

Things to Consider

Visiting San Marino will be more enjoyable when you know what to look for and expect. Here are some of the best travel tips we’ve come across – you might learn something that helps you make the most of your stay! 

• There’s no airport here. San Marino is very small and doesn’t have its own airport. Getting to San Marino requires flying into the Federico Fellini International Airport in Italy, then taking a cab into San Marino. It’s about a 30 minute drive from the airport. 
• Take a guided tour. Guided and private tours are the best way to experience San Marino without missing any of the good stuff. You can choose from tours of the historic center of the city (Three Towers of San Marino, Piazza della Liberta Square, and the Basilica of San Marino), eBike tours around the city, or farmhouse and vineyard tours that include cooking classes and wine tastings. 
• Prepare for hilly terrain. Walking through San Marino can be a challenge in some areas because the terrain is quite hilly and steep. It pays to wear comfortable walking shoes with support and give yourself time to rest after climbing the many stairs and stone steps that lead you up to the higher elevations. 
• Do some shopping. San Marino is packed with small shops and boutiques, from sunglasses stores to perfumeries and old-fashioned weapons shops. Sales are common during the winter season, especially in December and January. This trend lines up with the Italian winter “saldi,” or sales, events when items are discounted up to 70% at the end of the season. 
• Get out of the tourist areas. The capital city of San Marino is where most of the touristy areas are, especially around the Three Towers of San Marino and the Basilica of San Marino. If you have time, move out into the other nearby towns in the country – Borgo Maggiore, Serravalle, and Domagnano are great – to see more of the true San Marino during your visit. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Wondering how long your visit should be, where you should stay, or how much it costs to go during the best time to visit San Marino?

Take a look at the most frequently asked questions below to learn more. 

So, What’s the Best Time to Visit San Marino?

San Marino’s beauty is best appreciated during the peak summer season, from May to July. The weather is warm, dry, and ideal for sightseeing around the capital and more rural areas. 

From October to March, hotel prices are cheapest in San Marino. The arrival of the rain and snow in the cooler fall and winter season contributes to lower prices on accommodations. 

Between August and November, you’ll find the fewest tourists in San Marino – it’s the best time to visit without big crowds. 

But the period between October and November may be the worst time to visit this country. These are the wettest months of the year and less suited for sightseeing and city strolls. 

If rugged, medieval fortress towers, rolling countryside dotted with vineyards, and tasty cuisine enjoyed in cafes along historic cobblestone streets sounds good to you, San Marino is the place to be. 

From the architecture and scenic views to the mild climate and unique history, there’s something special about San Marino that makes it one of our favorite “hidden gems” in Europe – and it could be yours, too.