In many places around the world, businesses and cultural institutions can shutter for days or even weeks over the Christmas holidays. If you are planning a Christmas getaway, therefore, it can be hard to know where might best be suited to a trip at this time of the year. If you were considering booking a vacation rental in Italy, for example, and were hoping to spend the Holiday Season exploring some of the great cities, museums, and attractions of Italy then you might be wondering if this is possible.
Thankfully, Italy is actually a great destination for a break over the Holidays as, while almost all museums and many independently owned businesses remain closed for Christmas Day and New Year's Day and close early on New Year’s Eve, in the days surrounding these two major national holidays days most institutions are open and ready for business.
Despite still being an overwhelmingly Catholic country, some restaurants and cafes will also be open on both of these days in bigger towns and cities, particularly larger businesses and chains. Family businesses will most likely be closed, of course, but bigger operations may be open and some businesses run by non-Christian owners may also remain open.
In addition, churches will be open for mass and services, allowing you to visit some of the most amazing architectural gems in the country on one of the most important days of the religious year – a day full of pomp and ceremony. In some ways, this is one of the best times of the year to visit Italy full stop!
The museums, notably, almost universally close for both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day but generally have pretty great opening hours either side of these days so you should be able to fit plenty into your holiday in Italy over the Holidays. However, to help you plan your trip and really make the most of it, we’ve put together a list of some of the major museums in Italy and their Christmas opening hours:
A must-see for those who book a holiday rental in Florence, this is the most visited museum in all of Italy and for good reason! According to UNESCO, this gem in the birthplace of the Renaissance boasts the highest concentration of world-renowned works of art in the world.
Opening hours:
Wednesday to Sunday from 8.15am to 6.30pm
Tuesdays (until the 17th of December 2024) from 8.15am to 10.00pm
Special opening on the 30th of December 2024
Closed on:
Mondays
25th of December
1st of January
Staying in Florence, this is the museum that houses Michelangelo’s beyond famous David, among countless other wonders, making it unmissable!
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15am to 6:50pm
Extended admission to 10pm on some Tuesdays (check their website for the full listings)
Closed on:
Mondays
25th of December
1st of January
Heading now to another major centre of art and to a vacation rental in Rome, we must pencil in a visit to the esteemed Galleria Borghese, home to the works of great and renowned artists including Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian, Bernini, and Canova.
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 7pm
Closed on:
Mondays
25th of December
1st of January
Home to the Sistine Chapel and many other incredible museums including an Egyptian Museum, an Etruscan Museum, art galleries, and many others, the Vatican Museums is one of the key attractions in Rome and a whole world unto itself.
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday from 8am to 7pm
Until the 31st of December 2024 - Fridays and Saturdays have extended opening hours until 8pm
Closed on:
Sunday (except the last Sunday of each month),
1st and 6th of January,
25th and 26th of December
(Other closures throughout the year but these are the dates that pertain to the Christmas period)
For those who book a villa in Piedmont and who are interested in history, the Egyptian Museum in Turin is one of the oldest museums of Egyptian art, history, and culture (celebrating its 200th anniversary this year) and is vast and fascinating – a must-see!
Opening hours:
Monday from 9am to 2pm
Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 6.30pm
Closed on:
25th of December
1st of January
One of the most important collections of modern art from Europe and America that is found in Europe, this famous art gallery is a key attraction for art-lovers on holiday in Venice.
Opening hours:
Wednesday to Monday from 10am to 6pm
Closed on:
25th of December
A key attraction in the cosmopolitan city of Milan, the Pinacoteca di Brera boasts one of the most important collections of Italian and European art from the 13th to the 20th centuries, with works by great masters such as Rubens, Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, and more. Be sure to go for a wander once you book your villa in Lombardy.
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday from 8.30am to 7.15pm
Closed on:
Mondays
25th of December
If you are in, or anywhere near, a vacation rental in Campania then you’re likely considering a trip to Pompeii as it is, without a doubt, the most famous archaeological site in the country and one of the most well-known in the entire globe.
Opening hours (from the 1st November to the 31st of March – varies slightly for museums/sites within the larger complex):
Daily, 9am to 5pm
Closed on:
25th of December
1st of January