What’s on in Rome this month?
The first week of January is still full of Christmas holidays initiatives until January 6th, the Epiphany day (“which all the festivities carries away!” as we say in Italy).
There are also opportunities for the best fashion shopping deals of the year, as well as unmissable temporary exhibitions.
Without wasting a lot of time, let’s dive into these super exciting things to explore in the city! 🤩
Things to do in Rome in January 2026
Capodarte – January 1st
Every year on New Year’s Day, the city museums are open for free to everyone.
And while you are free to roam around the museums, there will also be special events taking place in them, such as concerts, performances, talks and conferences.
It is a tradition we never want to miss. Our favorite locations for New Year’s Day are the Musei Capitolini (don’t miss the terrace of the tabularium overlooking the Roman forum, even better if at sunset time!) and the Markets of Trajan.
For more details about the program: https://culture.roma.it/romacapodarte/
Rome parade – January 1st
On January 1st from 3:30PM there will be the Rome parade, a big free event to celebrate the New Year!
There will be a spectacular 3-hour long musical parade where performers of American high schools, Italian folklore groups and majorettes!
The parade will start and end in Piazza del Popolo, and it will go through via del Corso, via dei Condotti, Piazza di Spagna and via del Babuino.
More info: https://romeparade.com/
Did you know about our walking tours too? Small groups only (for real, 12 people max), intimate and personal (meaning you won’t be following a guide with a flag). Check out what we offer here 😉
La Befana in Piazza Navona – January 6th
The Befana is celebrated on January 6th throughout Italy, and she is very popular among kids (and adults as well!).
In Rome, the center of this celebration is Piazza Navona.
But what is the befana?
She is a witch, but a good one. Her look can be a little scary, but kids know that if they have behaved well they have nothing to fear!
In fact, in the evening of January 5th, kids leave a sock by their fireplace or by their Christmas tree. During the night the Befana will sneak into the house and leave candies into the socks of the good kids. If they have been bad, she will leave only coal!
Most kids usually get candies but also a little coal as a reminder that you can always do better 😉
On top of that, in Piazza Navona, in the morning of January 6th the befana flies, with the help of the firefighters, from the church of Saint Agnes, down to the square to bring candies to the kids. It is such a moment of joy for the city! 🧡
Christmas market in Piazza Navona – until January 6th
The Christmas Market in Piazza Navona is a tradition that reminds every Roman of their childhood. Over the years artisans have decreased to leave space to more “modern” attractions, but we would never give up on taking a Christmas stroll in Piazza Navona this time of the year.
You can find artisans selling Christmas tree decorations, the socks for the Befana and everything you need to make your own presepe.
At certain times you will also find the puppet theatre, music performances and other activities for the kids.
You will find the market in Piazza Navona until January 6th.
100 Presepi in Vaticano exhibition – until January 6th
This is the 8th edition of the 100 Presepi in Vaticano exhibition, therefore quite a new tradition.
But even so, this exhibit will steal your heart! First of all, the location. The 100 Presepi will take place in the colonnade of St Peter square designed by Bernini.
And then the content. There will be 100 nativity scenes of any kind. From the presepi made of cotton (which was my favorite last year!) to the chocolate presepi (wisely protected by a glass! But you could still smell the chocolate!). Here you really understand that creativity is the only limit!
The exhibit will be for free and it will take place from December 8th to January 6th.
More info: https://www.100presepi.it/
Christmas World in Villa Borghese
Christmas world returns to Villa Borghese! There will be 30000 squared meters with representations of Christmas in the world, through experiences, installations, shows and more.
It is an immersive experience where you can walk through the heart of Berlin, in the Christmas markets of London, then move to Paris, Tokyo, New York (where you can ice skate under the Brooklyn Bridge!).
And of course also to the North Pole, where you’ll find Santa Claus village! Kids (and adults too!) can write their letter to Santa, get an official stamp fro the elfs and hand it over to Santa in person!
For info and tickets: https://christmasworld.net/
Are you looking to make your Rome trip special? Are you looking for something fun, unique, personal? Our small group walking tours grew from the legacy of our media content online, meaning that we focus on showing you Rome “behind-the-scenes”. We explore the iconic neighborhoods of Rome where you get to discover lots of hidden gems and secrets hiding in plain sight, that most tourists miss. Check all our walking tours here!
“Greece in Rome” exhibition at Musei Capitolini
Why would you come to Rome to see an exhibition about Greece? Because Rome has always been so deeply connected to Greece, more than you probably imagined.
The Romans laid the foundations of their civilization, architecture and culture on the Greek culture that they imported into Rome since its very early times.
At the beginning Rome had commercial exchanges with Greece, and that brought Greek products in Rome and the Italian peninsula. That’s why in the Roman archaeological sites, archaeologists found objects made in Greece. It would be as if in 2000 years from now, archaeologists would find items made in China in our cities. Something that we would call globalization today!
At a later time, II century BC, Rome conquered Greece, which then became part of the Roman territories. At that point Rome was flooded with masterpieces from Greece.
The ancient Roman poet Horace said “Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit”, which means “the savage Romans conquerors were conquered by Greek culture”.
Over the centuries Greek masterpieces were imported and copied. The Greek culture was something that was in such high demand that many Greek artists moved to Rome and opened their shops and studios to make Greek art.
Eventually there was a fusion between Roman and Greek art that led to the masterpieces we see today in our museums.
In this wonderful exhibition you can find for the first time a collection of 150 artworks of the thousands of masterpieces that came to Rome from Greece. You won’t regret spending time here, promised!
You can visit the exhibition at the Musei Capitolini, the oldest museum in the world.. and one of our favorites museums in Rome!
More info here: https://www.museicapitolini.org/en/node/1017374
Cartier & Myths at the Musei Capitolini
This is the perfect opportunity to understand just how much ancient Rome lives on in today’s fashion: far more than you might ever have imagined.
We are not the first to stand in awe before an ancient masterpiece. For generations, people have travelled to Italy, and to Rome in particular, to admire its antiquities and draw inspiration from them.
One of these visitors was Louis Cartier. In 1923, he travelled across the Italian peninsula, taking countless photographs and absorbing what he saw. These experiences would go on to influence many of his jewelry designs.
In this exhibition, ancient creations are displayed side by side with Maison Cartier’s reinterpretations in jewelry. The similarities are truly mind-blowing.
From snake rings and bracelets to coral mythology, dazzling diamonds, and intricate mosaics, this exhibition offers a precious insight into how the beauty and design of antiquity continue to captivate us today. You may even be surprised by just how “modern” ancient jewelry appears. And as a bonus, you’ll be standing before exceptionally precious pieces that are rarely on display.
The exhibition is held at the Musei Capitolini and runs until March 15. Don’t miss it!
More info here: https://www.museicapitolini.org/en/node/1017133
Saldi – Winter Sales from January 3rd
On January 3rd the Saldi Invernali (the Winter Sales) start!
From that day for 6 weeks there will be discounted prices pretty much on everything in every shop, especially clothing, shoes, handbags.
This is the time of the year (together with the Summer Saldi which start in July) where most Italians take advantage of the discounted prices to treat themselves to that nice handbag they saw few months back, or that nice pair of shoes they desired but that were a bit too expensive.. This is the time to make the best deals!
When the Saldi start the discounts will be lower (usually around 20%-30%) but you’ll still be able to find a big assortment. As the weeks go by the discounts reach around 50%-60% and more, but of course with less assortment.
Happy shopping!
Blessing of the animals in St Peter’s square – January 17th
On January 17th the Italian farmers celebrate the feast of Saint Anthony Abbot, the patron saint of the animals. For the occasion in the morning of January 17th, the Italian Breeder Association (AIA) will gather by St Peter’s square in a “barn under the sky“, where there will be the representatives of each animal that are part of the Italian farms. There will be a mass dedicated to the animals and the breeders inside the basilica. After the mass, a cardinal will get to the barn under the sky and bless the animals.
Explore Rome “behind the scenes” with us!
If you want to make your January Rome trip special and looking for something fun, unique, personal… you’re in the right place!
Our small group walking tours grew from the legacy of our media content online, meaning that we focus on showing you Rome “behind-the-scenes”.
We explore the iconic neighborhoods of Rome where you get to discover lots of hidden gems and secrets hiding in plain sight, that most tourists miss.
And we do it in small groups only, to keep the experience personal and interactive 😊
Discover more about how our Rome tours work, the best Rome tours or browse all our small-group tours to see the experiences currently available.
