The Best Times to Visit Philadelphia for Fun Events, Fewer Crowds, and Beautiful Weather

These are the best times to visit Philly for every type of traveler.

At any time of year in Philadelphia, you can wander the cobblestone alleyways of Old City, stroll the Schuylkill River Trail, and book a table at one of the city’s buzzy restaurants. Four distinct seasons, though, mean you can have a different experience in the City of Brotherly Love depending on when you travel. Spring allows you to take in Fairmount Park’s cherry blossoms at peak bloom, while a winter visit is perfect if you want to sip mulled wine at Center City's German-style Christmas Village market. With great offerings throughout the year and a bounty of historic and cultural sites to explore, there’s no wrong time to visit Philly. Here's a breakdown of the city's tourist seasons.

• High Season: June to mid-September

• Shoulder Seasons: March to May and mid-September to December

• Low Season: January to February

I’m a Philadelphia-based freelance journalist with more than a decade of experience covering travel, food, and culture at publications including Philadelphia magazine and Food & Wine. So if you want a local's take on the best times to visit, here's what you should know.

Related: T+L's Guide to Philadelphia

Best Times to Visit Philadelphia for Smaller Crowds

With its wealth of historic attractions, Philadelphia draws huge crowds in the summer months. School groups and vacationers alike flock to the city in this season to see sites like the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross house, and Elfreth's Alley, one of the oldest continuously inhabited streets in the U.S. To avoid these crowds, try visiting in mid-September, when schools are freshly back in session and field trips are rare.

November can be another less-busy time, since fewer tourists come to the city in the weeks before the holidays. January and February are reliably slow, too, thanks to chilly weather — making them prime months to score restaurant reservations and see the sights at a more relaxed pace.

Best Times to Visit Philadelphia for Good Weather

As with most Northeast cities, Philadelphia sees its best weather in the fall and spring. September can still be quite hot and humid, but by early October, the temperature goes from moderate to pleasantly crisp and cool — and tends to stay that way well into November. While March and April can be variable, sometimes staying stubbornly cold or rainy, May and June are typically sunny and warm, with temperatures often hovering in the 70s.

In winter, meanwhile, few people would call Philly's weather "good," but it's worth noting that conditions can be less extreme than in much of the region. Daytime temperatures rarely dip below freezing, and average annual snowfall is just over 20 inches (less than half the total typically logged each year in Pittsburgh).

Best Times to Visit Philadelphia for Lower Prices

While winter may be manageable, it's still colder and drearier than many travelers prefer — which means that crowds are small and prices should be correspondingly low. Flights to Philadelphia are typically least expensive at this time of year, as are hotel stays.

No matter when you visit, one good tip is to arrive on a Sunday or Monday. Hotel rooms are usually priciest for stays that begin on a Thursday or Friday, so timing your visit for the end of the weekend or start of the week can help you save. Avoiding fall is another smart practice. That's the height of Philly's wedding season, meaning hotels (in Center City especially) will devote much of their inventory to wedding-guest blocks, driving up the rates on remaining rooms.

Another money-saving tip is to check out Visit Philly's "Overnight Package." This promotion, available on select dates year-round, includes hotel parking and a choice of museum tickets when you book a qualifying stay at one of the 35 participating hotels. While these perks may not cut down on your big-ticket accommodation and flight costs, they can cut down expenses for travelers who plan to drive to the city and squeeze in lots of museum-going while they're there.

Related: The Best Time to Book a Hotel to Save Money

Best Times to Visit Philadelphia for Fun Events

Philly offers exciting events throughout the year. In March, just before spring is in full bloom, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society holds its annual Philadelphia Flower Show. The country’s largest and longest-running flower show, it dates back to 1829. A little later in the spring, find festivities celebrating cherry blossom season in Fairmount Park, both at the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden and at the Horticulture Center. Every May, the historic South 9th Street Italian Market holds a two-day street fair with a series of events ranging from food vendors and concerts to the infamous Grease Pole contest. This hilarious, only-in-Philly tradition sees contestants race to the top of telephone poles slathered with lard — an activity that has little to do with Italy but is a beloved centerpiece of the Italian Market Festival nonetheless.

Summertime heats up in June with the Roots Picnic, when Philly-born hip-hop group The Roots bring an impressive lineup of rap and R&B stars to Fairmount Park, and the annual Pride festivities like parades and concerts. Leading up to July Fourth, Wawa Welcome America features over two weeks of free concerts, museum admission, and other family-friendly programming — plus, the popular free Wawa Hoagie Day.

In the fall, the Eastern State Penitentiary — a historic prison that once held Al Capone — holds its annual, haunting Halloween Nights, and the Head of the Schuylkill regatta (usually held in October) brings dozens of rowing clubs to the river for a festive weekend filled with races.

Around the holidays, visitors will find the Christmas Village market surrounding Dilworth Park in Center City, along with an ice skating rink that runs throughout the winter season. Winterfest overlooks the Delaware River, with more ice skating and fire pits for roasting s’mores.

Worst Times to Visit Philadelphia

In the winter months, particularly in January and February, unpredictable weather can make it difficult to partake in some of the city’s most quintessential outdoor activities, like relaxing in a hammock at Spruce Street Harbor Park or taking in a Phillies game. But it's not all bad. Those who make the trip in winter will be rewarded with discounted hotel rooms and fewer crowds. Plus, the city comes alive at this time of year with a whole seasonal set of fun things to do and see, including Winterfest ice skating and Winter Wonder at the world-class Longwood Gardens.

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