Last updated on March 7th, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I could earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Paris is always a good idea, even when it rains. So, here are the best things to do in Paris when it rains to make sure the weather doesn’t kill your trip.
I’ve visited Paris over five times now, and every single time has been during low season, either late fall or in the middle of winter. And honestly, I love it that way!
Visiting Paris during the low season allows for a more authentic experience of the city and a more peaceful trip, even if the weather is not always on your side.
As the Germans love to say (my fiancée is German), there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing. So I will say that I’ll happily put on my Rains raincoat and continue to explore beautiful Paris in the rain.
But I understand that sometimes you just need a little escape from the downpour.
For this, these are some of the best things to do in Paris when it rains, to still make the most of your time in this stunning city, no matter the weather.
Best Things to Do in Paris When it Rains: Cozy Cafes, Fun Activities, and More
Cozy up with a book at Shakespeare and Co.
You’ve probably heard of Shakespeare and Co., the popular English bookshop in the Latin Quarter in Paris, known for its original owner, Sylvia Beach, who was an avid supporter of upcoming writers, such as James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway.
Visiting this new location is a must for any book lover.
One thing you might not know is that besides the many cozy rooms packed with books from floor to ceiling, there’s also a second floor.
On the second floor, you’ll find a little haven for readers and writers, with a few small tables and desks for the writers in residence, and various cozy nooks for people to read.
I only discovered this during my last stay in the city, and immediately thought that spending hours reading here, looking out the window at Notre Dame, has to be one of the best things to do in Paris when it rains.
You get to tick off an iconic spot in the city and enjoy it at a pace you normally wouldn’t as a rushing tourist, and still productively use a rainy day in beautiful Paris, surrounded by books and history.
Explore the beautiful Galerie Vivienne and grab a hot chocolate at Le Valentin
If you’re looking for what to do in Paris when it rains, you’re lucky, as Paris has many beautiful covered passages, which are completely free to walk through and explore.
Galerie Vivienne is famously one of the most beautiful covered passages in Paris, dating back to 1823. This neo-classical passage is a piece of art from top to bottom, with beautiful mosaic floors and glass ceilings that let the light in, even on the gloomiest of days.
The gallery is lined with some unique shops, selling everything from antique books to leather goods, jewelry, traditional toys, clothing, and more.
While exploring the beautiful passage is an activity in itself, this won’t take you long.
So to kill some time, one of the best things to do in Paris when it rains is to head to Le Valentin, a charming cafe inside Galerie Vivienne, for a coffee and a pastry, or their decadent chocolat viennois topped with whipped cream.
Grab a table outside (which is still inside the covered passage) and just watch the locals go by, as you sip on your drink of choice.
I did exactly this on a rainy day, and it was so cozy!
Take a tour of the impressive Palais Garnier
It took me until this last trip to Paris to finally visit the imposing Palais Garnier, and I wish I had done it sooner.
With so many incredible things to do and see in Paris, especially for first-time visitors, it is understandable that this gem goes a bit unnoticed.
However, if you’re dealt a few rainy days during your trip to Paris and are looking for something else to do that is not visiting the Louvre, a guided tour of the Palais Garnier is a great use of your time while hiding away from the weather.
The historic Palais Garnier (Opéra Garnier) was inaugurated in 1875 and has since awed spectators and visitors with its stunning entrance hall, dramatic staircase, and opulent grand foyer, which was inspired by the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles.
This building is truly like nothing I’ve ever seen before in the heart of a city. And what’s even more surprising is knowing that it’s still being used for performances nowadays.
So, if you also want to hide away from the rain in the evening, you can check what’s in the show calendar for the day.
Take a break in the stunning Oval Room inside the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF)
Spending time inside the Bibliothèque Nationale de France was one of those things that felt too good to be true.
After seeing so many videos of the inside of this beautiful library, the place just looked like a museum. It felt impossible to just spend time inside these rooms for the sake of it, but I’m here to tell you that it’s not.
While living in Paris for almost three months, I spent many days at the jaw-droppingly beautiful Oval Room in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France—and yes, it looks straight out of a Harry Potter movie!
While there are many gorgeous rooms in this library, the Oval Room is the only free one and completely open to the public, with long lines of desks for students to use, couches to lounge in, and seating areas all around.
Lounging in the gorgeous Oval Room is the perfect excuse to rest your feet for a bit, while you take in the beauty of the room, update your Insta-stories, check your train info, or whatever travel task you need to do as you hide away from the rain outside.
Grab a coffee and lounge at The Monocle Café & Shop
After spending many visits exploring the coffee scene and compiling a list of the best coffee shops in Paris, it’s easy to see a noticeable pattern.
While there are many great coffee spots in the city center and close to most attractions, most of them are very small, making it almost impossible to just hang out and kill some time in them.
Especially if it’s a rainy day, and we all had the same idea.
Luckily, I recently stumbled upon the cozy The Monocle Café & Shop, a more spacious coffee shop, in a central location.
This roomy coffee shop offers lots of seating space, delicious coffee, pastries, some light lunch options, books, and magazines, perfect for killing some time as it pours outside.
This is the perfect location to regroup, caffeinate, and plan your next move for the day.
Shopping afternoon at Galeries Lafayette
If you’re looking for what to do in Paris when it rains, one of the best things is to stop by the beautiful Galeries Lafayette, an iconic department store.
Carrying various niche designer brands, you can definitely spend a couple of hours here looking for your perfect closet souvenir.
If you’re looking for smaller souvenirs, make sure to visit their sixth floor, where you’ll find their “Souvenirs of Paris section” with lots of French goodies—from tote bags to cute tea towels, printed mugs, chocolate truffles, salted caramel, and more.
Besides browsing the shopping opportunities, admiring the beautiful building itself is a must. Make sure to look up at the center of the gallery to admire its Art Nouveau-style iconic glass and steel dome.
Another great feature not to miss, even on a rainy day, is their rooftop terrace, from where you get an incredible view over the whole city with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Leisurely explore the iconic Musée d’Orsay
Visiting a museum on a rainy day? Groundbreaking. I know.
However, Musée D’Orsay is such a beautiful museum, both in its collections and the building itself, that there’s so much to admire here, and of course, a rainy day is the perfect chance to explore it all leisurely.
As I mentioned in my Paris guide for first-timers, Musée d’Orsay is one of my favorite museums in Paris for its size, exhibitions, and the building itself.
Their collection is varied, with stunning sculpture work, paintings from the impressionist and post-impressionist period—my favorite—and all housed inside a beautiful building that used to function as a railway station.
The size of the museum is perfect for being able to spend your time wandering around without getting incredibly overwhelmed by the number of things there are to see—does this happen to anyone else, or is it just me?
Make sure not to miss the iconic clock window on the fifth floor, from where you get a panoramic view of the Seine and the rest of Paris, and where you can get a really cool photo.
If you need a break from museum brain, but are not ready to leave yet, take a break at the museum cafeteria and recharge with a quiche and a coffee.
Do some treat-shopping at Le Bon Marché
One of the best things to do in Paris when it rains is to get your trip shopping out of the way, and a great place for this is Le Bon Marché.
Le Bon Marché is a 19th-century department store in the South Bank, by Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where you will find anything from local mid-range brands to designer goodies, like Maje, Balzac, Sandro, and the popular bag brand Polene.
One of the most popular sections of this store, particularly with travelers, is their gourmet grocery store, La Grande Épicerie, across the street from the department store, where you can find any French goodie you would want to take home.
From gourmet French butter, French salt, local cheeses, cured meats, to wines, and my favorite salted caramel candy—I always get a few bags of these—you could spend hours browsing the aisles of this unique supermarket.
This is the perfect spot for a foodie traveler looking to stock up on French treats before heading back home.
Book a fun French wine and cheese tasting
One of the best things to do anywhere when it rains is to book an indoor activity that complements your trip, and in Paris, booking a guided wine tasting is the perfect excuse to hide away from the rain.
I mostly spent my time in Paris exploring wine bars at my own pace, so I didn’t personally take a wine tasting here. However, I’ve done a few in other cities I’ve visited and always loved learning more about the local wines, and France is the perfect place for this.
This French wine and cheese guided tasting in Paris is my top pick for its complete menu—including one champagne, two reds, and two white wines, all paired with five different types of delicious local cheeses.
It just seems like a lovely way to spend two hours learning more about the local cuisine while it pours outside.
Plus, it has a perfect score on reviews, so you know that whatever they are doing, they are doing it well.
Indulge in tasty hot chocolate at Carette in Le Marais
Is there anything better than slowly savoring a cup of decadent hot chocolate while it pours outside? I don’t think so.
To kill two birds with one stone, one of the best things to do in Paris when it rains has to be visiting a Carette location—the one in Le Marais has smaller lines—to indulge in their iconic hot chocolate, with the whipped cream mountain—it’s worth it!
While definitely a bit of a splurgy hot chocolate, I can confidently say that the hot chocolate does live up to the hype.
The chocolate is thick, well-balanced, not too sweet nor bitter, and the whipped cream is the perfect complement to fluff it up. The venue makes the whole experience feel luxurious and oh, so Parisian!
Even the croissants are good, if you’re looking for a quick snack.
This historic Parisian cafe and tea room is definitely worth adding to your Paris itinerary, whether it’s raining or not, but it definitely feels cozier on a rainy day.
Spend the afternoon learning how to cook a French dish
Another fun activity that can really complement your trip, while keeping you away from the rain, is a cooking class.
If you’re looking for what to do in Paris when it rains, a French cooking class will allow you to take something home with you, the knowledge of recreating a French dish, and will be a fun experience with your travel companions.
I’ll be honest and confess that I always underestimate how fun a cooking class can be, but I’ve always ended up enjoying it a lot whenever I take one.
You can find many different cooking classes in Paris, from some pastry baking classes to a full 5-hour cooking class with a 3-course lunch.
If I were to choose one for myself, I’d probably go for this French croissant baking class, as it’s simple enough, and something I always miss as soon as I leave France.
Imagine being able to whip up your own perfectly flaky croissants at home for the weekend? Beauty! 🥐✨
Learn more about the history of Paris at the Carnavalet Museum (it’s free!)
If the rainy day took you by surprise and you don’t really feel like spending money on yet another museum just for the sake of hiding away from the rain, this is a great option for you.
There are so many museums to visit in Paris, but if you’re looking to save a bit of money, the Carnavalet Museum in Le Marais is completely free.
The Carnavalet Museum is also very interesting, and different from most museums I’ve visited in Paris, as the collection is all about the history of Paris, from prehistoric times all the way up until now.
You won’t find any Monets or Van Goghs here; instead, you’ll find old maps of the city, medieval artifacts, remnants of Roman buildings, and old business signs from the 16th to the 20th century.
The whole museum is an ode to the history of the city, which is super interesting to wander through and learn more about.
Definitely one of the best things if you’re looking for what to do in Paris when it rains without having to spend any money.
Spoil yourself with a treatment at Caudalie Spa
Sometimes all we want is to go go go while traveling, but if the weather doesn’t cooperate, it’s time to adapt.
If you want to use a rainy day in Paris as the perfect excuse to slow down, recover a little, while still experiencing a local brand, you should book yourself a pampering treatment at the newly opened Caudalie Spa in Le Marais.
I was lucky enough to be one of the first customers at this new location, where I booked a facial, and it was amazing!
The location is beautiful and serene. You can book an add-on massage and jacuzzi with some treatments. If you know that the rain is not going anywhere, this is a great way to kill some time, all while getting acquainted with a beloved French skincare brand.
I did a personalized facial, and I loved it! I left feeling super glowy and moisturized, which was greatly appreciated during a gloomy winter day.
Travel and the changing weather can definitely affect your skin, so why not use a rainy day as an excuse to pamper and take care of yourself?
Final thoughts on the best things to do in Paris when it rains
While I truly believe there’s no bad time to visit Paris, I understand that continuous days of rain can definitely mess with your plans.
There’s only so many times you can romanticize getting wet under the rain in Pais—for some people… I’m a hopeless romantic, and I love rainy Paris!
But if you want to use your time efficiently while visiting the City of Light in bad weather, I hope these options help you with your quest for what to do in Paris when it rains.
From spending time in one of the most beautiful public libraries to savoring an iconic hot chocolate, visiting unique (and free!) museums, and learning more about the local cuisine, this list of things to do in Paris should help you find ways to fill the time when you get less than ideal weather.
Which of these things to do in Paris when it rains would be at the top of your itinerary? Let us know in the comments.