Paris in the rain has a bad reputation it doesn't deserve. Yes, the sky turns the colour of zinc roofs and your shoes will have opinions. But some of the city's best rooms were built for exactly this weather, and a grey day is often a quieter day. Here is how I'd plan one.
What should you do in Paris when it rains?
Think in two layers: one big indoor sight in the morning, then a slow, covered wander in the afternoon. Big museums are at their calmest early, before the rest of the city has the same idea. After lunch, the light fades early in late autumn, and that's when the covered passages and the cafés come into their own.
Two things to check before you set your alarm. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, and the Musée d'Orsay and Versailles are closed on Mondays. Opening hours change through the year, so check the official website before you go.
The Louvre: is a rainy day the best day to go?
It's a good one, as long as you book a timed ticket in advance. Turning up on the day in the rain and joining a queue is nobody's idea of a holiday. Once you're in, you have miles of galleries under one roof, and nothing outside to tempt you away.
The trick is not to try to see it all. Pick a handful of works and give each one real time. Look at the Winged Victory of Samothrace from the bottom of the stairs, then walk up slowly and watch her wings open. That's the kind of moment a rainy morning gives you room for. Our 7 tips for the Louvre without the stress will help you plan the route.
Sainte-Chapelle in the rain: still worth it?
The stained glass is at its brightest in sunshine. But a soft grey day has its own charm: the colours glow more gently, and the upper chapel feels calm rather than dazzling. From October to March it opens from 9am to 5pm, with last entry 30 minutes before closing, and visits take less than an hour. Notre-Dame is a short walk away on the same island. Our guide on how to visit Sainte-Chapelle has the details.
The covered passages: Paris's 19th-century umbrella
This is the part most visitors miss. In the first half of the 1800s, Paris had up to 50 covered passages: shopping streets with glass roofs, built so people could browse without mud on their boots. About 25 survive today, most of them on the Right Bank between the Palais-Royal and the Grands Boulevards.
Start at the Galerie Vivienne, built in 1823, near the Palais-Royal. Look down: the mosaic floors are signed by Giandomenico Facchina and Mazzioli. The Librairie Jousseaume bookshop was one of the gallery's original attractions. And the story goes that Vidocq, the thief who became chief of the Paris police, lived at number 13 after his fall from grace. Quite the career path.
Then walk to the Passage des Panoramas, opened in 1800. Its name comes from two rotundas that showed giant panoramic paintings of cities, a business run for a time by the American inventor Robert Fulton while he looked for French backing. It got gas lighting in 1817, early days for the new technology. Cross the boulevard into the Passage Jouffroy (1845), described as the first Paris passage built entirely of metal and glass, and heated through the floor. You'll even pass the exit of the Musée Grévin wax museum. Keep going and you reach the Passage Verdeau.
The writer Walter Benjamin spent years on an unfinished book about these arcades. You only need an afternoon.
Rainy-day tips from a local guide
- Take the metro between sights rather than waiting for a taxi in the rain.
- Pack a small umbrella and shoes that don't mind puddles; our what to wear in Paris guide helps.
- Book museums ahead, because everyone has the same plan when it rains.
- Save the cafés for late afternoon, when the light goes and the windows steam up.
A wet day in Paris isn't a lost day. It's simply a day indoors, with better art and better coffee than most.
Want the Louvre without the guesswork on a grey morning? A licensed guide takes you straight to the works that matter and tells you the stories behind them.
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Read next: Getting around Paris: a first-timer's guide, and Paris in November 2026: what's on for visitors.