10 Best Things To Do In Paris When It Rains

10 Best Things To Do In Paris When It Rains
Rofiq
Rofiq 
Updated
| 4 min read

Known as the City of Lights, Paris attracts millions of visitors from across the globe to witness the elegance and sophistication of the city. In addition to the lights, romanticism is abundant in the capital of France. Getting lost in its beautiful streets, gazing at the Louvre’s galleries with countless works, such as Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, and climbing the Eiffel Tower are the exhilarating things to do when the sun shines. But what happens when your visit forecasts stormy weather? Is it possible to still see Paris? The answer is definitely, yes. Here are some top recommendations for what you can do in Paris on a rainy day!

1. Visit the weird museum named Musée de la Poupée

MuseePoupee2
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Parizpropokrocile used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Traveling with children on a rainy day can be challenging. However, paying a visit to the weird looking museum, featuring a collection of hundreds of dolls, is a great option. Called Musée de la Poupée, it’s not as spacious as Paris’ famous art museums yet the homey ambience with uncomplicated décor filled with French dolls would be enticing for children, especially girls. There is also a storytelling workshop always held every week on Wednesday at 2 pm.

Musée de la Poupée

Address: Impasse Berthaud 3e Paris

Price: from 3.19 USD to 8.5 USD / from 4 EUR to 8 EUR

Opening Hours: 10 am to 6 pm (Tuesday to Sunday)

Website: Musée de la Poupée

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2. Be spooked at Le Musée des Vampires

Muséedesvampires2
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user FluoritLaufer used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Feeling dread and horrified is probably avoided by many travelers, but a particular experience in Paris can provide these feelings. Le Musée des Vampires is a great place to get goosebumps and chills. There are some peculiar, creepy, and spooky objects inside the small, private museum. The purpose of building the museum was to showcase how vampire tale emerged in French culture. Some real mystical objects that are well received are a mummified cat, some devices to kill vampires, and eerie masks. Please ensure you book in advance to avoid disappointment!

Le Musée des Vampires

Address: 14 rue Jules David Les Lilas 93260

Opening Hours: 12.30 am to 8 pm

Access: Metro: Porte des Lilas

Contact: +33 1 43 62 80 76

Website: Le Musée des Vampires

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3. See water animals at Aquarium Tropical de la Porte Dorée

Aquarium tropical du Palais de la Porte Dorée 2
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user View more used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Those travelling as a family need to make a stop at the Aquarium Tropical de la Porte Dorée to see diverse aquatic animals for a great learning experience. The aquarium is actually the basement of an exhibit hall constructed in 1931 named Palais de la Porte Dorée. You can see the showcased under water biodiversity, which consists of approximately 5,000 animals from 300 species such as Asian fish, and African and American marine creatures. Don’t miss your chance to see the shark and piranha show.

Aquarium tropical de la Porte Dorée

Address: 293 Avenue Daumesnil, 75012 Paris, France

Price: from 5.31 USD to 7.43 USD / 3.5 EUR to 7 EUR

Opening Hours: 10 am to 5:30 pm (Tuesday to Friday), 10 am to 7 pm (Saturday and Sunday), closed on Mondays, Christmas, January 1st, May 1st

Contact: +33 (0) 1 53 59 58 60

Website: Aquarium tropical de la Porte Dorée, in French

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4. Have a creepy experience in Catacombes de Paris

Catacombes de Paris (22428736146)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Jorge Láscar used under CC BY 2.0

Another goosebumps inducing and chilling experience is offered by Catacombes, Paris’ underground cemetery located in a tunnel. It’s categorized as the world’s largest cemetery since more than six million dead bodies were buried in the site. Catacombes refers to Rome’s Catacombs, an ancient graveyard that is located near the Appian Way. It was initially created to dispose of remains away from the public cemetery in an abandoned excavation. Now it functions as a museum to grab people’s attention.

Catacombes de Paris

Address: 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris, France

Price: from 12.70 USD to 16.94 USD / 10 EUR to 16 EUR

Opening Hours: 10 am to 8 pm (Tuesday to Sunday)

Contact: +33 1 43 22 47 63

Website: Catacombes de Paris, in French

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Paris Tour Guide

Angénic  Agnero

Angénic Agnero

Paris Tour Guide

Patricia Aveline

Patricia Aveline

My name is Patricia Bollinger and my family is French. I have always had a passion for art and history and I chose to study them when I went to university. I have been a licensed tour guide for the last 30 years and I work in French, English and Italian. My passion and also as part of my work I travel a lot. For this reason, I have a good idea of visitors expectations. Naturally I want to share this passion for my country and its heritage with foreign visitors.I also love cooking and I am a foody.

Tours by Patricia

5. Play board games in a bar

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Happy Halloween

Posted by LE VIEUX LÉON on Thursday, October 31, 2019

Gulping down a bottle of beer while being seated comfortably on a bench sounds familiar when having a night out in a bar. Le Charlus offers a different perspective for pubbing as you will enjoy a series of live entertainment like comedy show performances by talented actors and most importantly, playing board games to hone your French grammar. Meanwhile, Le Vieux Léon, a pleasant little bar has been completely equipped with free concerts and a tricky quiz with nice champagne to challenge you on your music knowledge.

Le Vieux Léon

Address: 18 Rue de la Grande Truanderie, 75001 Paris, France

Price: under 10.5 USD / ~10 EUR

Opening Hours: 11.30 pm to 2 am; Sunday, closed

Contact: +33 9 51 79 66 97

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6. Enjoy the Nymphéas at Musée de l'Orangerie

Les Nymphéas / Water Lilies in Musee de l'Orangerie, Paris
Source: Photo by user Andy Hay used under CC BY 2.0

If you are a mural admirer and don’t know where to go during a downpour, stop by the marvellous Musee de l'Orangerie. You will be captivated by Monet’s phenomenal art work called “Nymphéas” (Water Lilies). Located in the Tuileries Gardens, near the Louvre, the lovely museum presents both impressionist and non-impressionist paintings. It’s also home to amazing collections of inspiring works created by famous artists such as Pablo Picasso and Paul Cézanne.

Musee de l'Orangerie

Address: Jardin Tuileries, 75001 Paris, France

Price: from 9.5 USD / 9 EUR

Opening Hours: 9 am to 6 am

Website: Musee de l'Orangerie

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7. Discover Paris from a different perspective: Musée des Égouts de Paris

Egouts-Paris 03
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Traumrune used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Paris is absolutely home to unique attractions. One such attraction is Musée des Égouts de Paris, the Paris Sewer Museum, which is a historic underground path developed by Hugues Aubriot. It exhibits several machines and mannequins of sewer workers as well as informative galleries, providing details of how sewer workers used techniques in water treatment and how sewers were designed and built. You can also book a sewer tour held twice in a month, where you can ride in either a boat or a wagon.

Musée des Égouts de Paris

Address: Pont de l'Alma, rive gauche, 75007 Paris, France

Price: from 3.81 USD to 4.66 USD / ~3.50 EUR to 5 EUR

Opening Hours: 11 am to 5 pm (Saturday to Wednesday)

Contact: +33 1 53 68 27 81

Website: Musée des Égouts de Paris, in French, Paris Info

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8. Enjoy the best coffee at Cuillier coffee shop


Paris is also home to cozy coffee shops to relax in. Cuillier on Rue de Grenelle is a perfect option for your afternoon coffee time. The lovely space is filled with nice wooden benches, coffee brewing machineries, modish lamps, and elegant decore. Try the selection of worldwide coffee beans yielded from Latin America and Africa. If you crave French dessert, Cuillier serves numerous lemon cakes and quiches to satiate your appetite.

Cuillier coffee shop

Address: 68 Rue de Grenelle Paris 75007

Price: from 2.65 USD to 5.3 USD / approximately 2.50 EUR to 5 EUR

Opening Hours: 8 am to 6 pm (Monday to Friday), 9 am to 6 pm (Saturday and Sunday)

Website: Cuillier

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9. Get lost inside Galerie Vivienne

Galerie Vivienne 110
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user besopha used under CC BY-SA 2.0

One of the unique ways to explore Paris is taking a walk inside an artistic arcade, called Galerie Viviene, in the heart of downtown Paris. Art lovers will be mesmerized with its graceful ceiling, paintings, and sculptures along the gallery, as well as the ornamental details on the floor and short plants in pots organized elegantly. You can go shopping, dine out in French restaurants, drop by Jousseaume bookstore, and purchase stylish apparel inside the covered passage.

Galerie Viviene

Address: 4 rue des Petits-Champs 2e Paris

Opening Hours: 8.30 am to 8.30 pm

Website: Galerie Viviene

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10. Enjoy fancy French dining at Restaurant du Palais-Royal

Restaurant Vefour, Jardin du Palais Royal, Paris
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Britchi Mirela used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Are you dreaming of fancy French dining on a restaurant’s terrace? Make your daydream into a reality at Restaurant du Palais-Royal. Situated at the arcades of the Palais-Royal, this trendy restaurant offers an exquisite and charming ambiance surrounded by trees. You can order some magnificent delicacies such as Bourgogne aligoté, risotto with broccoli and shellfish, and roasted pink lobster.

Restaurant du Palais-Royal

Address: 110 galerie Valois 1er Paris

Price: from 23.45 USD to 42.34 USD / approximately 21.70 EUR to 40 EUR

Opening Hours: noon to 2 pm, 7 to 10 pm (Monday-Sunday)

Contact: +33 (0)1.40.20.00.27

Website: Restaurant du Palais-Royal

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Enjoy Paris, come rain or shine!

Paris is beyond what everyone on this planet thinks. The unusual array of attractions totally creates the latest unforgettable experiences for those who are in the search of French excitement. Feeling spooked in a creepy museum, seeing diverse sea animals in a huge aquarium, playing pleasurable board games in a bar, getting lost in a big sewer, and enjoying classic French meals are exclusive activities you can do in Paris on a stormy day.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Rofiq, hailing from East Java, Indonesia, is a passionate explorer who thrives on discovering new places, encountering diverse people, and immersing himself in various languages and cultures. His...Read more

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