With rain on about 109 days a year, what to do in Paris when it rains is simple: swap the outdoors for museums, covered passages and shops. Do the Orsay or the Louvre in the morning (€16 and €32 in Nov 2026), the passages in the afternoon, and the Petit Palais and Carnavalet for free. The calendar decides your day: the Louvre closes on Tuesdays and most other museums on Mondays.
| Rain | 109 days a year with 1 mm or more; December has 11.4 days and November 10.4 |
|---|---|
| Free | Petit Palais and Carnavalet (permanent collections), covered passages and Galeries Lafayette (Nov 2026) |
| Paid museums | Orsay €16, Rodin €14, Orangerie €12.50 online, Louvre €32 for non-EU visitors (Nov 2026) |
| Underground | Paris Catacombs €31, Tuesday to Sunday, 9:45 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Nov 2026) |
| Closed | Louvre on Tuesday; Orsay, Rodin, Catacombs, Petit Palais and Carnavalet on Monday |
| One-day plan | 3 options by area, from €0 to €32 per adult (Nov 2026) |
Checked on Nov 8, 2026 against the official sources. Prices in euros.
How much does it rain in Paris each month?
It rains 7 to 11 days a month in Paris, usually lightly, and the year adds up to 634 mm over 109 days, according to the 1991–2020 Météo-France normals for the Paris-Montsouris station, compiled on Wikipedia. There is no dry season: May (69 mm) and December (62 mm) are the wettest months, and December has 11.4 rainy days.
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| Month | Rainfall (mm) | Rainy days (1 mm or more) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 47.6 | 9.9 |
| February | 41.8 | 9.1 |
| March | 45.2 | 9.5 |
| April | 45.8 | 8.6 |
| May | 69.0 | 9.2 |
| June | 51.3 | 8.3 |
| July | 59.4 | 7.4 |
| August | 58.0 | 8.1 |
| September | 44.7 | 7.5 |
| October | 55.2 | 9.5 |
| November | 54.3 | 10.4 |
| December | 62.0 | 11.4 |
September and July have the fewest wet days (7.5 and 7.4), but no month escapes at least a week of scattered rain. If you travel in December, expect few hours of sun on top of the rain; the guide to Paris in winter explains what changes from November to February.
Which museums are worth it on a rainy day in Paris?
The best museum for a rainy day is the Orsay (€16, Nov 2026): it fits in 2 hours and sits in a former railway station, so you stay under cover. The Louvre (€32 for non-EU visitors) takes half a day and is worth it when the whole day is yours. Rodin (€14) and the Orangerie (€12.50 online) round out the list without breaking the budget.
The table lists the museums that suit a wet day best, with the adult price and closing day. Since January 2026, the Louvre and Sainte-Chapelle charge visitors from outside the European Economic Area more; the others charge everyone the same (Nov 2026).
| Museum | Adult (Nov 2026) | Closed | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louvre | €32; EU visitors pay €22 (Nov 2026) | Tuesday (open until 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday) | Half a day |
| Orsay | €16 (Nov 2026) | Monday (open until 9:45 p.m. on Thursday) | 2 hours |
| Orangerie | €12.50 online; €11 at the ticket desk (Nov 2026) | Check the official site | About 1 hour |
| Rodin | €14 (Nov 2026) | Monday (open 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.) | 2 hours |
| Carnavalet | Free (permanent collection) | Monday | 1 to 2 hours |
| Petit Palais | Free (permanent collection) | Monday | 1 to 2 hours |
Torn between the two big ones? The Louvre vs Orsay comparison shows how to do both without queuing twice. For the Louvre, book a time slot (the museum recommends it, official site) and read the guide to Louvre tickets without the queue; the Orsay in 2 hours covers the essentials. The Rodin Museum, the Picasso Museum and the Marmottan Monet have their own guides. With 2 museums a day for 4 days, the Paris Museum Pass may pay off.
A timed-entry Louvre ticket is available through Civitatis:
What can you do for free in Paris when it rains?
You can fill a morning without spending anything: the Petit Palais and Carnavalet have free permanent collections with no booking, Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Carnavalet, Nov 2026; Sortiraparis for the Petit Palais). Carnavalet tells the history of Paris in mansions in the Marais; the Petit Palais, in the 8th arrondissement, holds paintings, sculptures and stained glass in a palace from 1900.
The second free bet is the covered passages of the 2nd arrondissement. The walk through the covered passages of Paris links Galerie Vivienne, Galerie Colbert and the Passages des Panoramas, Jouffroy and Verdeau in about 2.5 km and 2 to 3 hours, always under a glass roof. Passage des Panoramas is the oldest still standing (1799, according to the City of Paris).
Notre-Dame cathedral is also free to enter (Nov 2026), but the queue is outdoors; save it for when the rain eases and first read about the history and reopening of the cathedral.
Are the Catacombs, Opéra Garnier and Sainte-Chapelle worth it in the rain?
Yes: the Catacombs sit 20 metres below the rain, the Opéra Garnier is an indoor visit of about 1.5 hours, and Sainte-Chapelle is a short chapel visit. All three cost more than an ordinary museum, and the last two have a higher fare for non-EU visitors.
- Paris Catacombs: €31 (Nov 2026) with audio guide, Tuesday to Sunday 9:45 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (last entry 7:30 p.m.), according to the official site. Booking online is strongly recommended; without it, the outdoor queue runs 1.5 to 2 hours. See the guide to the Paris Catacombs.
- Opéra Garnier: €25 for non-EU visitors and €15 for EU visitors, self-guided visit of about 1.5 hours, online purchase only (Opéra de Paris, Nov 2026). Details in Opéra Garnier: tickets and hours; tickets are also available on Civitatis.
- Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie: Sainte-Chapelle costs €22 for non-EU visitors and the combined ticket with the Conciergerie €30 (Nov 2026, official site). Entry is by time slot; see the guides to Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie to combine the two.
With children, the Catacombs cost less: free from 0 to 7 years and €15 from 8 to 17 (Nov 2026). The entrance queue is outdoors, so arrive at opening time and bring a rain jacket.
Where to shelter without a ticket: shops, cafés and cinemas?
Department stores on Boulevard Haussmann are the easiest shelter in Paris: Galeries Lafayette is open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (store website), and the stained-glass dome in the main hall is worth a stroll even if you buy nothing. Printemps and Le Bon Marché, the latter with its Grande Épicerie, also work as shelter; check each store’s website for hours before you go.
For a coffee, pick one inside the passages: Passage des Panoramas has restaurant tables under the glass roof, so you never leave the rain. If you fancy a film, Paris cinemas list screenings marked VO (original version, with French subtitles) alongside VF (dubbed into French); the Grand Rex, near Passage des Panoramas, has a historic auditorium, a guided tour and the Rex Studios, with the programme on the cinema website.
Which one-day rainy plan works in each area?
A wet day works best by area: walk little and use the metro between stops. Three plans, one per area, keep travel to the metro or short walks.
Right Bank: Louvre, passages and Lafayette
Works on Monday and Wednesday to Sunday, because the Louvre closes on Tuesday. Enter the Louvre at 9 a.m. and stay until noon, with 3 wings picked in advance; have lunch near the Palais-Royal, a few minutes’ walk from the passages. From 2 to 4:30 p.m., do the Vivienne-to-Panoramas walk; finish at Galeries Lafayette, near the Chaussée d’Antin–La Fayette metro stop (lines 7 and 9), which close at 7:30 p.m.
Left Bank: Orsay, Rodin and Saint-Germain
Works Tuesday to Sunday. The Orsay opens at 9:30 a.m. and takes 2 hours; Rodin is about 1 km away, open 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and needs another 2 hours. See the inside of the Hôtel Biron first and leave the garden, home to The Thinker and The Gates of Hell, for when the rain stops. In between, have lunch in the cafés of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
Île de la Cité and Marais: Sainte-Chapelle and Carnavalet
Works Tuesday to Sunday (Carnavalet closes on Monday). Book the combined Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie ticket for the morning, €30 with a set time (Nov 2026). Then take the metro to the Marais, about 2 km away, for Carnavalet, which is free, and the Picasso Museum in the Hôtel Salé; Carnavalet opens at 10 a.m. and the Picasso at 9:30 a.m. The Marais has cafés on almost every corner for lunch.
If you will be out all day, you can stay near the Opéra, where line 7 links Palais Royal and Châtelet and the Right Bank is within walking distance; see hotels in Paris on Booking.com or compare them in the guide to where to stay in Paris.
How much does a rainy day in Paris cost?
A rainy day in Paris costs from nothing to €32 per adult, depending on the plan. In torreeiffel.com.br’s Nov 2026 survey, the day with only the Petit Palais, Carnavalet, covered passages and Galeries Lafayette is free, and the Louvre day is the most expensive.
| Plan | What it includes | Total per adult (Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Free only | Carnavalet, Petit Palais, covered passages, Galeries Lafayette | Free |
| Right Bank | Louvre + covered passages + Galeries Lafayette | €32 (Nov 2026) |
| Left Bank | Orsay + Rodin | €30 (Nov 2026) |
| Île de la Cité and Marais | Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie + Carnavalet | €30 (Nov 2026) |
| Underground | Catacombs with audio guide | €31 (Nov 2026) |
Prices for other attractions, such as Versailles and the Eiffel Tower, are in the guide to Paris ticket prices. Under-18s get into most Paris museums free (Nov 2026), so children’s tickets almost vanish from the bill; the free admission for 18 to 25-year-olds does not apply to non-EU visitors.
What nobody tells you about Paris in the rain
- Monday and Tuesday cut the list: the Louvre closes on Tuesday; Orsay, Rodin, Catacombs, Carnavalet and Petit Palais close on Monday. On a rainy Monday you are left with the Louvre, the passages, the shops and the cinema.
- The queue is outdoors: without a booking, the Catacombs entrance takes 1.5 to 2 hours; the Louvre recommends a time slot even for those who enter free.
- Umbrellas fold in the wind: go for a waterproof jacket with a hood and closed shoes with rubber soles, because wet pavements and cobblestones are slippery (see what to wear in Paris in winter).
- The store terrace may close: the Galeries Lafayette terrace can close in heavy rain; save the panoramic view for another day (see the viewpoints of Paris).
- A pricier ticket is not a drier one: the Louvre (€32) and the Opéra Garnier (€25) charge non-EU visitors more; the Orsay (€16) is the cheapest of the two big museums (Nov 2026).
- Centre Pompidou is closed: the museum is under renovation from 2025 to 2030, so it does not belong in a rainy-day plan.
Before the FAQ, see the bookable activities in Paris:
Frequently asked questions
Which months are the rainiest in Paris?
In Paris, December is the rainiest month by days (11.4 days, 62 mm) and May by volume (69 mm), according to the 1991–2020 Météo-France normals for the Paris-Montsouris station. The months with the fewest rainy days are July (7.4) and September (7.5).
What can you do for free in Paris when it rains?
In Paris you can fill the day without a ticket at the Petit Palais and the Carnavalet Museum (free permanent collection, Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), in the covered passages of the 2nd arrondissement, at Galeries Lafayette and in Notre-Dame cathedral, free to enter in Nov 2026.
Louvre or Orsay: which one in the rain?
In the rain, the Orsay (€16, Nov 2026) is the faster and cheaper choice: it takes about 2 hours in a covered former railway station. The Louvre costs €32 for non-EU visitors and needs half a day; choose it when the whole day is rainy and it is not a Tuesday.
Do the Paris Catacombs need a reservation?
The Paris Catacombs strongly recommend buying online (€31 with audio guide, Nov 2026); without a booking, the outdoor queue runs past 1.5 to 2 hours. The museum is closed on Mondays and open Tuesday to Sunday 9:45 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Which Paris museums close on Monday and Tuesday?
In Paris, the Louvre closes on Tuesdays. Orsay, Rodin, Catacombs, Carnavalet and Petit Palais close on Mondays. So a rainy Monday calls for the Louvre, passages and shops, and a rainy Tuesday for the Orsay, Rodin or Carnavalet.
Conclusion
Choose your plan by the day of the week, not by the museum: a rainy Monday means the Louvre and covered passages; Tuesday to Sunday, the Orsay with Rodin or Carnavalet with Sainte-Chapelle will fill the day for €30 or less (Nov 2026). Bring a hooded jacket and book a time slot before leaving the hotel. To plan the rest of your trip, use the 3-day Paris itinerary and the guide to ticket prices. torreeiffel.com.br updates prices and hours every season.
How we checked this information
Prices and hours checked on Nov 8, 2026 on the websites of the Louvre, the Paris Catacombs, Carnavalet, Galeries Lafayette, the Opéra de Paris and Sainte-Chapelle; Orsay and Rodin checked in Oct and Nov 2026 against the site’s own guides. Rain: 1991–2020 Météo-France normals (Paris-Montsouris). Photos: Pexels, free to use.