Paris in winter or early spring has its own magic — fewer crowds, moodier skies, cosy cafés… and yes, the occasional rain shower/downpour! If you’re wondering what to do in Paris when it rains, you’re already asking the right question.
At Memories France, we know the city doesn’t stop just because the clouds roll in — and neither should you. From beautiful indoor escapes and covered strolls to museums, cafés, and rain-proof experiences we genuinely love (and run ourselves), this guide is packed with practical, tried-and-tested ideas to help you enjoy Paris without soggy shoes or wasted time. Think less “ruined day,” more perfect excuse to discover a different side of the city.
Wander the Historic Covered Passages
Want that Paris window-shopping experience, but sick of knocking umbrellas with passersby? Put it away and come enjoy a Parisian phenomenon that was thought up precisely for days like this : the covered passages. These spaces were the last word in urban planning in the early decades of the 19th century, before Haussman created the Paris of today. Today these unique architectural structures are bits of Paris of yesteryear preserved amber.
Away from the downpour, with soft upper level light coming down, the passages are great for an instragrammable photo op. We have already given you the inside scoop on the covered passages and some of our favorites around the Palais Royal in a self guided walking tour. Here are a few others that we love:
Passage des Panoramas
One of our favourite places to eat, especially on a rainy day, don't miss the Passages des Panoramas!
It's odd name was due to the first immersion experience art show : huge tableaux-in-the-round, where you could wander facsimiles of far-off capitals or the staged scenes of Napoleonic victories. These were movies-before-movies, to rival the still-kicking Théâtre des Varietés (n° 17 is the traditional backstage entry).
After the show you could stroll a whole world of enticing wares behind the shop windows, with tempting displays from fanmakers to hosiers and bootmakers and musical instruments, much the same now as it once was.
Admire the restaurant at n° 57. This sumptuous place used to be the celebrated brand of Marquis chocolates which wrapped its delicacies in poetry. If you’d had too many of them there was once a hip reducer further down the passage.
The whole was lit by gaslamps that would bounce off the mirrors next to the whatever delight was on sale. Artificial lighting also meant longer opening hours, and allowed you to read passages from the offerings of a naughty bookshop on the upper floor, tempting you in turn with rentable « ladies » on offer on that floor.
You won’t find any belles de nuit today, but you will find the same old fashioned shop signs for everything from stamp collecting to old papers, like the vintage postcards at Prins Patrick (n° 50). Take time out to pore over them in the café at n° 47, a a declared heritage site, once belonging to an engraver’s shop, Stern. Should you need a gluten-free option, try n° 16, at Noglu.
📍 11/13, boulevard Montmartre / 38, rue Vivienne, 2nd / 151, rue Montmartre, 75002
- Open from 6 am to midnight
- Métro : Grands Boulevards (lines 8 and 9), Richelieu Drouot (lines 8 and 9).
Passage du Grand Cerf
The Great Stag Passage takes its name from a hotel-restaurant, antlered head still presiding, whose original structure once sheltered the 18th century stage coach drivers passing through. The arcade was built after the destruction of the station that once welcomed passengers from as far away as Alsace or Flanders, back when the entry on rue Dussoubs bore the name of “Scratch-Butt Street,” but in more vulgar language: la rue Gratte- Cul. You needn’t ask what kind of commerce went on there.
These days far more respectable merchants sell their wares, and it's a wonderful place to browse. Its 12 meter high glass roofing -- the grandest of all the arcade ceilings – allows what light there is on a rainy Paris day to filter through, or simply lets you enjoy the patter of the raindrops as the soundtrack to a peaceful stroll through its many charms.
Here you’ll find everything from art galleries to artisanal jewelry, soaps or perfumes, in a range of charming and tiny boutiques. Its greatest draw currently is Louise Carmen at No 12, maker of beautiful, personalised leather journals. Be prepared to wait in line to make and take home one of these gorgeous creations. For yarn lovers looking for a holiday project to while away the rainy hours in a café, this is where you'll find probably the best knitting/crochet shop in Paris, Lil Weasel. They stock a wonderful array of luxury yarns in stunning colours, many of them produced in France. They have 3 locations in the passage (the biggest being at No 5) all staffed by helpful English speakers should you need advice.
Can’t get enough? The Passage du Bourg de l’Abbé prolongs the experience and leads also on to the nearby Passage de l'Ancre between the Rue de Turbigo et la Rue St Martin, where once lived a craftsman known all over Paris and beyond for his umbrella repairs! Though he is long gone, you can still dash into this arcade for cover should your parapluie give up the ghost.
📍 145, rue Saint-Denis / 10 rue Dussoubs
- Métro Réaumur (line 3) or Etienne Marcel (line 4)
- Monday- Sat 8:30 am to 8:30 pm
Passage Verdeau
An antique hunter’s dream, due to the Drouot auction house next door (Frances’s answer to Christie’s or Sotheby’s), we can only invite you to wander among the embarassment of riches on offer. A special (silent) shoutout to the Cabinet des Curieux at nº12 with its treasures from the seven continents, all manner of curiosities for collectors of the odd and the beautiful, from pre- Columbian sculptures, to death masks, to antique Japanese dolls.
Thanks again to Drouot, bibliophiles might also think they’ve died and gone to heaven. There’s nothing like the hypnotic hum of rainfall for looking at books. Browse the antiquarian tomes on display at, for example, nº24 Livre Mon Ami, no° 27 the Farfouille, Gribaudo Vandamme at n°48, Santon, n° 14 and 16. Ask before taking any pictures, though.
We particularly love n° 8 Au Bonheur des Dames, an embroiderer’s paradise, named after Emile Zola’s famous novel of a department store – the same phenomenon that eclipsed the passages. Wandering among the colors and textures, your fingers want to start stitching immediately, but beware of Balzac’s famous insight “From the manner in which a woman draws her thread at every stitch of her needlework, any other woman can surmise her thoughts.”
📍 6, rue de la Grange Batelière / 31, bis rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009
- Métro : Le Peletier (line 7) Grands Boulevards (lines 8 and 9)
- Monday to Friday til 9pm. Week-end til 8:30 pm
Passage Jouffroy
The first to be entirely made of glass and iron (notice the columns), and heated from the floor (just made for a Paris rainy day). This was all cutting-edge modern stuff in 1847.
Location wise, it rode the popularity of the nearby Passages des Panoramas, but gained its own fame when a well known caricaturist was asked to create a wax museum of celebrities. That artist bequeathed his name to the Musée Grevin that is open still today.
Also part of the original businesses is the Hôtel Chopin, at n°46. Named after the composer who would come to the Pleyel piano showrooms here, it was originally called the Hôtel des Familles, for the voyagers coming in on stage coaches who would stop nearby (hence the big clock in the hallway). It is said that in its rooms the pianist would have rendez-vous with authoress Georges Sand (Aurore Dupin) and that they were eventually asked to leave as the sound of his tubercular coughing distressed the other guests.
Renovated in 1987, the passage remains a place to stroll and window shop through it’s L-shaped corridors, just as the poet Baudelaire once did. In days gone by it was home to hairdressers, tailors, milliners, glovers and the famous café concerts. Today there are still plenty of fascinating boutiques to discover.
We recommend some souvenir shopping for the children at n° 41, The Toy Box/ Pain d’Épice with all kinds of retro toys and old fashioned dolls. At N° 34 You might find something for your inner dandy among the walking sticks and elegant canes of the Galérie Fayet. And at N° 24 Maison du Roy as much a cabinet of curiosities as an antiquery, all with an eighteenth century flair !
📍10-12 Boulevard Montmartre / 9 Rue de la Grange-Batelière, 75009
- Métro : Grands Boulevards (lines 8 and 9), Richelieu Drouot (lines 8 and 9).
- 7 am- 9:30 pm
Explore World-Class Museums
Perhaps the best thing to do in Paris under a downpour is to enjoy its artistic troves of sculpture and painting. Go for the greats -- or under-the-radar finds.
The Classics
The Louvre
Come along with us on our whirlwind romance with the masterpieces of the Louvre ! We’ll show you the key works of its maze of halls that would otherwise overwhelm, and also cut through the lines and take you straight to the treasures famous the world over.
The Musée d'Orsay
Or let us tell you the story of how the Impressionists came to be, what they were building on, reacting to, and up against, through the collections of the Orsay. Those same canvases reveal the tale of this city in a way you’ll never forget, if you have an expert Memories guide who knows how to read it.
Some of our favourite smaller museums
Paris is full of quiet little treasures, and rainy days are when they really shine. Tucked away behind unassuming façades, the city’s smaller museums offer beautifully curated collections without the queues, the crowds, or the coat-check chaos. When the weather turns grey, these intimate spaces become the perfect refuge — unhurried, atmospheric, and wonderfully Parisian. We’ve shared some of our favourites before, but consider this a gentle reminder… plus a few new gems to add to your list.
Musée de l’Orangerie
Now that you’ve met Monet at the Musée d’Orsay, the Orangerie is where the story comes full circle. These vast, immersive panels are among the artist’s final works — painted as his eyesight faded and his garden at Giverny became both refuge and obsession. Installed exactly as Monet intended, in softly lit oval rooms, the Nymphéas wrap around you in shifting blues, greens and reflections, blurring sky, water and horizon. It’s less a gallery visit than a moment of quiet contemplation — and on a rainy Paris day, there are few places more soothing or sublime.
And while you're there, don't miss some of the epoch-making pieces of the École de Paris cool kids such as Picasso, The Douanier Rousseau, Derain, Modigliani, and Matisse.
📍Jardin des Tuileries - Place de la Concorde (côté Seine), 75001
- Metro Concorde (line 1)
- 9.00am - 6.00pm / 9.00am - 9.00pm Thurs / Closed Tuesday
Musée Rodin
Housed in a grand 18th-century mansion, the Rodin Museum feels like stepping into the artist’s own world. When Rodin rented the lower floor in 1908, he began shaping the space that would become the 1919 Musée Rodin. The interiors are full of light, coming to rest on the sculptures and revealing fresh details in The Thinker, The Kiss, and his other masterpieces — a constantly changing dialogue between art, light, and the visitor’s eye.
When you come to room 16, have a special thought for the sculptor commemorated here and her works of genius: Camille Claudel, of tragic destiny. She began as Rodin’s pupil, became his lover, and in the end was interned in an asylum where she died at 79 in 1943. Her works are notable for their virtuoso fluidity, often on a slanted axis. Take for example La Valse (The Waltz) which seems to whirl us into a 3/4 time passion.
As you wander through the different rooms, don’t hesitate to go backward and see how the changing light embraces the volumes of the sculptures differently, hour by hour. Stay long enough and perhaps the rain will clear and you can make it out to the splendid gardens.
📍77 Rue de Varenne, 75007
- Métro : Varenne (line 13) ou Invalides (line 13, ligne 8, RER line C)
- 10 am–6:30 pm / closed Monday
Musée Carnavalet
Housed in a glorious mansion in the heart of the Marais, where the famed Mme de Sévigné chronicled the Sun King’s court in hundreds of letters to her daughter, this quirky museum has been called Paris’s attic. The description is apt as the rooms are simply chock full of curiosities, from a Gallo-Roman canoe to posters of the 1968 uprisings.
Among its 625.000 objects are Old Regime interiors and the bedroom where Proust wrote À la Recherche du Temps Perdu. A portrait of Robespierre and a model Bastille rub shoulders with medieval stained glass and sculpture.
We particularly love the alleged lost slipper of Marie Antoinette still waiting its Cinderella foot, and the shop signs of yesteryear, from giant eyeglasses to the famous Chat Noir cabaret.
The best part ? Since this newly renovated museum is city-run, its permanent colllections are free.
📍23 Rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris
- Métro : Saint Paul (line 1)
- 10am-6pm / Closed Monday
Musée Jacquemart-André
If you like to graze over the great masters, then this is the lavish mansion-museum (it figures in the 1958 film Gigi) for you. Like a miniature Haussmanian Louvre, you’ll find on its walls everyone from Botticelli, Bellini, Mantegna and Donatello, to Rembrandt, Fragonard, Boucher, and David.
Slowly put together by the wealth of the couple Nélie Jacquemart et Édouard André, the pieces’ story is in itself a wild ride in which on arranged marriage between a portrait painter (Nélie) and a sickly, syphilitic banker (Édouard) produced no children but perhaps the greatest art collections of fin de siècle Paris.
Afterward stop by the locally beloved La Nélie (open til 10pm on Friday) and you might savor a bespoke cocktail inspired by one of their excellent temporary shows.
📍158 Bd Haussmann
- Metro : Saint-Augustin, Miromesnil or Saint-Philippe du Roule stations (lines 9 and 13)
- Monday to Thursday from 10am to 6pm / Friday from 10am to 10pm / Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 7pm
Settle into a Cozy Parisian Café
Rainy days in Paris are made for cafés. This is when you duck inside somewhere warm, watch the windows fog up, order something comforting, and let the city rush past without you. Look for low lighting, clinking cups, the smell of coffee and fresh pastries — places that feel like a pause button on a grey day.
Once you’re settled, embrace the ultimate Parisian pastime: people-watching. Turn it into a game — Sherlock-style — inventing backstories for passers-by, guessing who’s late for work, who’s on a first date, who lives just around the corner. It’s simple, it’s timeless, and on a rainy afternoon, it’s peak Paris.
Here are a few of our favourites:
Classic French Cafés — Historic & Iconic
1. Café de Flore (Saint-Germain-des-Prés)
One of Paris’s most famous cafés, dating to the 1880s, and long a gathering place for writers, philosophers, and artists like Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. It’s still a wonderful place to sit and watch the world go by — quintessential Parisian café culture.
3. Le Procope (Latin Quarter)
Founded in 1686, it’s widely regarded as the oldest café in Paris. Once frequented by Voltaire, Rousseau, and other Enlightenment thinkers, it’s more of an experience than just a coffee stop — a true slice of history.
4. La Palette (6th arrondissement)
A designated monument historique, this bohemian spot in the 6th was beloved by artists like Picasso, Cézanne, and Georges Braque and remains a stylish, character-rich café with more of a local vibe than the bigger tourist hot spots.
5. Le Progres (Montmartre)
Le Progrès in Montmartre is a beloved local café with classic Parisian charm, where you can sip a café crème, watch the world go by, and feel the artistic spirit of the neighbourhood that once drew painters and writers to its streets.
Modern Coffee Spots in Paris
1. Coutume Café (7th arrondissement)
A pioneer of third‑wave coffee in Paris, Coutume Café helped elevate the city’s coffee culture with expertly roasted beans, precise brewing, and a sleek, modern setting in the 7th. Locals and visitors alike love its pour‑overs, cold brews, and well‑crafted espresso drinks — perfect for warming up after a rainy walk.
2. Treize au Jardin
Treize au Jardin (often referred to as 13 au Jardin) is a warm, welcoming café‑tea room in the 6th arrondissement, just a short stroll from the Luxembourg Gardens. It feels like a home away from home, with homemade, organic food, brunch and drinks served all day, and a relaxed Parisian atmosphere that’s perfect for lingering inside when it’s raining.
3. Ten Belles (Multiple locations)
A favourite among locals and visitors who love speciality coffee with a friendly, neighbourhood feel. Originally near Canal Saint‑Martin, Ten Belles serves excellent espresso and pour‑overs plus pastries — great for a cosy stop between rainy walks or museum visits.
4. Lomi (18th arrondissement)
Tucked in the 18th arrondissement, Lomi is a sleek roastery-café where coffee aficionados flock for expertly brewed espresso, pour-overs, and the chance to watch beans roasted on site — a perfect refuge from Parisian rain. It's a bit off the beaten track, but if you're a coffee lover, it's worth the hike. And just down the same road, if you're looking for brunch or lunch, check out the tiny and delicious Ola's Café.
5. Rose Bakery (9th arrondissement)
Rose Bakery is a cozy haven for brunch lovers and tea fans alike, serving wholesome, seasonal dishes alongside excellent coffee — a warm, comforting stop when the Paris rain starts to drizzle. They also have a fantastic grocery store around the corner and a take away of their delicious dishes just next door, if ever the rain stops and you feel like a picnic! If the rain does clear, stroll down the wonderful rue des Martyrs, one of the best local streets in Paris for food lovers, and much less crowded with tourists than many of the other spots.
Visit a Covered Market
While many markets are open air affairs, we know the addresses of the best ones that are covered over, keeping you dry and in spirits, while the mouthwatering aromas of Parisian and provincial specialties remind you of the culinary wonders of the capital.
Marché des Enfants Rouges
At over 400 years old, it’s the city’s most ancient market, taking its name from a nearby foundling’s home (the orphans living there would wear red capes, hence the 'red children'). It was nearly demolished in the 1990s to make way for a parking lot, and around the turn of the millenium was renovated into the inviting and hip space you see now.
With its world-food ambiance, you can try treats from everywhere : Cajun and Caribbean to Italian and traditional French. Try a goat cheese from La Petite Ferme d’Annie or indeed sit down in front of a cheese or charcuterie board from the ever-so Frenchy Estaminet des Enfants Rouges. If you can bear the line,the sandwiches of Alain Miam Miam (or “yum yum”) are worth the wait.
📍39 Rue de Bretagne 75003
- Metro: Temple or Arts et Métiers
- Open til 830 pm / Closed Sunday and Monday
Marché Saint-Quentin
If Les Enfants Rouges market is the oldest, this is the biggest. Even its 19th century architecture of wrought iron and glass, dating from the Haussman era renovations, is worth a look.
Yet it’s no tourist draw. Here you get a real sense of a local market while you gather supplies for a Canal Saint Martin picnic in case the rain clears. If it doesn’t there’s such an eyeful here bright and bold colors and tempting scents, from the world’s four corners that you don’t feel as if you’ve missed out on a thing.
Try some oysters at the big tables in the middle of the market and a glass of white wine, or a African vegetarian treat. Vitis Vinifera is a vintner just waiting to advise about a bottle to open or bring back home.
While you're there, pop down the road to the wonderful Passage Brady, one of our favourite covered passages written about here.
📍85 bis, bd Magenta, 75010
- Métro : Gare de l'Est (lines 4, 5, and 7), Château d'Eau (line 4)
- open til 8pm / except Sunday, til 1:30 pm / Closed Monday
Marché Beauvau (Aligre)
Established in the late 1770s, the building itself has been designated as a French Heritage Monument and the street saw barricades go up with the Revolution. In fact those who stormed the Bastille were largely drawn from the population of this anti-royalist working-class neighborhood.
True to that heritage, it rose up again in 1871 with doomed experiment of The Paris Commune. That working class past is still palpable here in both prices and popularity. due to its friendly bante over a picturesque bounty of produce.
Boasting an array of delicacies from near and far, the Marche d’Aligre is full of suprises. We love the Langlet-Hardouin cheesemonger, or buy some culinary souvenirs at Sur Les Quais. There are also vegetarian specialties at la Boucherie Végétarienne.
📍Rue d'Aligre et place d'Aligre - 75012
- Metro: Bastille (line 1), Ledru Rollin (line 8)
- Closed Monday / Tuesday to Friday 9am-1pm then 4pm-7.30pm/ Saturday 9am-1pm then 3.30pm-7.30pm, Sunday, 9am-1:30pm
Explore Place des Vosges
Wander Paris’s oldest planned square, the graceful and historic place des Vosges, where musketeers once duelled, and you can window shop the art galleries and exclusive boutiques under cover of the beautiful arched walkways surrounding the square.
We suggest stopping off for a hot chocolate at Carrette to chase away the rainy day blues.
Weather still not clearing up ? Walk down the covered archways to n°6, the Maison Victor Hugo to see (for free!) where this giant of French literature lived from 1832 to 1848, where he welcomed friends like Balzac and Dumas and wrote huge chunks of Les Misérables. If the lines at Carette are too long, there is a lovely café here looking over the pretty courtyard on the ground floor.
📍Place des Vosges, 75004
- Métro : Saint Paul (line 1), Bastille (lines 1 and 5), Chemin Vert (line 8)
- Open until 8:30 pm from September to May, until 9;30 pm from May through August
Browse Books and Admire Art at the Halle Saint Pierre
Voted the third most beautiful in the world, this is not just your average bookstore. Its soaring cathedral ceilings of typical 19th century iron and glass hold not only volumes you’d love to collect, it is also a café where you rub shoulders with locals in the know. Don’t miss the art, outsider, brut, or naive, it’s what’s happening in the Paris of Now while surrounded by Montmartre’s old-fashioned charm. If by the time you’ve finished discovering this unusual space, the sky has cleared, then we have the ultimate guide for a self-led tour of this amazing bohemian neighborhood.
📍2 Rue Ronsard, 75018
- Métro : Anvers (line 2) et Abbesses (line 12)
- Saturday: 11am - 7pm, Sunday: 12pm – 6pm
Don’t let a rainy day dampen your Paris plans — there’s so much to see and do indoors! Explore hidden covered passages, uncover charming lesser-known museums, or watch the rain streak past fogged café windows while sipping a hot chocolate. Whether you’re wandering historic halls or curling up with a book, Paris shines even when it’s wet — and with our insider tips and guided tours, you won’t miss a thing.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read our blog! We are a small Paris-based tour company that prioritises a boutique personal experience where we can share our passion for our heritage and community with every individual that joins us. If you'd like to take a tour then head over to our website for an unforgettable trip to the city of lights. Also, check out our social media @memories.france for everything you could need to know for coming to Paris: from how to use the metro to coffee shops closest to each major monument, there is something for everyone!
Angelissa, Siobhan & the Memories France Family
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- Things to Do in Paris When It Rains: Museums, Covered Passages & Cozy CafésRainy days in Paris don’t have to mean hiding indoors — in fact, they can be some of the most atmospheric moments to explore the city. From world-class museums and overlooked hidden gems, from historic covered passages to cosy cafés with fogged-up windows, Paris shines even when the skies are grey. Whether you’re visiting in winter or early spring, this guide is packed with practical tips and local favourites to help you stay dry, warm, and inspired — and to enjoy Paris at its most intimate, reflective, and quietly beautiful.
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