Looking for things to do in London in the rain? From world-class museums to cosy afternoon teas and hidden indoor gems, here are the best rainy-day activities in London.
Rain in London is nothing unusual, and a grey sky is no reason to write off a day in the city.
London has more excellent indoor attractions that are no compromise at all.
For starters, most of the best art galleries are completely free and huge. You could spend hours on a rainy afternoon soaking up incredible art from around the world.
Then there are the covered markets, which give you a feel for the historic side of the city without getting drenched, and interesting indoor spaces such as the Barbican Conservatory.
As London locals, we’ve spent a lot of time escaping the rain in the city. Here we have put together just the things that we think are really worth your time.
What to Do in London When It Rains
1. South Kensington Museums
One of the things we love most about London is the fact that many of the best museums are completely free. This means that even if you get caught in unexpected rain while you’re out sightseeing, you can easily duck into one of the museums to dry off and see some world-class art.
Here are two right across the road from each other in South Kensington.
The Natural History Museum is one of the most spectacular buildings in the city. The dinosaur gallery alone is worth the visit, and the Darwin Centre offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the science that goes on there.
The nearby Science Museum is great as well, especially if you’re travelling with kids. They have interactive galleries across multiple floors that can keep you occupied for an entire day.
The V&A is right next door and is arguably the most beautiful museum in London. There are fashion, jewellery, textile, and design galleries, plus standout exhibits such as the Egyptian artefacts and the Raphael Cartoons. Â
2. Trafalgar Square Museums
If you find yourself in central London during the rain, there are more excellent free museums to take advantage of. In fact, these are two of our favourites in the city – we go back regularly whenever we’re out and about.
The National Gallery at Trafalgar Square has world-class paintings from van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt and Turner. It’s in a grand building right in the heart of the city with wonderful views down to Big Ben.
The National Portrait Gallery, just around the corner from the National Gallery, has a permanent collection of Tudor monarchs, Victorian figures and modern British icons. For 2026, the temporary exhibition Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait brings together works by Andy Warhol, Cecil Beaton, Eve Arnold, and Richard Avedon in celebration of Monroe’s 100th birthday. It runs from 4 June to 6 September.
3. The Tates
Tate Modern on the South Bank is a great option if you’re into modern art. The former Bankside Power Station hosts a large-scale installation plus a permanent collection of works by Lichtenstein, Mondrian, Picasso and many more. The café on level 10 has wonderful views over London, even on a rainy day.
Tate Britain on Millbank is the quieter sibling. The collection spans 500 years of British art, including the largest collection of works by JMW Turner.  It’s much quieter than Tate Modern, but probably not in an area you’ll generally find yourself wandering around. So this is more of a special trip than a walk-by.
4. British Museum
We’ve put the British Museum separately, mainly for location purposes. Like Tate Britain, you’d probably find that you’ll visit on a separate trip, although it’s only around a 20-minute walk from The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square.
The collection spans two million years of human history with artefacts including the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, and treasures from Tutankhamun.
The Great Court is one of the most unique public spaces in London and the perfect place to hang out if you find yourself stuck in the rain.
5. The V&A East — London’s Newest Museum
V&A East launched in Stratford in April 2026, built into the site of the 2012 Olympics at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The museum brings displays from the V&A’s enormous collection alongside specially commissioned work celebrating East London’s creative communities.
The very first exhibition is The Music is Black, which traces 125 years of black music-making in Britain. Â Â
It’s an 8-minute walk from Hackney Wick Overground station. Entry is free.
6. Sky Garden
For a rainy day with drama, Sky Garden is hard to beat.
This is London’s highest public garden, which sits at the top of the Walkie Talkie building on Fenchurch Street.
Entry is completely free — though you need to book tickets in advance. New tickets are released every Monday morning, three weeks ahead, and they go fast.
Inside, the two-storey tropical garden with floor-to-ceiling glass has wonderful views over the Thames and the City skyline. There’s a cocktail bar, a café, and two restaurants, although we wouldn’t particularly recommend any of them.
7. Afternoon Tea
Rain or not, afternoon tea is one of those experiences that is very uniquely English. Â
There’s a huge range of options depending on your budget. Here are a few suggestions:
For a genuine splurge, The Ritz remains the gold standard for a swish afternoon tea. It’s formal, beautifully presented, and around £95 per person. The Savoy and The Langham are equally classic and elegant.
For something slightly more affordable, The Landmark London serves afternoon tea under an eight-storey glass atrium filled with palm trees from £79 per person.
Six Senses Spa at Whiteleys in Bayswater is one of the newer and more interesting options. Set inside the beautifully restored Whiteleys shopping centre, the afternoon tea is served in a stunning space. At £56, the price isn’t too bad either.
Duck & Waffle on the 40th floor of 110 Bishopsgate offers a relaxed afternoon tea with a sweeping city view from £55 per person. It’s less iconic, but from a food perspective, it’s probably one of the best. We’d also happily pay for the view.
Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly is one of the most iconic places for afternoon tea, but at £85, it isn’t cheap. The food reviews are also not great, but the historic setting is what most people are happy to pay for.
8. Coal Drops Yard
We like Coal Drops Yard as a rainy-day option because it’s mostly covered, so you can escape the rain, but you still feel like you’re out exploring.
The conversion of two Victorian coal storage buildings into a covered shopping and dining destination is one of the coolest spaces in the city.
There are around 50–60 boutiques, cafés, restaurants and bars tucked into the arches and upper levels. It has some of our favourite dining options in London, including Caravan, Barrafina, Casa Pastor and Coal Office.
It’s a great option with striking contemporary architecture, indie shops, great food, and it’s all just a few minutes from King’s Cross Station.
Coal Drops Yard is great to team with Lightroom, which we mentioned below in the Immersive Experiences section.
9. Covered Markets
London’s covered markets are brilliant rainy-day destinations.
Borough Market near London Bridge is the most famous and the busiest, but it’s still well worth it. Wandering through the market sampling bread, cheese, street food and coffee while the rain hammers down outside is one of those London experiences. In fact, it might even be better in the rain.
Covent Garden’s covered market building is a beautiful Victorian space and perpetually lively regardless of the weather. It has independent shops, boutiques and street performers sheltering under the glass roof. It’s surrounded by touristy cafés and restaurants on all sides, but still a good option if you want to sit out the worst of the rain.
10. Warner Bros. Studio Tour — the Making of Harry Potter
If you’re prepared to head a little out of central London, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Watford is another great rainy-day option from London.
You can easily spend four to five hours here, walking through original sets, costumes and props from the Harry Potter films.
Tickets cost around £55 for adults and £47 for children and need to be booked well in advance. It’s about 20 minutes from London Euston by train, and we have all the details, plus more options, on our day trips from London blog post.
11. The Tower of London
The Tower of London is another one of those attractions that we would say actually benefits from gloomy weather – something you’ll find plenty of in London.
It was a medieval fortress, a royal prison, and the home of the Crown Jewels.
The White Tower is the oldest part of the complex and its centrepiece, with displays of armour, weaponry, and royal artefacts.
Most of the main exhibits are indoors, and a good Yeoman Warder tour will keep you entertained for around 2 hours. Tickets cost around £34 for adults and £17 for children (book online for a small discount).
12. Immersive Experiences
To be honest, immersive experiences can be hit-or-miss. Some are cringe-worthy and overpriced, others have left us standing there in awe.
It’s probably a bit of a taste thing, but here are a few that we think are good options for a rainy day in London.
- Frameless: A massive digital art space with four galleries where masterpieces by Monet, Klimt and Dalà are projected floor to ceiling in a multi-sensory art experience.
- Lightroom: A purpose-built immersive gallery in King’s Cross (close to Coal Drops Yard) with shows designed by artists. The huge wrap-around projections, special audio and seated format give it a cinema-like experience. Â
- Monopoly Life-sized: Try the game on a 15-metre board where you are the playing piece. They have multiple boards plus a Monopoly-themed bar and restaurant. Â
- Paradox Museum London: Illusion attraction with interactive rooms including zero-gravity spaces and infinity wells. It’s just opposite Harrods, another great rainy-day option.
13. West End Show
London’s theatre scene is amazing, and it’s not really doing it justice to call it out as a rainy-day activity, but we can’t really ignore it as a great indoor experience.
The West End has the most concentrated collection of world-class theatre anywhere outside Broadway. You can catch anything from blockbuster musicals to intense drama.
If you haven’t booked ahead, day-seat queues at many theatres open early in the morning for reduced-price same-day tickets.
14. Bfi Southbank
BFI Southbank is one of our favourite places to hide from the rain if we find ourselves caught out on the Southbank.
It’s the UK’s leading cinema and generally has the most interesting programme in the city, with retrospectives, restored classics and director Q&As alongside new releases.
One of the very cool things at BFI Southbank is the Mediatheque, which lets you pick from thousands of films and TV programmes from the National Archives on individual viewing screens.
There are also a few great bars and restaurants, and it’s well located if you’re in the middle of our Southbank walk.
15. The Barbican Conservatory
The Barbican is a classic example of Brutalist architecture, and inside, it has one of London’s most unique rainy-day activities.
The Barbican Conservatory is a lush, jungle-like tropical garden under a glass-roofed atrium. It’s one of the largest indoor gardens in London, with towering palms, banana plants, ferns, and succulents displayed along raised walkways and cute little bridges.
Admission is free, but it’s only open on selected weekends. Check dates and book tickets on the Barbican website.
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16. Candlelight Concerts
Candlelight Concerts are one of London’s most popular recent additions to the events scene.
Small classical ensembles perform well-known pieces in atmospheric cathedrals, historic halls and museums. The lineup ranges from Vivaldi to Taylor Swift. Currently, in 2026, you could hear tribute performances to Ed Sheeran and Coldplay, Fleetwood Mac and Adele.
One of the popular venues is St Martin-in-the-Fields, located just off Trafalgar Square, which pairs perfectly with the galleries mentioned above.
The other place to see what’s on is Fever, where you can book several of the more popular candlelight concerts.
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