Rainy day city walks

Rain does not have to cancel the walk

A wet forecast is not a reason to stay in the hotel. Some cities are built for rain, with covered streets and arcades, and almost every big city has walks that link indoor stops close together. With the right route and a few small habits, a rainy day can be one of the best days of a trip: the streets are quieter, the light is soft and the queues are shorter.

This guide picks five city walks that work well in the rain, explains why, and ends with practical tips for staying dry and comfortable.

Bologna: the city with a roof

If one city was made for rainy days, it is Bologna. Its porticoes, covered walkways along the front of buildings, line street after street in the old centre. UNESCO added the porticoes of Bologna to the World Heritage List in 2021, describing a property of 12 component parts, and the city has about 62 km of porticoes in total.

Our walk starts at Piazza Maggiore and the Basilica di San Petronio, passes the Two Towers, threads through the Quadrilatero market streets and the university quarter, and heads out along the porticoes toward San Luca. You can walk most of the centre without opening an umbrella. The long covered climb to San Luca is a separate outing if you have the energy.

Rain tip: the market streets are at their busiest at lunchtime. Go mid-morning for space to browse.

London: Westminster to the Tower

London’s reputation for rain is a little unfair, but showers are common in any season. Our London walk runs from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament down Whitehall, through Trafalgar Square, along the Strand and Fleet Street to St Paul’s Cathedral, then beside the Thames to the Tower of London.

What makes it good in the rain is how often you can step inside. The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square is free to enter, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower are full visits in themselves, and there are cafes and covered entrances all along the Strand. If the weather turns heavy, cut the riverside section short and take the Underground for a stop or two.

Rain tip: book timed entry for St Paul’s or the Tower ahead, so you are not queuing outside.

Paris: the grand axis, with indoor breaks

Classic Paris on foot runs from Île de la Cité and Notre-Dame, across the Seine to the Louvre, through the Tuileries Garden, across Place de la Concorde and up the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe.

In the rain, treat the walk as a chain of indoor stops. Notre-Dame and the Louvre can each fill hours, and the arcades of the Rue de Rivoli give you a covered route along the Louvre and the Tuileries. Leave the open garden and the Champs-Élysées for a dry spell, and remember that a timed slot at the Louvre saves standing in line.

Rain tip: the monument’s official practical information page says: “Access to the monument is via the Passage du Souvenir, at the top of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées or the Avenue de la Grande-Armée.” Use it rather than crossing the busy roundabout. Since late July 2026 the lift has been out of service, so the climb is by the stairs, 284 steps.

Chicago: architecture inside and out

The Chicago Loop walk is a day of buildings. It starts at Millennium Park and Cloud Gate, follows the Chicago Riverwalk, stops at the Chicago Architecture Center, goes up the Willis Tower Skydeck, visits the Art Institute of Chicago and finishes on Michigan Avenue.

On a wet day, flip the order. Start indoors at the Art Institute, spend time with the models and exhibits at the Architecture Center, and save the Riverwalk and Cloud Gate for when the rain eases. Low cloud can hide the view from the Skydeck, so check the conditions before you buy a ticket.

Rain tip: the reflections in Cloud Gate are often better on a grey, wet morning, and the crowds are thinner.

Vancouver: the rain city’s best answer

In Vancouver, the Vancouver Aquarium, in the heart of Stanley Park, is the obvious rainy-day choice, and our route treats it as a short walk of its own. It starts at Bill Reid’s bronze orca sculpture, Chief of the Undersea World, at the entrance, then goes through the Pacific Canada Pavilion, Treasures of the B.C. Coast, Canada’s Arctic, the B.C. Wild Coast, The Tropics, the Amazon Gallery and the jellyfish of the Exploration Gallery. The aquarium lists daily animal feedings and says ticket prices vary by day and are lower when you buy early online, so plan around a feeding and buy your ticket before you go.

In Toronto, the Royal Ontario Museum works the same way, with dinosaurs, natural history and world culture galleries under one roof.

How to stay comfortable on a wet city walk

• Wear a waterproof jacket with a hood. It leaves your hands free, unlike an umbrella in a crowd.
• Choose shoes with grip. Polished stone and metal covers get slippery in the rain. Light waterproof trainers or walking shoes beat smooth soles.
• Carry a small dry bag or a plastic bag for your phone, tickets and passport.
• Pack a spare pair of socks. Dry feet halfway through the day make a big difference.
• Plan indoor stops every hour or so. Museums, churches, markets and cafes are your shelter points.
• Book timed tickets. Rainy days push more people indoors, so popular museums fill fast.
• Keep your map offline. Rain and gloves make phones fiddly. Download the route before you set off.

Use the route pages

Every route page has the stops in walking order, the best months and a GPX file you can follow on your phone. See how to use a GPX file, browse the map for walks near you, and check our tips page for more ideas.

When rain becomes a storm

Light rain is part of travel. Strong wind, thunder or flood warnings are different. Check local warnings, stay away from riverbanks in heavy rain, and move your walk to another day if needed.