Rainy day · Buenos Aires · Argentina
7 things to do in Buenos Aires when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Teatro Colón, MALBA and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 8–9 hours across 4 areas; 2 are free. October is usually the wettest month, with about 9 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 8–9 hours
- Areas
- San Nicolás, Palermo and Recoleta
Buenos Aires on a rainy day
Architecture · San Nicolás
1.Teatro Colón
If your dates allow, see a performance rather than only touring; upper-tier seats still give the full experience of the hall.
- Time needed
- 1 hour for a tour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- After dark
Museum · Palermo
2.MALBA
Combine it with the Palermo parks and Floralis Genérica, a short walk along Figueroa Alcorta.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Recoleta
3.Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
Visit straight after Recoleta Cemetery; entry is free, so it is easy to drop in for an hour.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
Architecture · Recoleta
4.El Ateneo Grand Splendid
Go on a weekday morning for photos from the upper balconies before the afternoon crowds arrive.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- Free
- Rainy day
- Photo spot
Experience · Monserrat
5.Café Tortoni
Order chocolate con churros and expect a short queue at the door; it moves quickly outside lunchtime.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Food
- Rainy day
Museum · Palermo
6.Museo Evita
Pair it with Recoleta Cemetery, where she is buried, for the fullest picture of her life.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Palermo
7.Galileo Galilei Planetarium
Check the show schedule online; many sessions are in Spanish, but the dome visuals work in any language.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| San Nicolás | Teatro Colón | 1 hour for a tour |
| Palermo | MALBA, Museo Evita and Galileo Galilei Planetarium | 2 hours + 1–1.5 hours + 1 hour |
| Recoleta | Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and El Ateneo Grand Splendid | 1.5 hours + 45 minutes |
| Monserrat | Café Tortoni | 45 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 2 free, 3 low cost, 2 mid-priced. Book ahead for Teatro Colón. The longest visit is MALBA; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Teatro Colón: Tours often sell out at busy times; book a slot online a few days ahead.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (San Nicolás and Palermo): Teatro Colón → MALBA → Museo Evita, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Palermo, Recoleta and Monserrat): Galileo Galilei Planetarium → Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes → El Ateneo Grand Splendid → Café Tortoni, at least 4 hours.
The wettest months
- October: highs of 22°C (72°F), about 9 rainy days, moderate crowds. Warm spring days and more frequent showers; the purple jacaranda trees begin to flower late in the month.
- November: highs of 25°C (77°F), about 9 rainy days, moderate crowds. Jacarandas in full bloom across Palermo and Recoleta, warm evenings and a busy cultural calendar.
- January: highs of 30°C (86°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. The hottest month, with humid days over 30°C; many porteños leave for the coast, so the city feels quieter and some restaurants close for holidays.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Palermo Soho — Boutiques, cafés and leafy cobbled streets around Plaza Serrano
- Recoleta — French-style mansions, museums and the famous cemetery
- Microcentro and Monserrat — Plaza de Mayo, Avenida de Mayo cafés and the Corrientes theatres
More of Buenos Aires
All things to do in Buenos Aires · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Buenos Aires?
Teatro Colón. Opened in 1908, the Colón is one of the world's great opera houses, famed for its acoustics, its gilded horseshoe auditorium and Raúl Soldi's painted dome.
+Which of these are free in Buenos Aires?
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and El Ateneo Grand Splendid.