Rainy day · Rio de Janeiro · Brazil
7 things to do in Rio de Janeiro when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Start with Museum of Tomorrow, Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) and AquaRio. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 9–9 hours across 3 areas; 2 are free. January is usually the wettest month, with about 12 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 9–9 hours
- Areas
- Praça Mauá, Gamboa and Centro
Rio de Janeiro on a rainy day
Museum · Praça Mauá
1.Museum of Tomorrow
Pair it with the Museu de Arte do Rio across Praça Mauá and ride the VLT tram back to Centro.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Photo spot
Gallery · Praça Mauá
2.Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR)
Take the lift to the rooftop terrace first, then work down through the galleries.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Views
Aquarium · Gamboa
3.AquaRio
Visit on a weekday morning; weekend afternoons and school holidays are crowded.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Architecture · Centro
4.Real Gabinete Português de Leitura
Look around quietly, as people are reading, and combine it with Confeitaria Colombo and the Theatro Municipal on a Centro walk.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Free
- Rainy day
- Photo spot
Experience · Centro
5.Confeitaria Colombo
Come mid-morning on a weekday to avoid the lunchtime queue, and order a coffee and a pastry at the counter.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Architecture · Centro
6.Theatro Municipal
Check the programme for a performance; a show is the best way to see the auditorium full and lit.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- After dark
Religious site · Centro
7.Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian
Visit around midday or early afternoon when the light through the windows is strongest, then walk on to the Lapa Arches nearby.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- Free
- Photo spot
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Praça Mauá | Museum of Tomorrow and Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) | 2 hours + 1.5 hours |
| Gamboa | AquaRio | 2 hours |
| Centro | Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, Confeitaria Colombo, Theatro Municipal and Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian | 30 minutes + 1 hour + 1 hour + 30 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 2 free, 4 low cost, 1 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Museum of Tomorrow; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Praça Mauá): Museum of Tomorrow → Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR), at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Gamboa and Centro): AquaRio → Real Gabinete Português de Leitura → Confeitaria Colombo → Theatro Municipal, at least 5 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Centro): Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian, at least 1 hour.
The wettest months
- January: highs of 30°C (86°F), about 12 rainy days, very busy crowds. Peak summer: hot, humid and busy with Brazilian holidaymakers, with packed weekend beaches and frequent afternoon thunderstorms.
- December: highs of 29°C (84°F), about 11 rainy days, very busy crowds. Summer heat and the run-up to New Year's Eve, when Copacabana hosts a huge fireworks party; hotels often require multi-night packages, so book early.
- February: highs of 30°C (86°F), about 10 rainy days, very busy crowds. Carnival usually falls in February, with samba-school parades at the Sambadrome and hundreds of street blocos; hotel prices are at their annual peak.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Lapa and Centro — Colonial churches, the aqueduct arches and Rio's samba nightlife
More of Rio de Janeiro
All things to do in Rio de Janeiro · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Rio de Janeiro?
Museum of Tomorrow. Santiago Calatrava's white, ribbed building juts into Guanabara Bay at the end of the redeveloped port, and inside an interactive science museum explores climate, population and the planet's future.
+Which of these are free in Rio de Janeiro?
Real Gabinete Português de Leitura and Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian.