What to Do in Rome When It Rains: Indoor Ideas, Tours and Tips

On a rainy day in Rome, go indoors: the Vatican Museums (closed on most Sundays), the Capitoline Museums, Galleria Borghese (booking required) or the National Roman Museum. Watch the rain fall through the Pantheon’s oculus, go underground at San Clemente or the catacombs, or take a cooking class. Our golf cart tours run in the rain, with covers.

Cover photo: Massimo Coluzzi65, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rain in Rome is most likely from October to December, as our guide to the best time to visit Rome explains, but a wet day does not have to be a lost day. The city has great museums, churches and underground sites, a covered food market and historic cafés. We are Facile Tours, a local tour operator in Rome since 2012, and our golf carts run in all weather. This guide lists the best indoor ideas with the area, the time you need, the official price and whether you must book, all checked on the official websites. Then you find the tours that still work in the rain, and an honest word on when a museum is the better choice.

What are the best indoor things to do in Rome?

Prices are full adult prices. Most places have reductions or free entry for children and young people: check the official page linked in each section. On a rainy day, book a timed entry where you can, so you do not wait in line outside.

Which museums are best on a rainy day?

Rome’s big museums can fill a whole wet day. Check the closing day first, because it changes from one museum to the next.

Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. The Museums are open Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 20:00, with last entry at 18:00. They are closed on Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month, when entry is free from 9:00 to 14:00 (last entry 12:30). A ticket costs €20 at the ticket office or €25 on the official ticket site, the only official online seller. On a wet day, book a time slot online, so you do not wait in line in the rain. Our Vatican guide covers the dress code and the rules inside. All hours are on the official Vatican Museums page.

Capitoline Museums. Above Piazza Venezia, on the Capitoline Hill, the museums hold the original bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius on horseback and the Capitoline Wolf. They are open every day from 9:30 to 19:30, with last admission at 18:30, so they are a good choice on a Monday, when many state museums close. They are closed only on 1 May and 25 December, and close at 14:00 on 24 and 31 December. Until 10 January 2027 the ticket includes an exhibition and costs €16.50 for non-residents; without exhibitions it costs €15. You can buy it at the ticket office on the day, or in advance online with a €1 fee, but advance tickets cannot be refunded or changed. Details are on the official tickets page.

Galleria Borghese. In the Villa Borghese park, the gallery is famous for Bernini’s sculptures, such as Apollo and Daphne, and for its paintings by Caravaggio. Booking is required for everyone, free tickets included. The ticket costs €16 plus a €2 booking fee, and under-18s pay only the fee. Visits start every hour and last 2 hours, from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 19:00, with last entrance at 17:45. The gallery is closed on Mondays, 25 December and 1 January. Book on the official tickets page, as the best slots go early.

Galleria Doria Pamphilj. Behind a palace front on Via del Corso 305, a few steps from Piazza Venezia, the Doria Pamphilj family still shows its private collection. The star is Velázquez’s portrait of Pope Innocent X, with works by Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian. It is open Monday to Thursday from 9:00 to 19:00 (last entry 18:00) and Friday to Sunday from 10:00 to 20:00 (last entry 19:00), and closed every Wednesday, as well as on 1 January, Easter and 25 December. Tickets cost €16, or €17 online, children under 12 enter free, and an audio guide in English is included. Only small bags are allowed. The official page recommends booking, because entry without it is not guaranteed.

If Caravaggio is your reason to visit, four of the museums above display his paintings (Galleria Borghese, Doria Pamphilj, the Capitoline Museums and the Vatican Pinacoteca): our post on where to see Caravaggio’s work in Rome lists them, together with the churches that hold his paintings.

National Roman Museum: Palazzo Massimo and the Baths of Diocletian. Near Termini station, these two sites hold some of the finest ancient art in Rome. At Palazzo Massimo, Largo di Villa Peretti 2, you see the bronze Boxer at Rest and the painted garden rooms from the Villa of Livia at Prima Porta. The Baths of Diocletian, Via Enrico de Nicola 78, were built between 298 and 306 AD, and in 1561 Michelangelo turned part of them into the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. Both are open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 19:00 (last entry 18:00) and closed on Mondays, with special openings on 7 and 8 December 2026. One €15 ticket gives one entry to each site of the museum within a week, and entry is free on the first Sunday of the month. Some rooms are closed at the moment, including the Crypta Balbi site and parts of the Baths, so check the notices on the official page before you go.

Castel Sant’Angelo. Hadrian’s tomb, later a papal fortress, stands on the Tiber a short walk from St. Peter’s Square. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 19:30 (last entry 18:30) and closed on Mondays, 25 December and 1 January. A ticket costs €18, and the museum recommends booking, especially on weekends. Our guide to Castel Sant’Angelo tickets has the free days, the Passetto di Borgo and what you see inside.

Why visit the Pantheon when it rains?

The Pantheon is the one place in Rome where rain is part of the show. The only window is the oculus, the open circle at the top of the dome, so when it rains the drops fall straight onto the marble floor, which slopes gently toward small drains. Walk carefully: the wet marble can be slippery.

The Pantheon is open every day from 9:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 18:30, and closed on 25 December and 1 January. A ticket costs €7 and carries your name; buy it on the Musei Italiani website or app, or at the ticket office. During Mass (Saturdays at 17:00, Sundays and holidays at 10:30) entry is free for worship. A visit takes about 30 minutes. Our Pantheon guide has the full rules and Mass times.

Where can you go underground in Rome?

San Clemente. A five-minute walk from the Colosseum, the Basilica of San Clemente is three buildings in one. The present church dates from the 12th century. Below it is a 4th-century church with medieval frescoes, and lower still a 1st-century level with a temple of the god Mithras, where you can hear water running under the ancient rooms. The excavations need an online booking, because daily entries are limited. They cost €10, €5 for students under 26, and are free for children under 16 with their parents. The visit takes about 30 minutes, and photos are not allowed.

• Monday to Saturday: 9:00–12:30 (last entrance 12:00) and 14:00–18:00 (last entrance 17:30).
• Sundays and holidays: 12:00–18:00 (last entrance 17:30).
• Access: the excavations cannot be visited in a wheelchair. See the official opening hours page.

The catacombs. The early Christian burial tunnels are visited only with a guide from each catacomb, in about 40 to 45 minutes, and a full ticket costs €10 at each of the four below. Underground it is cool and damp all year: inside San Sebastiano it is about 17°C (63°F). Each catacomb closes on a different day, so check before you go:

• San Callisto (Appian Way): 9:00–12:00 and 14:00–17:00; closed on Wednesdays, 25 December, 1 January, from 13 January to 10 February 2027 and at Easter (official hours).
• San Sebastiano (Appian Way): Tuesday to Sunday, 9:15–17:15, last entrance 16:45; closed on Mondays, 25 December, 1 January, Easter and from 7 to 27 December 2026 (official info).
• Domitilla (Via delle Sette Chiese): 9:00–12:00 and 14:00–17:00; closed on Tuesdays (official site).
• Priscilla (Via Salaria 430, north of the center): Tuesday to Saturday 9:30–13:00 and 14:00–17:00, Sunday 11:30–13:00 and 14:00–17:00; closed on Mondays, 8 December, 24–26 December, 1 and 6 January and from 11 January to 1 February 2027. All visitors are asked to book (official info).

Our guide to the catacombs of Rome compares them and explains how to get there, and our post on the San Sebastiano catacombs tells their story.

Where can you eat and shop under a roof?

Testaccio Market. The neighborhood market of Testaccio has about 100 stalls of fresh food and street food, plus clothes, shoes and household goods. Its roof protects it from sun and rain, but it is open on all four sides, so keep your jacket on. It is open Monday to Saturday from 7:00 to 15:30, with entrances on Via Beniamino Franklin, Via Alessandro Volta, Via Aldo Manuzio and Via Lorenzo Ghiberti, and it is a good place for lunch on a wet day. Under the market lie the remains of an ancient Roman warehouse, but visits to it are suspended for now (official info). Our post on the Testaccio district tells its story, from the hill of broken amphorae to its trattorias.

Historic cafés. A wet afternoon is the right time for a long coffee or tea in one of Rome’s historic cafés. At the foot of the Spanish Steps, Babingtons has served tea since 1893, when two young Englishwomen opened it. Our guide to the historical cafés of Rome lists more, with addresses.

Is a cooking class a good idea on a rainy day?

Yes: you spend about three hours indoors and leave with a meal and a new skill. In our shared pasta making class, English-speaking chefs show you how to make fresh pasta from scratch and shape it into traditional formats, served with seasonal sauces. Then you sit down to eat what you made, with unlimited wine for adults and soft drinks for children.

• When: at 11:00, 15:00 or 18:30, for 3 hours. We send you the meeting point when you book.
• Price: the pasta class costs €79 per person from December to March (€89 from April to November). The pizza making class costs €79 all year and starts at 11:00, 15:00 or 18:30, for 3 hours.
• Good to know: the classes take place indoors and run rain or shine. Our cooking classes are not suitable for celiacs or a gluten-free diet. Bookings are non-refundable once we confirm them.

See all our cooking classes, and read our guide to Roman food to know what to order the rest of the week.

Prefer to walk and taste? Our shared Trastevere and Jewish Ghetto food tour runs rain or shine, so bring an umbrella. It lasts 2.5 hours, starts every day at 10:00 and 17:00 in Piazza Trilussa, and ends with fresh pasta, wine and dessert at one of our locations in the center, for €150 per person. It is in English, does not run on 25 December and 1 January, and is non-refundable once confirmed.

Which of our tours still run in the rain?

All our golf cart tours run year-round, also in the rain: the carts have rain covers. You see the sights from the outside, our drivers are not licensed guides, and most of our golf cart tours take up to 21 guests guaranteed, with larger groups on request. See all our golf cart tours in Rome.

• Private golf cart tour of Rome: your driver picks you up at your hotel, Airbnb or restaurant in the historic center at 9:30, 10:00, 14:30, 18:00 or 18:30. On the 3-hour tour you see the Colosseum, the Circus Maximus, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps; the 2-hour tour covers fewer stops. A Trevi Fountain ticket and a gelato or coffee stop are included. It costs €350 for 1–3 people (2 hours, November to mid-April), €450 for 3 hours or €750 for 5 hours, then €115, €150 or €250 per person from 4. On the 2-hour tour the maximum group size depends on the start time.
• Private golf cart tour by night: 2 hours at 20:00, 21:00 or 22:00, on a route you choose among the lit-up monuments. It costs €450 for 1–3 people at 20:00, then €150 per person; later starts cost more. Our post Rome at night: golf cart or Fiat 500? compares the two.
• Golf cart tour with the catacombs: 4 hours from 9:30, through the center to the Appian Way and the San Sebastiano Catacombs, where you can add the guided visit of about 40 minutes when you book. It runs every day except Mondays and the other days the catacombs are closed, including 7–27 December 2026. On weekends our driver changes the route, because the first stretch of the Appian Way is a limited traffic zone. It costs €590 for 1–3 people, then €200 per person, up to 15, and it is non-refundable.

Our Fiat 500 Dolce Vita tour takes you around in restored original Fiat 500s converted to electric, with an open top. If it rains on the day of your Fiat 500 tour, we switch to a golf cart with rain covers, and if none is available, we offer you another date or time. See all our vintage Fiat 500 tours in Rome.

For a guided visit indoors, our shared Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel tour lasts 2.5 hours with a licensed English-speaking guide, with tickets included, so you skip the public ticket line. It costs €119 per person, there are no tours on Sundays or public holidays, and it is non-refundable. All our options are on the Vatican Museums tours page.

When is a museum a better choice than a tour?

We would rather tell you now than see you disappointed on the day:

• In a heavy downpour or a storm, choose a museum. The covers keep the tour running, but you see the sights from the outside, and at every stop on foot you need an umbrella. Views and photos suffer.
• If the whole day is wet and you want to see art, the Vatican, the Capitoline Museums or Palazzo Massimo give you more for your money than any ride: €15–€25 per person, against €350 or more for a private tour.
• If you have only one or two days, keep the golf cart for the driest part of the day. Our standard cancellation gives a full refund up to 72 hours before the tour and 50% up to 48 hours before, so check the forecast before those deadlines. Tours with tickets or guides, such as the catacombs tour and the Vatican tour, are non-refundable.
• A tour is the better choice in light rain, when you have little time, or when long walks on wet cobblestones are hard for your group: the driver brings you close to each sight. Our post Are golf cart tours in Rome worth it? compares them with walking and other options.

How do you plan a rainy day around closing days?

Most disappointments on wet days come from a closed door. Use this list:

• Monday: Galleria Borghese, the National Roman Museum, Castel Sant’Angelo, San Sebastiano and Priscilla are closed. The Vatican Museums, the Capitoline Museums, Doria Pamphilj, the Pantheon, San Clemente, San Callisto, Domitilla and the Testaccio Market are open.
• Tuesday: the Domitilla catacombs are closed.
• Wednesday: Doria Pamphilj and San Callisto are closed.
• Sunday: the Vatican Museums are closed, except on the last Sunday of the month, and the Testaccio Market is closed. San Clemente opens at 12:00.
• 8 December: the Vatican Museums and the Priscilla catacombs are closed. Read our Christmas in Rome post for what is open over the holidays.

A few more tips:

• Wear shoes with a good grip. The black paving stones, the sampietrini, are slippery when wet.
• Group your visits. The Capitoline Museums, Doria Pamphilj and the Pantheon are all in the center, so you can link them with short walks between showers.
• Use buses, the metro or a taxi for longer hops, such as to the Vatican or the catacombs. Our guide to getting around Rome explains tickets and routes.

A simple wet-day plan: the Vatican Museums or Galleria Borghese in the morning, lunch at the Testaccio Market or near the Pantheon, a cooking class at 15:00, and, if the evening clears, a golf cart tour by night.

Explore Rome with us in any weather

Rain or shine, our private golf cart tour picks you up at your door and keeps going under its covers, our cooking classes keep you warm and well fed, and our food tour goes ahead rain or shine. Planning the rest of your stay? Read our guides to the Vatican, the Pantheon and the catacombs.

Explore it with us

Private Golf Cart Tour of Rome2 (November to mid-April), 3 or 5 hours, hotel pickup, runs in the rain · from €350 for 1–3 peopleBook nowPasta Making Class3-hour shared class indoors, with the meal you make and wine · from €79 per personBook nowTrastevere & Ghetto Food Tour2.5-hour shared food walk, rain or shine · €150 per personBook now

FAQ

What is there to do in Rome when it rains?

Visit the museums: the Vatican Museums, the Capitoline Museums, Galleria Borghese, Galleria Doria Pamphilj, the National Roman Museum or Castel Sant’Angelo. You can also see the rain fall through the Pantheon’s oculus, go underground at San Clemente or in the catacombs, have lunch at the covered Testaccio Market or take a cooking class.

What happens in the Pantheon when it rains?

The rain falls through the oculus, the open circle at the top of the dome, onto the marble floor, which slopes toward small drains. The Pantheon stays open, every day from 9:00 to 19:00, and a ticket costs €7. Walk carefully, because the wet floor can be slippery.

Are the Vatican Museums open on Sundays?

Only on the last Sunday of the month, when entry is free from 9:00 to 14:00 (last entry 12:30), unless it falls on Easter, 29 June, 25, 26 or 31 December. On other Sundays they are closed. From Monday to Saturday they are open from 8:00 to 20:00, with last entry at 18:00.

Which museums in Rome are closed on Mondays?

Galleria Borghese, the National Roman Museum and Castel Sant’Angelo are closed on Mondays, like the San Sebastiano and Priscilla catacombs. On a Monday, choose the Vatican Museums, the Capitoline Museums, Galleria Doria Pamphilj, the Pantheon or San Clemente.

Do golf cart tours in Rome run in the rain?

Ours do: the golf carts have rain covers, and the tours run all year. You still see the sights from the outside, so bring an umbrella for the stops on foot. If it rains on the day of a Fiat 500 tour, we switch to a golf cart with covers, or offer another date or time.

Do you need to book museums in Rome on a rainy day?

At Galleria Borghese and the San Clemente excavations, booking is required for everyone. At the Vatican Museums, Castel Sant’Angelo and Doria Pamphilj it is recommended, and on a wet day a timed ticket saves you waiting in line in the rain. The Capitoline Museums sell same-day tickets at the ticket office.