Rainy Day in Paris: 10 Indoor Activities Near Yuna

On a rainy day in Paris, the best things to do are indoors: world-class museums, contemporary art foundations, 19th-century covered passages and grand department stores. From Yuna's six aparthotels, ten indoor spots are a short walk or a few metro stops away, from the Louvre to the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Here is our pick, neighborhood by neighborhood, with opening hours and prices.

What to do in Paris when it rains? Major museums near Yuna Saint-Honoré

The 1st arrondissement is home to two of the city's most visited museums, both about a 10-minute walk from Yuna Saint-Honoré at 259 rue Saint-Honoré. When it pours, skip the Tuileries Garden and walk under the arcades of rue de Rivoli instead.

1. The Louvre

The Louvre is open 9 am to 6 pm, with late openings until 9 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays, and is closed on Tuesdays. Tickets cost €22 for residents of the European Economic Area and €32 for other visitors; under-18s get in free. Book a time slot online, as lines under the Pyramid grow fast on wet days. On the first Friday of the month (except July and August), entry is free for everyone after 6 pm, with a reservation.

2. The Musée de l'Orangerie

At the western end of the Tuileries, near Place de la Concorde, the Orangerie displays Claude Monet's eight monumental Water Lilies panels in two oval rooms lit from above. The museum opened in 1927, following the painter's own plans. Admission is €12.50, 9 am to 6 pm, closed on Tuesdays. Allow about 90 minutes, which makes it ideal for a late-morning shower.

Contemporary art under cover: the Bourse de Commerce and the Fondation Louis Vuitton

Two private foundations offer some of the most striking indoor spaces in Paris for today's art, one in the heart of the 1st arrondissement, the other in the Bois de Boulogne.

3. The Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection

At 2 rue de Viarmes, a 5-minute walk from Yuna Les Halles, the Bourse de Commerce shows François Pinault's collection beneath a 19th-century glass dome, inside a concrete cylinder designed by Tadao Ando and opened in 2021. It is open 11 am to 7 pm, until 9 pm on Fridays, and closed on Tuesdays. A full-price ticket costs €15.

4. The Fondation Louis Vuitton

Frank Gehry's glass-sailed building at 8 avenue du Mahatma Gandhi (16th) is worth the trip for its architecture as much as its exhibitions. From Yuna Porte-Maillot, metro line 1 reaches Les Sablons station one stop from Porte Maillot. During exhibitions, it opens 11 am to 8 pm (10 am on weekends, 9 pm on Fridays), except Tuesdays; standard admission is €18.

Left Bank: the Musée d'Orsay and Le Bon Marché near Yuna Saint-Germain

From Yuna Saint-Germain at 117 rue de Rennes (6th), the Left Bank offers a major museum and the oldest department store in Paris.

5. The Musée d'Orsay

Set in a former railway station at 62 rue de Lille (7th), the Musée d'Orsay holds the world's largest Impressionist collection, with Monet, Renoir, Degas and Van Gogh. It opens 9:30 am to 6 pm, until 9:45 pm on Thursdays, and is closed on Mondays. Tickets cost €16, and entry is free for all on the first Sunday of the month.

6. Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche and La Grande Épicerie

Founded in 1852 by Aristide and Marguerite Boucicaut, Le Bon Marché at 24 rue de Sèvres (7th) was the first department store in Paris. Its criss-crossing escalators and art installations under the glass roof are worth seeing even if you buy nothing. Next door, at 38 rue de Sèvres, La Grande Épicerie de Paris is the place to stock up for dinner in your apartment. The store is about 10 minutes on foot from Yuna Saint-Germain.

Covered passages and department stores: stroll without an umbrella

The covered passages of Paris were built in the early 19th century precisely so people could shop and stroll out of the rain and mud. Around twenty survive, mostly in the 1st, 2nd and 9th arrondissements.

7. The covered passages, from Véro-Dodat to Jouffroy

• Galerie Véro-Dodat (1826): 19 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a few minutes from Yuna Les Halles, known for its black-and-white checkered floor.
• Galerie Vivienne (1826): mosaic floors by Giandomenico Facchina and the A Priori Thé tea room, between the Palais-Royal and the Bourse.
• Passage des Panoramas (1799): the oldest covered passage in Paris, at 11 boulevard Montmartre, home to the Stern engraving shop.
• Passage Jouffroy (1847): the first passage built entirely of iron and glass, home to the Musée Grévin wax museum, continuing into Passage Verdeau.

Linked together, these passages make a walk of about 2 km (1.2 miles) that is almost entirely under cover.

8. The Galeries Lafayette Haussmann dome

At 40 boulevard Haussmann (9th), the glass and steel dome of the Galeries Lafayette, completed in 1912, can be admired for free from the balconies of the main store. It is about a 20-minute walk from both Yuna Blanche and Yuna Saint-Honoré, or a few metro stops away.

Montmartre and New Athens: small museums near Yuna Blanche

At the foot of the Montmartre hill, the 9th and 18th arrondissements hide two intimate museums, perfect for a gray afternoon.

9. The Musée de la Vie Romantique

At 16 rue Chaptal (9th), a 5-minute walk from Yuna Blanche on rue Ballu, the Hôtel Scheffer-Renan was the studio of painter Ary Scheffer, where Delacroix, Chopin and George Sand used to gather. The permanent collections are free, open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm. The tea room in the courtyard garden is a cozy spot for a hot drink after your visit.

10. The Musée de Montmartre

At 12 rue Cortot (18th), the Musée de Montmartre occupies the oldest house on the hill, where Renoir once had his studio. Inside, you can visit the recreated studio of Suzanne Valadon and her son Maurice Utrillo. It is open daily, 10 am to 7 pm; admission with the current exhibition is €16. From Yuna Montmartre, it is about a 15-minute walk.

Why is an aparthotel better on a rainy day?

An aparthotel gives you a real home base between visits: a living room to dry off and read, and a fully equipped kitchen to cook what you picked up at La Grande Épicerie or a covered market. At Yuna, check-in is self-service, with an access code sent 48 hours before arrival, and the digital concierge answers 24/7 by WhatsApp, phone or email.

On a wet morning, the Yuna app lets you order breakfast delivered to your apartment before heading to the Louvre at opening time. For families, the extra space means no one spends the day cooped up in a single hotel room.

The art of living in Paris, Yuna style

Soaking up the soul of a neighborhood, strolling at your own pace, then coming home to a comfortable retreat after a day of exploring: that is the philosophy behind our aparthotels in Paris. More than a stay, we invite you to experience the city like an insider.

Choose the atmosphere of your next getaway among our Parisian addresses:

• Yuna Blanche
• Yuna Les Halles
• Yuna Saint-Honoré
• Yuna Montmartre
• Yuna Porte-Maillot
• Yuna Saint-Germain

Six intimate addresses, designed to make you feel at home wherever you stay.

Key Facts

• Yuna Saint-Honoré: the Louvre (€22, closed Tuesdays) and the Orangerie (€12.50, closed Tuesdays), about 10 minutes on foot.
• Yuna Les Halles: the Bourse de Commerce, 5 minutes away (€15, closed Tuesdays), and Galerie Véro-Dodat.
• Yuna Saint-Germain: Le Bon Marché, 10 minutes away, and the Musée d'Orsay (closed Mondays, late opening Thursdays).
• Yuna Blanche: the Musée de la Vie Romantique, 5 minutes away (free, closed Mondays), and Galeries Lafayette Haussmann.
• Yuna Montmartre: the Musée de Montmartre (€16, open daily).
• Yuna Porte-Maillot: the Fondation Louis Vuitton (€18, closed Tuesdays), Les Sablons metro station.
• Good to know: most Paris museums close on Mondays or Tuesdays; book tickets online on rainy days.

FAQ

What can you do in Paris on a rainy day?

Museums are the safest bet: the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Orangerie or the Bourse de Commerce. The covered passages of the 2nd and 9th arrondissements, such as Galerie Vivienne and Passage des Panoramas, let you stroll without an umbrella. Department stores like Galeries Lafayette Haussmann and Le Bon Marché round out a day spent entirely indoors.

Which Paris museums are open on Tuesdays?

The Louvre, the Orangerie, the Bourse de Commerce and the Fondation Louis Vuitton are closed on Tuesdays. The Musée d'Orsay, the Musée de la Vie Romantique and the Musée de Montmartre are open that day. On Mondays it is the opposite for Orsay and the Vie Romantique, so always check closing days before you set off.

Are there free museums in Paris for a rainy day?

Yes. The permanent collections of the Musée de la Vie Romantique on rue Chaptal are free all year round. The Musée d'Orsay is free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month, and the Louvre on the first Friday evening of the month after 6 pm, except in July and August. The Galeries Lafayette dome is also free to see.

Where can you walk indoors in Paris?

The covered passages are the most Parisian way to walk out of the rain. Passage des Panoramas, opened in 1799, is the oldest; Galerie Vivienne is known for its mosaics; Passage Jouffroy houses the Musée Grévin. Linked together, they form about 2 km (1.2 miles) of almost entirely covered walkways between the 1st and 9th arrondissements.

Rain won't spoil a trip to Paris when museums, passages and department stores are just minutes from your door. To enjoy these ten indoor activities and come home to a warm, welcoming apartment, book your Yuna aparthotel directly on our website.