People in London rarely go outside without an umbrella. Local weather records show a chance of rain in London every three days, even in the middle of summer. But don’t let that stop you from going to the city with your better half.
Even when it’s raining, there are plenty of things to do indoors and ways to enjoy the city. When you’re on vacation in London, it’s fun to walk around and see all the fantastic buildings, lively street performers, and other things there are to see. However, it’s good to know where to run for cover if it starts to rain.
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40 Date Activities To Do When It’s Raining In London
London is a beautiful city with lots of things to see and do, but it can be harder to get around when it rains. People who want to visit London during the rainy season should think about bringing an umbrella and rain boots.
To ensure that you are fully prepared, here is a complete listing of activities to do in London once it rains.
1. Eat at one of the many cafés or restaurants in London
You can get out of the downpours in one of London’s restaurants. There are thousands to choose from, so you can find something that suits your tastes, whether you want a quick bite, a Michelin-starred meal, or food from all over the world. The only tricky part will be picking just one.
2. Go to the Camden Roundhouse to see a last-minute show
The Roundhouse in Camden is an excellent place to stay if you like music. This well-known place for live music always has excellent shows where you can see the best new British and international talent. Check to see if any shows are going on when you’re in the city, and stop by Belushi’s just down the road for Happy Hour drinks before the doors open.
3. Go to an old-style covered market
Greenwich Market is an excellent example of a Victorian-covered market. Leadenhall Market and Covent Garden Market also have traditional buildings like Greenwich Market. Even if it’s raining, Borough Market isn’t the wrong place to be, especially if you’re hungry.
If you like antiques, Alfies Antiques and its sister market Grays are great places to go. You can look at collectables on four floors in a building that used to be an Edwardian department store. It also has an excellent restaurant (with some outdoor seating should the rain let up).
4. Go bowling
You can’t go wrong with a game of bowling as a fun thing to do with family and friends or a date on a rainy day. The city has many bowling alleys, such as All-Star Lanes, Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, and Rowans Bowl in Finsbury Park, which has a pool, arcade games, and karaoke for hours of fun.
5. Get off at Platform 9-3/4
Kings Cross Station is where Harry Potter fans from all over the world have to go. Witches and wizards can go to Platform 9 34, which has a great place to take pictures and a great place to buy gifts. And everything is indoors.
6. Try London’s best vegan food
Vegans will love living in London. On a rainy day in London, check out vegan options, such as street food, market stalls, vegan cafes, and restaurants with 100% plant-based menus.
7. Check out the Churchill War Rooms
Visit the Churchill War Rooms to learn about history close to London’s political centre. Once inside this underground centre, you’ll see where Winston Churchill and his top team made plans for World War II and hear the stories that made the war rooms so important.
8. Go to the Beauty Bar at Flannels
This is the first place of its kind. Sit down and enjoy the beauty the way it was meant to be: fun, slow, and all about you. Have a bubbly while you look over The Beauty Bar’s menu and find out what’s new in the beauty world.
9. Take a Restorative Cuppa
The classic British afternoon tea is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. Treat yourself to silver service at places like Fortnum & Mason and take afternoon tea the traditional way: to eat, drink, and talk for hours while it rains.
10. Go to the electric cinema to see a movie
There’s nothing better than putting on a movie on a cold, rainy day. Instead of going to an old movie theatre, you can watch a new movie at the Electric Cinema, which is set up like an old movie theatre. Before the movie starts, get a drink (cocktails included) from the bar, sit back in your soft velvet seat and try not to fall asleep. One is in Portobello, and the other is in White City.
11. Take a look at the Royal Albert Hall
If it’s raining and you don’t know what to do, take a tour of the Royal Albert Hall with an official guide. Walking through this Victorian-era building, you’ll learn about the royal areas, the fantastic auditorium, and the dramatic engineering problems. From the Arctic Monkeys to Beyonce and Cirque du Soleil, some of the biggest stars have been on that stage for a long time.
12. Get tickets to a West End show at the last minute
Whether you want to see a comedy, a musical, or a tragedy, you can be sure that the West End will have some of the best shows in the world. One of the best ways to get cheap theatre tickets in London is to buy them on the day of the show, though this isn’t always possible.
13. Play Indoor Golf
Play a game of mini golf at one of the more and more places popping up all over the city to bring out your competitive side. Swingers now have two locations in the capital, and Junkyard Golf’s base in East London has four 9-hole crazy golf courses. Puttshack in East London is one of the newest ones. It uses cutting-edge technology to make mini golf a lot more modern.
14. Go to an observation deck to see the city.
You might be wondering why you’d want to do this on a rainy day since part of the fun is the view. If it’s not too foggy, you’ll have a great view, and photos of London in the fog are classic.
15. Go to a Ping Pong Bar
Want to play ping pong? Farringdon and Old Street’s Bounce on a rainy day is a great place to play some games with your date. Book a ping-pong time and sip some good drinks while you show off your excellent table tennis skills against your partner.
16. Hangout at the Barbican
The Barbican is a great place to hang out. You can see some shows or drink in one of the cafes. There is also free WIFI in the common areas.
17. Make Some Noise
The London Brass Rubbing Centre is tucked below St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church near Trafalgar Square. With almost 100 different brasses to choose from, kids and adults can rub pictures of knights and ladies from the Middle Ages, strange creatures, religious figures, and even Shakespearean characters.
The price of a brass rubbing depends on the size of the piece you choose, but generally, it costs between £4.50 and £15.00. This makes it a relatively cheap thing to do in London.
18. Visit a Cat Cafe
If you and your partner are cat lovers, then this is the perfect place for you. At Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium in Bethnal Green, you can drink tea and pet a cute cat. Make friends with the beautiful rescue cats and enjoy a high tea, a cocktail, or just a cup of tea.
19. Go to a spa
One of London’s city spas is a great place to rest and relax. There are great spas in the city’s best hotels, or you could go to your neighbourhood salon for some pampering.
20. Try the best bun in Chinatown
Visit the Bun House in Chinatown on a rainy day to pick yourself up with some hot, freshly made Chinese buns. If it starts to rain while you’re in central London, this is the perfect place to go.
21. Play pool the old-fashioned way
1920 has four American pool tables and a great bar in Clerkenwell (try the gin-based Bamboozled). The Number 1 Sports Bar in London Bridge has a lot of pool tables, and as the night goes on, it turns into a club.
Try Rileys Sports Bar in Victoria or Haymarket for a traditional pool hall. Both of these places have big screens that show live sports.
22. Take pictures of art made with umbrellas
What better way to get out of the rain than to hide under one or twenty umbrellas? The colourful art installation outside Vinopolis Piazza comprises several umbrellas that float in the air, making it a great place to take pictures and get out of the rain.
23. Get your Sushi
You might be surprised by how many places in London serve sushi at low prices. You can fill up on tasty tuna rolls, salmon sashimi, and nigiri at our favourite sushi places in the city.
24. Go to the London Aquarium to see what’s underwater
Watching the fish and reptiles at the SEA LIFE London Aquarium is a very relaxing way to spend the day. Watch the penguins waddle around or the sharks swim in the big tanks. You can also see the daily feeds if you’re there at the right time.
25. Start singing “Rain, Rain, Go Away.”
Karaoke Box has three locations in Mayfair, Soho, and Smithfield. You can also have someone serve you. Lucky Voice is also in Islington and Soho. It is a place where you can sing with inflatable instruments as props. If you want to bowl and sing simultaneously, Bloomsbury Lanes has four private rooms where you can do both.
26. Get comfortable in bookshops
Bring your book and headphones and get cosy in one of the most comfortable places in London. These lovely little spots are tucked away from the busy city and are great for peace.
27. The London Bridge Experience will give you chills and thrills
Just a short walk from St. Christopher’s London Bridge, this is not for the faint of heart. Set deep underground, you can learn about the history of London Bridge and then walk through a scare maze where you will face your worst fears.
28. See some dark skies
If the weather isn’t great, you can watch a show at the Royal Observatory’s Planetarium. People who want to look at the stars in Greenwich can use the dome roof to watch the latest HD technology and learn more about the universe.
29. Go to an art gallery in London
You can walk around in many of London’s art galleries for free. If it starts to rain in Trafalgar Square, you can walk to the National Gallery and Somerset House in less than five minutes.
30. Use a board game
You can show off your competitive side at Draughts, a board game café. You can choose from over 800 board games, including classics like 5 Second Rule and Battleship. Order some snacks and a craft beer, and then challenge your partner to a game or three. There’s nothing wrong with a little healthy competition, and with so many games to choose from, you’ll never get bored.
31. Take a boat ride on the River Thames
As you float down the River Thames in a Boat Cruise, you can see some of the city’s most famous landmarks. You can get out of the rain by getting cosy with a drink or taking pictures of the London Eye and Big Ben like a tourist.
32. Tour Kenwood House
This neoclassical villa sits on the edge of Hampstead Heath and is surrounded by peaceful gardens. It also has a world-class art collection. There are many great works by artists like Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Dyck, Gainsborough, and Reynolds.
You can enjoy Kenwood House and the grounds of Kenwood Estate for free and get food from the Stewards Room and Brew House cafés.
33. Go To Shopping Centre
London has many shopping options for when the weather turns bad, whether you want to visit the popular retail area of Oxford Street or wander through the opulent halls of Harrods.
34. Go to the Southbank Centre Book Market and look at the books
The Waterloo Bridge keeps the Southbank Centre Book Market open no matter the weather. Under the bridge, you can choose from many used books while waiting for the rain.
35. Look for records
You can spend an hour looking through the racks at Flashback on Essex Road, the area around Berwick Street in Soho, or Lucky Seven in Stoke Newington.
36. Explore Westminster Abbey
You could also go to Westminster Abbey, a famous landmark that has been around since 960 AD and has been the site of important events like the coronation of the Queen and the wedding of Prince William and Kate in 2011.
37. Ride the London Eye
Even if it’s raining, you can stay dry in one of the pods on the Coca-Cola London Eye and still get a great view. Even though you might not be able to see as well as on a sunny day, you’ll still be able to see the Houses of Parliament and the River Thames.
38. Look around the British Museum
As one of London’s most famous sights, the British Museum is likely to be busy on a rainy day, but that shouldn’t stop you from going. This natural history museum always has special shows and exhibits that interest and teach people of all ages.
39. Have a pint in a proper British Pub
In London, every corner has an authentic British pub. Want a taste of the past? Ye Old Mitre is a charming pub that dates back to the 1600s and its legacy made it through the Great Fire of London. It has a bunch of traditional beers on tap and a cosy pub vibe. St. Christopher’s Pub on Borough High Street is another of the best pubs in London.
40. Brunch in the garden in the sky
If sandwiches and cakes aren’t your ideas for a filling meal, why not try bottomless brunch? The sky garden is located in the middle of the City of London, and the 37th floor is one of the most beautiful places to have brunch. Mix some of your favourite best indoor activities, happy hour, and going out to see the sights.
Conclusion:
The weather can be a pain when you’re out on a date. But what about the perfect partner who might only come along once in a lifetime? London is a popular place for people from all over the world to date, and many come to the UK to find their perfect match.
Not only do you need to find someone who shares your interests and values, but you also need to find someone who fits in with your way of life.
So, when it rains in London, there are lots of places to go to and things to do. But there is one more thing you can do: accept the rain and go with it. So, no matter what you do, remember that London is always ready for rain!
FAQs
What should I wear if it’s raining in London?
- Put on a lightweight jacket. You should wear a trench coat or a motorcycle jacket. Neither of these will soak up as much water as a wool coat.
- Don’t forget to bring a scarf. Temperatures can fall quickly.
- Wear layers of clothes to get ready for weather changes. Try to avoid things that are too big to fit in your bag. You don’t want to carry a heavy coat all over town.
- Summer is windy, so don’t wear anything that might flap too much or cause you to flash people by accident.
- Do carry a cross-body bag. It’s easy to carry, hard to steal, and suitable for travelling men and women.
- Don’t put yourself out in the weather. Have a plan. Bring an umbrella or hat.
- Do wear shoes that feel good. You’ll probably be walking a lot, so choose shoes that won’t rub your feet raw. This could be boots or galoshes, boat shoes, sneakers, or flats—anything you don’t mind getting wet.
How many times does it rain in London each year?
On average, there are 12 days of rain or snow in January. August is the month with the fewest rainy days, on average. The average number of rainy days per year is 111.
What month in London has the most rain?
Overall, it rains the most in November and the least in March and April.
