When I visited Brazil in September, I naively went expecting to never get a rainy day in Rio de Janiero.
But I’m sure you can guess by the title of this blog, I was wrong!
September -> October is Brazil’s springtime, and the glorious summer days haven’t yet become consistent. (We did get some sunny days along with some rainy days).
So if you find yourself in Rio de Janeiro on a rainy day, don’t panic! There is plenty of things you can still do.
Rio has so many incredible museums, it’s easy to spend many days indoors. Part of me is almost glad that we had a rainy day in Rio, or else we would never have explored some of the things that we did. I hate being indoors on a sunny day, so in many ways the weather meant that we saw a whole other side of such a diverse city.
Don’t let the rain spoil your fun, and take it as an opportunity to see a different side of the city.
Check out my ultimate guide to Rio here. But read on for how to spend the perfect rainy day in Rio de Janeiro.
Schedule For The Day
- 9:30 – 11:30 Brunch at Gringos
- 12 – 2 Museum of Tomorrow
- 2:30 – 4 Cafe Colombo
- 4 – 5:30 Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
- 5:30 – Dinner
Brunch At Gringos
We had a couple of amazing breakfasts in Rio de Janiero. But Gringos was definitely the winner. Start your rainy day in Rio with some warm pancakes or waffles. The Gringos Cafe is quite small, but they have plenty of indoor and under-canopy seating for rainy days.
Museum Of Tomorrow
The Museum of Tomorrow was an unexpected gem of our trip.
It’s an interactive, and visually pleasing representation of the world that we live in. The museums focus is how human beings have an impact on the planet. There is a big focus on environmental sustainability, and what we need to do now to protect the world of tomorrow.
Whether you’re a passionate environmentalist or not this is an absolute must for anyone visiting Rio.
Cost: $20
Cafe Colombo
This is a well renowned cafe in Rio that we had set our sights on visiting. So naturally, we were gutted to learn that it closes on certain days. Not ideal when you walked in the rain to get there!
However, if you find that the main café Colombo is closed on your rainy day in Rio, don’t fear! The Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil has a second cafe Colombo inside! We found it completely by accident, but we are delighted to get a chance to try out some of their delicious pastries.
Banco Do Cultural
After our surprise, and well needed, refuelling at café Colombo. We finished up our rainy day in Rio at an art exhibit at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. It’s a giant building and home to multiple art exhibitions throughout the year.
Whilst we were there the main exhibit was by Chinese activist Wei Wei. I’m not a massive fan of modern art. However, I found his story incredibly interesting. And it was fun to try something a bit different, and really make the most of the rainy day in Rio.
Dinner At The Airbnb
Naturally, given the size of Rio de Janeiro the opportunities for dinner are endless. However, after our wet and rainy day in Rio, we opted to order delivery into the Airbnb.
I was the perfect end to the day, accompanied by some classic monopoly deal, and Netflix.
However, if you’d rather stay out exploring for longer, try some classic Brazilian barbecue at some of these highly recommended restaurants.
Things To Avoid On A Rainy Day In Rio
Sugarloaf Mountain
One of the highlights of Rio, it’s taking a cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain or to Christ the Redeemer.
Since it’s a city surrounded by mountains, rainy days in Rio usually mean a very low cloud and lots of fog. Don’t waste your time (or money) with taking a cable car anywhere. You won’t see anything worth seeing.
The Beach
This might be an obvious one. But Rio’s beaches weren’t designed for a rainy day. Sure, you could still grab a paddle board and head out to sea if it’s a warm day. But the visibility and mist makes it quite challenging to enjoy, and potentially dangerous.
