How to Spend a Rainy Day in London

Morning: Culture and History to Start Your Day

Your rainy day adventure in London has just started. Visit these amazing spots to enjoy certain things while staying dry.

The Museum That’ll Warm Your Soul

Have you ever imagined a big building structured like a time machine? If yes, you might want to visit the British Museum. Here, you’ll find long-lost treasures from all around the world. For context, you’ll encounter huge stone statues and mummies from Ancient Egypt. The British Museum is just like a library of everything cool. And the best part? You can walk in for free.

This museum is so big that you can’t see all it has in one day. But that’s okay. It’s more fun if you visit with two or three things you’d like to see in real time. Maybe you’d want to see statues of the Double Headed Serpent and Assyrian Lion or visit the Enlightenment Gallery. You can get yourself sorted at the British Museum.

Since the museum is massive, you can explore its gems and forget about the grumpy clouds outside.

The current exhibitions you may visit include:

• Ancient India: Living traditions – till 19 October 2025
• Mumbai + London: New perspectives on the ancient world — till 11 January 2026
• Nordic noir works on paper from Edvard Munch to Mamma Andersson – till 22 March 2026

Cosy Café and Coffee Break

One thing we love about London is the number of cosy cafés it has. Since you’ll probably be tired after walking the length and breadth of the British Museum, you can enter one of these cafés that seem like a real-world warm hug:

• The Yellow Warbler
• The Tin Café
• Candid Café

When you walk into these cafés, you’ll get wind of whiffs of freshly-baked cookies. With every corner sealed shut due to the rain, expect misty windows due to the warmth inside. You can sit by the window and see rain droplets falling down; you could even make an internal bet as to which drop reaches the bottom first.

After enjoying the café’s ambience for a while, it’s time to order a special snack. You could order a fluffy scone that you can butter up with jam or cream. Need something to step it down? Call on the waiter/waitress for a steaming cup of coffee. If you’re with a friend, now’s the perfect time to take pauses and reminisce on your museum adventure.

Afternoon: Explore the City and Get Some Digital Entertainment

Your morning adventure was eventful. After seeing the treasures at the museum and taking a brief break at a cosy café, the afternoon has rolled around. Now’s the time to step things up a notch and even play games on a screen.

The London Transport Museum

You’ve probably been in buses and trains in London before. But have you ever thought about how they work and the history behind them? If not, it’s time to give the London Transport Museum a shot. At this super cool spot, you’ll find old double-decker buses from the past and choo-choo trains that once dominated the railway.

This museum features trains of different colours; for context, you’ll find variants in blue and red. And if you’re up to it, you could enter into one of them, pretend to be a driver and make a loud toot-toot noise.

The London Transport Museum is like a puzzle that pieces together how the great city has grown from the 18th and 19th centuries. During your tour, you’ll find well-designed old maps on walls alongside posters that give directions. The museum is big, making it a fun place to walk around when the skies shed their contents. And since you’ll be exploring old buses, trains, and posters, you won’t notice the rain.

You can also see the recurring events like:

• Transport Explorers: A Live Show — Filled with comedy, science demos, and interactive moments, this show takes both kids and adults on an exciting adventure through the history of London’s transport.
• Music in the Museum — The Museum feature a performance by one of ten talented young soloists or ensembles from our musical program. These emerging musicians, all students at prestigious institutions like Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, or Trinity Laban, each bring their own unique style to classical and jazz music.

Lunch and a Digital Escape

After exploring the London Transport Museum, you’ll likely find your stomach rumbling. When that happens, find a comfortable place for a snack. You can head to a nearby open market or store and get a pack of Snickers and other worthwhile snacks for yourself. The places worth visiting include:

• Kitty Fisher’s
• 64 Old Compton Street
• Kerridge’s Bar & Grill

Done chewing? Well, you can whip out your phone and play some games at the best mobile casino sites while relaxing. These let you spin, play, and cash in from almost anywhere. The Slotozilla team has reviewed a range of mobile gaming platforms to highlight those that truly stand out for quality and entertainment.

So no matter if you’re snacking, sheltering from the rain, or simply unwinding after a busy morning, a quick digital session adds the perfect finishing touch to your London adventure.

Evening: The Grand Finale

If you follow the tips from above, your morning and afternoon must have been nothing short of eventful. But there are still some adventures you can squeeze in before the day ends. Try these for a fitting ending to your day:

A Magical West End Show

Picture yourself walking into a place where sparkly lights and big curtains reign supreme. That’s what theatres in London’s West End district bring to the table. These arenas breathe life into magical stories.

If you’re seated before the show starts, you’ll hear sounds that’ll touch your soul. And as the curtains rise, people donning different costumes will come on stage to act out the stories you’ve always imagined. Depending on the storyline, you might let out a tear or laugh like a child with no worries in the world.

Popular shows at West End theatres could include The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Wicked, and Matilda: The Musical. Regardless of what show you watch, you can rest assured that it’ll be a fun time. That said, note that West End shows aren’t free; most times, you’d need to pay a premium for them (£99 and above). But trust us when we say that the experience will be worth your time and money.

A Relaxing Time at the Pub

Do you feel like a West End show is expensive? If that’s the case, we recommend visiting a traditional but snug London pub instead:

• The Harp
• The Devonshire
• The Hoop and Grapes

At these pubs, you’ll find delicious meals and cold beers. And if you’re a talker, you’ll see other people willing to engage.

When you find a corner to sit at, call the attention of the available server and place your order. Typically, meals are prepared upon ordering, so you’ll get yours while it’s steaming hot. Pubs are great for sitting down, resting your feet, and making small talk about the terrific day you’ve just had.

A Storybook Adventure

Another fun thing to do in the evening on a rainy day is to find a bookshop. Thankfully, London is home to giant buildings filled with stories across multiple genres, like:

• London Review Bookshop
• Waterstones Piccadilly
• Brick Lane Books

These structures are quiet inside and have numerous rows of different books. That said,  purchasing books isn’t compulsory. You could just pick a book, sit down, and read its contents. If they’re interesting enough, you can pull out some pounds to rent them or purchase them outrightly.

A Hot Chocolate Treat

What a stacked day you’ve just had. On your way home, you could stop at a restaurant or roadside stall serving hot chocolate with whipped cream. These spots usually have sheds to protect you from the rain, allowing you to savour each sip.

Getting Home

You just got home. But does that mark an end to your rainy day adventure? Absolutely not! When you get back to your apartment or hotel room, the first thing you should do is take your way out of your wet shoes and clothes. After that, have a warm bath and don a nice, warm pair of PJs.

Now, head to bed and wrap yourself in your favourite blanket. Before you go to sleep, think about the amazing things you did today. Think about the old buses, the conversations you had at the pub, and the fist pumps you did when you got real-money payouts on your favourite casino games. By reminiscing on these moments, you’ll slowly drift off to sleep. And who knows? You might just dream after your next adventure, come rain or shine.

Final Thoughts

The rain might still be drizzling. But just take a look at the amazing day you’ve just had. Besides exploring a museum with diverse secrets, you played games on your smartphone, and finished your day with a hot treat.

At this point, you’ve likely discovered that rainy days in London don’t warrant hiding. You can use them to embark on an unforgettable adventure.

It’s London! A city that’s like a giant and magical playground that you can explore in-depth when the sun is taking a nap. So, what are you waiting for? We’ve provided the blueprint. It’s up to follow it.

image – dreamstime