Bad-weather tips
Turin is one of the best cities in Italy for a rainy day. Under the arcades you stay dry across the centre, the major museums are close together, and historic cafés await in between. Here you'll find everything that works in the rain – and what you're better off postponing.
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When it rains, Turin gives you two big advantages. First, the arcades: Turismo Torino speaks of 18 kilometres of porticoes in the centre. Second, almost all the main museums are in the old town, many of them on Piazza Castello or a few steps away.
Closing days matter: on Tuesdays the Mole and Palazzo Madama are closed, on Wednesdays the Musei Reali. On Mondays the Egyptian Museum already closes at 14:00. You'll find all closing days on our page museums open on Mondays and closing days.
The portici are Turin's trademark. Turismo Torino describes them as 18 kilometres long and unique. According to Turismo Torino, part of them, around Via Roma, was built for the House of Savoy to take their walks. Today you can use the porticoes to get from one sight to the next without getting wet.
Via Garibaldi, one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe, is not covered. The lanes of the Quadrilatero Romano have hardly any arcades either. In heavy rain, better take an umbrella there.
As well as its arcades, Turin has several historic shopping galleries with glass roofs. They connect streets and squares and make ideal shortcuts when it rains.
Opened in 1874, in iron and glass in the style of the Parisian passages. It connects Piazza Castello with Piazza Carlo Alberto. Inside are shops and the historic café Baratti & Milano. The Egyptian Museum and the Museo del Risorgimento are only a few steps away.
This T-shaped gallery from the 1930s connects Via Roma with Via Bertola. Under the glass roof you'll find shops and the Lux cinema. The newspaper La Stampa had its first historic headquarters here.
Built at the end of the 19th century by Lorenzo Rivetti, on the site of the former Ospedale Mauriziano. The gallery leads from Via della Basilica to the Porta Palazzo market, with shops, cafés and a historic pharmacy.
Turin has museums for almost every interest. The table shows the main ones with their theme, closing day and Torino Card status. Opening hours according to the official websites, as of 1 October 2026.
| Museum | Theme | Closing day | Torino Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Museum | Ancient Egypt, around 40,000 objects | none (Mon 9:00–14:00 only) | free |
| Musei Reali | Royal Palace, Armoury, picture gallery | Wednesday | free |
| National Cinema Museum in the Mole | Film and cinema, panoramic lift | Tuesday | museum free, lift discounted |
| Palazzo Madama | Art from the Middle Ages to the Baroque | Tuesday | free |
| MAUTO | Cars, more than 200 vehicles from 80 makes | none (Mon 10:00–14:00 only) | free |
| Museo del Risorgimento | Unification of Italy, first parliament | Monday | free |
| GAM | Modern art, more than 45,000 works | Monday | free |
| MAO | Asian art | Monday | free |
| Pinacoteca Agnelli (Lingotto) | Agnelli family art collection, Fiat history | Monday | free |
| Museo Lavazza | Coffee | Monday and Tuesday | free |
| Choco-Story | Chocolate and gianduja | none | free |
| Museo della Sindone | Shroud of Turin | none (15:00–18:00 only) | free |
| Museo Nazionale della Montagna | Mountains and mountaineering | none | free |
Musei Reali: in the week from 5 to 11 October 2026, the closing day is exceptionally Tuesday 6 October instead of Wednesday. The National Cinema Museum is closed on 7 October 2026. The Museo Lavazza requires a booking at weekends.
Not every shower lasts all day. Choose your museum according to how much time you have.
For an afternoon shower, smaller museums are enough:
The big museums fill a morning or an afternoon:
If it rains all day, combine two big museums in the old town, such as the Egyptian Museum and the Musei Reali, with a café break in between. You'll find the full schedule below in the indoor plan.
Alternatively, head out to La Venaria Reale: in the palace, with the Galleria Grande and the exhibitions, you'll stay under cover for several hours. Skip the gardens in the rain. Venaria is closed on Mondays, except on public holidays.
In Turin, rain is the best excuse for a long café break. The city is famous for its historic cafés, where Cavour, Nietzsche and Pavese once sat. Turismo Torino lists these among others – many are right under the arcades:
What to order, how the Bicerin came about and which chocolate tours are available is on our page about chocolate, Bicerin and historic cafés. In the early evening it's a seamless move on to vermouth and Aperitivo.
Most of Turin's markets are open-air. But a few halls work in the rain too:
What to try at the markets is explained on our page about Piedmontese food. If you want to cook yourself on a rainy day, you'll find ideas among the cooking classes in Turin.
Lingotto in the south of the city is a good destination for a rainy afternoon. You can get there dry by metro: "Lingotto" station is six stops beyond Porta Nuova.
The famous test track on the roof, now the Pista 500 roof garden, is outdoors. In the rain, save it for a better day. Everything about the history and how to get there is on our page about Lingotto.
Turin is one of the few cities where you can go shopping in the rain almost without an umbrella. Where to find what:
On a rainy Saturday, the covered part of Porta Palazzo is a better bet than the Balôn flea market in Borgo Dora, which is largely outdoors.
When it rains, underground is a good place to be. Beneath Turin run tunnels from the time of the siege of 1706 and air-raid shelters from the Second World War.
If you like things spooky, you'll find more evening tours on our page about magic Turin – though most of them take place outdoors.
This schedule works from Thursday to Monday. Variations for Tuesday and Wednesday are below. The routes between the stops run mostly under arcades or through the Galleria Subalpina.
Start at opening time at the Egyptian Museum on Via Accademia delle Scienze. Allow about two hours. Tickets are only sold online; with the Torino Card, choose card admission in the ticket shop.
From Piazza Carlo Alberto, walk through the Galleria Subalpina to Piazza Castello. Time for a coffee or a Bicerin at Baratti & Milano or Mulassano.
Right next door are the Musei Reali with the Royal Palace, the Armoury and the Galleria Sabauda. For a lunch break, go to the Caffetteria Reale in the palace and then back in with the same ticket – it is valid all day.
Walk under the arcades of Via Po towards the Mole Antonelliana. You can stay in the National Cinema Museum until 19:00; the ticket office closes an hour earlier. Better skip the panoramic lift when the clouds are low – the view is limited then.
At the end of Via Po, Piazza Vittorio Veneto awaits with its arcades and bars for an Aperitivo. Alternatively, take the metro to Eataly Lingotto, which is open until 23:00.
On three days you'll need to rework the plan because of closing days. The full overview is on our page museums open on Mondays and closing days.
| Day | What is closed | How to replan |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | GAM, MAO, Risorgimento, Pinacoteca Agnelli, Lavazza; Egyptian Museum only until 14:00, MAUTO only until 14:00 | The plan above works. But don't push the Egyptian Museum back – it closes at 14:00. |
| Tuesday | Mole/National Cinema Museum, Palazzo Madama, Museo Lavazza | Egyptian Museum and Musei Reali as above, then MAUTO or the Pinacoteca Agnelli and Eataly at Lingotto in the afternoon. |
| Wednesday | Musei Reali; Al Bicerin usually closed | Egyptian Museum in the morning, Palazzo Madama at midday, the Mole in the afternoon. |
| Thursday to Sunday | no major closing days in the centre | Plan as above. At weekends, book time slots for the Egyptian Museum and the Mole early. |
Exception from 5 to 11 October 2026: Musei Reali closed on Tuesday 6 October instead of Wednesday. National Cinema Museum closed on 7 October 2026.
Some places are only worth it in good weather or are even closed in the rain:
If you're in the city for several days, simply swap things around: museums when it rains, viewpoints and day trips when the sun is out. You'll find ready-made schedules in our itineraries for one day, two days and three days. With children, the tips on our page Turin with kids will help.
With a timed-entry ticket or a guided tour, you can plan your rainy day reliably – especially at weekends, when time slots go quickly.
Two-hour guided tour with admission. Offered in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish.
from €59.00
Details & booking
Admission to the Musei Reali with a two-hour guided tour of the halls, the Armoury and the library. Languages: German, English, French, Italian, Spanish.
from €59.00
Details & booking
Guided tour of the National Cinema Museum with a ride in the panoramic lift, small group of up to nine people. Languages: German, English, French, Italian, Spanish.
from €99.00
Details & booking
18th-century tunnels and air-raid shelters, admission included, meeting point in front of the Museo Pietro Micca. From age 6, not suitable for people with reduced mobility. Languages: German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish.
from €55.00
Details & booking
Admission to the Choco-Story museum with audio guide and tasting, about one hour. Audio guide in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish.
from €12.00
Details & booking
Hot chocolate made to an 18th-century recipe, with pastries and chocolates, in the Caffetteria Reale in the Palazzo Reale. Languages: English, French, Italian.
from €19.00
Details & bookingAccording to the providers, all offers in this list can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours in advance.
With the Torino + Piemonte Card, admission to almost all the museums on this page is free: the Egyptian Museum, Musei Reali, National Cinema Museum, Palazzo Madama, MAUTO, GAM, Pinacoteca Agnelli, Choco-Story and many more. For the Mole's panoramic lift you pay a reduced price. Note: the 24-hour card only covers three free visits, and at some museums you must or should book in advance.
If you want to spend your rainy day in palaces, the Royal Pass is an alternative. It is valid for 96 hours at 16 residences of the House of Savoy, including the Musei Reali, Palazzo Madama and La Venaria Reale. With it, the Egyptian Museum and the National Cinema Museum are only discounted. Our Torino Card or Royal Pass comparison shows which card suits you better.
Walk under the arcades of Via Po, Via Roma and Piazza Castello, visit major museums such as the Egyptian Museum, the Musei Reali or the National Cinema Museum, and take a break in a historic café. On top of that there are the Mercato Centrale, Eataly at Lingotto and guided tours of underground tunnels.
According to Turismo Torino, the arcades in the centre are 18 kilometres long. You'll find particularly long continuous stretches on Via Po and Via Roma and around Piazza Castello, Piazza San Carlo and Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
In the centre, largely yes. The Egyptian Museum, the Galleria Subalpina, Piazza Castello with the Musei Reali and Palazzo Madama, and Via Po towards the Mole are mostly connected by arcades or glass roofs. For the odd street crossing you'll briefly need an umbrella.
For about an hour, the Choco-Story chocolate museum, the Museo della Sindone (afternoons only, 15:00 to 18:00) or the Pinacoteca Agnelli at Lingotto are a good fit. For the Egyptian Museum, the museum itself reckons on about two hours, and for the Musei Reali about three.
Open on Mondays are, among others, the Egyptian Museum (9:00 to 14:00), the Musei Reali, the National Cinema Museum in the Mole, Palazzo Madama and MAUTO (10:00 to 14:00). Closed are the GAM, MAO, Museo del Risorgimento, Pinacoteca Agnelli and Museo Lavazza. All the details are on our page museums open on Mondays.
Best under the arcades of Via Roma, where according to Turismo Torino the big designers are, and on Via Po with its antiquarian bookshops and record stalls. Then there are the Galleria Subalpina and Galleria San Federico, and the 8 Gallery shopping centre at Lingotto.
Yes. Eataly Lingotto is open daily from 8:00 to 23:00. You can get there by metro to Lingotto station. Inside Eataly is also the small Museo Carpano on the history of vermouth, with free entry.
Yes. The tunnel tour from the Museo Pietro Micca takes you into 18th-century passages and Second World War air-raid shelters and is offered in English, among other languages. The Museo Pietro Micca itself shows around 400 metres of countermine tunnels. On Sundays, Turismo Torino also offers the "Secret Underground Turin" tour.
If you visit several museums, often yes: the Egyptian Museum, Musei Reali, National Cinema Museum, Palazzo Madama and MAUTO are free with it. However, the 24-hour card only covers three free visits. Do the maths on our page about the Torino Card to see whether it pays off for you.