What to Do in Guangzhou When It Rains: Indoor Ideas

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Where to go on a rainy day

Pick one big indoor stop for the morning and one for the afternoon, and move between them by metro. These places are indoors, and our guides give hours, tickets and directions:

Sources: the Nanyue King Museum’s visiting page, the Guangdong Museum’s site, the Guangzhou government’s 2024 museum list and its February 2026 Xiguan walking guide, and Canton Tower’s official pages.

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Museums first

Museums are the best wet-weather plan in the city. The Guangdong Museum is free, but every visitor books a timed slot with their real name. Its site gave entry from 09:00, last entry at 16:00 and closing at 17:00 in June 2026. The Nanyue King Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:30 (last entry 17:00), and closed on Mondays. Carry your passport for both.

A long dim sum lunch

A teahouse meal is the local way to sit out the rain. Order a pot of tea and a few baskets at a time. Our dim sum guide explains ordering, QR menus and prices, and the Cantonese tea guide covers teahouse manners.

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Which malls connect to the metro?

Two malls on Tianhe Road say on their own sites that you can reach them from the metro without going outside:

• Taikoo Hui (太古汇): the mall’s M level connects to Shipaiqiao station on Line 3, and to the Shipaiqiao BRT station. Tianhe Sports Center station on Line 1 is next door.
• Parc Central (天环广场): from Tiyu Xilu station (Lines 1 and 3), Exit B takes you straight indoors.

Guangzhou IFC (国金天地) says it sits where Lines 3 and 5 and the APM line meet in Zhujiang New Town. It does not say the link is covered.

Grandview (正佳广场) and Parc Central face each other across Tianhe Road. A tunnel between them was under construction in October 2026, with completion planned for the end of 2027. Until then, cross at street level.

For which mall has which shops, see Guangzhou malls.

Shopping markets in the rain

The big clothing markets are buildings, so you stay dry once you are in. Baima (白马服装市场) is opposite Guangzhou Railway Station, Exit G (Lines 2 and 5), per the market’s own site. It is across the road, so you are outside for a few minutes. See Baima and Shisanhang clothing markets for hours and the other markets.

Getting around in the rain

On the metro. Guangzhou Metro’s advice for heavy rain, as reported by Guangzhou Daily in April 2024:

• fold your umbrella when you enter the station, and hold it firmly when you get on and off the train;
• at elevated stations, hold on to light things such as hats, scarves and umbrellas, which the wind can blow away;
• shelter in the open part of the concourse, not at exits, escalator mouths or stairs;
• if service changes, follow the station staff.

Stations keep umbrellas to borrow and disposable raincoats, in limited numbers. Ask the station staff. Outdoor escalators can be stopped in heavy rain, and wet steps are slippery. Use the stairs or the lift instead.

Didi and taxis. Didi’s prices go up when demand in an area is much higher than the number of cars. Didi says both how much and how far a price can rise are capped. Rain and storms are among the peak times when this happens. Book before you leave the museum or mall, and wait indoors until the car arrives. See our Didi guide for setting it up in English.

Typhoons are different. When Typhoon Ragasa approached in September 2025, Guangzhou stopped the metro, buses, taxis and ride-hailing from midnight on September 24. In a typhoon, stay where you are and follow official notices.

What do the rain warning colours mean?

Guangzhou issues rainstorm warnings in three colours (Guangzhou Observatory):

Warnings, the radar and the 7-day forecast are on the Guangzhou Observatory’s English site, tqyb.com.cn/en. Our Guangzhou weather forecast shows today and the next 8 days.

When does it rain most in Guangzhou?

From April to September. June is the wettest month, with 365 mm of rain on average, and November to February are the driest months, with 33 mm to 56 mm each (WMO normals for 1991 to 2020). See when to visit Guangzhou for every month, and our month guides for November, December, January and February.