What To Do When It Rains In Perth

You've arrived in the beautiful city of Perth, Australia. Presently, it is raining heavily, and you are pondering your next move. Our many museums and art galleries are just waiting for visitors like you, so why not pay them a visit?

The rain in Perth is one of the drawbacks of a trip there. With an annual rainfall of 1,200 millimetres on average, the sky is always cloudy and dull. On wet days, it's nice to stay inside and enjoy some quiet time with your significant other (or yourself).

However, if you are in search of wet weather activities in Perth, then read on! If so, you're in the right place! Here is our list of things to do when it's raining that will make you forget about the rain.

The Western Australian Museum is a great place for people of all ages, with hands-on exhibits and wildlife displays. Have a wonderful stay in Perth!

Although it might not seem necessary, you should have a plan in place for the 108 days per year that we actually receive rain in Perth.

If the wind picks up, the temperature drops a few degrees, and the ants start heading for the hills, then most of us know that rain is on the way. However, we don't always do a good job of figuring out what to do.

If you find yourself in Perth when it's raining, don't worry; there are still plenty of enjoyable things to do. There's no point in sitting inside while the kids climb the walls. Here are some inexpensive and entertaining options for dodging the rain, as well as some ways to make the most of it when you do venture out.

You should always be prepared for an unexpected trip to the park, a puddle-jumping session, or a rainy stroll by keeping a change of clothes, raincoats, gumboots, an umbrella, and a large plastic tub or box in the car to store muddy or wet garments.

More surprisingly, the wettest days in Perth typically occur during the summer months of December to February. This is because warm air holds more water vapour, which in turn generates more rainfall.

You should do as the Perth natives do and see the bright side if an unexpected rainstorm interrupts your outdoor plans while on vacation there. Explore the Pan Pacific Perth staff's top picks for indoor activities in Perth. Seize the chance to immerse yourself in the local culture.

Where to Go and What to Do in Perth on Rainy Days

Even if you love Perth, you may find yourself wishing the winter away in favour of one of its balmy summers by the water. Even though the temperature is falling, there are still plenty of exciting things to do inside in Perth, regardless of what Mother Nature has in store for the weather.

Don't let the storm wash away your social plans; instead, try one of these exciting and novel indoor activities in Perth to stave off the winter blues.

Rain is always a possibility, despite Perth's enviable sunshine hours. That's why it's a good thing that Perth, Australia, the westernmost capital of Australia, is prepared to entertain visitors even when the skies open up. Here are some ways to avoid getting wet this winter without missing out on all the excitement.

Do what regular people do and find something to do indoors when it rains, rather than hunkering down or venturing out for a perilous 20-kilometer drive along the motorway. Here are some of the best things to do in the rain in Perth, from hiding out in cosy cafes to sipping mulled wine to browsing stores you never have time to visit to stuffing your face with comfort food.

20 Tips for Rainy Activities in Perth

1. Get Cultured, Undercover

We all know we should spend more time at the Cultural Centre, but on pleasant days, nobody feels like staying indoors. Indulge your inner culture vulture on a rainy day.

You can take in some drama at Blue Room Theatre, a show at the Art Gallery of Western Australia, or a wine tasting and epic grazing board at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA). The City of Perth Library is stunning, but you'll have to cross the tracks to visit it.

2. Visit a Brewery

​​It's perfectly acceptable to spend the entire day inside a brewery when it's raining. But luckily, Perth has fully gotten the message that urban breweries are a thing, so you don't even have to go far to drown your rainy-day sorrows.

Swan Valley is home to some excellent breweries, including Northbridge Brewing Co., Nowhereman Brewing, Feral Brewing Co,,  Little Creatures, and Blasta Brewing. Not satisfied yet? Washington State is home to a wide variety of excellent breweries. In addition, keep an eye on this space because more will likely appear in the future.. 

3. Go for a Long Lunch

There's no shortage of places to eat lunch in Perth, but a rainy day calls for that special kind of leisurely meal. You could try Bread in Common, Il Lido, or Hampton & Maley. Or, we get it,

4. Take a Trip to the Record Store

While going record shopping is always a good time, there's something especially romantic about doing so during a downpour, as if you were John Cusack in the movie High Fidelity. Visit Noise Pollution,  Safari's Record Shack, Dada Records, and Highgate Continental if you're in the Northbridge/Highgate/Perth City area.

To find vinyl records, you can either shop downtown at Urban Records in Leederville, Rhubarb Records in Victoria Park, or visit the more suburban Diabolik in Mt. Hawthorn.

5. Get Out There and Browse Some Books

It can take some time to find the right book, but when it's raining outside, you have plenty of it. Some of the best bookstores in Perth are Northside Books in Northbridge, Crow Books in Vic Park, and Planet Books in Beaufort, but there are many others.

6. Escape to a Nearby Cafe or Bar

Finding a cosy corner to while away the rain is a common solution for most people on a rainy day, and it can make for a very pleasant experience. You can either spend the night at one of these secret bars or the day at one of these secret cafes in Freo.

7. Enjoy a Warm Slurp This Season

Once it starts to rain, all we can think about is eating pho, ramen, or laksa. Don't fret; we've got your backs covered in every way. If you're looking for pho in Perth, your best bet is Viet Hoa, but you can also try some of the other places on this list.

Two of the newest ramen restaurants in town are Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King and IPPUDO, where you can sample some of the best ramen in town. If you're looking to get your taste buds tingling, you should eat at Long Chim for dinner and at Red Chair or one of these other places serving some of Perth's best laksa for lunch.

8.Get Jazzy With It

If you're looking for something to do on a rainy night other than stay inside, skip the lottery and the $200 and head straight for the  Jazz Cellar. Leave your car at the parking lot, order some pizza, and bring your own wine so you can dance your heart out to the best local jazz Perth has to offer.

The Ellington Jazz Club offers a more seductive alternative. You could see both in one night because the Ellington is open until 3 in the morning. The Duke of George is the place to be if you're in Fremantle.

9. Take Your Pick From The Fremantle Markets' Delicious Offerings

To some extent, this is obvious. When it's pouring outside, the best place to be is where there are lots of people huddled together for warmth and food is plentiful. Even if you dedicate a full day to exploring these famous markets, you still won't be able to see everything on our recommended stops list. It's raining, so go ahead and give in to your vices without feeling bad about it.

10. Jump on the Trampoline!

Anyone who doesn't agree that trampolining is fun needs to reconnect with their inner child. There are a number of places in Perth to get your bounce on, which is great because it tends to be rainy and cold there. Visit Aerial Fun Trampoline World in Malaga, BOUNCE Inc. in Cannington or Just Jump in Wanneroo are all great options. You'll soon be bouncing the actual children out of the way  (but please don't).

11. Get Creative!

In case you haven't heard, some Perth celebrities have made it "officially a thing" to paint while drinking wine. It's the perfect time for a night in with The Cabernet & Canvas, Paint & Sip or The Pickled Paintbrush as the rain pours down outside. If you drink wine like it's raining, you'll start having brilliant ideas.

12. Go to the Movies

It is as easy as it sounds. The rain is the movies' best friend. When it's pouring outside, there's nothing like curling up in those plush velvet seats with a big bowl of popcorn and watching a movie. Of course, we're talking about going to a Luna Palace Cinema; did you know they manufacture their own choc-tops? Also, keep an eye out for one of their many film festivals or other special events.

13. Check Out a Hot Yoga Session

Although it's not always the case, rain and lower temperatures are practically synonymous in Perth. Therefore, a hot yoga class will definitely warm you up and could get you through at least a couple of showers. It will be more like the tropical rain in Bali than like Perth's wet winter. Go ahead and stretch your muscles at one of Perth's top hot yoga studios.

14. Enjoy a Stay-Cation

Staying inside is your best bet if you don't want to get drenched in the rain. Yet you needn't host the event at home. Instead, book a room at the Park-Side Hotel, a beautiful little boutique hotel with stunning but straightforward rooms that might fool your Instagram followers into thinking you've jetted across the country to New York City.

As an alternative, you could stay dry at the Alex Hotel in Northbridge and enjoy the hotel's cultural offerings, restaurant menu, and cocktail list. Crown Perth (that day spa though...) and COMO The Treasury are both options if you're looking for something truly luxurious. ​​Then you should travel to Fremantle and stay at Tradewinds, where you can relax in a freestanding tub overlooking the river while sipping a drink from one of the hotel's mobile bars.

There's also The Local Hotel in South Fremantle, where you can stay dry and enjoy rain-friendly activities like breakfast at The Attic, browsing New Edition books all morning, analysing art at PS Art Space, and hiding away at Ronnie Nights in the evening.

15. Embrace Your Inner Kid

We don't just mean back in the days when it never rained, but bowling is a real throwback. You'll feel like you're back in your childhood, and at most of Perth's bowling alleys, you'll feel like you're back in the 1990s.

Rosemount Bowl, Perth's original Tenpin Bowl, is a great place to avoid the rain, or you can travel a little further to Zone Bowling in Morley or Super Bowl in Melville. And if you're interested in trying out "new wave" bowling, you can do so at either Strike Bowl or Amplifier Bowl. Miniature golf is another option. The Perth neighbourhood of Northbridge and the neighbouring neighbourhood of Carousel are both home to excellent Holey Moley mini golf courses, so pull out your clubs and hit the links.

16. Watch Endless Episodes Online

Everything was predictable, including this. Nothing beats staying in on a rainy afternoon and watching a marathon of your favourite show (maybe finished off with some UberEATS). The only thing left to do is hope that your friend's login is still in your keychain so you can start a Netflix binge session immediately.

17. Pamper Yourself

The rain may be welcome, but not because it will help farmers out. Rather, it will validate our incessant desire for a massage. Hiding out in a top Perth massage parlour and having your worries wiped away by skilled hands is like watching the rain wash away the ants outside.

18. Explore Local Museums

If the weather outside is bad, you know where to go to keep yourself entertained and educated: the museum. See "Six Seasons," a collection of nearly 3,000 indigenous artworks, on display at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in 2018 as part of their "see things differently" programming.

Also explored are the complicated origins and realities of being a minority in white Australia.

Explore maritime history on land and sea at the Washington Maritime Museum. Explore the depths of a submarine from the Cold War era, the "HMAS Ovens," and picture what life was like for the crew of this 89-metre long vessel.

Need to take the kids on a trip? Put on a show for them at the museum's pirates exhibit; it was created by the same people responsible for the Horrible Histories books. (Until August 2018, "Pirates: The Exhibition" is open.) A visit to Scitech, an interactive science museum with a planetarium, is also a fun activity for kids and young people.

Want to have some indoor fun? Stop by Australia's first and only video game museum, The Nostalgia Box. Enjoy classic games like Pac-Man from your youth on the Atari 2600 and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Good times had by all ages.

19. Enjoy a Full Day of Shopping

Can't keep your cool because of Perth's fickle climate? Get your shopping on and put an end to your gloom. The Urban List has compiled a list of the top 23 shops in Perth and the local fashion scene is a great indicator of the state of the industry in a given city, so it is highly recommended that you check it out.

If you were hoping to do something on the weekend but the weather forecast called for rain, you could see if there was an indoor flea market nearby. Keep an eye out for Perth Upmarket, a beautiful temporary market where more than 180 artisans sell everything from clothing to gourmet food to paper goods.

The Galleria Shopping Centre (many stores, cafes, and restaurants, as well as a movie theatre) and Enex (in the heart of Perth and home to a world-famous food court) are both great options for a rainy day spent in a multi-purpose mall (both in the city centre, with speciality retailer shops). When you're done exploring the city's newest neighbourhood, head to 140 for some food, drinks, and interesting artwork.

20. Escape Into a Fictional World

A rainy day is perfect for escaping into a world of fantasy.

The City of  Perth Library is a great place to start your day; it has welcomed 1 million patrons since it opened in 2016. (For 165 years prior to the opening of the central library, Perth's library services were provided by a number of different organisations.) The seven-story library is relatively new and features a History Center as well as floors specifically for children and teenagers.

Cosy up with a good book and a cup of coffee at Millpoint Caffe Bookshop, which caters to book clubs in Perth with its extensive selection of current fiction. Workers take great pride in being able to direct customers in the right direction.

Numerous clients have told us how much they appreciated our recommendations and other pieces of guidance, and we attribute that to the quality of our writing. Store owner Adam Brenner believes that a customer can find the perfect book for them at the perfect time in their lives.

A recent customer summed up the store in three words: "fun, quirky, and snug." The store also has a cafe where customers can get breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea in addition to the highly regarded Fiori coffee (a Swan Valley brand).

If the rain continues into the night, head to the Old Perth Girls School, which was converted into the cosy "Girls School Cinema" in the 1930s. It's the place to catch the newest Hollywood releases alongside indie darlings and fan favourites from the art world.