Lyon
Lyon sits where the Rhône and Saône meet, with a Renaissance old town on one bank, a Roman hill above it and a nineteenth-century grid between the rivers. Covered passages called traboules cut through blocks in Vieux Lyon. It is a two-day city built around eating, with bouchons serving the classic Lyonnais menu.
How long to stay
May to October; early December for the Fête des Lumières.
Typical daily budget
No budget published for this place yet
Best time to go
No seasonal guidance published for Lyon yet
Is Lyon right for your trip?
Based on what this guide covers, not a score. This is what Lyon is known for.
Great for
- History & culture
- Food
- Solo
Less of a focus
- Nightlife
- Nature
- Family
- Couples
- Budget friendly
Build your Lyon trip
Top things to do
Fourvière Basilica
Free entry · VerifiedLyon
The nineteenth-century basilica on the hill above Vieux Lyon, reached by funicular, with a terrace view over the city to the Alps on clear days.
Les Halles Paul Bocuse
Free entry · Paid extras availableLyon
The indoor market hall of Lyon, with cheese, charcuterie, seafood and wine counters where you can eat on the spot.
Vieux Lyon
Free entry · VerifiedLyon
The Renaissance quarter below Fourvière hill, a dense grid of cobbled lanes, courtyards and covered traboule passages between the Saône and the slope.
Run a restaurant, café or tour in Lyon? List your business.
Popular activities
Bouchon dinner
Traditional Lyonnais meal of quenelles, sausage and praline tart in a small family-run bouchon.
Traboule discovery walk
Guided route through the hidden passages of Vieux Lyon and the silk-weavers' quarter of Croix-Rousse.