I’ve spent enough time wandering Lyon’s two rivers and steep hills to have come up with a list of what’s worth seeing.
Everything I suggest is something I’ve done myself: I’ve climbed up to Fourvière, ducked through the traboules, watched a silk loom in action at Maison des Canuts and eaten my way round more than one bouchon. This guide brings together these best things to do in Lyon so you can make the most of your time in this UNESCO-listed city.
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Discover the Presqu’île and Place des Terreaux
Many visitors arrive and stay in the Presqu’île, the strip of land between Lyon’s two rivers and the natural centre of the modern city. This is 18th and 19th century Lyon, all wide streets and formal squares.
Place des Terreaux is the square to head for first. It’s one of the largest in the city, framed by the town hall on one side and the Museum of Fine Arts on the other, with Fontaine Bartholdi in the centre. Bartholdi, the same sculptor behind the Statue of Liberty, designed it as an allegory of France taming her four great rivers, and the horses look like they’re mid-gallop.
Spend 90 Minutes in the Museum of Fine Arts
Lyon’s Museum of Fine Arts is one of the largest art museums in France outside Paris. The building itself, a former Benedictine abbey, is reason enough to visit before you’ve even clapped eyes on the collection.
Pick up the free map at the entrance and follow the self-guided route past the highlights rather than trying to see everything. I’d allow at least 90 minutes, more if art is your thing.
Explore Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon)
Vieux Lyon is the Renaissance old town on the west bank of the Saône, tucked in below the Fourvière hill. In contrast to the Presqu’île, its streets are narrow and cobbled, lined with tall pastel buildings and elegantly faded shutters.
Duck Into the Traboules
Traboules are Lyon’s covered passageways, cutting through buildings and courtyards from one street to the next. They’re one of the things that make the old town feel different from anywhere else I’ve visited in France.
They were originally built so silk workers could move fabric between workshops without it getting rained on, and later used by the Resistance during World War II. Many are still open to the public, though some sit behind private doors, so be considerate when you’re pushing one open.
In Vieux Lyon, Rue Saint-Jean and Rue du Boeuf are your best bet for finding them without a guide. Keep an eye out for small brass plaques marking public traboules, and don’t be shy about popping your head through an open door.
Step Inside the Cathedral of Saint-Jean
Work began on Lyon’s light and airy cathedral in 1180 and continued on and off for around 300 years. This is why the cathedral moves from Romanesque foundations at the east end into full Gothic further along.
Time your visit to see the 14th-century astronomical clock spring into action with a mechanical display of saints and angels (daily at noon, 2pm, 3 pm and 4 pm). I also loved the Chapel of the Bourbons for its Flamboyant Gothic tracery.
Take the Funicular to Notre-Dame de Fourvière
This is the view over Lyon that ends up on every postcard, and I’d put it near the top of any list of things to do in the city. The funicular from Vieux Lyon takes a couple of minutes and drops you right by the basilica, which is perched high above the old town.
It’s nigh on impossible to capture Notre-Dame de Fourvière’s dazzling mosaic-tiled and marble-laden Upper Church adequately on camera. I spent longer than planned here and in in the crypt and Lower Church, where carved cherubs prop up the columns.
Once you’ve seen the basilica, walk round to the terrace for the view across Lyon, the Saône and Rhône rivers and the rooftops of the old town spread out below (the image at the top of this guide). On a clear day you can see as far as the Alps.
Visit the Roman Theatre and Museum
Below Fourvière, on the same hill, are the ruins of Roman Lugdunum. The theatre and smaller odeon are free to walk round and are still used for concerts in summer.
The museum next door charges an entrance fee, but does a good job of tracing Lyon’s history as a Roman capital through tiled floor fragments, coins and everyday objects pulled from the site. But if Roman history isn’t your thing, the theatre and odeon give you a feel for Lyon’s past without needing to pay for the museum.
Walk Along the Saône
Some of the best time I’ve spent in Lyon wasn’t at a sight at all, just walking the riverbanks.
The Saône, running below Vieux Lyon and Fourvière, is quieter than the Rhône and makes for an easy, flat walk with the old town on one side and the hill rising above it on the other. It’s particularly lovely in the evening.
Explore the Croix-Rousse District
Croix-Rousse, on the hill north of the Presqu’île, was once home to Lyon’s silk workers, the canuts, whose legacy is written into the streets here. At its peak there were more than 30,000 of them; today, two traditional weavers remain.
The area has a more bohemian feel than the Presqu’île or Vieux Lyon, with independent shops, studios and a fair bit of graffiti alongside the official street art. It’s a little scruffy round the edges, but I never felt uneasy walking through it as a solo traveller.
Follow Montée de la Grande Côte uphill, passing the Prunelle Stairway, much-Instagrammed painted steps. Passage Mermet, connecting Rue Burdeau and Rue Leynaud, is also worth a detour, although graffiti has taken the shine off of it.
Lyon is famous for its street art, and is home to one of the most striking murals I’ve seen: the Mur des Canuts. This 1,200 m² trompe-l’oeil painted wall – the largest in Europe – celebrates life in the Croix-Rousse quarter.
This neighbourhood is also where you’ll find one of Lyon’s most famous traboules, the dystopian-looking Traboule et Cour des Varace, which has been used as a filming location.
Learn About the Silk Trade at Maison des Canuts
If Croix-Rousse gets you curious about Lyon’s history of silk in Lyon, Maison des Canuts is where to follow it up. It’s a small museum, just two rooms, and on its own it doesn’t fill much time.
Pay the extra for the guided tour though, and you get to watch a working 19th-century loom in action and hear how the silk trade shaped this part of the city. The session that runs to around 40 minutes.
There’s no English signage in the museum itself, but the staff are lovely and will hand you an information sheet in English if you ask, so don’t let the language put you off.
Visit the Institut Lumière (Musée Lumière)
For anyone with even a passing interest in film history, the Musée Lumière is worth the short metro journey. It’s housed in the family villa of the Lumière brothers, inventors of the cinematograph, and the building itself, all stained glass and wrought iron, is wonderful.
I stopped for lunch at the café on site, which is excellent.
Where to Eat in Lyon
Lyon calls itself the gastronomic capital of France, and it’s a fair claim. This is bouchon territory: small, traditional restaurants serving hearty Lyonnaise dishes like quenelles, andouillette and salade lyonnaise, usually with a jug of the local Beaujolais or Côtes du Rhône on the table.
The best value way to eat well here is the fixed price menu, which most bouchons run even for dinner, not just lunch. Two or three courses for a set price is standard and it’s usually good value given the quality on the plate.
I recommend Café Comptoir Abel, one of the oldest bouchons in the city, though you’ll need to book ahead as it fills up fast. La Mère Cottivet is another solid choice.
If you would rather graze than sit down for a full meal, Les Halles Paul Bocuse near Lyon’s main train station is the city’s covered food market and a good stop for a shorter lunch, with stalls selling everything from cheese and charcuterie to oysters and pastries.
Where I Stayed
On my most recent visit, I stayed at Hotel Mercure Lyon Beaux Arts and would happily book it again. The location is hard to beat, right on the Presqu’île within easy walking distance of Place des Terreaux, the traboules and the riverbanks on both sides, and the staff were helpful with everything from luggage to restaurant recommendations.
Getting To and Around Lyon
Lyon is well connected by high speed rail, with regular TGV services from Paris in around two hours, as well as direct trains from Geneva, Marseille and other major French cities. Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport handles international flights and is linked to the city centre by the Rhônexpress tram.
Once you’re there, Lyon is a very walkable city, particularly across the Presqu’île and Vieux Lyon. The funicular takes care of the climb up to Fourvière, and the metro and tram network covers anything further out, including the trip to Musée Lumière. From Lyon Part-Dieu, the main train station, metro line D will get you to Vieux Lyon in around ten minutes.
Final Thoughts
Lyon rarely tops a first-time visitor’s list of French cities, and I think that’s exactly why it’s worth going.
Between the old town, the food and the quieter neighbourhoods like Croix-Rousse, there’s enough here for several days without ever feeling like you’re working through a checklist. But if you have limited time here, check out my one-day Lyon itinerary.
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.