3 days in Lyon

Day by day

1. Day 1: Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière and Roman theatres of Fourvière and Lugdunum museum

   Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, Roman theatres of Fourvière and Lugdunum museum and Vieux Lyon and the traboules, then Place des Terreaux in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière

      Built between 1872 and 1896 on the hill above Vieux Lyon, the white basilica has a lavish interior of mosaics, gilding and marble.

   2. Late morning

      Roman theatres of Fourvière and Lugdunum museum

      The theatre site is free to walk around; in summer it hosts concerts during the Nuits de Fourvière festival.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pike quenelles

      Traditional bouchons in Vieux Lyon and the Presqu'île; charcuteries and the Halles sell them ready to bake.

   4. Afternoon

      Vieux Lyon and the traboules

      The Renaissance quarter along the Saône is threaded with traboules, covered passages that cut through buildings and courtyards from one street to the next, once used by silk merchants.

   5. Evening

      Place des Terreaux

      Come after dark, when the fountain and the city hall are lit.

2. Day 2: Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse and Saint-Jean Cathedral

   Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, Saint-Jean Cathedral and Place Bellecour and the Presqu'île, then Berges du Rhône in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse

      Go on a Saturday or Sunday late morning for oysters and white wine at the counter, as locals do.

   2. Late morning

      Saint-Jean Cathedral

      Lyon's cathedral, built between the 12th and 15th centuries, mixes Romanesque and Gothic styles and has medieval stained glass.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Sausage in brioche

      Bouchons as a starter, and charcuteries and bakeries to take away.

   4. Afternoon

      Place Bellecour and the Presqu'île

      Look up at the façades on rue de la République, among the best Second Empire architecture in the city.

   5. Evening

      Berges du Rhône

      Rent a Vélo'v bike and ride from the Parc de la Tête d'Or south to the Confluence along the river.

3. Day 3: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon and Fresque des Lyonnais

   Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, Fresque des Lyonnais and Musée des Confluences, then Pentes de la Croix-Rousse in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon

      Set in a former Benedictine abbey on the Place des Terreaux, this is one of France's largest fine-arts museums outside Paris, with Egyptian antiquities, old masters, Impressionists and works by Picasso and Matisse.

   2. Late morning

      Fresque des Lyonnais

      Combine it with a walk along the Saône quays towards Vieux Lyon.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Lyonnaise salad

      Almost every bouchon and brasserie in the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Musée des Confluences

      Opened in 2014 at the point where the Rhône and Saône meet, this deconstructivist cloud of glass and steel holds a science and anthropology museum covering the origins of the universe, life on Earth and human societies, with fossils, a mammoth skeleton and ethnographic collections.

   5. Evening

      Pentes de la Croix-Rousse

      Small bars, wine bars and cafés in the steep lanes above the Terreaux.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Institut Lumière (Monplaisir): Check the cinema programme; screening a classic on the site of cinema's birth is a memorable evening.
• Swap in Musée Miniature et Cinéma (Vieux Lyon): A good choice for a rainy afternoon in Vieux Lyon with children.
• Swap in Gadagne museums (Vieux Lyon): End with a drink in the hanging garden café on the upper level.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Vieux Lyon keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Presqu'île (Bellecour and Cordeliers) ($$$) suits first-timers, shopping and families. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–19 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.7 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Lyon
• 2 days in Lyon

Questions travellers ask