One day 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, Vieux Lyon and the traboules and Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, then Place des Terreaux in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière

      Take the funicular up from Vieux Lyon and walk down through the Jardin du Rosaire for views on the way. Allow 1 hour.

   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. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

   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

      Push gently on doors marked with the traboule sign; many open to visitors during the day, but keep quiet as residents live here. Allow 2 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse

      Go on a Saturday or Sunday late morning for oysters and white wine at the counter, as locals do. Allow 1–2 hours.

   6. Evening

      Place des Terreaux

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

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Saint-Jean Cathedral (Vieux Lyon): Ask at the entrance when the clock's automata next perform; the show lasts a few minutes.
• Swap in Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon (Terreaux): Even if you skip the museum, sit in the shaded cloister garden for a quiet break.
• Swap in Musée des Confluences (Confluence): Go up to the roof terrace for a view of the river confluence.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 6–8 hours of visiting over one day, 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.

Getting between stops: Metro. Four metro lines connect the Presqu'île with Vieux Lyon, Part-Dieu, the Croix-Rousse and the suburbs; line C climbs the Croix-Rousse hill on a rack.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Lyon
• 3 days in Lyon

Questions travellers ask