Season guide · Lyon · France
Lyon in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Gonedelyon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The Fête des Lumières in early December, then cold, foggy and quiet weeks with low prices outside the holidays. Expect highs up to 9°C (48°F) and lows around 0°C (32°F), with about 24 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 0°C (32°F) to 9°C (48°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 24
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7°C (45°F) | 0°C (32°F) | 8 | 9 h | 2/5 |
| February | 9°C (48°F) | 1°C (34°F) | 7 | 10.3 h | 2/5 |
| December | 7°C (45°F) | 1°C (34°F) | 9 | 8.7 h | 5/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 8°C (46°F) against a yearly 17°C (63°F), and 24 of the year's roughly 98 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Winter sales — citywide shop discounts (usually from early-to-mid January)
- December: Fête des Lumières — festival of lights (around 8 December)
- December: Christmas market on Place Carnot (until about 24 December)
Good choices for winter
Museum · Vieux Lyon
Gadagne museums
End with a drink in the hanging garden café on the upper level.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
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Museum · 7th arrondissement
Centre for the History of the Resistance and Deportation
Housed in a former military medical school used by the Gestapo during the Occupation, the CHRD tells the story of Lyon, a centre of the French Resistance, through documents, testimonies and the experience of daily life under occupation.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Religious site · Vieux Lyon
Saint-Jean Cathedral
Ask at the entrance when the clock's automata next perform; the show lasts a few minutes.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Market · Part-Dieu
Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse
Named after the city's most famous chef, this covered market gathers dozens of top producers: cheesemongers selling runny Saint-Marcellin, charcutiers, pâtissiers, oyster bars and chocolatiers.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Iconic
- Free
Museum · Terreaux
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon
Even if you skip the museum, sit in the shaded cloister garden for a quiet break.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Day trips in winter
- Annecy (About 2 hours by train) — An Alpine lakeside town with canals running through its old town, the Palais de l'Isle prison on an island and swimming and boating on clear Lake Annecy.
- Parc des Oiseaux (About 45 minutes by train) — A large bird park in the Dombes lake district, with aviaries, walk-through habitats and flying displays of birds of prey and parrots, open from spring to autumn.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Lyon?
It is a trade-off: The Fête des Lumières in early December, then cold, foggy and quiet weeks with low prices outside the holidays. The best months overall are April–June and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Lyon in winter?
Highs of up to 9°C (48°F) and lows around 0°C (32°F), with about 24 rainy days over the season.