France · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Lyon travel guide

France's food capital, with Renaissance lanes and two rivers

Fourvière Basilica above Lyon. Photo: Elwood j blues, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

1h 30mflight from London

LYSnearest main airport

22° in Julwarmest month

2° in Jancoolest month

Lyon is where the French go to eat. Its bouchons serve hearty local dishes, its covered market is a temple to cheese and charcuterie, and it has more good restaurants per person than almost anywhere in Europe.

Between meals, explore the Renaissance old town and its hidden passageways, then climb up to the basilica for a view across the red roofs to the Alps.

Good forFoodCity breaksHistoryWine

Top things to do in Lyon

1
Vieux Lyon and the traboules
Secret covered passageways that cut through the Renaissance houses of the old town.
2
Fourvière Hill
Take the funicular up to the basilica and the Roman theatres.
3
Les Halles Paul Bocuse
The famous food hall: oysters, cheese and pastries for a market lunch.
4
A traditional bouchon
Checked tablecloths and Lyon specialities like quenelles and praline tart.
5
Musée des Confluences
A science and history museum in a striking steel cloud at the meeting of the rivers.
6
Croix-Rousse
The old silk weavers' hill, with murals, markets and a local feel.

Tours and tickets in Lyon

Where to stay in Lyon

Presqu'île
The central strip between the rivers, close to everything.
Vieux Lyon
Characterful old town, at the foot of Fourvière.
Croix-Rousse
Local and village-like, with great views.

Find a hotel in Lyon

Best time to visit Lyon

Best value: Mar–Jun, Sep–Oct. April to June and September to October for mild weather, or early December for the Fête des Lumières.

Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Lyon, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Getting there and around

About 1h 30m from London to LYS, and flights from most UK airports.

Lyon has an excellent Métro, trams and two funiculars. The Rhônexpress tram runs from the airport in about 30 minutes. Most of the centre is walkable.

Search flights to LYS

Day trips from Lyon

Pérouges
A perfectly preserved medieval village, 40 minutes away.
Beaujolais
Rolling vineyards and golden-stone villages, an hour's drive north.
Annecy
A lake and canals in the Alps, under 2 hours by train.