The church of Saint-Georges beside the Saône, with Fourvière Basilica on top of the hill and a suspension footbridge
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Lyon in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 8.5 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

One day in Lyon goes a long way, as long as you don't mind hills. This plan is for travellers passing through, between trains or on the way to the Alps, who want the essentials: the grand squares of the Presqu'île, the Roman seats of Fourvière, the silk weavers' stairways and the legends of Vieux Lyon. The pace is brisk, with a long lunch in a bouchon to refuel halfway.

One day in LyonTwo rivers, three hills

Start around nine on Place Bellecour with 'The Best of Lyon: from Bellecour up to the Croix-Rousse': Place des Jacobins, the trompe-l'œil Fresque des Lyonnais, the Bartholdi Fountain on Place des Terreaux and the climb up the Grande-Côte. Head down for a pike quenelle in Nantua sauce, then take the funicular from Vieux Lyon for 'From Lugdunum to the Canuts': the Roman theatres, Saint-Jean Cathedral and, at the end, the Cour des Voraces. As the light fades, return to Fourvière for 'Candles, Martyrs and Puppets', which drops down the Gourguillon to the Longue Traboule. Dinner: tablier de sapeur in a bouchon.

  1. Morning

    The Best of Lyon: from Bellecour up to the Croix-Rousse

    Mixed · 3 km · 2 h

    1. Place BellecourOne of the largest squares in Europe, with a king on horseback, a poet-aviator and a memorial to the Resistance.
    2. Place des JacobinsA convent square turned elegant drawing room, with a fountain honouring four Lyon artists.
    3. Fresque des LyonnaisA painted façade where Lyon's most famous people lean out of the windows: from Blandina to the Lumière brothers.
    4. Place des Terreaux and the Bartholdi FountainAn old moat turned stage for civic power, with a fountain that Bordeaux didn't want.
    5. Lyon Opera HouseAn 1831 theatre with a glass vault on top: Jean Nouvel's bold stroke.
    6. Montée de la Grande-CôteThe slope the canuts marched down in 1831 ends at one of the best viewpoints in Lyon.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Pike quenelle with Nantua sauce at Café Comptoir Abel. 25 rue Guynemer, Lyon

  3. Afternoon

    From Lugdunum to the Canuts: 2,000 Years of Lyon on Foot

    History · 3.2 km · 2 h 30 min

    1. Roman Theatres of FourvièreThe seats of Lugdunum, the city Rome turned into the capital of the Gauls.
    2. Saint-Jean CathedralThe primatial church of the Gauls, where two councils met, a pope was crowned and Henri IV was married.
    3. Place du Change and the Loge du ChangeThe square where Italian bankers moved half of Europe's money during the Renaissance fairs.
    4. Hôtel de la Couronne, Printing MuseumThe old town hall that now tells how Lyon became one of Europe's book capitals.
    5. Amphitheatre of the Three GaulsWhere the sixty Gaulish peoples gathered and where, historians believe, the martyrs of 177 died.
    6. Cour des VoracesA six-storey staircase in the heart of the canut district, home of the silk weavers who rose up in 1831.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    Candles, Martyrs and Puppets: the Legends of Lyon

    Mysteries & legends · 2.3 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Basilica of Notre-Dame de FourvièreA vow against the plague, a golden Virgin and candles in the windows: the origin of the Festival of Lights.
    2. Montée du GourguillonLyon's oldest slope, where legend sends the martyrs' blood flowing and history sent a pope tumbling.
    3. Place de la Trinité and GuignolThe backdrop of Guignol, the puppet born speaking up for the silk weavers.
    4. The Longue TrabouleA passage through four buildings: the longest traboule in Vieux Lyon and one of its best-kept secrets.
    5. L'Homme de la RocheA German banker turned lay saint: the 'good German' who, Lyon says, paid for poor girls to marry.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Tablier de sapeur at Les Lyonnais. 19 rue de la Bombarde, Lyon

The map

Lyon in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

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Before you go

Tips for Lyon in 1 day

  • Lyon is a vertical city: Fourvière and the Croix-Rousse mean proper slopes and long flights of steps. Wear shoes with good grip and use the funiculars from Vieux Lyon station; a standard TCL public transport ticket usually covers them.
  • Traboules are private passageways that the public is allowed to walk through. Most are open during the day, but not all of them and not always. Keep your voice down, don't go up the stairs to the flats and close the door behind you.
  • Book ahead for bouchons, especially for dinner and at weekends. The 'Les Bouchons Lyonnais' label is a reliable guide, and be wary of places on rue Saint-Jean with menus in ten languages.

Questions

Lyon in 1 day: your questions

Can you see Lyon in one day?

The highlights, yes: the Presqu'île, Fourvière, Vieux Lyon and the Croix-Rousse fit into one long day on foot. What you'll miss are the museums, the Parc de la Tête d'Or and the Confluence district. If you can, stay the night: Lyon lit up after dark is well worth it.

How far will I walk?

The three routes add up to about 8.5 km, and with the walks between them you'll be close to 11 or 12 km. It's the gradients rather than the distance that tire you out: Fourvière and the Grande-Côte are steep. The funiculars save you the hardest climb.

Is it worth going up to Fourvière?

Definitely, for two reasons: the hilltop has the Roman theatres and the basilica, and the esplanade looks out over the whole city between its two rivers, with the Alps on clear days. Ride the funicular up and walk down the Gourguillon, just as our legends route does.

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