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 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 8.5 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

With two days, Lyon stops being a dash and becomes a proper weekend. Mornings are for walking with our routes; afternoons are for going inside the places a single day can't fit: the great fine arts museum, the Roman museum built into the hillside, the park where locals unwind and the food hall named after Paul Bocuse. Plus two unhurried lunches in a bouchon.

Day 1Squares, marble and candlelight

Set off early from Bellecour with 'The Best of Lyon: from Bellecour up to the Croix-Rousse', then come down the Grande-Côte for a quenelle lunch. Next, the Musée des Beaux-Arts on Place des Terreaux: an hour or two covers the highlights, and the cloister garden is perfect for a rest. Cross into Vieux Lyon, ride the funicular up to Fourvière and visit Lugdunum. You come out a short walk from the basilica, where 'Candles, Martyrs and Puppets' begins: the Gourguillon, Guignol on Place de la Trinité and the Longue Traboule. Dinner: tablier de sapeur.

  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

    Musée des Beaux-Arts

    Housed in a 17th-century Benedictine abbey on Place des Terreaux, it's one of France's great museums: Egyptian antiquities, paintings from Rubens to Monet and Picasso, and a cloister garden that's free to enter. It usually closes on Tuesdays.

    Directions

    Lugdunum – Museum and Roman Theatres

    A museum dug into the slope of Fourvière beside the theatres, telling the story of the capital of the Gauls. Its star piece is the Claudian Tablet, a bronze bearing a speech by Emperor Claudius, who was born in Lyon. The mosaics are superb. Usually closed on Mondays.

    Directions

  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

Day 2Romans, weavers and a food hall

Start early at the Roman theatres with 'From Lugdunum to the Canuts': down to Saint-Jean Cathedral, across to the Loge du Change, past the Printing Museum and up to the Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls and the Cour des Voraces. Come down for a saucisson brioché lunch on the Presqu'île. In the afternoon, cross the Rhône to the Parc de la Tête d'Or for a stroll around the lake, and finish at the Halles Paul Bocuse with a few oysters, a Saint-Marcellin cheese or some pralines to take home.

  1. Morning

    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

  2. Lunch

    Try Saucisson brioché at Café du Jura. 25 rue Tupin, Lyon

  3. Afternoon

    Parc de la Tête d'Or

    Lyon's great park, opened in 1857 beside the Rhône: more than a hundred hectares with a lake, a rose garden, botanical glasshouses and a free zoo. It's where locals jog, row and picnic. From the Croix-Rousse, take the bus or walk along the riverside quays.

    Directions

    Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse

    The covered food hall at Part-Dieu, with around fifty stalls of cheesemongers, charcutiers, pastry makers and oyster sellers. Since 2006 it has carried the name of the city's most famous chef. Many stalls serve food at the counter. Usually closed on Mondays.

    Directions

The map

Lyon in 2 days, on the map

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

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Lyon in 2 days

  • Many Lyon museums close on Mondays (Lugdunum, Confluences, Institut Lumière), and so do the Halles; the Beaux-Arts usually closes on Tuesdays. If your trip falls on a Monday or Tuesday, swap the afternoons around and check opening times first.
  • The Lyon City Card usually includes museums, public transport, the funiculars and a boat trip on the Saône. Over two days with two or three museums, do the maths with current prices: if you're visiting several, it usually pays off.
  • Metro, trams, buses and funiculars all use the same TCL ticket. To get from the Croix-Rousse to the Tête d'Or or Part-Dieu, public transport saves you half an hour of pavement and keeps your legs fresh for the evening.

Questions

Lyon in 2 days: your questions

Is two days enough for Lyon?

For the city itself, yes: in two days you'll see all three hills, Vieux Lyon, the Presqu'île, two major museums, the park and the food hall. What won't fit is the Confluence, the Institut Lumière or a trip to Beaujolais; for those, add a third day.

How far will I walk in two days?

The three routes total about 8.5 km. With the museums, the park and getting around, expect an average of 8 to 10 km a day. The climbs to Fourvière and the Croix-Rousse are the hardest part; the funiculars and the Croix-Rousse metro line help a lot.

Can you go inside the Fourvière basilica?

Yes, the basilica is free to enter, and its mosaic-covered interior is even more striking than the façade. Guided tours of the tower and rooftops, with spectacular views, are usually offered too, but places are limited, so book ahead and check the dates.

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