How to Spend 1 Day in Lyon, France

Posted on October 29, 2024 | Julie J. |

Planning a trip to Lyon, France, and only have one day to visit? Discover below the best 1-day itinerary that will take you through all of the French city’s highlights.

I’ve been living close to Lyon for almost a year and this is the itinerary I recommend to people who come visit me. They usually follow it and I’ve gotten great feedback! One day is actually enough, unless you want to visit several museums, then, 2 days is better.

Because you only have one day I recommend focusing on the city center areas. You can follow the itinerary below mostly on foot.

I will focus on the old town (Vieux Lyon) and Fourvière and the “newest” city center, between the Rhône and Saône Rivers. And, most of it, is just strolling around, looking at the architecture.

Depending on where you’re staying, you can re-arrange the order of the places listed below – you can easily do a loop.

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TRAVEL INSURANCE

ACTIVITIES

VACATION RENTALS

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Table of Contents show

1 – Old Town / Vieux Lyon

This part of Lyon is my favorite, with lots of small paved streets, restaurants and bars, and handicraft shops.

Start by visiting the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral, then head north on Rue Saint-Jean doing a loop, and getting back walking south on Rue du Boeuf.

Don’t hesitate to get lost in the side streets, sample some local sweets like Praline Brioche, and shop for souvenirs.

Lyon, and specifically the old town, is known for the Traboules. Traboules are passageways through buildings from one street to another. They are kind of hidden, if you don’t know where they are you can’t just stumble upon one. You literally have to enter a building through the front door.

Two traboules I recommend visiting are located at:

16 rue du Boeuf
54 rue Saint-Jean

You can just go in and visit but make sure to keep your voice down as people live there.

Once you’re done in the Old Town, head to Funiculaire de Lyon.

2 – Fourvière Basilica

From the Old Town, take the cable car to Fourvières (be careful there are 2 directions). You can walk but there’s nothing to see on the way and it goes up a lot.

Fourvière is a neighborhood on top of a hill, right above the old town. From behind the basilica, you’ll get beautiful views over Lyon, and on clear days, you might be able to see the Alps.

Start by visiting the basilica – don’t miss the underground part – and check out the view. There’s a café there if you want to have a drink while enjoying the view.

Next, instead of taking the funicular back down, make your way to the Roman Amphitheater. You’ll arrive above it, so make you’re way down the stairs, at the bottom you can take the other funicular route that will take you to the same station where you took the first one.

3 – Bellecour and La Presqu’île

The next area to visit is the “newest” city center. It’s probably not the official way to refer to it, but I call it like that because it’s newer compared to the more medieval “old” town. The architecture in this part of town is more Renaissance-style and later.

From the funicular station head to Place Bellecour. It will probably be time for lunch by then, I always recommend checking out the restaurants on Rue Mercière to find authentic “Bouchons Lyonnais” serving traditional dishes.

This small pedestrian street is filled with all sorts of restaurants. If you’re visiting during the weekend or high season, you might want to book a table in advance.

Another great place for food in Lyon is Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse. It will take you a bit outside of the city center, but you can use public transport to get there (it’s not that far either). It’s a sort of covered market with lots of restaurants and deli shops. All are carefully curated and offer nothing but the best food quality.

Back to the center, once you’re down eating, you can make your way to the Opéra National de Lyon passing by the Palais de la Bourse. You can’t visit either of them but there are both emblematic buildings. Across the opéra, don’t miss the Hôtel de Ville.

If you like arts and want to include a museum, you can visit the Museum of Fine Arts (closed on Tuesdays).

Usually, people call it a day after all that. But if you’re not tired and still want to keep going, there are still a couple of places nearby worth visiting.

4 – Croix Rousse and Parc de la Tête d’Or

You can make your way to the Croix Rousse neighborhood to visit La Maison des Canuts, a 19th-century building tracing the history of silk production in Lyon. If you’re walking there (doable but a bit far) don’t miss the Cour des Voraces on the way. It’s one of Lyon’s most famous traboules.

Nearby, if you like street art don’t miss the Mur des Canuts, a huge fresco in honor of silk workers who rebelled against the poor working conditions in the 19th century.

Alternatively, if the weather is nice, you can head to Golden Head Park (Parc de la Tête d’Or), one of the city’s biggest and most popular parks. There you’ll find a lake, hiking paths, a botanical garden, playgrounds, and an art museum.

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1 – Old Town / Vieux Lyon

2 – Fourvière Basilica

3 – Bellecour and La Presqu’île

4 – Croix Rousse and Parc de la Tête d’Or

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