France · France's gastronomic capital
🍷Lyon
Two rivers, two hills, and 2,000 years of silk and cuisine. Lyon's Renaissance old town, traboule passageways, and Paul Bocuse legacy make it France's most delicious city.
- Best season
- May–June and September–October
- Mid-range
- €100–€160 / day
- Backpacker
- €55–€85 / day
- Country
- France
Safety
Very safe. Standard care at Part-Dieu station.
Best travel season
May–June and September–October. Fête des Lumières (early December) is unmissable.
Daily budget
Mid-range
€100–€160 / day
Backpacker
€55–€85 / day
Where to stay
- Vieux Lyon — Renaissance old town, traboules, most touristic
- Presqu'île (2e) — the peninsula between rivers, shopping, restaurants
- Croix-Rousse (4e) — former silk-weaver hill, indie, market
- Confluence (2e south) — modern architecture, museum
Hostels
- Away Hostel & Coffee Shop — design-driven, in Presqu'île
- Slo Living Hostel — small, warm, in the 7e
- Ho36 Lyon — rooftop bar, in Perrache
Transportation
Metro
Four lines (A/B/C/D). Single €2, 10-trip €19.30. Line C climbs Croix-Rousse via rack rail.
Tram & funicular
Six trams; two funiculars up to Fourvière (part of the metro network).
Vélo'v
Public bike-share since 2005; €1.50 for 24 h, first 30 min free.
Bus
Same €2 ticket. Night 'Pleine Lune' service on weekends.
Airport — LYS
Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport
20 km east; Calatrava-designed TGV station attached.
Airport to city center
Rhônexpress tram
Every 15 min to Part-Dieu in 30 min, €16.90 single, €29.60 return.
Taxi
Around €55–65 to the center.
Attractions
Must-see
Vieux Lyon (UNESCO)
Renaissance quarter of yellow and pink facades along the Saône, with traboule passageways.
Must-see
Basilique de Fourvière
White basilica atop Fourvière hill with a panoramic esplanade.
Hidden gem
Traboules of Croix-Rousse
Secret silk-workers' passageways through building interiors — hunt with a map.
Museum
Musée des Beaux-Arts
Second-biggest fine arts museum in France, in a 17th-c abbey on Place des Terreaux.
Museum
Musée des Confluences
Deconstructivist crystal-and-cloud museum of science and society.
Park
Parc de la Tête d'Or
117 ha, botanical garden, free zoo, rowboat lake — the Lyonnais Central Park.
Must-see
Les Halles Paul Bocuse
The gourmet indoor market that made Bocuse famous — lunch at any counter.
Food & drink
Restaurant
Bouchon Lyonnais
Rustic taverns serving quenelle, andouillette, tablier de sapeur. Daniel et Denise and Le Musée are certified.
Local dish
Salade lyonnaise
Frisée, lardons, croutons, poached egg — cover-of-textbook French bistro dish.
Local dish
Praline tart
Bright pink praline rose tart. Pralus and Sève are essential.
Restaurant
La Mère Brazier
Historic Michelin-starred house of Eugénie Brazier, first woman to win 3 stars in 1933.
Vegan
Culina Hortus
Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant near Cordeliers.