What to do in Lyon? Discover the best spots

About Lyon

Lyon sits in southeastern France, cradled between two hills: Fourvière and La Croix-Rousse. Fourvière is nicknamed “the hill that prays” (thanks to the basilica on top), while La Croix-Rousse is “the hill that works,” a nod to the city’s old silk-weaving industry. The Saône and Rhône rivers cut through Lyon, which makes it a great city to explore on foot. Fair warning though: it’s all very walkable, but your step tracker is going to have a field day.

Lyon is famous for its food — this is a city you visit to eat. But beyond the food scene, it’s also simply a beautiful place. Several parts of Lyon are UNESCO World Heritage sites. The main neighborhoods for your Lyon city trip are Vieux Lyon, Fourvière, Confluence, and Presqu’île (downtown).

The best neighborhoods in Lyon

Vieux Lyon is the medieval heart of the city. Narrow streets, Renaissance facades, and the famous traboules: hidden passageways that cut straight through buildings, once used by silk weavers to get around quickly.

Fourvière is the hill above Vieux Lyon, topped by the impressive basilica that towers over the city. This is where the Roman settlement of Lugdunum once stood, and you can still explore its remains today.

Presqu’île is downtown: a long peninsula between the Saône and the Rhône. This is where you’ll find the big squares, the shops, the market, and plenty of restaurants and cafes.

Confluence is the newest part of the city, right where the two rivers meet. Striking modern buildings sit alongside old ones that have been given a new purpose.

My tips for things to do in Lyon are all in these neighborhoods, so let’s get into the sights. On y va — let’s go!

The traboules of Vieux Lyon

Vieux Lyon is full of traboules: narrow passageways that cut straight through entire city blocks. They were originally built so that residents could quickly reach the Saône to fetch fresh water. Later, textile workers used them to move fabric quickly through the city, and during World War II, the French Resistance made good use of them too. These days, they’re mostly handy for locals and fun for tourists.

The traboules cut through city blocks, so you’re basically walking through someone’s apartment building. There’s usually a sign by the entrance letting you know if you’re allowed in. If you are, be considerate of the people who live there — they appreciate a bit of privacy and quiet too. It feels like a secret tunnel system hiding in plain sight, and it makes for some great photos.

Je vindt de traboules dus vooral in Vieux Lyon, maar ook in de wijk La Croix-Rousse en in het stadscentrum (Presqu’île). Het is trouwens alleen een traboule als je van de ene naar de andere straat kunt lopen. Anders heb je waarschijnlijk een hofje te pakken. Ook leuk natuurlijk. 😉

There are more than 200 traboules in Vieux Lyon, so go find them! If you want to head straight for one, here’s the Google Maps location. And honestly, just wandering around Vieux Lyon is a treat on its own — there are photogenic little streets and corners everywhere.

Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière

At the top of the Fourvière hill stands the basilica you can spot from almost anywhere in the city. The golden statue on the tower gleams in the sun.

It’s only when I get closer that I notice the basilica is under scaffolding. But that hardly matters, because the inside is stunning. It’s all blue and gold: richly decorated, with Romanesque mosaics on the floor and incredibly detailed mosaics on the walls that wouldn’t look out of place in Venice.

One tip: head downstairs first. That’s where the crypt is, and it’s not what you’d expect — or at least, it wasn’t what I expected. I pictured a dark, damp little room, but the space down there is at least as big as the one upstairs. Plenty of churches would be jealous of a room like that. It’s not as richly decorated as the main hall, so it makes sense to see it first before the real showstopper.

The Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière is free to visit. Right next to the basilica is a viewing platform with a great view over Lyon.

Google Maps location

Tip! You can easily reach the basilica by cable car from Vieux Lyon (board here). With the Lyon City Card, the cable car is free.

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Roman theater Théâtre Gallo-Romain

On the Fourvière hill you’ll also find a reminder of Lugdunum: the Roman settlement that once formed the foundation of present-day Lyon. The Romans settled here more than 2,000 years ago and built an entire city center on the hill, complete with theaters, temples, and public buildings. The theater from that era has survived remarkably well. I don’t catch it in its full glory — there are tents and a stage set up, since it’s still used for events today. But honestly, that’s part of what makes it special: a Roman theater that’s still in use after 2,000 years.

There’s also a museum on-site where you can read more about Lyon’s Roman history.

Google Maps location

Place des Jacobins

Place des Jacobins is a big square, and the fountain is the star of the show. It was built back in 1885 as a tribute to four local artists. Around the square you’ll find cafe terraces, shops, and a few shady spots under the trees. The square sits on the site of a former monastery, the Jacobin monastery. If you’re in the mood to shop, the streets around the square are packed with cute stores and boutiques.

Google Maps location

Place des Célestins

Just a short walk from Place des Jacobins is Place des Célestins. This square is smaller and cozier. Lyon’s Célestins theater sits right on the square, and it’s a beautiful building in Italian style. Photos of the inside look gorgeous. Maybe you’ll get the chance to catch a show? During my visit, there was a small flea market on the square, full of French antiques and kitsch.

Google Maps location

Bartholdi fountain & Hôtel de Ville on Place des Terreaux

In summer, Place des Terreaux is impossible to miss thanks to the water features where kids play and adults carefully cool off. It’s a huge square lined with cafe terraces in Presqu’île. It’s absolutely worth a look, though it does give off a bit of a “touristy main square” vibe — so if you’re after a quiet spot for a drink, I’d look elsewhere nearby. What’s worth seeing here is the impressive city hall (Hôtel de Ville), the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon art museum, and the striking Bartholdi fountain. It practically looks like the horses are snorting water out of their noses.

Google Maps location

Amphithéâtre des Trois Gaules

At the foot of the Croix-Rousse hill, tucked inside the Jardin des Plantes, lie the remains of a Roman amphitheater dating to 19 AD. It once held more than 20,000 spectators. Today, only part of the walls and the northern entrance remain — the rest was swallowed up by the city over the centuries.

The name Trois Gaules (“Three Gauls”) refers to the three Roman provinces that made up Gaul: Gallia Lugdunensis, Aquitania, and Belgica. Lyon was the capital of this region, and the place where representatives from all these peoples would gather. Hence the name.

You can walk right up and take a look for free. During my visit, it was decked out in little flags and set up for an event, but otherwise you can get a closer look any time.

Google Maps location

Classic murals

You’ll find some seriously impressive murals scattered around Presqu’île. Not trendy graffiti — actual classical-style artwork. Take the Fresque des Lyonnais, for example (Google Maps location). It’s a tall building covered in incredibly precise painted scenes depicting Lyon’s history. The mural covers about 8,600 square feet (roughly 800 square meters) in total, and it’s basically impossible to fit into one photo, ha.

Not far from the Fresque des Lyonnais is the Fresque Hommage à Tony Tollet (Google Maps location). It’s a lot less flashy, but it’s right around the corner, so you’re already close by. Tony Tollet was a French painter from Lyon, and here you can see him in his studio surrounded by his work

Okay, one more. The Fresque La bibliothèque de la cité. This six-story building has been transformed into a library stocked with books by Lyon-born authors. (Google Maps location).

Confluence in Lyon

Confluence is a neighborhood that’s still very much a work in progress. It starts right where the Saône and Rhône rivers meet, at the southernmost tip of Lyon’s peninsula. The area is packed with eye-catching buildings — bright green, bold orange, honeycomb-shaped, you name it. The architects clearly had fun here. Heavy industrial houseboats line the docks, and old buildings have been repurposed as clubs or museums.

There’s plenty of trendy food and drink here too, from the pizza food truck Le camion à pizza (Google Maps location) to the trendy bar Loupika (Google Maps location) and the club Le Sucre (Google Maps location).

You can easily reach Confluence by ferry and then take a walk along the water. You’ll naturally run into the bars, restaurants, and architecture along the way.

Musée des Confluences

Confluence’s showpiece is the Musée des Confluences. Inside, it’s a mix of science, nature, and history. Buy tickets through Klook. But honestly, the building alone is worth a look even if you don’t go inside.

The futuristic building is somewhat reminiscent of the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, if you know it. So even if the museum itself is closed, it’s still worth a walk around the outside. Keep walking toward the point where the rivers meet, and you’ll come across the Only Lyon sign too.

Google Maps location

Drinks on Rue Mercière

Between the shopping and sightseeing, you might need to cool off on a hot day. That’s where Rue Mercière comes in. It’s a street lined with cafe terraces, and since it sits between tall buildings, it stays nice and shady. The street is packed with cute little spots.

Google Maps location

Eating at a bouchon

A bouchon is a classic Lyon-style restaurant: simple eateries serving traditional Lyonnaise dishes, somewhere between a bistro and a pub. A lot of travel blogs will tell you that you haven’t really been to Lyon until you’ve eaten at a bouchon. Well… I didn’t! Good excuse to go back to Lyon someday, I’d say. You can find a full list of bouchons here.

The name “bouchon” actually comes from a bundle of straw that used to hang outside restaurants in the 17th and 18th centuries — a sign that you could get a simple meal inside. Back then it was mostly aimed at silk and textile workers, but now it’s for everyone.

Restaurant Bulle

I’m in Lyon on a press trip, which is how I end up invited to dinner at Restaurant Bulle. Not an invitation I’m about to turn down, since it’s run by Michelin-starred chef Guy Lassausaie. Expect refined little dishes in a gorgeous setting. Restaurant Bulle is set inside a former seminary (where priests used to train). The building has high ceilings, long dining halls, and an open kitchen. But the best seats are on the wide balcony, where you get a gorgeous view over the city.

You can also just stop by for a drink on the terrace near the entrance, but this isn’t really a quick-bite kind of place. This is somewhere to settle in for a long, leisurely evening.

Google Maps location

Hotel tip: Fourvière Hôtel

Up on the Fourvière hill, you can stay somewhere with real style at the Fourvière Hôtel. The layout and plenty of little details give away that you’re sleeping in a former monastery dating back to 1854. Walk in, and you step straight into a chapel with confession booths.

The hotel has a courtyard where you can dine outside on nice days, plus a garden with a pétanque court, a pool, and seating areas. The flower garden smells amazing, so feel free to fling your room’s windows open. The hotel sits quietly on the Fourvière hill, with parking on-site — ideal if you’re traveling by car.