Are you looking for things to do in Lyon France? If so, continue reading as this is a FREE travel guide to help you explore Lyon France more!
First, a little about this city along the Rhône River. Lyon, France, is a vibrant city known for its rich history, gastronomy, and cultural charm. Lyon is often referred to as the "Capital of Gastronomy" holding 20 Michelin starred restaurants and plenty of traditional local cuisines such as delicious praline bread. But outside of eating, there is plenty of old world and new world charm amongst the hustle and bustle.
Now time for the quick FREE travel guide...
Travel to Lyon France
If you are starting your journey in France by entering in Paris, you can easily get to Lyon by train. The high speed train to Lyon is about 2 hours non-stop and pretty affordable. For reference, I booked a one-way train ticket from Lyon to Paris in First Class on SNCF for €60 or approximately $65 in November 2023. Taking the train will save you time and money and it is more environmentally friendly.
But if you want to fly into Lyon and skip Paris, you may book tickets with your preferred airline and fly to Lyon-Saint Exupéry (LYS) Airport.
Where To Stay in Lyon France
For most of the time I was in Lyon, I was still aboard the AmaWaterways river cruise but I did spend some time there outside of the river cruise which required me to book some type of stay accommodation.
After I completed my river cruise, I stayed at Lyon Marriott Hotel Cité Internationale. This hotel was excellent and I would definitely stay here again. The rooms were spacious, clean and cozy. The hotel had excellent staff and plenty of food options. Also, the hotel was near one of the main bus lines that could connect you with a train or get you to where you want in Lyon. You may see a tour of this hotel in this video here.
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Things To Do In Lyon France
If you are into photography, I recommend visiting Musée Lumière. Musée Lumière "explores the process of inventing the cinema, from the first experiments carried out around the world to the filming and commercialization of the Lumière films". Ticket prices are €9 (appx. $9.77) for adults to enter.
If you want amazing views of the city, take Foniculaire de Lyon (cable car) up the mountain to take in the incredible views next to Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière (which is a beautiful Basilica by the way). You may access the Foniculaire de Lyon at Vieux Lyon Metro Station. Actually, your Metro ticket will give you access to the local train (subway), bus and the cable car! A 24 hour ticket to access all of these transit options only costs €6.70 (appx. $7.27)!
Now if you want to relax, enjoy old architecture and get a drink at one of the best bars in THE WORLD, head to Le Dôme. Le Dôme Bar is located at the InterContinental Lyon Hotel Dieu and was voted Best Hotel Bar in the world during the 2020-2021 edition of the Prix Villégiature Awards. Drinks can range from reasonably to highly priced which makes it great for a variety of price brackets. And when you order a drink, you will get some snacks to go along with it like olives and nuts. But you can always skip the alcohol for tea time!
Lastly, you must take a food tour! Fortunately I was able to take a food tour through my river cruise but there are plenty of options out there. One option is go on the Lyon Old Town Half-Day Walking Food Tour with Local Specialties Tasting & Lunch. This tour is similar to what I went on where we were able to taste food as well as tour and learn some of the secrets and history of Old Lyon! (Note: I didn't go on this tour and I'm just providing this as a reference. Check it out and research if this tour is right for you.)
Where To Eat
Obviously, a place like Lyon France has plenty of things to do but also has plenty of places to eat at. If you want to indulge yourself even more after a food tour, check out one of their Michelin restaurants, check out their listing here. But for the most part, I ate on my river cruise or at Pizza Pino which seems to be permanently closed now.
See Inside Lyon
If you would like a visual of Lyon France, check out these two videos from my travel to Lyon.