Boat tours of Lyon

Where to go and what to see in Lyon to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Anna Brooke.

This well-established company has been providing Lyon river cruises for many years. Its boat, Hermes, for dining cruises, is large and comfortable. The Saone cruise boats are much simpler.

The gastronomic capital of France, if not the world, is not just a foodie hotspot. With UNESCO-protected architecture and awe-inspiring Roman ruins, its one for history lovers too..

Lyon’s historic and most beautiful quarter, notably filled with fine 16th-century French Renaissance mansions. An insight into how the city thrived in the Renaissance.

The city’s iconic hilltop basilica, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is famed for its sweeping panoramas, stained glass windows and bucolic Rosary Garden.

The Fourviere hillside offers panoramic city views, a huge 19th-century basilica, two exceptional Roman theatres, and illuminating insights into Lyon’s Roman past.

Nestled into the Fourviere hillside, Lyon’s fascinating Roman attraction is home to two ancient theatres and a museum filled with artefacts depicting all aspects life in the Roman town of Lugdunum.

Henri IV married Marie de Medicis in this stunning medieval cathedral, famed for its 16th-century astronomical clock and one the world’s largest 17th-century bells, rung up to 15 times a year.

A must for film buffs: Artist Dan Ohlmann showcases 120 miniature scenes and hundreds of film props to reveal the way special effects are made in the world’s leading film studios.

Housed in Vieux Lyon’s grandest mansion, this small museum is actually two museums: the Museum of Lyon History, which traces the history of the city since medieval times, and the World Puppet Museum, with over 2,000 puppets collected over centuries.

A hugely varied night time arts festival in June and July, held in the magnificently atmospheric Fourviere Roman theatres.