Lyon 3-day Itinerary
France
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.
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Overview >Bucket list experience:
Walk or cycle Lyon’s quays
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France
Credit Shutterstock.com/Pierre Jean Durieu
Last updated: 07 November, 2022
Lyon has over 300 miles of cycle paths, and a good stretch of them follow its watercourses to give you (by bike or on foot) spectacular views of its iconic riverfront monuments and facades.
The Rhone’s quays run between the Tete d’Or and Gerland parks – a 5-mile stretch where river gardens morph into cream-fronted urban landscapes and locals crowd the cafe terraces and party boats.
Saone side, an artwork-studded 10-mile pedestrian trail takes you along the river between the Confluences area and pretty Ile-Barbe Island, before leading you out of town to bucolic Rochetaillee-sur-Saone, where river beaches provide the perfect picnic backdrop.
While you’re there
The quaint settlement of Rochtaille-sur-Saone is peppered with ‘guinguettes’, typical riverboat eateries with waterfront terraces and occasional live music. They make for excellent watering holes along the way.
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Destination Guide >Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 10+
When: All year around
Duration: 2+ hours
Getting there & doing it
The Rhone trail couldn’t be easier to follow. Just start on the waterfront in Tete d’Or Park and follow the route southwards towards Gerland Park in the 7th Arrondissement. If you go at a gentle pace, you can cover it all in 30 minutes. Most people use one of Lyon’s Velo’V self-serve bikes.
For the Saone promenade, simply join the quayside along Quai Rambaud and walk northwards. It’s a 2-hour stroll between Confluences and Ile Barbe, then you could continue northwards for another 1.5 hours into the countryside to Rochtaille-sur-Saone.
When to do it
The trails are accessible throughout the year, getting busier on sunny days, on week-ends and during school holidays. There’s not much shade in summer, so Spring and Autumn are good times to do it.
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
College Hotel
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[3.3 miles]
Playful school-themed hotel in the heart of Vieux Lyon, offering city views, and a terrace bar where nightly light shows illuminate the facade.
Official star rating:
Cour des Loges
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[3.5 miles]
Uniquely stylish hotel-with-restaurant stretching across several historic houses in the centre of Vieux Lyon. Perfectly located for sightseeing.
Official star rating:
Hotel Globe et Cecil
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[3.6 miles]
Chic family-run hotel smack bang in shop-filled Presqu’Ile, offering a cool restaurant serving excellent breakfast and innovative takes on classic Lyonnais dishes.
Official star rating:
Villa Florentine
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[3.6 miles]
Gorgeous convent converted into a calm luxurious retreat, aloof on the Fourviere hillside overlooking Lyon.
Official star rating:
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Lyon
Auberge-Rhone-Alpes, France
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..
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Overview >Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Lyon Museum of Fine Arts
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[2.9 miles]
A major fine arts museum in a former abbey, housing a vast collection of world-class works from Antiquity to the 21st century.
Best for ages: 18+ | £7
Auberge du Pont de Collonges
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[3.4 miles]
Theatrical Michelin-star dining experience paying homage to one of France’s culinary legends, chef Paul Bocuse. This pioneer of lighter, more innovative nouvelle cuisine was born here in 1926.
Best for ages: 18+ | £80
Vieux (Old) Lyon
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[3.6 miles]
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.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
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Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[3.9 miles]
The city’s iconic hilltop basilica, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is famed for its sweeping panoramas, stained glass windows and bucolic Rosary Garden.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Experience
Tete d’Or Park
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[1.1 miles]
The city bustle evaporates in this sumptuous park, home to rose and botanical gardens, and a savannah-themed animal park. Strolls or cycle its paths and in summer, go boating on the lake.
Best for ages: Any | Free
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Experience
Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[2.6 miles]
Top suppliers fill this stunning covered food market, where gourmet ‘corners’ provide ample seating for you to sample the region’s world-class food amid the hustle and bustle.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
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Experience
Village des Createurs
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[2.7 miles]
The go-to spot for shopaholics, this covered passage at the foot of Croix-Rousse houses Lyon’s edgiest fashion and interior design boutiques, plus a hand full of arty pop-up stores.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
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Experience
La Croix Rousse Market
Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France[3 miles]
Amid the hilly slopes of the former silk-weavers’ quarters, this wonderful daily market (except Mondays) is the locals’ spot for filling up on gourmet treats and taking in the views.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
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