Wandering Lyon : 48 hours with a Lyon City Card

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You need to be fit for Lyon, France’s second-largest metropolis, as there are some serious steps to climb wandering this beautiful City of Gastronomy. We took off with a Lyon City Card to see how much we could pack into our two days with a 48-hour pass.

It was like an Amazing Race to discover as much as we could with the clock ticking down! With 2000 years of history it’s impossible to cover it all. Our plan was to get a good feel for the diversity of Lyon, an old city with a modern twist and dramatic flair.

What to see in Lyon

The city is located at the confluence of two rivers the Saône and the Rhône. The landscape is dominated by two hills. To the west Fouvrière, known as ‘the hill that prays‘. To the East, Croix-Rousse is called ‘the hill that works‘, due to its roots set in the silk industry. Between the two, is a sprawling modern city with an excellent public transport system.

Lyon offers much to impress, and was voted Europe’s Leading City Break Destination by the World Travel Awards!

It is a fabulous city for a wander!

Included with the Lyon City Card was a guided tour of Vieux Lyon, a UNESCO World Heritage site with its Traboules (hidden passageways).

We took the Funicular railway (free with the Lyon City Card) up Fouvrière Hill where a rooftop tour of Notre Dame Cathedral was a particular highlight. As was a river cruise to the confluence of the Saône and Rhône rivers to appreciate both the ancient vistas and the modern city riverside buildings.

The Croix-Rousse area is a bohemian suburb worth exploring, It’s home to the silk industry, leafy squares, and fine restaurants. Finally, even if you’re not that into museums, you are sure to find something for everyone. Lyon has exceptional museums galore. We found Guignol puppets, Roman mosaics, Spiderman, mammoths, and so much more!

We stayed five nights to compile our guide, and below we have included our top picks. Do not be afraid to give yourself longer than 48 hours in Lyon, you will be richly rewarded.

Won’t you take a wander with me and I’ll show you around?!

ONLYLYON Tourist Office

Our Lyon City Passes were kindly supplied by the ONLYLYON Tourisme et Congres from their Tourist Office in Place Bellecour. You can also find news on the latest ‘What’s On’ information and confirm your bookings for the tours that accompany the Lyon City Pass.

Lyon City Card

I’m a great fan of these good value cultural and leisure passes on offer by cities around the globe. The Lyon City Pass is a particularly good example. It offers free admission to 27 museums, their temporary exhibitions, and partner tourist attractions.

There are four cards to choose from, from one to four-day passes. Each of the cards includes unlimited access to public transport (metro, funicular, tram, bus, and river shuttle.) This is especially worthwhile given the size of Lyon.

Top Tip! The Lyon City Card is valid for either 24, 48, 72, or 96 consecutive hours. So with clever time planning you can start at lunchtime one day and use it again the following morning after a good night’s sleep!

DAY ONE with 48 hour Lyon City Card

Guided Tour of Vieux Lyon ~ Traboules ~ Cathédrale Saint-Jean ~ The Museum of Guinol ~ Cinema and Miniature Museum ~ Gadagne Museums

LUNCH: Choose any of the appealing eateries in Vieux Lyon.

Funicular ~ Guided Rooftop Tour of Basilica Notre-Dame de Fouvrière ~ Museum of Gallo-Roman Civilisation ~ Walk down through Jardin Du Rosaire ~ Les Bateaux Lyonnaise.

Guided Tour of Vieux-Lyon and its Traboules

The wonderful part of this one-hour tour was finding Lyon’s secret passageways (Traboules) which connect two streets. Inside we discovered beautiful courtyards, colorful turreted staircases, and facades. The Long Traboule between 54, Rue Saint-Jean and 27, Rue du Boeuf is the longest Traboule.

The tour starts at Place St Jean Lyon 5e which gives you a chance to have a look at the Cathédrale Saint-Jean. The stunning Gothic architecture and intricate stained glass windows are to be admired.

Top Tip! Lyon’s Tourist Office has a handy leaflet on how to find the narrow and picturesque streets, traboules, courtyards, and facades of Lyon.

Gadagne Museums

There are two museums here found in a 16th-century mansion built for two rich Florentine bankers.

The excellent local history museum, Musée d’Histoire de Lyon, offers a wander through the city’s developments as its silk-weaving, cinema, and transportation evolved.

Musée des Marionettes du Monde, that pays homage to Lyon’s iconic puppet, Guignol. We preferred the Museum of Guinol (below) which had more character.

Top Tip! The 4th-floor cafe adjoins tranquil, terraced gardens

Public transport : Metro D > Vieux Lyon

The Museum of Guinol

Cute tiny museum at the back of a gift shop which we found engaging and charming. It appealed to the child in us, we had fun! As you approach each exhibit, it activates and plays for a minute or two.

I’ve seen others comment it is dark, cramped, and dingy. Little things please little minds and all that!

Public transport : Metro D > Vieux Lyon

Cinema and Miniature Museum

For something different, check out the two unique collections by the artist Dan Ohlmann. At the Cinema and Minature Museum, eight educational rooms illustrated with miniatures, animatronics, masks, prostheses, robots, costumes, creatures, and monsters of all kinds, reveal many secrets about the special effects techniques used in cinema.

From “Spiderman” to “Mrs Doubtfire” you find yourself immersed in the 120 miniature scenes produced and more than 450 legendary film props give the visitor an insight into the special effects techniques of our leading film studios. Those not suitable for children are clearly marked.

Public transport : Metro D > Vieux Lyon

Funicular de Fouvrière 

It’s a lot more fun and a lot less puff to take the funicular train up the steep hill from Vieux Lyon up to La Fourviere. It’s a short ride and runs frequently.

Tour of the rooftops of Fouvrière 

This was way more enjoyable than I expected partly because of the thrill of being so high and in places that you couldn’t see unless you were on this tour. We climbed 300 stairs to discover the Notre Dame de Fouvrière a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On a clear day, you can see Mont Blanc with the sprawling Lyon metropolis below.

Happlily there are plenty of breaks along the way! It’s wonderful to admire the magnificent murals of the basilica from a high vantage point, so it’s worth the climb and the staircase is fabulous!

Our next stop is to reach the carillon with its giant bells, each of which is named. If you are lucky the timing will be perfect to hear and see the bells in action up close!

The best part is at the end when you reach the rooftops. Admire the gilded Madonna statue and the whimsical statue of Saint George and the Dragon. And, of course, take in the incredible panoramic views of Lyon from this birds-eye view!

Top Tip! Each year the Basilica attracts more than 2.5 million visitors, so book ahead for this tour.

Public transport : Funicular > Fouvrière 

Museum of Gallo-Roman Civilisation

Next up let’s go back in time to Roman days! Lyon’s fascinating Roman history is well covered at the Museum of Gallo-Roman Civilization. Lugdunum (Lyon) was the second largest city after Rome with 40,000 inhabitants. Who knew?

The museum is built into the side of the hill, with large picture windows overlooking the remains of the two open-air Roman arenas, an amphitheatre, which once held 10,000 people, and the smaller Odéon.

Along with many outstanding and unique artifacts, weapons, and coins, from ancient Rome of particular note are the beautifully preserved mosaic floors, an Iron Age chariot & the tablet of Claudius.

Top Tips: Visit the museum before a wander of the Amphitheatre and the Odeon there is an audioguide that you can download on your smartphone. Check out What’s On in Lyon to see if any concerts or open-air theatre events are being staged during your visit.

Public transport : Funicular > Fouvrière 

Jardin Du Rosaire

Top Tip! Take the funicular tram up the hill and walk back down the hill through the Jardin Du Rosaire (Rosary Garden) open 6.30 – 21.00 hrs daily. On the way down, take the Escalier Basilique de Fourvière for more great views.

By this stage, you will need a sit down so take the 6 pm River cruise for one hour and enjoy the sights.

Les Bateaux Lyonnaise

With the choice of one of three sightseeing cruises, we chose Cap Confluence which enables a tour of the Confluence of both La Saône and Le Rhône rivers. There is also the option to hop off and visit the museum. We enjoyed this tour which gives a riverside viewing of Vieux Lyon and showcases some of the modern architecture along the river. Notable was the orange cube offices’ nicknamed the orange French cheese. Together with the green pencil sharpeners speakers broadcast the news.

Further details available at Les Bateaux Lyonnais

Top Tip!: I thought the Cap Presqu’île Tour looked good too!

2 Quai des Célestins, 69002 

Public Transport: Metro A > Bellecour

DAY TWO with a 48-hour Lyon City Card

Market day at La Croix Rousse ~ Living Silk Museum ~ Mur des Canuts

LUNCH: La Croix Rousse Le Canut et Les Gones or a picnic from the market

Wander down through La Traboules ~ Cour des Voraces ~ Fresco des Lyonnais~ Rives de Saone ~ Musée des Confluences.

La Croix Rousse :

Croix-Rousse developed as a major centre for the silk Industry in the 18th century when the silk workshops moved here from the Vieux-Lyon area. We were very lucky to be invited to stay by French friends who love staying in this bohemian area of Lyon. Take a wander here and enjoy the architecture with its large windows and high ceilings built to house the tall silk looms of the old silk workshops.

Public Transport: Metro C Croix-Rousse

La Maison des Canuts

To learn more about the silk industry, stop by the Maison des Canuts. Tours include a demonstration of weaving on a magnificent Jacquard loom handloom, which has you wondering how they do that without getting everything in a knot!

This is your chance to understand how Lyon has been shaped by the history of its textile industry including the city’s architecture, in addition to its economic, humanist, and social development, marked by the silk workers’ revolt and its outcome’. 

10-12 rue d’Ivry 690004 Lyon

Public Transport: Metro C > Croix Rousee

Traboules

There are more of Lyon’s Traboules to explore. These covered passageways were used by silk merchants to travel and ferry material between buildings while being sheltered from the rain. During the Nazi occupation, members of the Resistance used these shortcuts for quick getaways.

Cour des Voraces

Stop by Cour Des Voraces with its remarkable open staircase. Cour des Voraces can be entered via Place Colbert, Rue St Sebastien, or Rue Imbert-Colombes

Public Transport: Metro C line > Croix-Rousse

Mur des Canuts

Lyon is well known for its painted murals. One not to miss is the Croix-Rousse’s Mur des Canuts, the largest in Europe. It offers a vivid portrait of the neighborhood and its inhabitants. It’s common to see tourists (moi!) pose in front of the mural, joining in its amusing trompe-l’oeil (visual illusion) scenes on the steep staircase.

Top Tip! There is a knack for making these optical illusions work, watch others first!

Wandering La Soane to Ile Barbe

We took an early morning walk along the Saône river to Ile Barbe, which I really enjoyed. Along the way, we found riverside art and of course, there is always something to enjoy watching on the river. Once at Ile Barbe, we found a real oasis of greenery at the gates of the city, the Jean Couty museum

Top Tip! The public toilets at Ile Barbe were foul. Take a little tour of the Jean Couty Museum (included in your city pass) and use their facilities!

Top Tip! Enjoy a coffee and the delicious tarte aux Myrtilles at Le Boulanger De L’ile Barbe. Or make yourself a picnic lunch and check out Comptoir des Fromages close by.

Fresco des Lyonnais

Created in 1994 this massive mural depicts the famous people of Lyon. Perhaps the most famous is chef Paul Bocuse at the door of his restaurant or the Lumières brothers leaning on their balcony.  

Found Lyon’s 1st arrondissement Saône river scenes at Ile Barbe river side.

Top Tip! Be aware This famous landmark was tagged in September 2023, by graffiti vandals.

Resistance and Deportation History Centre

Housed in the former military Health College, in the very building used by the Head of the Gestapo in Lyon, The Museum of the Resistance is one of France’s leading museums covering the history of World War II.

It’s a very moving memorial to the French resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II, in which Lyon played a central role in French History.

It’s heavy going given both the topic and the amount of detail offered, but this combined with a wander through the Traboules of Croix-Rousse gives you a greater appreciation of the situation.

Top Tip! An English Audio Guide is available for €1 but you need to have and leave your ID with the front desk. An alternative is to ask for the English free binder.

Another Top Tip! There is no cafe here, only an average vending machine, have a coffee before you go! Les Chaussons des Toke (see below) for a snack is close by!

Musée des Confluences

When is a museum, not a museum? When it’s the Musee Des Confluences. You’ll either love it or find it bewildering. But whatever, you will be talking about the mammoth, butterflies to brown bears, luxury cars to waffle makers; it’s all quite eclectic in either a delightful way or as one reviewer wrote “I feel stupider for having gone’ sort of a way!

This is the must-see Museum of Lyon nestled between the rivers Rhône and Saône. Its architecture is striking, a tad like a spaceship. designed with no main facade to catch the shifting colours of the sky. First up see if you can work out how to get in!

You could easily spend a half day here exploring the exhibitions, eating at the Brasserie des Confluences, and wandering in the gardens and ponds. If time is limited each exhibition is self-contained to be enjoyed independently.

The permanent exhibition looks at the origin and destiny of humanity, the diversity of cultures, and the place of humans in the chain of life. Temporary exhibitions are ever-changing, making this museum one to return to time and time again.

Top Tip! Check out dates for late night opening until 10pm for a great sunset location and view of the city from the top floor.

Public Transport: Tram T1 > Musée des Confluences

Things we wished we’d had time for.

I never worry too much about not seeing everything. Travel is about choices and sometimes it comes down to geography and logistics. As I mentioned previously there is so much to see and do in Lyon.

Next time we will return for more time to explore Lyon’s fabulous museums such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts, one of the largest art museums in France, or take a peek into the fascinating world of the Lumière brothers that involved cinematography, photography, and more at Musée Lumière.

We will build in time for a wander at one of the largest urban parks in France: Parc de la Tête d’Or or visit the Grand Parc Miribel Jonage.

French Centre of Gastronomy

Lyon was first described as the world capital of gastronomy in 1935 and works hard to maintain this reputation. With more than 4000 restaurants in Lyon, you will not go hungry!

For those keen to enjoy traditional Lyonnaise food, there is a list of “Bouchons Lyonnaise” restaurants that are chosen to offer the official Lyon Culinary Lable with local food in a historic setting.

Le Canut et Les Gone

Established in 1994, this Croix-Rousse restaurant is found in the Michelin Guide.

This was the restaurant our Lyonnais friends chose for our Welcome to Lyon meal and we loved it. It was one of our best meals in Lyon. It has such a unique atmosphere, a cross between a bistro and a second-hand shop! We loved the vintage decorations, tapestries old clocks on the wall, but above all we loved the food!

Top Tip! This restaurant is In a little-frequented area of La Croix-Rousse, and definitely one to try out.

Closed Sunday/Monday

Address: 29 Rue de Belfort, 69004 Lyon

Public Transport: Metro C station > Croix-Rousse

L’Authentik

At the heart of Vieux Lyon, we were ready to flop and drop when we came across this lively restaurant in the main square. It doesn’t serve alcohol, so like many the people ahead of us were confused and disappointed and so left, gifting us one of the last tables going. Family atmosphere, we had a decent meal and the waiter was fun and attentive. We really enjoyed sitting outside in the square watching the world go by!

The total bill came to €50.80 for two main dishes, one Perrier and some tap water, the other advantage of no alcohol was that it was cheap.

Address: 1 Place du Change, 69005, Lyon

Public Transport: Metro D > Vieux Lyon

Brasserie Georges

Brasserie Georges is an institution in Lyon, operating since 1836. However, our experience was ruined by an arrogant waiter who did not understand two starving foreigners exasperated by the length of time taken to serve our meal. The sort of length of time where you have eaten a whole baguette and no longer feel hungry.

This aside, we did feel we were in a special place with a huge amount of history, and our dinner which included Kir and two Pils beers was good value at €61, so don’t let us put you off!

Address: 30 Cours de Verdun, Perrache, 69002 Lyon,

Public Transport: Perrache train station.

Boulangerie & Market Shopping

France is one of those countries where if you don’t have breakfast included in your stay, it’s never an issue. We just love getting up in the morning for the daily boulangerie run!

We recommend lunch or dinner from Lyon markets. Our favourite was in La Croix Rousse, one of Lyon’s biggest and liveliest outdoor food markets. Held every day except Monday. The market has around 100 local vendors selling a huge variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, cheese, and bread as well as ready-to-eat hot dishes.

Check out “Tomates Farcies”, stuffed tomatoes French style the perfect addition to any Summer feast, Saint-Marcellin cheese, Artichokes, or any of the delectable Patisseries from just about anywhere!

You can make the most loveliest picnics from the markets of Lyon to enjoy by the rivers, highly recommended!

Sébastien Bouillet

Pâtissier-chocolatier Sébastien Bouillet renowned gourmet pastry chef has some of the best macarons in Lyon and the signature chocolate lipsticks

15 place de la Croix-Rousse, 69004 Lyon

Les Halles de Lyon

The fabulous indoor market Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse is a great visit for foodies. You can explore the three floors of food vendors and 55 merchants. Found 5 minutes from La Part-Dieu, Lyon’s main train station, you can shop, eat, and drink to your heart’s content! Open daily except Monday.

Address: Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, 102 Cours Lafayette

Public Transport: Tram T1 > Place Guichard

Les Chaussons des Toke

Have you heard of tokés? It’s empanadas Lyon style.

These small turnover, savory or sweet, filled with local recipes and local ingredients are a hit in Lyon, with five addresses across the city: Place Sathonay, Halles Paul Bocuse, Croix-Rousse, Vieux-Lyon, and Berthelot.

Shopping

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Pop and Shoes concept store

This fashion concept store Pop and Shoes, is one of those stores that offers rock and bohemian favorites in the heart of the Lyon Peninsula. In between a selection of shoes, ready-to-wear, bags, jewelry, and accessories for women and men is a vintage space where taking the odd snap a la InstaQueen life is still considered de rigueur.

Maison des Canutes

This museum has a wonderful workshop boutique where you can buy a silk scarf, textiles, accessories, and fabrics all 100% Made in France.

Where to stay in Lyon

With more than 270 hotels to choose from, it’s not an easy choice. If the budget allows, a stay in Vieux Lyon would be my top choice. I love those cobbled streets! We stayed in The Presqu’île area, the heart of the city, and found this a convenient location. We also stayed with friends in Croix-Rousse which was wonderful and highly recommended, although less central.

Le Charlemagne

This 4-star hotel was a great value room, in a good location opposite a tram stop that took us directly to 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐮 t𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. On arrival, we walked from Perrache train station for 5 minutes. We also walked to the Confluence Museum although we should have taken the tram opposite!

We thought the room, sofa, and en-suite bathroom were well planned out (thanks for the upgrade to the Superior Room!). You can see a video tour here at Little Wandering Wren’s Le Charlemagne Room Tour here.

We were impressed by the lovely atmosphere in this hotel, especially when one of the guests gave an impromptu piano concert. The helpful staff went out of their way to look after us. A nice breakfast was included in the room rate.

Top Tip! Ask for a room on the side overlooking beautiful views of the Sainte Blandine church.

Address: 23 Cours Charlemagne, Lyon-Perrache

Lyon Travel

Lyon Public Transport

It is worth getting to know the public transport system of Lyon, it is convenient and a leg saver! As we were trying to enjoy as much of Lyon as possible, we covered a lot of ground. Vieux Lyon and Croix Rousse were easy to get around by foot.

With the Lyon City Card, we had unlimited use of all of Lyon’s public transit systems. This includes buses, trams, the metro, and the funicular.

Getting to Lyon

We took the Grand Vitesse Ouigo train from Paris Gare de Lyon at 12.24 PM arriving at Lyon Part-Dieu at 2.22. The ticket cost €39 (£33) It was an easy, quick, and enjoyable way to travel. No need for one of us to spend the whole journey map reading and the other concentrating on the road.

Leaving Lyon we took another train for our onward journey to Avignon.

Last thoughts on Lyon

Respectful Tourism

I often have the pleasure of meeting with tourism boards via Little Wandering Wren and ONLYLYON Tourism & Conventions was a stand-out meeting. We talked about respectful tourism, with visitors wanting to see Vieux Lyon and its Traboules which are people’s homes. I really like how they are committed to responsible tourism and their initiative of having Lyon City Helpers at strategic locations to help ensure the Charter of Good Practices is respected. I am impressed that Lyon is in 7th place in the global ranking of cities engaged in sustainable tourism.

I very much hope that this post has given you all the information that you need to visit Lyon. It is a wonderful city to explore. With the Lyon City Card, you can enjoy a wide variety of attractions and museums. I wonder whether you will choose what we chose, do let us know, in the comments below, of any special gems you find wandering Lyon. We’d love to hear,

Happy wandering!

Disclosure: Little Wandering Wren’s Lyon City Card was kindly supplied by ONLYLYON Tourisme et Congres. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For more Southern France wanderings check out Discovering Magnificent Montpellier and Wandering Avignon.

Follow us on Social Media: Find more photos of my travels and stories on Instagram @littlewanderingwren.