Visit Lyon in 1 week : the capital of French gastronomy

In this article, you will find our guide to visit Lyon in one week : the Fourvière Hill, the Croix Rousse Hill, old-Lyon, the Presqu’île, the banks of the Rhône river, the Park de la Tête d’Or, and of course some shopping and good restaurants !

We met Sheilan during our trip in the USA, in Utah. This year, Sheilan will travel to France and she will visit Lyon. For her, we made this guide for a one week to visit Lyon. So follow us and discover the capital of French gastronomy.

Day 1 – Welcome in Lyon !

You have just arrived in Lyon. Find your accommodation, then if you have enough time, have a walk in the Presquîle, the heart of Lyon : admire the Place des Terreaux and the Opera house. Then walk the Rue de la République until you reach the Place Bellecour, one of the largest squares in France.

Day 2 – The old-Lyon, the Traboules, and the Fourvière Hill

Morning : In old-Lyon, visit the Saint Jean area, the traboules and the cathedral. The traboules are unique to Lyon: they are passages inside buildings which permit travel from one street to one other.

Afternoon : From the subway station stop “Vieux-Lyon” near the cathedral, take the funicular railway to the Fourvière Hill. Visit the Fourvière Basilica, and admire the view of Lyon, on the left of the Basilica. Then, follow our itinerary on the Fourvière Hill : you will pass by the Parc des Hauteurs and the ancient Roman theatre. If you still have some energy, visit the Gallo-Roman Museum: the entrance is situated above the Roman theatre.

Day 3 –Lyon Art Gallery and the Croix Rousse Hill

Morning : In the Presqu’île, visit the Lyon Art Gallery, situated in the Palais Saint Pierre, on the Place des Terreaux. Have lunch in a “bouchon Lyonnais” in the Opera house area or at the foot of the “slopes” of the Croix Rousse area. The bouchons Lyonnais are common restaurants where you can eat a typical meal from Lyon. The specialties are made with pork, cheese, and of course wine !

Afternoon : Take the subway from the “Hôtel de Ville- Louis Pradel” stop to the Croix Rousse Hill. Have a walk in the area, and visit the Maison des Canuts (The canuts were the silk workers of Lyon. They lived and worked on the Croix Rousse Hill). Walk back to the center of Lyon by the Montée de la Grande Côte, a historic street. Have a look at the Opera House and the Place des Terreaux by night.

Day 4 – Park de la Tête d’Or and the banks of the Rhône river : a piece of nature in Lyon

Morning : Discover the Parc de la Tête d’Or and have a picnic on the lawns of the park. Visit the Musée d’Art Contemporain (the Modern Art Gallery) if there is an exhibition.

Afternoon : Walk back to the center of Lyon by the embankments of the Rhône River, or go by bicycle with the Vélov (rent bicycles). In the afternoon, have a break on a barge-bar, along the embankment of the 6^th district (in front of the Opera house), then sunbathe along the river.

Day 5 – Shopping in Lyon

Lyon is the French capital of the silk and gastronomy ! Enjoy a visit to the Halles de Lyon (market hall) situated near the commercial center of la Part-Dieu. If you prefer shopping in the open air, go shopping on the street Rue de la République, and the street Rue du Président Herriot (parallel to the Rue de la République) in the Presqu’île. And if you prefer small, craftsmen shops, you will find everything you need on the Croix Rousse Hill.

Day 6 – Market, sightseeing cruise and secondhand booksellers along the Saône river

Morning : Lyon is a city where you can find a lot of markets. Have a walk at the market of Saint Antoine on the banks of the Saône River. There you can find great products from the Rhône Valley. Then, have an aperitif in one of the bars along the banks, in front of the Fourvière Hill.

Afternoon : Make your last stop in Lyon on the water with a sightseeing cruise on the Saône and the Rhône rivers (the loading dock is situated in front of the footbridge of the Law Court, in the middle of the Saint Antoine Market). In the afternoon, have a break and an ice-cream by Nardonne in the old-Lyon, near the Place du Change. Finish the day by strolling along the shops of the secondhand booksellers on the banks of the Saône River.