Two Days in Lyon
Lyon’s history includes the Gallo-Romans, becoming a major silk-making hub and being the center of the Resistance during World War II. There is plenty of history to discover, architectural and natural beauty to see and good food to eat to easily fill two days in Lyon. This was my second time to Lyon and I enjoyed a vibrant and busy city, not a crowded city. Lyon has many similar architectural elements as Paris with the lovely Belle Époque buildings but with fewer of our fellow tourists. Lyon’s public transportation is efficient, sidewalks are flat and there are several lovely squares and pedestrian-only streets. I would recommend staying at least two days in Lyon. The city can easily fill up to four or five of your days based on your preferred travel pace and interests. You could add more days for day trips, especially if you will be traveling by train/bus.
Note: These trip reviews differ from Have Age Will Travel’s Location Guides. I occasionally mention terrain and site accessibility in this post but it is meant to be more of a travel journal that I want to share with you. Lyon is a great option to visit with differing mobility levels so look for a Lyon Location Guide later this year!
Arriving
We were coming from Geneva and took the regional TER train to Lyon Part-Dieu train station. In a little under two hours, we were out of the train station heading across the walkway to the metro. Lyon is a major transit hub in France and high speed trains to can take you to Paris, Dijon, Provence, and Marseille all in under two hours, not to mention regional trains for day trips.
Lyon has underground metro, street-level trams, funiculars and buses. We used all but the latter and they are all covered in the same ticket from Lyon’s public transportation company, TCL. We stayed in the 2nd arrondissement, near Place Bellecour. This was a great location as it was central to walk many places, near a major metro stop and the area had lots of shops and restaurants.
Note: Lyon does have a City Card similar to the Paris Museum Pass. A plus for the Lyon City Card is that it includes public transportation for the duration of your pass’ validity. This means that you just tap your city pass when using the metro rather than having take out your credit card to tap or taking time to buy individual tickets. I did not purchase the city card this trip but did for my first visit here in late 2023.
Day 1: Saturday
To start the first full day of our two days in Lyon, we headed to a nearby cafe for a quick café au lait and croissant. Lucky us, we were only one block away from a great food market along the Soâne. Strawberries were just coming into season. We purchased a basket and quickly transported them to our hotel room’s mini fridge before returning back to the market. This market had numerous produce stalls, at least two rotisserie stands and multiple fromagerie and boucherie stands.
The Food Hall: Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse
We wandered around town for a bit and then headed to the Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse. We planned to take the metro and street car but ended up walking as the weather was ideal. When I had visited the food hall on my prior visit, it was mid afternoon on a weekday in late Fall and most things were closed. I am very glad I returned midday on a Saturday in May as almost all stalls were filled and the place was bustling! It appeared to be a mix of locals, tourists and multiple small tour groups going to specific stalls for pre-arranged tastings. There were a variety of stalls offering fresh food, packaged foods, and restaurants. This would be a great place to shop to bring home treats for yourself or others, especially if you are visiting Lyon towards the end of your trip.
After circling the market a couple times to see the offerings and to scope out a potential lunch spot, we landed at Chez Leon. We had a great seafood meal and the bread basket continued to refill as if by magic.
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon
We walked back across the river and headed to the Musée des Beaux Arts de Lyon. The museum was not busy and there were no lines to wait in for tickets or security. The museum is located on the busy Place des Terreaux in a beautiful former 17th century Abbey. You enter the museum through a peaceful courtyard that includes a cafe. We visited the museum in between temporary exhibits but the permanent collection includes ancient artifacts, sculptures, impressionist paintings and more.
A Roman Amphitheater and Coffee Break
We continued north and a bit uphill to one of Lyon’s Roman Amphitheaters. On the way, Lyon’s street art starts to appear. It is only legal in certain parts of the city. You can get a sense of the variety just from these two pictures alone.
We arrived at the Amphitheater of the Three Gauls which was a quick visit looking through the fence. As you can see, the amphitheater is still being used today as a community space in the warmer months. We stopped at a cafe nearby for a quick caffeine boost and to rest our feet before continuing.
Fresque des Lyonnais and Boat Tour
One of the busier places we stopped at was the Fresque des Lyonnais. All sides of the building are painted, including the roof. It honors notable people of Lyon through history.
Afterward, we joined a boat tour on the Soâne river. I am a huge fan of boat tours. You learn, you see the city from a different perspective and you see areas that you may not have time for otherwise. If a city offers a bout tour, I’m probably taking it. We did purchase these tickets that morning as their ticket booth was right by the outdoor market we visited. Tickets can also be purchase tickets online. We arrived 15 minutes early. There were about 40 people ahead of us and it was a full boat.
Evening
We walked around Vieux Lyon that evening. This included a pre-dinner workout of climbing almost to the top of the hill as the view was so lovely. Back down closer to the river in the flat area was definitely the most crowded area of Lyon we visited. There are many eateries and shops to spend time wandering past. We had a great meal at Armada, sharing small plates focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
Day 2: Sunday
Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière
Day two in Lyon started as the first did: a café au lait and a croissant. We walked to the funicular station in Vieux Lyon and headed to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière. It is a beautiful basilica and I especially enjoyed the intricate marble floors. Mass was occurring while we were there so no pictures were allowed. You are allowed to enter as long as you are silent.
LUGDUNUM – Musée & Théâtres romains
Nearby on the Fourvière hill is the Gallo-Roman archeology site and museum. You can visit the archeology site without a ticket. There are many stairs and ramps you need to use to explore the site. Alternatively, you can view it from above or below without entering. The museum is fully accessible with ramps and elevators. We did not purchase a ticket ahead of time for the museum but there were about twenty of us waiting to enter when the museum opened.
Lunch
Eating at a traditional Bouchon was also on our list. We made reservations for a late lunch at Les Lyonnais in Vieux Lyon, downhill of the museum. We ate outdoors and had traditional Lyonnaise food like quenelle pictured below.
Centre d’histoire de la résistance et de la déportation
The last site we visited was the Centre d’histoire de la résistance et de la déportation: the museum covering the Lyon resistance movement and Jewish deportation during WWII from Lyon. This museum was closed when I first visited Lyon so I wanted to make sure I visited this time. We took the tram to the museum. The exhibits are in French but they will provide you either with a binder of English translations or an audio guide. It is a mix of personal stories as well as wider coverage of that time via videos, pictures and artifacts.
Thoughts on Two Days in Lyon
For me, this was a fast-paced two days in Lyon. I could easily spend more time in Lyon, even after visiting twice now. With more time, walking or picnicking along either river or visiting Lyon’s main park, Parc de la Tête d’Or, would be great ways to spend more time outdoors. On my first trip, I also enjoyed visiting the Musée Lumière and visiting one of the old silk factories and museum up on La Croix-Rousse. I have still have not made it down to the Confluence neighborhood which houses the Musée des Confluences. I hope this post is helpful for you to decide how much time you want to spend in the city. Thank you for allowing me to share my trip memories with you!
Read more from Have Age Will Travel
Mobility Requirements for Visiting London: An Overview
Paris: Mobility Requirements Overview
Vienna and your Mobility – An Overview
Travel Mobility Tests: How is my Mobility for Travel?
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