France
City guide · France
Lyon
About Lyon
Lyon is one of France's largest cities, set where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet. Founded by the Romans as Lugdunum, it later prospered through silk weaving, and today it is widely regarded as a capital of French gastronomy. Its historic site is listed by UNESCO.
Highlights include the Renaissance lanes and hidden passageways (traboules) of Vieux Lyon, the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière reached by funicular, the Roman theatres on Fourvière hill, the grand Place Bellecour, the Presqu'île shopping streets between the two rivers and the Croix-Rousse silk-weavers' district.
Two nights work well for most groups. Paris is about two hours away by high-speed train, and Annecy and Geneva are roughly two hours by road, making Lyon a natural link between Paris, the French Alps and Switzerland. The Beaujolais wine villages are a short drive north.
The Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumières), held each year around 8 December, transforms the city with illuminations and is a popular time for group visits.
Practical Information
Useful to know before your group arrives in Lyon.
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Lyon has a mild climate with warm summers and cool winters, a little more continental than the coast.
- Spring (March–May): mild, with highs rising to around 20–21°C by May.
- Summer (June–August): warm to hot, with highs around 26–28°C and occasional thunderstorms.
- Autumn (September–November): pleasant in September, then cooler and wetter.
- Winter (December–February): cool, with highs around 6–8°C, foggy mornings and occasional frost.
May, June and September are best for sightseeing. Pack layers, a light rain jacket and comfortable shoes for the hills of Fourvière and Croix-Rousse.
- Arriving: Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport is linked to Part-Dieu station by the Rhônexpress tram in about 30 minutes. Many travellers arrive by high-speed train at Part-Dieu or Perrache stations.
- Getting around: four metro lines, trams, buses and two funiculars up Fourvière hill serve the city. The Presqu'île and Vieux Lyon are pleasant to explore on foot.
- Tickets: buy tickets before travelling and validate them; day passes are useful for sightseeing.
- Groups: Vieux Lyon's lanes are narrow and pedestrianised, so coaches drop groups along the river and the group can take the funicular up to Fourvière.
Mobile data: for Indian travellers, an eSIM or a European data plan bought before travel usually costs much less than Indian international roaming packs. Local prepaid SIMs are sold at the airport and in phone shops (passport needed at purchase). France is in the EU, so an EU plan also works across other EU/EEA countries, but Switzerland is not in the EU, so check that the eSIM includes it before a trip to Geneva.
Wi-Fi: free Wi-Fi is common in hotels and cafés.
Power: 230 V with Type C/E sockets. Indian Type D plugs do not fit, so a universal adapter is needed.
Lyon has a reasonable choice of Indian restaurants, and halal food is easy to find at North African, Turkish and Middle Eastern places. Traditional Lyonnais cooking is meat-heavy, so vegetarian group meals are best planned ahead, and Jain meals should be requested in advance through the DMC or restaurant.
Local dishes that suit vegetarians include cervelle de canut (a herbed fresh cheese dip), gratin dauphinois (baked creamy potatoes) and the pink tarte aux pralines. Supermarkets such as Carrefour, Monoprix and Lidl are useful for snacks, fruit, milk and bread.
Tailor-made for your group
Planning Lyon for Your Group?
We don't list ready-made sightseeing or itineraries for Lyon yet, but our team can plan it for you: hotels, guided sightseeing, transfers and onward connections. Share your dates and group size and we'll send a proposal built around Lyon.
Itineraries in France
None of our set itineraries includes an overnight stay in Lyon yet. These France itineraries can be adapted to include it.
