Lyon Walking Tours: Four Routes on Foot
Lyon Walking Tours: Four Routes on Foot
Lyon is a walking city, but it does not come with signposted trails. What follows are four routes you can link from the map, with rough timings rather than measured distances.
Vieux Lyon and its traboules
Begin at Place Saint-Jean, by the cathedral, and walk north along rue Saint-Jean. Allow about two hours. The Longue Traboule links 54 rue Saint-Jean to rue du Bœuf, if the doors are open. Traboules cross private courtyards and are open to the public roughly from 07:00 to 19:00. Talk quietly, stay briefly, and keep groups small. Do not ring bells or try closed doors. The Gadagne museums on the way are a good indoor stop.
The Croix-Rousse slopes
This is the steepest route, so allow two and a half hours or so. Ride metro line C to Croix-Rousse, look at the large Mur des Canuts mural, and visit the Maison des Canuts at 10 to 12 rue d’Ivry. It closes on Sunday and Monday. A guided visit combining the museum with the traboules costs about €18 on the tourist-office listing. Then drop down the Cour des Voraces at 9 place Colbert and follow the stepped lanes of the Grande-Côte to place des Terreaux.
The Presqu’île
Allow around an hour and a half. Start at Place Bellecour, head north up rue de la République or the restaurant lane of rue Mercière, pass the church of Saint-Nizier, and finish at Place des Terreaux with the Bartholdi fountain and the Hôtel de Ville. The Opéra de Lyon, with Jean Nouvel’s glass roof, stands behind.
Two rivers and the Confluence
Start at Perrache station and follow the Saône banks south past the Orange Cube and the Euronews building to the Musée des Confluences. It takes roughly two hours at a stroll, and Vélo’v bikes shorten it. The museum charges €12 or €7 reduced, and opens Tuesday to Sunday.
Choosing a guide
A guided walk helps in the traboules, where access rules matter and doors are easy to miss. Compare Lyon walking tours before booking, and check that the group size is small. The Lyon tourist office also lists guided visits.
What to carry
Wear shoes with grip, because Vieux Lyon is cobbled and the Croix-Rousse is steep. Carry water in summer, when the slopes hold heat. Keep valuables in a front pocket or zipped bag, since pickpockets work around Part-Dieu, Place Bellecour and Vieux Lyon. After dark, stay off Place Gabriel Péri in La Guillotière and walk along the lit main avenues.
Getting between routes
A single TCL ticket is €2.10 and a 24-hour pass is €7.10. Validate every time, because inspectors fine on the spot. Funiculars take the same ticket.
For landmarks to see along the way, read the sightseeing guide . The 2-day Lyon itinerary shows how to fit two routes into a weekend.
Tip: walk Croix-Rousse on a Tuesday to Saturday so the Maison des Canuts is open, and do Vieux Lyon early, before the traboules fill with day visitors.