Lyon – quick travel guide

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France’s gastronomic capital, vibrant mix of metropolitan and hipster vibes. Lots of small dense streets, leading up to hills with skyline views across 2 rivers.

Lyon is somewhat the French equivalent of Lisbon. Very hilly with lots of narrow streets. Restaurants with outdoor seating on the sloped sidewalks. No matter where you are, you’re just a block away from a little neighborhood park with views overlooking the city.

I especially like that Lyon can be both posh or chill as you like. And at any given moment, you can escape the city chaos by turning the nearest corner into a quieter area. Rather than being stuck in a dense city center and having to walk 25 mins out to escape the chaos.

You could definitely run through everything within 2 days, but it’s so worth staying longer.

Where to stay:

  • Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) – aka “5th Arr”. Most touristy and most expensive, because of charmy old buildings and close vicinity to the Notre Dame Church up the hill. I don’t feel it’s necessary or most ideal to be here. Not only because of the higher prices, but also the vibe. The dense city part at the bottom is very busy. And then going uphill, it’s very quiet with fewer places to chill. I personally prefer other areas which are more authentically local vibe.
  • 1st Arr (center island upper) – this is my favorite. Also dense and vibrant, old buildings with character, but also plenty of places to chill uphill and great views. And you can cross the river to Old Lyon in no time. I would aim to be anywhere within 10mins walk of Pont de la Feuillée bridge.
  • 2nd Arr, Cordeliers (center island middle) – area from Cordeliers metro station and south. Also a convenient location to be, close to Old Lyon tourist stuff and lots of walking space. But looks more like urban city area with busy shopping street, big stores and McDonalds, Starbucks, youngsters running around and street trash. Stay here if it’s cheaper, and just walk to the prettier parts.
  • 6th & 3rd Arr (across the water) – has nice areas to visit but perhaps not the most ideal to stay as it’s farther from city center. Both areas have both busy and boring areas.
  • Villeurbanne – nearby city in Lyon metro area, popular for lower price and still nice place to live. While it is a different city, it still shares very much a similar vibe and the people who live here will still visit Lyon city center pretty often.

Lyon is quite compact despite being the 2nd largest metro area in France. Feels like you can almost walk everywhere. For short-term visitors, I like the first 3 options because it’s most central and has the nice touristy Lyon vibe. But generally speaking, you can get anywhere quickly as long as you’re close to the metro line.

NOTE: yes, I’m fully aware 1st & 2nd Arr are not on an island. I only reference it that way as it’s easier to understand on the map.

Hostels & Hotels:

  • I stayed in a local house so I wouldn’t know.

Neighborhoods, walking areas, public squares:

  • Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) –
  • 1st Arr –
    • La Croix-Rousse –
  • 2nd Arr –

Activities to do:

  • Viewpoints, landmarks, sunsets, hikes:
    • Jardin du Gros Caillou – nice view over the city.
    • Many of these viewpoints are also little green-spaces where you can sit on the grass, see kids playing and running around, etc.
  • Buildings & architecture:
    • Basilique Notre-Dame – most obvious and first thing you should see. Not ony because the church is pretty but because there’s nice views from here overlooking the rest of the city and water. Enjoy a glass of wine and amazing city views on the Bulle Restaurant terrace.
  • Parks, gardens, green spaces:
    • Jardin du Rosaire – big park on the hill that you walk through to get to the Notre Dame anyway. Depending on the day…has lots of worthwhile stops for refreshment break, live music, or views, as you climb up to the Notre Dame.
    • Parc de la Tete d’Or – nice big beautiful park, that also has a FREE zoo (Zoo de Lyon) in there. You can see many animals all for free!
    • Jardin du Gros Caillou – nice big open space with view over the city. Features concrete and grass, benches. Usually has people, kids, tourists, but can still find peace. Usually recommended as a stopping point when checking out the La Croix-Rousse neighborhood.
  • Beaches, bridges, water-points:
    • Pont de La Feuillee & Pont Alphonse Juin are the 2 bridges you’ll walk the most. You can hang around the water along here as well.
  • Arts, museums, culture:
  • Markets, shopping:
    • Typical big brand stores are located near that Cordeliers area.
  • Tours:

Restaurants & Cafes:

  • Ha, I really can’t recommend any. Lyon has more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the world. Tons and tons and tons of notable restaurants. Amazing food by amazing chefs, just explore!
  • Bulle Restaurant – beautiful terrace restaurant by the Notre Dame on the hill, with amazing panoramic views of the city below.

Bars, clubs, and nightlife:

  • There many bars everywhere. I didn’t scope out the nightlife.
  • I heard there are lots of clubs along the Rhone River banks in 3rd Arr.

Miscellaneous tips:

Itinerary:

  • DAY 1 –

Nearby towns:

  • Marseille – 1hr40m train
  • Montpelier – 1hr50m train
  • Geneva (Switzerland) – just 2hrs train away
  • Torino (Italy) – requires car or train 4-6hrs away.

Unfiltered notes:

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