One Day in Lyon: Bouchons, Old Town & Movie Magic

While it took us a while to get there, despite living abroad for several years at that point, we quickly fell in love with Lyon, France.

The eating helped. France’s third-largest city has a serious reputation for food, from its traditional bouchons to the legendary chefs who put Lyon on the culinary map. But there’s more to this city than eating your way through it, no matter how hard we tried.

With one day in Lyon, you can explore Vieux Lyon, see some weird movie memorabilia, and linger over one of the best meals of your life. We were lucky enough to have a few days, but if you don’t, this Lyon itinerary will help you plan your time.

Is one day in Lyon enough?

One day in Lyon is enough to see the highlights, especially if you’re happy to explore on foot. The city’s historic center is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so there’s a lot of history packed into a relatively small area.

You’ll have time to wander through the Presqu’île, eat a proper Lyonnaise lunch, and explore Vieux Lyon, all among some of the best things to do in Lyon.

Where one day starts to feel tight is if you want to linger over the eating available here. We were here for three full days, and quite a bit of time was spent doing just that. But for a quick visit, one day in Lyon can offer the perfect intro to the gourmet city.

How to Spend One Day in Lyon

You can spend one perfect day in Lyon like this:

• Start at Place des Terreaux and Lyon’s Hôtel de Ville.
• Walk through the Presqu’île, stopping at the city’s grand squares.
• Eat lunch at a traditional bouchon.
• Visit the Musée Cinéma et Miniature.
• Explore Vieux Lyon and the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste.
• Walk along the Saône for views toward Fourvière.
• Wander Vieux Lyon (and potentially spot a few traboules).
• Enjoy dinner, wine, or cocktails before calling it a day.

One Day in Lyon Itinerary

We spent a few days in Lyon, but if you’re working with just one, I’d start in the Presqu’île and work your way south toward Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon).

That gives you a nice progression through some of the city’s squares before lunch, then puts you in the historic center for the afternoon.

The first few stops are all pretty quick, too. You’re essentially walking from one beautiful square to the next, so don’t feel like you need to budget a ton of time for each one.

Note: We were staying near the Saône, so we generally started our mornings with a stroll along the river. If you’re staying nearby, you can also catch one of the little river boats into the center when the timing works out.

Stop 1: Place des Terreaux

Start your day at Place des Terreaux, one of Lyon’s grandest squares.

It’s lined by some of the city’s most impressive buildings, including the Hôtel de Ville and the former Palais Saint-Pierre, which now houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts.

The centerpiece is the Bartholdi Fountain, created by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the same sculptor who gave us the Statue of Liberty.

We spent a few minutes here just looking around. We didn’t have time to visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts on this trip, but it’s one of the museums I’d add if you love art and have more time in Lyon.

Note: If you plan to visit several museums and use public transportation during your stay, you might want to look into the Lyon City Card. It may not make sense with just one day, but these kinds of cards are always worth a look!

Stop 2: Palais de la Bourse

From Place des Terreaux, head south into the Presqu’île toward the Palais de la Bourse. We didn’t go inside, but it’s worth admiring the ornate facade.

From here, you’ll move into one of Lyon’s main shopping areas, with cafes, shops, and people going about their day as if they’re not surrounded by this grand architecture. If nature calls, there’s a free public bathroom near the Hotel Carlton. You’re welcome.

Stop 3: Place des Jacobins

Continue south to Place des Jacobins. This one is smaller than some of Lyon’s enormous squares, but I found it quite pretty.

The centerpiece is the elaborate white marble fountain. Brian was enamored by how suggestive one of the sculptures was while holding a fish spewing water from its mouth.

Fun fact: The square sits on the site of a former 13th-century Dominican convent, though the fountain and the architecture you see today are much newer.

Stop 4: Place des Célestins

From Place des Jacobins, it’s about a five-minute walk to Place des Célestins on this Lyon itinerary.

The square occupies the site of a former 15th-century Célestine convent, which was demolished after the French Revolution. Today, it’s a pretty architectural pocket in the middle of the Presqu’île, with the Théâtre des Célestins anchoring one side.

Stop 5: Place Bellecour

Eventually, you’ll reach Place Bellecour, one of the biggest open squares in Europe. It’s dominated by the equestrian statue of Louis XIV.

During our summer visit, they had some misters set up to cool off visitors. If you’ve ever visited France during a heatwave, you’ll understand how nice it can be to walk through a spray of water, ideally hitting you directly in the face.

READ MORE: Planning a trip to France in the summer? Start with this guide, first!

Stop 6: Lunch at a Bouchon

You’re in Lyon, so you need to eat at a bouchon, one of those essential things to do in Lyon.

These traditional Lyonnaise restaurants are one of the city’s defining culinary institutions, known for hearty local food and unfussy dining rooms.

Our pick was Le Café des Fédérations, where we indulged in a three-course meal that was probably a little too indulgent for midday.

We started with an entrée of smoked herring and Lyonnaise salad, then had sweetbreads and a fish cake with lobster bisque. Everything was tasty, but I’m not going to lie: this is heavy food.

We finished by sharing the restaurant’s special tart with coffee, because apparently there’s always room for dessert.

I loved the experience and would recommend trying a bouchon, but one was enough for us on this trip. If you want to try another, Le Bouchon des Filles was on our list, too.

No matter what, make a reservation for your bouchon lunch, particularly if you have your heart set on a specific restaurant.

And arrive on time! We witnessed a group of New Yorkers stroll in nearly an hour after their reservation time with a single “my bad.” Don’t be like them.

Interested in having someone else plan your food stops? Check out some highly-rated guided tours focused on below:

Stop 7: Musée Cinéma et Miniature

After a meal like that, you may need a little time to digest, but with just one day here, you can do so in a quirky way in Vieux Lyon.

The Musée Cinéma et Miniature was one of our favorite surprises of the trip.

The museum combines two things that don’t necessarily sound like they belong together: movie memorabilia and incredibly detailed miniature scenes.

You’ll find costumes, props, special effects pieces, and other movie artifacts alongside tiny rooms and scenes recreated with ridiculous attention to detail.

Brian loved the Beetlejuice room, while I was enamored by an exhibit dedicated to Wes Anderson’s movies. We spent a little over an hour here, and I could have easily spent longer if we had to kill more time.

If you’re traveling with someone who starts glazing over the second you say “museum,” this might be the one to try. But also, what are you doing on your trips if you’re not visiting ANY museums?

Stop 8: Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste

You’re already in Vieux Lyon if you took my advice about the museum, so make your way toward the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste.

The cathedral sits on another beautiful square just steps from the Saône. It’s free to enter, as with most churches in France, so you can take a look inside without adding another ticket to your day.

Afterward, we walked toward the river for the view back toward the hill. It was easily one of my favorite views in Lyon, with the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière perched above.

If you have the energy, you can continue uphill toward Fourvière for even more views of the city from above, but I’d say it’s a better add-on if you have a second day in Lyon.

Stop 9: Wander Vieux Lyon

I don’t love telling travelers to wander, as I like a good walk with purpose myself, but this is the part of the city where not having a set agenda is an advantage.

Enjoy the narrow Renaissance streets, colorful facades, and courtyards that appear as you make your way through Saint-Jean, Saint-Paul, and Saint-Georges.

If you like being in on a secret, you might try to find some of Lyon’s famous traboules, the hidden passageways that connect the streets through buildings and courtyards.

We spent a good chunk of our second day hunting them down in Old Lyon and the Croix-Rousse neighborhood. While a few were interesting, some were a little sketchy, and others appeared to be private.

Stop 10: Dinner & Drinks

Whether you’re ready for another traditional Lyonnaise feast is between you and your stomach.

We tended to spend our calories on lunch, then cook something lighter back at our apartment, but Lyon has a varied restaurant scene no matter what you’re craving.

For a more casual dinner, L’Antiquaire was on our list for drinks, small bites, and live jazz. The Monkey Club is fun for cocktails and appetizers, too. For something a little more upscale, La Mère Brazier and Takao Takano were our splurge meals.

Fun fact: If you are here for fine dining, both of those options above are cheaper at lunch. That’s what we did. You just need to budget at least two hours for a Michelin-starred meal, which does eat up quite a bit of time on a one-day Lyon itinerary. Reservations are required.

With More Time in Lyon

If you’re staying longer than one day in Lyon, there’s plenty more to see. We kept busy during our time here! Here are a few more Lyon attractions to fill up a second day or weekend:

• Visit the Musée des Confluences, the city’s quirky-looking science and anthropology museum where the Rhône and Saône meet.
• Explore the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon for a collection spanning ancient Egypt through modern European art.
• Visit the Institut Lumière, dedicated to the Lumière brothers and their role in the invention of cinema.
• Head up to Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière for some of the best views over Lyon.
• While you’re there, check out the Tour Métallique de Fourvière, built in the late 19th century and inspired by the Eiffel Tower.
• Explore the Roman Theatres of Fourvière, an ancient archaeological site dating back to 15 BC, with the remains of two theaters built into the hillside.
• Wander through Croix-Rousse, Lyon’s former silk-workers’ district, and see the Mur des Canuts, a trompe-l’œil mural covering the side of a building.
• If you love a good mural, seek out the Fresque des Lyonnais, another enormous mural depicting famous figures from Lyon’s history along the Saône.
• Hunt down Lyon’s famous traboules, including the popular Cour des Voraces.
• Spend a few hours at Parc de la Tête d’Or, a 19th-century urban park with gardens, walking paths, a lake, and animals.
• Browse Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, the city’s famous indoor food market.
• Visit Musée Gadagne to learn more about Lyon’s history and the city’s famous Guignol puppetry tradition.

Best Time to Visit Lyon

Lyon is a good year-round destination, but spring and fall are probably the sweet spots if you want comfortable temperatures for walking around the city.

We visited in the summer during a hot spell. While it never felt as busy as Paris might during July and August, walking around a city with this much pavement in the heat gets tiring quickly.

Winter is quieter and can be a good time to visit if you don’t mind shorter days and colder weather. Lyon’s famous Fête des Lumières takes place in December and transforms the city with fun light installations, but it will be more expensive to visit.

READ MORE: Planning Christmas travel? You won’t want to miss Alsace, starting with Strasbourg!

How to Get to Lyon

Lyon is one of the easier major French cities to reach, particularly if you’re already traveling around France.

The easiest option from Paris is the high-speed TGV, which gets you from Paris Gare de Lyon to Lyon Part-Dieu in about two hours. You can also reach Lyon directly by train from other French cities or even neighboring countries.

If you’re flying, Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport (LYS) is the city’s international airport, located about 15 miles (25 km) east of the center. The Rhônexpress tram connects the airport with central Lyon.

You definitely don’t need a car for a Lyon city break. The center is walkable, and the metro, trams, buses, and funiculars make it easy to cover the areas that aren’t.

If you’re driving as part of a larger France road trip, you can certainly bring the car, but I’d park it and leave it there once you arrive. Lyon’s central areas are much easier to explore without worrying about traffic or parking.

Where to Stay in Lyon

We were in Lyon for a bit longer, so we opted for a pet-friendly apartment along the Saône river. For a short visit, I’d stay in or near the Presqu’île or Vieux Lyon. Both put you within walking distance of many of the city’s best sights and restaurants.

Croix-Rousse is another option if you’d rather stay somewhere with more of a neighborhood feel. It’s hillier and a little farther from the main tourist sights, but I know some folks like that. We do!

For more options, browse the map below:

Is it worth visiting Lyon for a day?

I think it’s obvious at this point that we really liked Lyon, but if you need more convincing, I have a detailed guide that spells out the reasons further.

Lyon is a must for foodies looking for both casual eats and special-occasion dining that rivals the best in the world. But Lyon is also fun if you’re into architecture, quirky museums, street art, or strolling along scenic riverfronts.

Surely I’ve covered every traveler’s interest there.

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