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Offered languages
- English
- French
What do Renaissance streets, secret passageways, a famous puppet and pink praline have in common? They’re all Lyon; and they’re all part of this walk.
We’ll start in a peaceful square where Roman history still sits just beneath the surface, before stepping inside St. Jean Cathedral. From there, we’ll head into the traboules: hidden passageways, Renaissance courtyards and doors you could easily walk straight past without knowing what’s behind them.
As you make your way through the old town, I’ll share the stories, quirks and surprising details that make Lyon come to life. We’ll follow the Saône, pass some of the city’s most photogenic corners, and stop at a few places that are easy to miss if no one shows you where to look.
No trip to Lyon is complete without trying it's most beloved patry: pink praline brioche. We'll make a quick stop to try it.
We’ll finish by taking the funicular up to Fourvière, where the basilica and sweeping views over the city make for a spectacular finale.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
I will meet you in the square at Place des Célestins.
Itinerary
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1Passerelle du Palais-de-Justice
Twenty-four columns on the far bank. Behind them, the courtroom where France tried Klaus Barbie. We cross the footbridge with Old Lyon opening up ahead, the hill, the basilica, four hundred years of rooftops. Best view of where we're going, and the right place to explain how this city actually fits together.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Cathedrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lyon
Saints missing their heads. A royal wedding. Treasures inside that shouldn't be there. The first church went up on this spot in the 4th century when Lyon was still Roman. What's standing now is eight hundred years old, and every century since has left something behind. We'll find them.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Traboules du Vieux Lyon
Lyon's thousand-year-old secret. These passageways have seen silk, revolts, and resistance. Ordinary doors on extraordinary streets. I'll take you through.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Maison Du Crible / Pink Tower Of Lyon
You could walk this street a hundred times and never know it was there. Behind the Maison du Crible sits a rose-coloured tower, six storeys of Renaissance staircase built when Lyon's silk money had nowhere left to go but up. Henri IV and Marie de Médicis stayed here after their wedding. We'll go in.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere
Two hundred metres straight up, in ninety seconds. The funicular hauls you out of the old town and drops you at the top, where Lyon spreads out under you and the Alps sit on the horizon on a clear day. The basilica behind you is a Catholic victory monument dressed as a fairy tale. Every surface covered, nothing left plain, built by a city that had made a promise and meant to keep it. The best view in Lyon.
45 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- We will walk around 3km on Cobblestone streets. There are some stairs to walk up and down, so if you have mobility issues, this tour may not be ideal for you.
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Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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