Lyon in 3 days

Morning

• Vieux Lyon and the Traboules1h30

  Begin in Vieux Lyon before the crowds, tracing the hidden traboules by their bronze lion plaques and walking the long passage between Rue du Boeuf and Rue Saint-Jean. Keep quiet and push the doors gently, as these are lived-in courtyards.

  TipThe traboules are covered passages that cut through courtyards and between streets, built so silk workers could move bolts of cloth under cover, and about forty are open to the public in Vieux Lyon. They are free but many sit behind residential doors, so look for the small bronze plaques and lion markers by the entrances, push the door gently and keep quiet as people live here. The most famous run is the long traboule from 27 Rue du Boeuf to 54 Rue Saint-Jean, best walked in the morning before the tour groups arrive.

• Saint-Jean Cathedral and Astronomical Clock45 min

  Visit the Gothic Saint-Jean cathedral for its 14th-century astronomical clock, timing the midday animation if you can. Entry is free, but the church closes to visitors during Mass, so plan around service times.

  TipThe Gothic cathedral of Saint-Jean in the heart of Vieux Lyon mixes Romanesque and Gothic stonework and holds a 14th-century astronomical clock that chimes and sets tiny figures moving at set times of day. Entry is free and it opens daily, though it closes to visitors during Mass, so avoid service times if you want to look around freely. Check the posted times for the clock's animation, usually around midday and early afternoon, and dress modestly as it is a working cathedral.

Afternoon

• 1h

  Take a light lunch in the old town before heading up the hill, saving your appetite for the evening bouchon. Step off the cathedral-side terraces to find fairer prices.

• Fourviere Basilica1h15

  Ride the funicular up to the white Fourviere basilica for its mosaics and the panorama over the two rivers from the esplanade. The ride uses a standard TCL ticket, and late afternoon gives the best light over the Presqu'ile.

  TipThe white hilltop basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere has a lavish mosaic and gilt interior and the best panorama over the city and the two rivers from the esplanade beside it. Entry to the church and the esplanade is free and it opens daily from early morning, while the guided rooftop tours cost a few euros and must be booked at the desk. Take the funicular up from the Saint-Jean station in Vieux Lyon on a standard TCL ticket rather than walking the steep climb, and come near sunset for the light over the Presqu'ile.

• Roman Theatres of Fourviere1h30

  Walk down to the Roman theatres of ancient Lugdunum just below, sitting on the old stone tiers and looking into the Lugdunum museum built into the slope. The open site is free; the museum shuts on Mondays.

  TipJust below the basilica lie two Roman theatres from the first century BC, the remains of ancient Lugdunum, alongside the excellent Lugdunum museum built into the hillside. The open archaeological site is free to wander and you can sit on the old stone tiers, while the museum charges a small entry fee and closes on Mondays. In June and July the larger theatre hosts the Nuits de Fourviere festival, so parts may be fenced for staging, but you can still see the ruins from the paths.

Evening

• Bouchon Bistros2h

  Have a first dinner at a certified bouchon, ordering quenelles, andouillette or salade lyonnaise with a jug of Beaujolais at a communal table. Reserve a day ahead and check for the Les Bouchons Lyonnais sticker.

  TipA bouchon is the traditional Lyonnais bistro, small and convivial, serving hearty plates like quenelles, andouillette sausage, salade lyonnaise and the pink praline tart. The good ones book out, so reserve a table a day or two ahead and look for the Les Bouchons Lyonnais certification sticker to avoid the tourist traps around the cathedral. Lunch is the better-value meal, and expect communal tables, a jug of Beaujolais and no fuss; some close at weekends and in August, so check first.

Morning

• Presqu'ile and Place Bellecour1h15

  Walk the Presqu'ile from Place Bellecour up through the shopping streets to the Terreaux squares and the opera. It is free and open all day; the tourist office on Bellecour sells the Lyon City Card if you plan a museum-heavy pace.

  TipThe Presqu'ile is the shopping and cafe heart of Lyon, running from the vast gravel Place Bellecour, one of the largest squares in Europe, north through Rue de la Republique to the Terreaux quarter and the opera. It is free and always open, best walked in the late afternoon when the shops are busy and the squares fill. The tourist office on Place Bellecour sells the Lyon City Card if you plan to pack in museums and transport, which can pay off over two full days.

• Croix-Rousse and the Silk Hill1h30

  Take the metro up to Croix-Rousse for the silk hill, the morning market and the monumental Cour des Voraces traboule. Arrive before lunchtime while the market runs, then wander down through the passages.

  TipCroix-Rousse was the workshop of the canut silk weavers, whose tall windowed lofts still line the hill, linked by their own traboules including the monumental Cour des Voraces with its open stone staircase. It is free to explore on foot, and the daily morning market along the Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse is the best time to come, ending around lunchtime. Take the metro up to the Croix-Rousse stop to save the steep climb, then walk down through the passages toward the Presqu'ile.

Afternoon

• Lyon's Painted Walls45 min

  Find the giant trompe-l'oeil murals on the way down, the Mur des Canuts in Croix-Rousse and the Fresque des Lyonnais near the Saone. They are free and outdoors and photograph best in flat midday light with no hard shadows.

  TipLyon is famous for its trompe-l'oeil murals, huge painted walls that fool the eye, the biggest being the Mur des Canuts in Croix-Rousse and the Fresque des Lyonnais near the Saone showing famous locals from the Lumiere brothers to Paul Bocuse. They are free and outdoors, viewable at any time, and best photographed in flat midday light when there are no hard shadows across the paint. The Fresque des Lyonnais sits on the corner of Rue de la Martiniere; combine the two with a walk down from Croix-Rousse.

• Musee des Confluences2h

  Ride tram T1 south to the Musee des Confluences where the rivers meet, giving about two hours to the collections inside the dramatic glass building. It closes on Mondays; buy a ticket to skip the weekend queue.

  TipThis striking steel-and-glass science and anthropology museum stands where the Rhone and the Saone meet, its deconstructivist shape alone worth the tram ride south. It charges a modest entry fee, closes on Mondays and is quietest on weekday afternoons, so buy a ticket at the desk or online to skip the weekend queue. Take tram T1 to the Musee des Confluences terminus, allow about two hours for the wide-ranging collections, and combine it with a walk along the confluence point outside.

Evening

• Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse1h30

  For a change from a sit-down dinner, graze the evening at the Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse near Part-Dieu, sitting at a counter with oysters, cheese and a glass of white. It closes Mondays and winds down late afternoon, so check the hours.

  TipThis covered gourmet food market near Part-Dieu is named for the chef Paul Bocuse and gathers around fifty stalls of cheese, charcuterie, oysters, pastries and wine under one roof. Entry is free; it opens Tuesday to Sunday and is busiest and best on weekend mornings, so go before lunch and graze at the counters where you can sit with a plate of oysters or a glass of white. It closes on Mondays and winds down in the afternoon, so do not leave it for the end of the day.

Morning

• Parc de la Tete d'Or2h

  Spend a relaxed morning in the Parc de la Tete d'Or in the north, with its free zoo, botanical glasshouses and boating lake. Both park and zoo are free; rent a rowing boat in the warm months and check the gate hours, which are shorter in winter.

  TipThe Parc de la Tete d'Or is the huge city park in the north, wrapped around a boating lake and holding a free zoo and botanical glasshouses. The park and the zoo are both free and open daily, with the gates closing earlier in winter than in summer, so check the hours on the boards at the entrance. Rent a rowing boat on the lake in the warm months, walk or cycle the loops, and pair it with a stroll along the Rhone quays back toward the centre.

• 30 min

  Alternatively, swap the day for a trip out: take the train from Part-Dieu about 40 minutes to the walled medieval village of Perouges, then a 20-minute uphill walk, or book a wine tour into the Beaujolais villages. Check the last train back before you set out.

Afternoon

• Perouges or Beaujolais Day Trip2h30

  If you have chosen the day trip, wander the cobbled ramparts of Perouges and try the local galette sugar tart, or taste your way through the golden-stone Beaujolais hamlets. Go on a dry day, as Perouges is all uneven cobbles.

  TipFor a day out, the medieval walled village of Perouges sits about 40 minutes northeast by train from Part-Dieu, its cobbled circuit and galette sugar tart worth the short trip, or head north into the golden-stone Beaujolais wine villages for tastings. Perouges is reachable by train plus a 20-minute uphill walk from the station, while the Beaujolais hamlets really need a car or an organised wine tour booked in advance. Go on a dry day, as Perouges is all uneven cobbles, and check the last train back before you set out.

• Quenelles, Pralines and Local Wine1h

  Back in the city, use the afternoon to stock up on the edible souvenirs: pink pralines, praline tart and local wine from a patisserie or wine shop rather than the airport, where prices jump. Ask for a pot lyonnais if you buy Beaujolais.

  TipBeyond the bouchons, seek out the Lyonnais specialities: the pike quenelle in a creamy sauce, the bright pink praline tart in the bakery windows, the cervelle de canut herbed fresh cheese, and a glass of Beaujolais or Cotes du Rhone from the surrounding vineyards. Buy pralines and pastries to take home from a patisserie like a branch of the local chains rather than the airport, where prices jump. Ask for a pot lyonnais, the thick-based 46cl bottle, if you want the wine served the traditional local way.

Evening

• Bouchon Bistros2h

  Round off the trip with a last bouchon dinner, trying a dish you skipped earlier, perhaps the pike quenelle or the cervelle de canut, with a final jug of Beaujolais. Book ahead, and note some bouchons close at weekends and in August.

  TipA bouchon is the traditional Lyonnais bistro, small and convivial, serving hearty plates like quenelles, andouillette sausage, salade lyonnaise and the pink praline tart. The good ones book out, so reserve a table a day or two ahead and look for the Les Bouchons Lyonnais certification sticker to avoid the tourist traps around the cathedral. Lunch is the better-value meal, and expect communal tables, a jug of Beaujolais and no fuss; some close at weekends and in August, so check first.