Lyon Walking Tour: Explore Top Sights & Hidden Gems
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Lyon, France
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- Professional Tour Guide
- 2-hour guided walking tour
- 15 participants per tour guide
- Gratuities (optional)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Office du Tourisme et des Congrès de la Métropole de LyonPl. Bellecour, 69002 Lyon, France
Meet your guide at the RIGHT of the “Office du Tourisme” on the Place Bellecour. We don't meet inside the tourist office.
End point
- Cathédrale Saint-Jean-BaptistePl. Saint-Jean, 69005 Lyon, France
The tour finishes close to Saint Jean Cathedral.
Itinerary
1
Grand Hotel Dieu
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
La Place des Jacobins
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Passerelle du Palais-de-Justice
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Vieux Lyon
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Place Saint-Jean
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 45 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 120 reviews
Robin_R, Jun 2026
Our guide, Manel, was knowledgeable and easy going. She had an excellent grasp of the city’s history and development. She pointed out many interesting spots and at no time did she make the tour feel rushed or hurried.
Jessica_C, Jun 2026
We were lucky enough to have this tour to ourselves. The guide knew a lot about Lyon, and we saw the highlights across many parts of the city. The guide was patient and stayed in contact when our Uber dropped us off at the wrong meeting point.
Donald_M, Jun 2026
Do not do this tour. Our guide was wholly underqualified with very little English (native Spanish speaker). When asked the most basic questions she said she didn’t know.
She has no knowledge other than the basic that we could have got from any guide book. I could have done this tour myself and been better using google search. It would have been so easy to have spent time for her to learn more and pass this on with basic time.
Also we were not warned this walk involves a steep climb up to the cathedral at the top, which for a group of 60 years olds one of whom was asthmatic, was hard work especially when there is an alternative.
This is very disappointing as we have had great experiences prior using other guides and walking tours.
In summary avoid this tour from this operator
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Donald,
Thank you for your feedback.
We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us and for choosing to join our tour during your visit.
The tour was conducted as scheduled and included the planned locations featured in the itinerary. We understand that every traveler has different expectations and interests, and we value hearing a variety of perspectives from our guests.
Your comments have been noted and will be shared with our team as part of our ongoing commitment to providing enjoyable experiences for visitors from around the world.
Thank you again for joining us and for sharing your thoughts.
Have a nice day!
Andrew_C, Jun 2026
Really enjoyable tour that introduced us to sights, sounds, and tastes of Lyonnais life. Our guide (and her guide-in-training companion) was delightful and made the tour very engaging by asking questions and testing our knowledge of the city! She was also very flexible — our tour was rearranged because of miserable rainy weather. We had several magical moments on the tour, including an impromptu and very in-depth lesson on silk-making! Definitely a worthwhile tour. Thank you!
Sharon_T, Jun 2026
Excellent way to orient yourself if you are a first time visitor to Lyon. A good overview of the top sights.
Patrice_F, Jun 2026
While the guide was friendly and took us to a number of locations, she appeared to not have much depth of knowledge. Overall, it gave me a good lay of the land, but it wasn’t quite worth the money or time.
Sergey_K, Jun 2026
We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour of Lyon with Manel. Since our family was the only group on the tour that day, it felt like a private experience, and Manel did an excellent job tailoring the tour to our interests.
She was knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate about Lyon’s history, culture, and food scene. Throughout the tour, she shared fascinating stories and insights that helped us better understand and appreciate the city.
Manel made a special effort to include our 9- and 11-year-old boys, keeping them engaged and interested the entire time. She struck a wonderful balance between providing historical information and making the experience enjoyable for all ages.
We also appreciated how generous she was with her time. She answered our many questions, offered recommendations for other places to visit, and even took several family photos for us so we could preserve these special memories from our trip.
Manel was friendly, professional, and genuinely interested in helping us have the best possible experience in Lyon. We left the tour feeling much more connected to Lyon and excited to continue exploring it.
We highly recommend Manel and this tour to anyone visiting Lyon. It was informative, enjoyable, and one of the highlights of our time in the city.
Susan_L, May 2026
I was very happy with the sites that the tour covered. I was expecting ear phones and was disappointed we didn’t. Usually with Viator tours there are earphones/headsets so the guide can talk while we are walking. In old town she recommended a place for lunch. Service was terrible and food over priced. Next day did a second walking tour via our cruise ship. As we walked by the place she had recommended, this tour guide indicated it was an over priced tourist trap
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear Susan,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us.
We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the sites covered during the tour. Regarding the earphones/headsets, we understand your expectations. However, please note that this service is not included in the tour inclusions or description.
As for the restaurant recommendation, we are sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. Please note that the guide’s suggestions are provided only as personal recommendations to help guests during their free time, and guests are always free to choose any restaurant or dining option they prefer.
We truly appreciate your comments, as they help us improve the overall experience for future travelers.
Have a nice day!
Manuel
Lubov_B, May 2026
Manel is an excellent tour guide with deep knowledge of Lyon. The city has a complex history, and she demonstrated great expertise in walking us through it. She showed us historical and cultural sites, spoke about the cuisine and restaurants of the region, and explained the architectural trends across the centuries. She is pleasant and cheerful, answered all our questions, and was a joy to engage with. When in Lyon, she’s your choice of a guide for the city walking tour!
Michael_H, May 2026
Superb, knowledgeable guide, plenty of time to look around..never rushed. Fantastic value for money!
Jana_T, May 2026
Macarena was a very good guide. Beware of lots of steep stairs going up to the Roman ruins and Notre Dame .
Clarina_A, May 2026
The guide, Anh, was very attentive and insightful. The pace was about right, spending ample of time in each site. He even recommended some best places to eat: Chez Mounier and Nishiki Ramen.
Christine_G, May 2026
Macarena showed us many wonderful sights in Lyon. We covered a lot of ground and she timed it perfectly so that we could see the mechanical clock in the beautiful Cathedral of St Jean Baptiste.
Jonathan_P, May 2026
Mario was fantastic. If you want a good deal of history and Dalmation cultural info/stories don’t miss this tour. He does an amazing job and is quite entertaining. We felt very lucky to have signed up for his tour.
JosephK_K, May 2026
I also took this tour on May 7th at 2 pm and agree 100% with Marina_E review. They were only 4 of us on this walking tour. I will like to add that I booked this tour in March based on the good reviews but if I had red the 2 reviews ( with 1 star rating) written in April , I would canceled my booking. We had the tour guide that only been in Lyon for a year and it was the worst tour guide I have ever encountered. The tour guide also changed the route and the end point was different and added stops that were not included. I was ready to leave the tour midway since the she bashed and cursed saying the F word about one religion. I signed up for another Free Walking tour on May 9th ( was recommended by another traveler) and I just finished this 2 hours walking tour. Although the tour guide was not local but he lived in Lyon for over ten years and was one of the best tour guide I ever have encountered.
Marina_E, May 2026
We took the 2 hour Lyon Walking Tour at 2:00 pm on May 7th and were very disappointed with the experience. The guide advised she had been living in Lyon for about a year and the lack of experience and knowledge of the city was very evident. For the majority of the tour she looked at her phone and read basic facts on the sites we were seeing. Any follow up questions that we had were answered with “I don’t know”, “I’m not sure” or “Probably”. At one point she used an inappropriate expletive in reference to a particular religion. The tour was concluded by the guide 15 minutes early and she finished up by saying “I take tips”. Our expectation when taking a tour through Viator is that the guide has been qualified by the company they represent and should be thoroughly knowledgeable on the tour they are leading.
Michael_B, Apr 2026
The guide told us it was her very first tour and it became obvious as she couldn’t answer simple questions. We knew more history than she. She was nice, but not ready to host a tour. Ollie needs a lot more training. She said many inappropriate things such as “capitalist pig propaganda”. She is 21 years old and it shows! A waste of time for us!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Dear Michael,
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback. We are truly sorry to read that your experience did not meet your expectations and that you felt disappointed with the tour. We fully understand how frustrating it can be when a guided experience does not provide the level of knowledge and engagement you were hoping for.
We would like to be transparent in confirming that this was indeed Ollie’s very first tour leading guests independently. While she completed her initial preparation, first tours can be challenging, and nerves can sometimes affect confidence and delivery. Your feedback reinforces what we already recognized, that she needs additional training and more time learning alongside our most experienced guides before leading tours again. She will continue in supervised training until she is fully ready to provide the high-quality experience our guests expect.
We also take your comment about certain expressions used during the tour very seriously. Our goal is always to create an informative, respectful, and welcoming environment for all guests, and we will address this directly with her as part of her continued training.
That said, we truly regret that your time felt wasted, as this is never the impression we want to leave. Many members of our team have years of experience and deep knowledge of the city, and your comments help us ensure that every new guide reaches that same standard before returning to lead groups.
Thank you again for your honesty and for giving us the opportunity to improve. We sincerely hope that, if you ever decide to join another tour in the future, we may have the chance to provide you with the engaging and knowledgeable experience you expected.
Chelsea_B, Apr 2026
The guide was lacking basic knowledge about the city and also not engaging enough throughout the tour. It was a waste of time.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Dear Chelsea,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are truly sorry to read that the experience did not meet your expectations and that you felt the tour was not as engaging or informative as it should have been. This is certainly not the standard we aim to provide.
We would like to be transparent and let you know that this tour was the guide’s very first time leading a group. While she successfully completed her initial training, nerves can sometimes play a role during a first experience in front of guests. That said, your comments are very important to us, and she will continue in further training and mentoring before leading tours again. Our team includes several highly experienced guides who are supporting her closely to ensure she gains confidence, strengthens her knowledge, and delivers the engaging experience our guests expect.
We sincerely regret that your time with us did not reflect the quality that many of our other guests enjoy, and we truly appreciate your honesty, as it helps us improve both as individuals and as a team.
If you are ever willing to give us another opportunity in the future, we would be grateful for the chance to provide you with the experience you originally expected. Please feel free to contact us directly so we can personally assist you.
Thank you again for your feedback and for helping us grow.
Atiya_M, Apr 2026
The walking tour was informative and the guide was friendly and shared historical and fun facts about Lyon during our trip. I enjoyed it!
Eliza_A, Apr 2026
We had a nicd time abd learnt a lot of cool history. Our guide Anh was great. I will definitely recommend.
Noor_S, Apr 2026
Yes. Great experience. Anne was well informed and passionate about Lyon.
Walk mostly included the Old Town
Susanne_N, Apr 2026
Kristano was exzellent! Good knowledge of the spots we visited and of the city in general. Very friendly and caring person.
Julissa_H, Mar 2026
Everything was great! Anh is a great tour guide! He is well educated on the history and every aspect of the city of Lyon! Highly recommended
Marty_K, Mar 2026
To wear good appropriate footwear and jacket according to the weather. Be prepared to see and learn about some of the most important events of Lyon’s history, but not stopping for any kind of souvenir shopping.
Our guide, Ein, was a delightful chaperone!
Gina_L, Feb 2026
Kristano was a superb guide who provided a great overview of the history and most memorable places in Lyon/French history. A special day!
John_M, Feb 2026
The tour in English led by Anne was wonderful. She had many interesting insights and welcomed our questions. It is an excellent way to get the lay of the land.
Dohui_K, Nov 2025
Our tour guide Ann was fantastic! She was friendly and kind, and has so much knowledge in Lyon and France's history. The 2 hour walking tour went so fast as we were enjoying listening to her. W/o this tour, we would have walked by and missed many traboules in Lyon and cool spots. I'd totally recommend this tour!
Michael_H, Nov 2025
Our tour guide Anne, did a fantastic job. She was knowledgeable, engageble and included a mix of historical and architectural sites on the tour that kept everybody interested.
neil_r, Nov 2025
very informative guide and knowledgeable about every aspect of this city. I had been here before but not with a guide, and I learned so much about the city that is impossible on your own even with a guide book. Anne was our guide and being an ex-pat from America spoke obviously fluent English. Great experience
Anonymous, Nov 2025
Great walk the guide was exceptional knew many interesting things about the city and was very very nice
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per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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