There’s something weirdly satisfying about planning your own trip. No guided tours, no overpriced packages where someone hands you a lanyard and rushes you through monuments like a school field trip. Just you, a map (or more realistically, Google Maps), and a week in one of France’s most underrated cities—Lyon.
I spent a week wandering through this delightfully layered city, staying in a lovely, well-rated hotel just a few minutes' walk from the beating heart of downtown. Think charming streets, cute bakeries with locals arguing about baguettes, and cafés where espresso arrives with attitude and a side of existential joy.
So, what’s Lyon like for a DIY traveler?
Well, imagine if Paris had a cooler little cousin—less arrogant, more genuine, and surprisingly into food. This city is where French cuisine took its first proper steps. Lyonnais take their food very seriously. You will too, once you’ve had lunch at a traditional bouchon and realized you’re still thinking about it four days later.
WHERE TO GO: Getting Lost with Purpose
The good news? Lyon is a walking city. You’ll rack up steps without even trying. The Presqu’île (the peninsula between the Rhône and Saône rivers) is the perfect base. You can stroll to most major attractions, including the quirky and postcard-perfect Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon). It’s all Renaissance buildings, cobblestone streets, and secret alleyways called traboules that make you feel like you're in some kind of French Narnia.
Climb up (or take the funicular if your legs are feeling dramatic) to Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. From the top, the whole city unfolds below you—red rooftops, winding rivers, and the Alps whispering in the distance if the sky is feeling generous.
Right next door, the ruins of a Roman amphitheater are casually sunbathing in the open. It's free, it’s massive, and if you sit there for five minutes, you’ll probably overhear someone passionately arguing about cheese.
Art lovers, wander over to the Musée des Beaux-Arts, basically Lyon’s version of the Louvre—but without the overwhelming crowds or the exhausting emotional rollercoaster of the Mona Lisa’s underwhelming size.
For something odd and wonderful, explore the Musée des Confluences—a futuristic museum where anthropology meets architecture and your brain kind of melts in a good way.
WHAT TO EAT: Prepare Your Stomach (and Maybe Loosen Your Belt)
Food in Lyon is practically a spiritual experience. If you’re on a budget, skip the fancy tablecloth restaurants and hunt down the real treasures in local bouchons. These are cozy, family-style places where you can sit elbow to elbow with strangers and eat hearty Lyonnais dishes that feel like a warm hug and a dare at the same time.
Try quenelles de brochet (a fluffy pike fish dumpling that tastes 100 times better than it sounds), andouillette (but only if you’re feeling brave and your sense of smell has a good sense of humor), and salade Lyonnaise topped with a poached egg that probably has its own Instagram account.
The Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse is a must-visit—a culinary market shrine where food dreams are born and budgets are slightly bruised. Even just walking around and sampling cheese, charcuterie, or a mini tart is worth it.
Coffee? Head to Slake Coffee House or Puzzle Café. They understand caffeine and are generous with their Wi-Fi. And if you want dessert that makes you cry a little, grab a praline brioche—Lyon’s signature sweet treat and basically bread wearing a pink candy coat.
NIGHTLIFE & VIBES: Yes, You Should Go Out
Lyon doesn’t scream nightlife—but it hums it in a very cool jazz-bar-meets-open-air-vibes kind of way.
The Croix-Rousse district is bohemian and artsy, with bars that spill onto the street like they’re part of a painting. Grab a craft beer at Le Sirius, a bar on a boat floating on the Rhône, or try a wine bar like Antic Wine—where the sommelier may intimidate you slightly, but your taste buds will forgive you.
For live music or a chill DJ set, Le Sucre, set on a rooftop of a former sugar factory, has a very “I’m in France and somehow cooler than I was in Canada” energy.
QUICK ESCAPE TO MARSEILLE: Saltwater Optional
If you wake up one morning and think, “I love Lyon, but I want a splash of sea breeze,” you’re in luck. Marseille is less than two hours away by train. You leave behind the rivers and Renaissance and arrive in a sun-soaked port city with Mediterranean vibes, seafood feasts, and a totally different rhythm. It’s worth it—even if just for the contrast, the color, and the bouillabaisse.
DAILY BUDGET BREAKDOWN (Excluding Flight & Hotel)
Here’s a realistic DIY wanderer budget for Lyon:
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Food & Coffee: CAD $40/day (goes far in Lyon with casual eats and bakeries)
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Attractions/Museums: CAD $10/day (some are free or low-cost)
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Transport: CAD $6/day (public transport or just walk)
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Nightlife/Drinks: CAD $15/day (depends on your definition of “night”)
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Souvenirs/Misc. joy spending: CAD $10/day
➡️ Total per day: ~CAD $80 (add CAD $30/day if you want to treat yourself more often or say yes to more wine)
WHAT ABOUT A RENTAL CAR?
For Lyon itself? Skip it. The city is made for walking, and the metro works like a charm. But if you’re craving day trips to the Beaujolais wine region, the Alps, or obscure medieval villages only accessible by winding countryside roads, renting a car for one or two days might be a sweet idea.
A basic rental can cost about CAD $65–75/day plus gas. Totally optional, but nice for wanderers who like the thrill of driving through unfamiliar roundabouts.
FINAL THOUGHTS FROM ONE WANDERER TO ANOTHER
Lyon is the kind of city that doesn’t shove itself into your travel story—it slips in, quietly, like a song that grows on you. You come for the cheap flight or the promise of a good meal, but by day three, you’re pausing in quiet alleys just to listen to life around you. You laugh at yourself trying to pronounce Fourvière, you accidentally eat three pastries before lunch, and suddenly, you’re in love with a city you didn’t expect.
It’s not a show-off destination. And that’s exactly why it’s worth every step.
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