RunCity

Lyon on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 11 of Lyon's best-known sights, including Cour des Voraces, Lyon Opera House, Place des Terreaux and more. It is about 7 km on foot, roughly 2.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Lyon leaderboard.

  • 11Stops
  • about 7 kmDistance
  • 2.5 hoursWalking
  • about 64 minRunning
Play Lyon in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Lyon
Photo: Aldg692VX · CC BY-SA 4.0

Lyon's route crosses the city's two hills and its peninsula, from the silk-workers' Croix-Rousse to the Fourvière basilica and down to the Halles, about 7 km. It starts at the Cour des Voraces, the staircase courtyard of the old silk weavers, and comes down to the glass-vaulted Opera and Place des Terreaux with Bartholdi's fountain. Across the Saône, the 24 columns of the Palais de Justice and the Gothic Saint-Jean cathedral open Vieux Lyon.

The climb to Fourvière is steep; the funicular from Vieux Lyon does it in minutes. The white basilica's terrace looks over the whole city, and the Roman theatre is just below. On the peninsula, the Romanesque Saint-Martin d'Ainay, the vast red square of Bellecour and the fountain on Place des Jacobins lead to the bonus stop, the Halles Paul Bocuse, Lyon's covered food market. Look out for traboules, the passages through buildings that the silk workers used.

1234567891011

Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Cour des Voraces

    Cour des Voraces

    The famous silk-workers' staircase courtyard on the Croix-Rousse slope.

    Photo: Romainbehar · CC0

  2. Lyon Opera House

    Lyon Opera House Photo

    The 19th-century façade topped by a glass-and-steel vault.

    Photo: Corentin Eustacchi · CC BY-SA 4.0

  3. Place des Terreaux

    Place des Terreaux Photo

    Bartholdi's fountain with the Hôtel de Ville behind it.

    Photo: Corentin Eustacchi · CC BY-SA 4.0

  4. Palais de Justice (24 Columns)

    Palais de Justice (24 Columns)

    The colonnade of twenty-four columns facing the Saône.

    Photo: Jean Housen · CC BY-SA 4.0

  5. Lyon Cathedral

    Lyon Cathedral Photo

    The Gothic façade of Saint-Jean in Old Lyon.

    Photo: Otourly · CC BY-SA 3.0

  6. Fourvière Basilica

    Fourvière Basilica Photo

    The white basilica on the hilltop, seen from its terrace.

    Photo: Elwood j blues · CC BY-SA 3.0

  7. Ancient Theatre of Fourvière

    Ancient Theatre of Fourvière Photo

    The tiered stone seats of the Roman theatre on the hillside.

    Photo: Jean-Christophe BENOIST · CC BY 4.0

  8. Basilica of Saint-Martin d'Ainay

    Basilica of Saint-Martin d'Ainay

    The Romanesque basilica's bell tower in the quiet Ainay quarter.

    Photo: User:Astirmays · CC BY-SA 3.0

  9. Place Bellecour

    Place Bellecour Photo

    The Louis XIV statue on the vast red-gravel square.

    Photo: Corentin Eustacchi · CC BY-SA 4.0

  10. Place des Jacobins

    Place des Jacobins

    The ornate fountain at the heart of the square.

    Photo: Corentin Eustacchi · CC BY-SA 4.0

  11. Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse

    Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse Bonus

    The covered food hall named after Lyon's most famous chef.

    Photo: Arnaud 25 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Play Lyon in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Lyon on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 11 stops on this route add up to about 7 km, roughly 2.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Lyon is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Lyon?

    Open Lyon in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Lyon leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Cour des Voraces and finishing at Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

    Nearby cities