Lyon Walking Tours: 7 Guides Who Know the Back Streets

1.Vieux Lyon Cultural & Historical Walking Guided Tour (English)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 942 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $6Our pick

Join Paul of Free Tour Lyon for a two-hour English walk from Saint-Jean Cathedral through Vieux Lyon’s traboules, silk-making past, WW2 stories, food culture, and modern Presqu’île landmarks. The tour ends at Hôtel Dieu and costs about $6.05, with tips commonly given directly to the guide.

“Paul gave us an amazing glimpse into Lyon with wonderful suggestions on how to spend our remaining time in the city. He was entertaining, knowledgeable and maneuvered us around brilliantly. His love of Lyon comes through.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Private Walking Tour of “Traboules” in the Old Town

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 866 reviews · 2h 30m · from $43

Walk through Vieux Lyon with local guide Yannick or Yan, visiting lesser-known traboules and Renaissance courtyards while learning how silk, religion, politics, and the French Resistance shaped the city. This 150-minute small-group walk is best for curious visitors who can manage stairs and uneven passages.

“My wife and I enjoy these sorts of tours and Yannik provided one of the best experiences we have ever had. He was extremely informative and very witty. His description of the Swiss soldiers who sacked Lyon in the 16th century as "nasty chocolate soldiers" will probably be stuck in my head for the rest of my life. We highly recommend him as a tour guide.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.City Highlights Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 847 reviews · 90 minutes - 2 hours · from $25

Explore Lyon with Aidan or Ryan, Canadian guides who speak English and French. Choose a 2-hour small-group route covering 10 major sights, including Fourvière, or a 90-minute walk through five central highlights. Expect Roman history, secret passageways, local food advice, photo stops, and plenty of city stories.

“our guide Aidan was excellent so knowledgeable and informative and had excellent command of English language. we loved visit to Badilica de Fourviere with its impressive array of mosaics. absolutely stunning. Aidan took us to the Roman amphitheatre and road etc excavated in 1933. also tramboules tunnels and doors very interesting as were the various bridges over Rhone Saone rivers. Bouchons and brioche also grabbed our attention. as did City Hall, museum and 4 horse monument. we got a very good positive impression of Lyon overall. many thznks Aidan .”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Lyon Highlights & Secrets Walking Guided Tour (small group) including Funicular

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 831 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $39

Start at the Bartholdi Fountain with Toni or another M&T Lyon Tours guide, then walk through Place des Terreaux, Vieux Lyon, and Fourvière Hill. Expect a small group of up to 10, a funicular ride, secret passageways, Roman remains, city history, and useful restaurant tips. The tour is in English and ends in Old Lyon.

“Toni was a great guide: he was full of interesting stories and helped us understand the Lyonnaise history and what we were seeing. I learned so much and really enjoyed the tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Vieux Lyon Food Tasting Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 453 reviews · 4 hours · from $104

Spend four hours walking Vieux Lyon with a French or English-speaking guide such as Nathalie, Shirine, Nico, or Manu. Visit five local food businesses, taste about 14 regional specialties, and connect Lyon’s food traditions with its silk-trading past, cathedral, medieval lanes, and secret traboules.

“Natalie was amazing. Her knowledge of Lyon made it more than just a good tour. I would highly recommend that if you are coming to Lyon do this tour on your first day. It will give you a great insight into what Lyon is all about the food and the history! I can’t recommend this tour enough. Make sure ask for Natalie as your tour guide. 5 stars for sure.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Food Walking Tour with a Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 198 reviews · 3 hours · from $88

Spend three hours in Lyon’s UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon with a local English- or French-speaking guide. Visit traboules, meet food artisans, and enjoy four tasting stops featuring cold cuts, cheese, praline pie, chocolate, wine, beer, and seasonal ice cream. Guides such as Nathalie, Manou, Eric, and Megan are praised for making the city’s food story easy to follow.

“We not only ate good food, but learned some great history about Lyon. We visited a store that sold silk items and learned about the silk industry in Lyon”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Old District Private Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 99 reviews · 2 hours · from $217

Walk Lyon’s old district with a private multilingual guide who shapes the route around your interests. Visit Saint-Jean Cathedral, Juiverie Street, Hotel Gadagne, and several traboules, with helpful food and sightseeing tips along the way. Guides such as Didac, Sley, Laura, and Agatha have earned praise for their lively, flexible approach.

“Had a private tour, the six of us. Tailored to our interests. Very knowledgeable guide with excellent English. Learned and saw a lot and got good tips for the rest auf our stay.”

Check availability →Read our full review