Our guided tours of Lyon
Lyon is one of the richest cities in Europe — a UNESCO World Heritage site, it hides centuries of history behind every facade, every cobblestone, every neighborhood. With Lyon Original Tours, embark on this discovery accompanied by a passionate local guide: on foot through the alleys of Vieux Lyon, by electric bike along the quays, or in a combined formula for a full and unforgettable day.
Visit Lyon in a different way, with a guide who lives there
Lyon is not just about Place Bellecour or the Fourvière Basilica. The real city is discovered with someone who knows it from the inside: its artisans, its unusual anecdotes, its secret addresses. Our native or adopted Lyon guides take you to the neighborhoods that tourists don’t see, with the rhythm and conviviality of a small-group experience. Whether you’re with family, friends, or on a business trip for a seminar or team building in Lyon, we have the perfect formula for you.
Choose your guided tour
🦶 VISITS TO LYON ON FOOT
Renaissance alleyways, secret inner courtyards, classified architecture, stories of the noble and the resistance — a walking tour of Lyon is a journey through time. In a small group (maximum 15 people), your guide takes you where GPS applications won’t go.
🚲 VISIT OF LYON BY ELECTRIC BIKE
From the Presqu’île to the Confluence, through the banks of the Saône, explore Lyon on two wheels with no effort at all. The electric bike tour is the ideal way to explore the city in depth, in good company, up to 10 people.
🗺️ COMBINED VISIT BY FOOT + BIKE
Old Lyon on foot, Presqu’île and Confluence by electric bike: the combined tour offers the best of both experiences in a single half-day. The preferred option for groups that want to see everything without having to choose.
A customized guided tour in Lyon?
Your group has its own preferences? Gourmet theme, focus on silk and knitwear, street art tour in Croix-Rousse, bilingual French-English tour for an international group — we design customized guided tours of Lyon 100 % for corporate seminars, company committees, incentives and private events.
Contact us for a quote within 48 hours.
Everything you need to know about our guided tours of Lyon
Is Lyon a city that is easy to visit on your own?
Lyon can be easily explored independently, but it is truly understood with a guide. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, the city contains centuries of historical layers — Gallo-Roman, Renaissance, industrial, gastronomic — which require explanations to understand its development and its present appearance.
The narrow streets of Vieux Lyon, for example, are mostly invisible from the street: without a guide, you pass by them without seeing them. Similarly, the painted walls of Croix-Rousse, the inner courtyards of the Presqu’île, or the secrets of the Halles Paul Bocuse are much more enjoyable when someone lives there on a daily basis.
Lyon Original Tours offers guided tours in small groups (maximum 15 people on foot, 10 on electric bicycles) to guarantee an intimate experience, at the pace of the group, away from the mass tourist circuits.
What is the best way to visit Lyon as a group?
For a group in Lyon, the privately guided tour is by far the most suitable option. It allows you to choose the neighborhood, the theme, the duration, and the language — without having to conform to the pace of a group of strangers.
Lyon Original Tours offers three formulas depending on the size of the group and the preferences:
– The walking tour, ideal for groups who want to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of Old Lyon, the Presqu’île or Croix-Rousse at their own pace.
– The electric bike tour, perfect for covering several neighborhoods in half a day without effort, recommended for seminars and team buildings in Lyon.
– The combined foot and bike tour is the most complete formula for a day of total discovery of the city in a short time.
All our tours can be privatized for groups of 8 people or more, up to 300 people with a personalized quote within 48 hours.
Which neighborhoods in Lyon are a must-see during a guided tour?
Lyon has several major neighborhoods, each with its own identity:
– Old Lyon (5th arrondissement): the Renaissance district, the second largest UNESCO World Heritage Site in Europe after Venice. Its narrow alleys, its Saint-Jean Cathedral and its inner courtyards make it the historical heart of any guided tour.
– The Presqu’île: between the Rhone and the Saône, it is the nerve center of the city. Place des Terreaux, Place Bellecour, Rue de la République — the Haussmannian architecture coexists with restaurants and the heart of commerce.
– La Croix-Rousse: the former neighborhood of the weavers, silk weavers who made Lyon world famous in the 19th century. Bohemian and lively, the «Montmartre of Lyon» offers an exceptional panorama of the city.
– Confluence: the most contemporary neighborhood in Lyon, at the southern tip of the Presqu’île. Confluence Museum, avant-garde architecture and views of the Rhone River — ideal for a stop on an electric bike.
Our guides tailor each visit to the neighborhoods that best suit your group, your duration, and your interests.
Are the guided tours of Lyon suitable for professional groups and seminars?
Yes — it is even one of our core business areas. Lyon Original Tours has been working for several years with companies, event agencies and corporate committees to design guided tours that are integrated into seminar, team building or incentive programs in Lyon.
Our professional packages include:
– The privatized cultural guided tour, to spend a cultural moment in a group while discovering the city.
– The electric bike tour, practical, fun and accessible to everyone.
– The customized combined visit, combining a walking tour of Vieux Lyon and a discovery of the city by bike. The most comprehensive formula for exploring the entire city in a short time
We provide a personalized quote within 48 hours and can coordinate the entire logistics (transportation, catering, evening activities) with our local partners.
Are the tours available in English?
Yes. All our guided tours of Lyon are available in French and English. We regularly welcome international groups (more than 35 nationalities in 2026). We can also offer tours in Spanish or German upon request.