A gateway city at the meeting point of the Rhone and Saone rivers, Lyon pairs UNESCO-listed old town charm with easy cycling along its riverbanks and out into the surrounding hills. It's France's gastronomic capital, and the natural starting point for tours heading into the vineyards of Beaujolais and beyond.
Lyon is the natural starting and finishing point for several of our cycling holidays, particularly those heading north into Beaujolais. Expect a short city stay bookending your trip, with transfers arranged to your first hotel in the countryside.
Lyon is France's third-largest city, but its historic core feels intimate and walkable. Vieux Lyon, Fourviere Hill, Croix-Rousse and much of the Presqu'ile peninsula together make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with Renaissance architecture, Roman ruins and the famous traboules, hidden passageways that once let silk merchants move between streets undercover.
It's also widely considered the gastronomic capital of France, with traditional bouchon restaurants serving hearty Lyonnais cooking. For cyclists, Lyon's main appeal is as a launchpad: well connected by air and rail, with easy onward routes into the Beaujolais vineyards and the wider Rhone valley.
Lyon enjoys a temperate climate with warm summers and mild springs and autumns, making April through October the most comfortable window for cycling. The city itself sits at the meeting point of the Rhone and Saone rivers, with flat, well-signed cycle paths running along both riverbanks.
Once you head out of the city towards Beaujolais or the surrounding hills, the terrain becomes noticeably hillier, with the Monts d'Or and the rolling vineyard country to the north offering a proper change of pace from Lyon's flat urban paths.
“Lyon's old town hides around 500 traboules, secret passageways once used by silk merchants and resistance fighters, though only about 40 are open to the public today.”
LukeCo-founderLyon mainly serves as the starting and finishing point for our tours, with most riding happening once you reach the vineyards and countryside beyond. The city itself is best explored on foot or by its excellent public bike scheme.
Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October) offer the most comfortable riding conditions, with mild temperatures and quieter roads.
It's known as the gastronomic capital of France, home to the traditional bouchon restaurants and a rich Roman, Renaissance and silk-weaving history.
Yes. Lyon Saint-Exupery Airport has excellent international connections, and the city is a major hub on France's high-speed rail network.
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