Layers of Lyon Romans Silk and Streets Self Guided Tour

4.0 (2 reviews) 2 hours Free cancellation Private tour

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2 reviews

4.0

Layers of Lyon Romans Silk and Streets Self Guided Tour — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Layers of Lyon Romans Silk and Streets Self Guided Tour, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

This self-guided walking tour takes you through the many layers of Lyon — a city that evolved from Roman capital to silk powerhouse to the gastronomic heart of France. As you walk through its historic streets, you’ll uncover how geography, trade, religion, industry, and food shaped Lyon into the city it is today.

The route leads you through Vieux Lyon’s Renaissance streets and hidden courtyards, past former centres of trade and power, and into neighbourhoods shaped by workers, merchants, printers, and cooks. You’ll hear stories of Roman foundations, medieval archbishops, silk weavers and their revolts, and the women and chefs who turned everyday cooking into a defining cultural force.

This tour is designed to be walked at your own pace, with short distances between stops and time to explore along the way. By the end, you won’t just recognise Lyon’s landmarks — you’ll understand how the city reinvented itself again and again, without ever losing its soul.

Private and Luxury Private Sightseeing Tours Audio Guides Cultural Tours Historical Tours Walking Tours Nature Walks Short term availability

At a glance

Duration: 2 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Audio guide: German, Russian, Portuguese, English, Italian, Polish, French, Dutch, Spanish
Operated by: Tourific

Ages: Adults (14–65 years)

What is included

Included

Included: 100% Satisfaction Guarantee: If you don’t love the tour, write to us for a full refund.
Included: 1-year access to audio on iOS & Android. Listen to the tour anytime, as many times as you like
Included: Audio and written guide included
Included: Offline access to the tour (no internet connection needed) once tour is downloaded
Included: Images to identify stops and in app interactive map for navigation

Not included

Not included: Any physical devices or headphones
Not included: Human tour guide at location

Itinerary

Place Bellecour

5 min

Did you know Lyon reinvented itself again and again — from Roman capital to silk city to France’s food capital?
Vieux Lyon

5 min

Walk through one of Europe’s largest Renaissance districts, where history hides behind heavy wooden doors.
Eglise Saint-Paul

5 min

Did you know this church marks one of the oldest Christian areas in Lyon, long before the Renaissance streets around it?
Stop 4

5 min

Discover why Lyon has secret corridors running through buildings — and how locals used them for centuries.
Traboules du Vieux Lyon

10 min

Step inside Lyon’s longest traboule and uncover how these passages shaped daily life and survival.
Stop 6

5 min

Meet the silent stone guardian watching over the city — and hear why Lyon chose this unusual symbol.
La Place des Jacobins

5 min

Why does this elegant square feel Parisian, and what does it reveal about 19th-century Lyon?
Grand Hotel Dieu

5 min

Did you know this landmark served the sick for centuries before becoming one of Lyon’s biggest transformations?
Stop 9

5 min

Did you know this lively food street was once Lyon’s printing hub before becoming home to bouchons?
Stop 10

5 min

Find out how workers’ meals and bold flavours helped make Lyon the gastronomic capital of France.
La Maison Thomassin

5 min

Look up to read medieval politics carved into stone through coats of arms and symbols.
Stop 12

10 min

Step into a Renaissance courtyard where architecture solved a problem in a completely unexpected way.
Cathedrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lyon

10 min

Explore a cathedral shaped by centuries of religion, power, and ambition. Discover a 600-year-old clock that tells time, maps the heavens, and stages a daily performance.
Fresque des Lyonnais

10 min

Did you know Lyon tells its story through a giant mural filled with famous faces from its past?
Place des Terreaux

10 min

Stand in a square where fountains, revolutions, and executions all left their mark.
Statue d'Antoine de Saint Exupery

10 min

Meet the Lyon-born writer behind The Little Prince — and discover how flight shaped his imagination.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

This is a self-guided audio tour on the "Tourific self-guided tours" app. To activate the tour, check your email for instructions from Tourific or your booking platform sent right after booking. Can’t find it? Search for our company in your email inbox and spam folder. OR contact us via support.

End point

Using your ticket

Know before you go :

•⁠ ⁠You will need to download the "Tourific self guided tours" app from the Google play store or App store

•⁠ ⁠Right after booking, you’ll receive an email from Tourific or the tour booking platform with instructions to access the tour.

•⁠ ⁠Having trouble finding the email? Just search for “Tourific” in your inbox or spam folder.

•⁠ ⁠The tour is valid for 1 year and can be listened to any number of times. So feel free to download tour and experience a few stops before going on the tour.

•⁠ ⁠Fully charge your phone and carry your headphones for the best experience

•⁠ ⁠The tour follows a set route that we recommend that you follow. Once the tour is downloaded, the introduction will guide you to your starting point

•⁠ ⁠Change of plans? Enjoy the tour on a different day or from home