Lyon on a Sunday takes on a different rhythm. Shops close, traffic quiets down, and locals come out. It’s often the best day to discover the real city, its markets, museums and neighbourhoods. Here is our selection of the best things to do in Lyon on a Sunday, for both locals and visitors.
Every stop below is mapped. Tap “Show on map” to locate a place, or “Directions” to start navigating from where you are.
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Le Petit Musée du Vin Our place
Our Sunday favourite, in the lively Guillotière district. One hour in 19th-century vaulted cellars covering the vine, winemaking and the senses, ending with a tasting of 8 wines.
Open Sundays 2pm to 7pm, last entry 5.30pm. A rarity in Lyon, where many cultural venues close that day.
Metro D or Tram T1, Guillotière stop. A 10-minute walk from Bellecour.
See the visit route -
Croix-Rousse market
The finest market in the city, running along the boulevard every Sunday morning. Growers from the Rhône and the Ain, cheesemongers, greengrocers, and a village feel perched on the hill that works.
Come before 11am. The best stalls empty fast.
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Musée des Beaux-Arts
One of France's richest art museums, set in a former Benedictine abbey on place des Terreaux. Painting, antiquities, sculpture, and an inner cloister to catch your breath between rooms.
Several municipal museums are free on the first Sunday of the month. Check the date before you go.
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Rhône riverbanks
Five kilometres of landscaped walkway between pont Wilson and Gerland. Lawns, barges turned into bars, runners and families: this is Lyon's open-air living room on a Sunday.
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Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière
The basilica crowns the hill that prays. Take the funicular up from Vieux Lyon and walk back down through the Rosary gardens. The view over both rivers is the finest in the city.
The Roman theatres next door are free and open to wander.
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Vieux Lyon traboules
These passageways cut through buildings and link one street to the next. Built for silk workers and merchants, they form an open-air maze. The one at 54 rue Saint-Jean is the most famous.
Metro D, Vieux Lyon stop, two stations from Guillotière.
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Brunch in Guillotière
Lyon's most cosmopolitan district packs in cafés and brunch spots. World kitchens, independent roasters and sunny terraces, a short walk from the museum.
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Institut Lumière
Where cinema was born, in 1895. The museum occupies the Lumière brothers' villa and the screening room shows restored classics. A perfect way to close a Sunday when night falls early.
1. Visit and tasting at Le Petit Musée du Vin, open on Sundays!
This is our top Sunday pick. Le Petit Musée du Vin is open every Sunday from 2pm to 7pm (last entry 5:30pm), a rarity in Lyon’s cultural landscape, where many venues close on that day.
In one hour inside its 19th-century vaulted cellars, you explore the history of wine, terroirs, winemaking and the trades of the vine. The tour ends with a self-guided tasting of up to 8 wines, and you leave with your tasting glass as a gift.
- Sunday hours: 2:00pm – 7:00pm (last entry 5:30pm)
- Price: from €25 / person, all inclusive
- Address: 3 rue Passet, Lyon 7th, Guillotière neighbourhood
- Access: Metro line D or Tram T1, Guillotière stop
Perfect for a Sunday afternoon with family, as a couple, or with friends. Booking recommended.
2. The Croix-Rousse market in the morning
The Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse market is one of the most beautiful and authentic markets in Lyon. Open on Sunday mornings (until around 1pm), it offers fruit, vegetables from local producers, cheeses, charcuterie and regional products.
A Lyonnais institution, best visited early morning before the crowds arrive.
3. Free museums on the first Sunday of the month
Several of Lyon’s municipal museums are free on the first Sunday of the month, check before you go:
- Musée des Beaux-Arts (place des Terreaux), one of the largest museums in France outside Paris
- Musée Gadagne (Vieux-Lyon), Lyon history and puppet museum
Worth noting in your diary if you live in or are planning a visit to Lyon.
4. A stroll along the Banks of the Rhône
The Banks of the Rhône (left bank, Lyon 7th) are particularly pleasant on Sundays, less traffic, more space. The 5km greenway runs along the river between the Pont Wilson and the Parc de Gerland.
Ideal by bike (Vélo’v available all day), on roller skates or simply on foot. The Place Gabriel Péri area near the Guillotière is often lively with street musicians and groups.
5. Take the funicular and have lunch at Fourvière
Sunday is the ideal day to head up to Fourvière : fewer crowds than on weekdays, beautiful afternoon light. Take the funicular from Vieux-Lyon, visit the basilica, take in the view over Lyon, then walk back down through the hillside.
Several brasseries and cafés at the top are open on Sundays for lunch.
6. Explore the traboules of Vieux-Lyon
Sunday morning, before the tourists arrive, is the best time to explore the traboules of Vieux-Lyon. These passageways cut through Renaissance buildings on rue Saint-Jean and the surrounding streets, a style of architecture unique in Europe.
Pick up the Tourist Office map (available online) and push open the doors of the buildings marked on it.
7. Brunch in the Guillotière or Saxe-Brotteaux neighbourhood
A Sunday without brunch is no Sunday at all. Lyon has plenty of options for a late brunch until 3pm:
- Guillotière district (Lyon 7th): many cafés and world food restaurants, cosmopolitan atmosphere
- Brotteaux/Saxe (Lyon 6th): more bourgeois feel, terraces on the wide boulevards
- Vieux-Lyon (Lyon 5th): historic setting, some bouchons offer a Sunday menu
8. Cinema and culture in the evening
Lyon has several independent cinemas open on Sunday evenings:
- Cinéma Comœdia (Lyon 7th, 5 min from Le Petit Musée du Vin), which regularly shows films in their original version with subtitles, along with previews
- Institut Lumière (Lyon 8th), screenings in the mythical building of the Lumière brothers
Combining pleasures: the perfect Sunday afternoon in Lyon
Here is our favourite Sunday programme:
- Morning: Croix-Rousse market → brunch in the neighbourhood
- 2:30pm: Visit and tasting at Le Petit Musée du Vin (3 rue Passet, Lyon 7th)
- 4pm: Walk along the Banks of the Rhône
- 7pm: Aperitif on a terrace in the Guillotière neighbourhood
- Evening: Dinner in a Lyonnais bouchon
For a longer stay, our 2-day Lyon itinerary sets out the full programme for seeing the essentials without rushing. And for the rest of the week, the guide to things to do in Lyon for a weekend lists the 10 must-dos according to locals. For exact opening times and how to reach the museum, see the practical information.
Lyon on a Sunday is a city on a human scale. Make the most of it.