Family Days in Lyon: Sunny and Rainy Options
Family Days in Lyon: Sunny and Rainy Options
Pack the children’s plans into two lists, one for dry days and one for wet ones, and Lyon works well. The dry list is mostly free, and the wet list is mostly short.
Sunny day: Parc de la Tête d’Or
The park covers about 105 hectares in the 6th arrondissement and costs nothing to enter. Arrive by metro A to Masséna or tram T1 or T4, then head for the lake, the lawns and the greenhouses, which are free and open 09:00 to 16:30 from October to March. The park’s opening hours are longer than the zoo’s, running to 20:30 in winter and 22:30 in summer.
The free zoo houses about 400 animals of roughly 60 species. It is closed every Tuesday. It closes at 17:45 until 14 October and at 17:00 from 15 October. The city’s park page lists the schedule. Boat hire on the lake is a paid extra.
Sunny day: Fourvière
Take the funicular from Vieux Lyon for the price of a TCL ticket and let children run on the stone seats of the Roman theatres, which are free. The rooftop visit climbs about 345 steps and suits older children. It costs €14 for adults and €7 reduced, and children under 5 enter free.
Rainy day: puppets
Guignol was invented in Lyon. The Maison de Guignol at 2 montée du Gourguillon stages daytime shows from €10.90 for adults and €8.90 for children on Wednesday at 16:30 and at 10:30, 14:30 and 16:30 on Saturday and Sunday. Shows run daily in school holidays. The language is French, so the visual comedy carries it for non-speakers. Visiterlyon.com lists the booking route.
Rainy day: aquarium and miniatures
The Aquarium de Lyon is in La Mulatière and opens daily from 10:30 to 18:30. Check aquariumlyon.fr for prices before you set off.
The Musée Cinéma et Miniature in Vieux Lyon combines tiny diorama rooms and film props. Adults pay €22.90, children aged 4 to 15 pay €17.90, and under-4s are free. A family pack costs €55. Because it is dear, it fits teenagers better than toddlers.
Ages and pace
Under-fives do best with the park, the funicular and one puppet show. Primary-age children can add the zoo and the aquarium. Teenagers tend to rate the miniature museum and the rooftop climb.
Getting about
A single TCL ticket is €2.10, a 24-hour pass is €7.10 and a carnet of 10 is €20.50. Validate every time you board, because inspectors fine passengers on the spot. Keep valuables zipped at Part-Dieu and Place Bellecour, where pickpockets work.
Eating with children
Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse is open Monday to Saturday from 7:30 to 19:30 and Sunday until 13:00, and makes an easy picnic stop. Hotel searches on Booking.com let you filter for family rooms.
For a plan that puts these stops in order, see the 2-day Lyon itinerary and the Lyon activities page .
Tip: keep Tuesday for the funicular and museums, because the zoo is shut.