Lyon Museum and Attraction Tickets by Day of the Week

In Lyon the day of the week decides your museum list. The Musée des Beaux-Arts closes on Tuesday, most others close on Monday, and a few prices have two tiers. Here is what to book for each.

If it is Monday

The Musée des Beaux-Arts on place des Terreaux is open Wednesday to Monday, with entry at €8 for the collections and €12 when temporary exhibitions are included. Its official site lists current hours. The Musée Cinéma et Miniature in Vieux Lyon also opens, at €22.90 for adults and €17.90 for children aged 4 to 15. The City Card gives only a reduced rate there. The Fourvière rooftop visit runs daily at €14 for adults and €7 reduced, booked at reservation.fourviere.org . The Roman theatres are free and open every day apart from a few public holidays.

If it is Tuesday

The Beaux-Arts is shut, but the Musée des Confluences is open from 10:30 to 18:30 at €12 full price and €7 reduced. There is no cheaper evening rate, and late opening to 22:00 happens on the first Thursday of the month. Lugdunum, the Roman museum beside the theatres, costs €4 normally and €7 during temporary exhibitions. The Institut Lumière in Monplaisir charges €9.50, or €7.50 reduced, and opens from 10:00 to 18:30.

Wednesday to Sunday

Everything above is open, so it is the best time for a double museum day. Pair Lugdunum with the rooftop visit on the same hill, or the Beaux-Arts with the squares around it. The Lugdunum museum is free on the first Sunday of the month. Its hours are 11:00 to 18:00 Tuesday to Friday and 10:00 to 18:00 at weekends, per lugdunum.grandlyon.com .

What each one is

The Confluences museum, in a glass-and-steel building at the point where the rivers meet, covers natural history and human societies. The Lugdunum museum sits inside the hill beside the theatres and holds Roman bronze and mosaics. The Institut Lumière is the family villa where the cinema’s inventors worked. The rooftop visit is a guided climb of about 345 steps through the basilica’s towers.

The City Card sum

At the counter the City Card is €32, €44, €56 or €68 for 24, 48, 72 or 96 hours, and online it is €29.90, €41.90, €52.90 or €63.90. At standard prices, Confluences (€12), Beaux-Arts (€8) and Lugdunum (€4) total €24 before any transit. Add the Saône cruise (€15) and the card is competitive. Compare with your actual list before buying at visiterlyon.com .

Guided tours

Several listings sell guided Lyon walks and combined tickets. Search guided tours on Viator and confirm whether admission is included.

Transport and safety

Metro, tram and funicular all take the same TCL ticket: €2.10 single, €7.10 for 24 hours, €20.50 for ten trips. Validate every time. Pickpockets work Part-Dieu, Place Bellecour and the metro.

See the Lyon sightseeing page for free sights and the 3-day Lyon itinerary for a museum-friendly pace.

Tip: check the weekday before you travel to a museum, and buy rooftop tickets a day ahead in summer.

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