Taste culinary delights on a food tour through beautiful Lyon!
Lyon, the culinary capital of France, down and dirty: you’ve got Presqu’Île, Vieux Lyon, and La Croix-Rousse. You’re gonna smell quenelles, grattons, and cervelle de canut. You will see Renaissance buildings, barges-cum-bars, and greasy spoons for the proletarian sous-chefs slaving away in the tourist kitchens.
But let’s get to the heart of the matter. Sure, you may have been dreaming of Paris. But Lyon is going to be waiting for you by candlelight while dinner stays warm in the oven. Ah yes, my dear, Paris is but a dalliance! Come home to Lyon and really taste la France. Savour the romance. Life is too short for long-lost love. We’re talking about cuisine, amour, la vie. What more do you need to know? Pack your bags then book the flight. Because that’s what food tours are for.
Lyon Food Tours
French food feeds your soul, and the knowledgeable tour guides that lead the superb tours have insight about the city and its’ food scene that will feed your mind.
1. Lyon Food Tour
Lyon Food Tour welcomes everybody into town for accessible tours in small groups going short distances. They provide vibrant, passionate guided tours through Les Halles, Presqu’île and Old Town. The leisurely pace gives you the chance to receive uniquely crafted experiences full of anecdotes, serious food, and an excellent first excursion. We recommend their 4-hour Old Town Food Tour which features local artisanal delicacies and a visit at a traditional Lyonnais bouchon restaurant. The emphasis at these hyperlocal eateries is on having a good time and getting your fill.
2. Praline et Rosette Food Tour
Praline et Rosette offer a series of relaxed gourmet food tours exclusively in French. If you’re a Francophile foodie visiting Lyon for the first time, this is the company for you. With several tours and friendly guides, experience Lyonnais cuisine the way it’s meant to be! Learn about traditional specialties and tour local restaurants to practice your language skills and develop a taste for the region. Our favourite tour of theirs is the Choco’Lyon, with 5 stops to artisanal chocolatiers on the Presqu’île peninsula. If you’re thinking of extending your stay in Lyon, chocolate is a good way to resist the call of the road.
3. Tasty Lyon
Tasty Lyon offers a half-dozen guided tours in English with a chill vibe and a variety of additional services. Get in touch with the gourmet side of Lyon, or take a tour through the Croix Rousse neighbourhood, or book a private tour for a more intimate experience. Our best rec is for the Best Of Lyon Private Tour, a picturesque walking food tour that takes a half day. Educational, affordable and unique, Tasty Lyon is the best choice for parties of English-speaking first-time visitors.
4. Free Tour Lyon
Free Tour Lyon is definitely your best bet for Western Europe backpacking and impromptu family excursions. Although free to book, they are food tours making stops in local restaurants, so make sure to bring some pocket change at least. We recommend the Morning Food Tour Lyon which gives you the opportunity to get a proper French breakfast in a famous pastry shop. Just remember, if you show up out-of-season, then you can still take the self-guided tour!
5. Only Lyon
Only Lyon Tourisme offers a series of incredible food tours showcasing traditional French cuisine. The Old Lyon Food Tour begins with a mâchon breakfast, including pork tripe and Mâconnais wine. The 2-kilometre trek down along La Saône river heads into lunchtime, stopping at 6 culinary destinations, so it is advised not to make lunch plans following the tour. Along the way you’ll get acquainted with local artisans and discover secret passageways, or traboules as they’re known locally.
Lyon Wine Tours
Discover Lyon and the surrounding countryside by sipping on premium French wine that’s some of the best in the world.
7. Wine Dine Caroline
Wine Dine Caroline is the premier wine tasting tour company in Lyon. With expert sommelier Caroline Conner at the helm, tours typically include 6-7 local wines, of which Lyon has many. Each tour includes a cheese and charcuterie platter in a maximum group of 8, guaranteeing an intimate experience. For the bon vivant and connoisseur alike, we recommend the Wines of Lyon tasting. The tour includes tastings of Burgundy, Rhône and Beaujolais wines and lasts about 2 hours. So, we say santé in advance and lift our glasses to you!
7. Lyon Oenotourisme
Lyon Oenotourisme likewise offers wine tasting tours for everybody. If you wish, you can take a day trip tour or book one taking place over a period of days. Accompany the experienced local guide and winemaker Vincent Pontet on a tasteful journey through the best of the region’s varietals and bottlings. We suggest the Prestige Tannin Tour, a day trip outside of Lyon, giving you access to the best of Northern Rhône wines.
8. Kanpai
Kanpai Tourisme aims to celebrate your visit to Lyon. Take a trip through the countryside with an English-speaking driver, to see the sights and taste regional wines. With fun tour names like The Syrah/Shiraz Morning and The Beaujolais Wine Afternoon Discovery, you can’t go wrong. We’re highlighting the Beaujolais Crus Wines and Castles tour, for the authenticity of the bottlings and spectacle of the views. If you want an authentic Lyonnais experience, this is the tour for you.
9. Zingermans Food Tours
Zingermans Food Tours offer stunning and exclusive luxury tours. The 2020 Jura trip is already fully booked. However, if you have an undying love for authentic cuisine and exploring on your own, this is the company for you. Offering experienced knowledgeable guides and a group capacity of 12, these tours make for unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Each journey includes 7 nights accommodation and transportation, with behind-the-scenes tours of local artisanal food makers. Click here to join the waiting list.
Bonus Lyon Tours
Beyond food and wine, there’s more unique ways to find find your way around Lyon!
10. Lyon Bike Tour
Lyon Bike Tour offers accessible guided biking tours spanning the entire city on electric bikes. Most of their tours include pit stops for tastings and take about 2 hours each. The most unique tour they offer is the Confluence Tour, centred on a visit to the modern district that stands between the town’s two rivers. Available in English and French, they offer you everything you need, including a bottle of water and safety helmet.
11. Cybèle Unusual Guided Tours of Lyon
Cybèle describes its tours in French as unusual, but also as providing storytelling and dramatizations. These all-ages tours are indeed out of the ordinary. Five tours in English (and more in French) offer everything from role-playing as Flemish traders at the Grand Royal Fair of 1548, to a crime scene investigation, to an Amazing Race-type team tour. We highly recommend Extraordinary Tour of Lyon’s Old Town, which takes you on an intimate journey to get a closer look at the unique passageways of the Old Town, bringing tales of the Renaissance to life!
Check out our own unique food tour experiences: