Lyon Old Town: 5-Dish Food Tour & Fine Wine Tasting

Five dishes, two centuries of recipes, one afternoon in Lyon's oldest streets

You taste five authentic Lyon dishes (charcuterie, pastries, a hot bouchon lunch, coffee, and chocolate) paired with local wine, guided through the Old Town's medieval streets and hidden traboules. The tour includes entry to the sites you visit and all food and wine tastings, so you show up and eat. They handle the rest. Strollers are fine, and the pace suits all fitness levels.

Step-by-step itinerary

Lyon Old Town Food and Wine Tour

• Taste local charcuterie and cheeses with wine
• Walk through oldest street with medieval buildings
• Visit home of Pink Pralines brioches
• See 22nd Century Cathedral with war history
• Explore largest pedestrian city square and get sweet treat
• Enjoy hot main course and wine at family Bouchon
• Have espresso and final sweet treat at coffee boutique

The experience

The narrow cobblestone street climbs steeply between medieval buildings, their shutters the color of rust and cream. You stop in front of a small storefront where a woman arranges pink praline brioches in the window: the same recipe her grandmother used. This is the Old Town, and in Lyon, food is not what you do between other things. It's the reason you're here. The tour starts with a traditional Canut breakfast: local charcuterie and cheese paired with a glass of wine from a Pot Lyonnais, the ceramic jug that sits on every table in the city's oldest restaurants. Your guide explains why these particular cured meats matter: how they're made, where they come from, what makes them different from anything you'll find outside the region.

You walk through traboules (those hidden passageways that cut through the buildings), and past the Cathedral with its scars from the Wars of Religion still visible in the stone. The city opens onto Place Bellecour, the largest pedestrianized square in Europe, where you pick up a secret chocolate from Voisin, a Lyon chocolate shop that's been there for generations. Then comes the main event: lunch in a family-run bouchon that opened nearly a hundred years ago. You choose from the menu (meat, fish, or vegetarian), and eat what Lyonnais families have eaten for decades, with another glass of wine. The portions are generous. The pace is slow. This is not a rushed tasting. It's a meal.

After lunch, you head to one of Lyon's top coffee boutiques for an espresso, then back into the oldest part of the Hôtel-Dieu to taste the final sweet treat and finish the tour. The whole thing takes a few hours, and by the end you understand why Lyon has been called the world capital of gastronomy since 1935. It's not because of one famous chef or one perfect dish. It's because eating here is a conversation between past and present, between the Mères Lyonnaises who built this cuisine and the cooks who still follow their recipes. If you have dietary requirements, contact the operator in advance. They'll work with you to make sure you eat well.

What’s included

Your day includes a traditional Canut breakfast with charcuterie and cheese paired with local wine, a walk through the Old Town and its traboules, freshly baked French pastries, a hot seasonal dish and wine at a family-run bouchon restaurant (with your choice of meat, fish, or vegetarian), an espresso at a top Lyon coffee boutique, and two secret sweet treats: one from a historic chocolate shop and one at the end of the tour. All food, wine, and coffee are included.

Options for this experience

2 options

Small Group Food Tour in LyonGuide in English · 11:30, 11:50 and 16:30Small group tour: pick this option to join our Secret Food Tour Lyon with a maximum of 12 people.

Private Lyon Food TourGuide in English · 12:00, 12:15 and 16:45Upgrade to a private tour: select this option to move up to a private food tour of Lyon reserved only for you and your party.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day6 departure times: the first at 11:30, the last at 16:45

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 to 75 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Secret Food Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to understand why Lyon's food culture matters without spending the day researching restaurants and menus yourself. The guide handles the stops, the pairings, and the stories. You just eat and listen.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the Lyon food tour?

The tour spans several hours across the Old Town, with stops for tastings, a main meal at a bouchon, and coffee. Exact duration depends on the pace and the restaurant's service.

What if I have dietary restrictions?

Contact the operator before the tour. They offer vegetarian options at the bouchon and can adjust tastings for allergies or dietary needs if you let them know in advance.

Can I bring my dog?

No, pets are not allowed on the food tours.

What's included in the price?

All five dishes, wine tastings, coffee, chocolate, and pastries are included, plus the guided walk through the Old Town and entry to the sites you visit.

Do I need to be fit to do this tour?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels. It's a walking tour through the Old Town with some steep cobblestone streets, but the pace is leisurely and built around eating and stopping.

Can the itinerary change?

Yes. The specific menu items and locations may shift based on restaurant availability, weather, or other circumstances, but the five-dish structure and wine tastings remain.

Is public transport nearby?

Yes, public transportation options are available near the Old Town starting point.