Lyon: Ancient Alleys & Silk Secrets Walking Tour

Paul was an incredible guide — friendly, informative, and full of fascinating insights about Lyon’s history and culture. He made the city come alive with his storytelling and genuine enthusiasm. On top of that, he shared fantastic local food recommendations in the best neighborhood, which gave us the perfect plan for where to eat afterward. Everything he suggested was absolutely delicious! We couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Highly recommend Paul to anyone visiting Lyon!

Friends of mine told me that this tour in Lyon with Paul was excellent and recommended booking well in advance. It was indeed exceptional. Paul had a clear voice and managed to keep the group under control. His knowledge of Lyon was very good and his enthusiasm made listening to him a joy!

This is a great walking tour. We were about 25 people, but Paul made sure we all could hear him and see what he was telling us about. He was also very helpful since most of our tour was spent in the Croix-Rousse which is hilly with staircases, and he tried to make it easier for us older folks and even a couple with a baby in a stroller. The Croix-rousse tour is the best as it also covers some of Fourviere Hill, the vieux Lyon, a few Traboules and discussion of the bouchon restaurants. However, the croix-rousse is far more interesting as he shows how the development of the silk trade had a great impact on Lyon and the world. Paul's is a great storyteller which makes the tour so fascinating, along with a lot of visuals he carries in his bag and the sites he brings you to see. Paul also provides a lot of very useful info about Lyon at his website. This is easily the most useful resource I found for what to see and do in Lyon. Finally, while the tour is free (he makes the point), do tip him. He doesn't hard-sell it but he will let you know at the end so you can tip him at that point (most people do). The tour is very worth the tip and will be a fraction of what you would pay to one of the online services or travel agencies.

This is a very interesting tour. We had been in Lyon for 2 days prior and done an ebike tour and walked around discovering places. On this tour, it took you to places that you normally would not find. Our guide Paul is fantastic. He knows heaps, keeps you interested, and is a fun guy. The history of Lyon is amazing. There are some steps and elevation on the tour, but you have enough stops in the commentary, and the pace is very manageable for most people. It is a great tour and not expensive expensive. Paul also gives some great recommendations for local bars and culinary experiences

Excellent walk and talk by Paul, we certainly learnt a lot about Lyon. We were a bit concerned at first as there were 30 of us, but Paul had a nice loud voice. He was a bit like the pied piper, at the end there were 37 of us!

Terrific tour, full of knowledge. Really brought the old city to life. Highly recommended. Some stairs up and down, so not suited for limited mobility. (Hard to tour the area without using stairs)

A very good introduction to city highlights with a knowledgeable and engaging guide. Paul handled a large group extremely well, was experienced and well prepared, and regaled us with lots of interesting titbits and stories. Couldn’t believe it was so inexpensive for the quality of the experience

What a great walking tour with Paul. Such a great introduction and orientation to the city. We saw so much in such a short time that we would never have come across ourselves Paul was informative and witty Highly recommended!

Paul our guide was extremely knowledgeable about Lyon; inclusive, he engaged us all and we were a big group! Enjoyed the fact that Paul offered restaurant and other site suggestions .We always plan a walking tour when visiting somewhere new and this didn’t disappoint!

Very good walking tour with Paul. So much interesting information, historical facts and also current tips on where to go and what to do.