What is there to do in Lyon with kids? We explored the city located in the middle of France, where many travelers stop on their way to vacation in the south of France. Lyon has a beautiful old town that is definitely worth seeing, and you can also have great food and drinks. Despite being a big city in France, you will have seen all the sights with kids in no more than 2 days. Here are the best sights to see in Lyon with kids.
Lyon with kids
#1 Tour boat
You can explore the city of Lyon with kids in several ways. One of these ways is by canal boat. Lyon lies right at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers, and of course you can take a tour on these rivers by canal boat. You have several tours that are offered.
It is a great way to see the city of Lyon from the water with kids and we always find it a fun activity to do with our daughter as long as the cruise is not too long. The shortest cruise takes 35 minutes, and this canal cruise sails to the Musée des Confluences, with museum admission included in a sort of combination ticket.
In addition, you have a one-hour canal tour, which sails past the historic buildings in the center and gives you a nice overview of the beautiful buildings of the city of Lyon. Take a look at the website of boat company Les Bateaux Lyonnais for the different tours and their prices.
#2 Mini World Lyon
You can also go to Mini World Lyon in Lyon with kids. Mini World Lyon is a miniature version of the city and its surroundings. Every 20 minutes, the city comes alive again. Every hour there is some kind of small light show in Mini World. Mini World Lyon is fully indoor, which also makes it a great activity for families with young kids when the weather is not so good in the city, for example.
Obviously the city of Lyon has been recreated in miniature in one room, but there are also rooms with all kinds of more unfamiliar villages from the French Alps that they have recreated. The miniature models have an enormous amount of detail. For kids, there is a lot to see here and the themes you can see here change all the time. You can also get a booklet at the box office where kids can check off what all they see inside.
Keep in mind that you have an hour (or 2) of entertainment here with kids. Mini World Lyon has a restaurant, but opposite Mini World Lyon is also a bakery, where they sell delicious sandwiches. If you have a Lyon City Card (we’ll discuss this card below), then you can go to Mini World Lyon “for free.
#3 Playgrounds throughout the city
Throughout the city are several fun playgrounds. For example, the city’s large main square (Place Bellecour) is home to a playground, where your kids can play and you can have a drink on the terraces near the square. This square is also home to fine restaurants. We had a nice pizza here near the square with the family.
Also on the waterfront by River Rhone, you have some nice waterfront play equipment. Buy some goodies at the supermarket and have a family picnic along the waterfront while the kids have fun on the playground equipment. Highly recommended here is the playground near the bridge Passerelle du College Pedestrian. Here you have two slides and a kind of wooden ship where the kids can play.
#4 Musée des Confluences
If you are in Lyon with kids, you can go to several museums in the city. The most famous museum in the city is the Musée des Confluences, which focuses on the development of mankind. The building is an extraordinary architectural feat and it looks something like some kind of spaceship. In the museum you will find many stuffed animals, a dinosaur skeleton and many human statues.
You have several permanent exhibits here, as well as temporary exhibits on a variety of topics. There are interesting subjects in the museum for everyone. The entrance fee to this family-friendly museum in Lyon is reasonable. At the top of the museum is a catering facility, where you can get an excellent view of Lyon with kids.
Many of the texts in the museum are in both English and French. You can park your car in the parking lot near the museum and from there it is about a 5-minute walk to the museum. You can also visit this museum with the Lyon City Card.
#5 Organized bicycle tour Lyon
There are several ways you can explore Lyon with kids. One of these ways is with an organized bike tour of the city. In fact, the organization Baja Bikes organizes guided bike tours through the city. We did a bike tour in France in Paris with Baja Bikes with our daughter and enjoyed it immensely.
You see a lot of the city of Lyon in a short time and it is definitely recommended to do this bike tour right at the beginning of the city trip. This is a nice introduction to the city. In total, this bike tour takes 2 hours. One disadvantage of this bike tour is that it is not suitable for all kids. For example, they have children’s bikes for kids as young as 11. And kids up to 6 years old can ride on the back with the parents on a child seat.
Therefore, this makes the bike tour not entirely suitable for all families with kids. Check online for more information about this organized bicycle tour of Lyon.
Of course, it is also possible to explore Lyon with kids independently by bike. For example, you have the rental company Holland Bikes that also rents out children’s bikes and electric cargo bikes. This way, you can also ride around the city independently on a bike with the family.
#6 Parc de la Tete d’Or
You can also go to a fun city park in Lyon with kids and that is Parc de la Tete d’Or. This is one of the largest urban parks in France with a whopping 120 hectares of surface area. The city park has a large rose garden, a zoo and a botanical garden, and all of these things are free to enter. This is also a great place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
What is special, of course, is that the zoo in the park is free to enter. In the zoo you will find elephants, tigers and zebras, among others. There are also of course playgrounds in the park, you can sail electric boats on a large lake, a little train runs through the park and two merry-go-rounds can be found.
You can understand that you can easily spend a half to full day in this park with your kids if you are in Lyon with kids.
#7 France Aventures
If you want to do something active in Lyon with kids, this is also very possible. This climbing park in Lyon has different courses and the easiest course is for kids from 4 years (1 meter in length). In total there are 6 different courses that you can climb with kids here in Lyon.
The most difficult courses are for kids as young as 10, so you can go here just fine with kids of different ages. We always really enjoy going climbing with our daughter at a climbing park abroad. You can also go to the climbing park for a sandwich with a drink and keep in mind that you will spend about half a day in Lyon with this activity.
Other children’s activities Lyon
In addition to the activities described above, there are more things to do in Lyon with kids. We briefly list the other children’s activities in Lyon below.
#8 Lyon Aquarium: You can also go to an aquarium in Lyon with kids. Of course, this is also a great activity if the weather is a little less in Lyon and you still want to do something in the city. The aquarium is not super big, but you have several aquariums with different tropical fish, rays and sharks. The aquarium is easily accessible both by public transportation and by car.
#9 Touropark: If you want to go to a slightly bigger amusement park with your kids, you will have to drive quite a bit. North of the city of Lyon just under an hour away by car is Touropark. This is a zoo, water park and amusement park all in one. There are also two more museums on the property. You do need a car to reach this amusement park and, of course, you have to set aside a whole day to visit this park.
#10 Aviation Museum: if your kids love anything that flies then the aviation museum in Lyon could be for you. There are dozens of planes and helicopters here for you to view.
#11 Free Walking Tour: you can walk around Lyon just fine with kids, but if you want a little more background of the city, you can also go out in the city with a guide. You can book several Free Walking Tours online, all with a different theme.
Most walking tours last a few hours and after the walking tour you give the guide a sum of money what you thought the tour was worth. So that way you can decide how much this walking tour of Lyon costs.
#12 Wakoo Park: a little outside the center of Lyon, you can take kids to a play park. Kids can play a lot here and you have inflatables and a traffic square where kids can ride go-karts.
Family-friendly hotel Lyon
You can stay in Lyon with kids just fine. You have plenty of family-friendly accommodations in the city center that you can book as a family with kids.
During our city break in Lyon, we slept at Novotel Lyon Gerland Musée des Confluences and we liked it very much. The hotel is located on the banks of the Rhone River and parking is easily available at the hotel.
In addition, the hotel has a small swimming pool and in the morning you can have a delicious breakfast here. We had a spacious room with a bathtub (which the ladies really like) and not too far from downtown. We really liked it for not too much money during our stopover in the city of Lyon.
Budget hotel: Novotel Lyon Gerland Musée des Confluences
Mid-range hotel: Citadines Presqu’ile Lyon
Luxury hotel: Hotel des Celestins
Also check out the entire list of family-friendly hotels in Lyon.
Family-friendly restaurant Lyon
Lyon is a big city and therefore the city is also a great place to eat with the family. You have many restaurants located in the center and there are also plenty of restaurants, where you can sit outside on the terrace. Besides the French restaurants, you also have plenty of international restaurants here where you can go in Lyon with kids. We list some family-friendly restaurants in Lyon below.
Piquin: this is a Mexican restaurant in the center of Lyon, where you can go and eat tasty tacos. The restaurant has a lot of different types of tacos and its price-quality ratio is very good.
La Voie Himalaya: we love Asian restaurants and especially if they also serve Indian food. Especially since these restaurants also have many vegetarian options. If your kids do not like spicy food, please mention this when ordering, so they can take this into account.
L’affreux Jojo: If you are looking for a restaurant, where you can eat tasty pizzas in Lyon with kids, then this family-friendly restaurant in Lyon is a good option. The restaurant is nicely decorated and with public transportation, this restaurant is very easy to reach in Lyon.
By the way, you can eat at several fast food restaurants in Lyon with kids. The well-known chains such as McDonald’s are located in the city center. With kids, these can also be fine restaurants for a quick bite to eat with kids.
Transportation to and in Lyon
Most families travel to Lyon by car. We ourselves also traveled to this French city by car. However, it is also possible for a city break to Lyon with kids that you travel to the city in other ways. For example, you can also reach Lyon by plane and by train.
For example, from the other major French cities you can very easily travel to Lyon by train and that way you will also be right in the center of the city. At the Lyon airport, you can possibly rent a car through Sunny Cars. We always rent abroad with this company with our family and take a look online to rent a car in Lyon.
In the city itself, you can take a great walk. We also did this with our daughter. In addition, you can travel around the city of Lyon with kids just fine by metro. You have four different metro lines lying throughout the city, making it very easy to travel around the city by public transportation. Of course, it is also possible to use the bus or cab in Lyon.
Best travel time Lyon with kids
The best travel time to explore Lyon with kids is from June through September. During this period you have the best chance that the sun is shining in Lyon and that the temperatures are pleasant. After all, you are mainly outside during a city trip to Lyon with the family and then it is best if the weather is pleasant.
In the months of July and August you have the highest temperatures and then it can regularly be 30 degrees in the city. This can be quite warm for a city break, though. In addition, these are the busiest months in the city. We also visited Lyon with our daughter during this period and it was definitely hot, but we found it doable.
Now if you want to escape the crowds and heat a bit during a city break to Lyon with kids, June and September are good months to visit the city. Of course, even in the summer months there can be frequent rain showers, but there are plenty of activities to do in the city that you can do indoors with kids.
Lyon City Card
During a city break to Lyon with kids, it is also possible to purchase Lyon City Card. If you want to visit many museums and other attractions with your kids, the Lyon City Card can be beneficial.
You have free admission to 23 museums, you can take a free canal cruise with the card and public transportation is also included in the price of the card. See in advance where all you want to go in Lyon and then see if the card offers a benefit for you and your family. Especially if you’re staying in the city a bit longer, this card can definitely be beneficial for families with kids. So check online for the Lyon City Card.
