Fourvière in Lyon: basilica, funicular and Roman theatre
4 min read
The answer first
Take the funicular up from Vieux Lyon and decide at the top whether to walk back down. Fourvière hill rises above Vieux Lyon and carries the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière and the ancient theatre of Fourvière. If you would rather have the story told, the City Highlights Walking Tour lists the ancient theatre of Fourvière among its stops and takes in the basilica on its 2-hour option only (€22, 4.9/5 from 1,320 reviews).
Getting up the hill
The city’s public transport operator, TCL, runs two funicular lines, F1 and F2; the one for Fourvière is F2, which leaves from Vieux Lyon. It is part of the normal TCL network, so a TCL ticket is what you need. Fares change and so does the timetable during maintenance, so look at tcl.fr on the day. The booking page of the Lyon City Card (€32) lists unlimited metro, tram, bus and funicular rides.
If you do not want to walk back down, use the funicular in both directions.
The basilica and the site
The sanctuary’s own website gives these times for access to the site:
- Basilica: 7:00 to 20:00, to 21:00 on Sundays
- Crypt: 8:30 to 18:30
- Gardens: 6:30 to 22:30
- Esplanade gates: 6:30 to 23:00
Masses are held in the basilica several times a day (weekdays at 7:30, 11:00 and 17:30; Sundays at 7:30, 9:30, 11:00 and 17:30), so keep quiet and leave a mass to the people who came for it.
The Roman theatres
The ancient theatre and the odeon are run by Lugdunum, the Métropole’s museum of Roman Lyon. According to Lugdunum, the theatres are open every day from 7:00 to 19:00 between 1 October and 30 April and from 7:00 to 21:00 between 2 May and 30 September, and closed on 1 January and 1 May. The museum next to them opens Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 to 18:00 and at weekends from 10:00 to 18:00. The nearest funicular stop is Minimes on line F1 (towards Saint-Just), which also leaves from Vieux Lyon. The booking page of the Lyon City Card lists the Lugdunum museum among its included museums.
By bus
The Lyon hop-on hop-off bus (€25) has two stops on the hill, listed on its page: Théâtres Gallo-Romains and Fourvière itself. The operator, Lyon City Tour, lists the bus as wheelchair accessible; confirm the details with the operator before you go. See our guide to the bus and the City Card for the whole route.
Side by side
| Way up | What the page says | Price |
|---|---|---|
| TCL funicular F2 | Part of the TCL network; check the fare on tcl.fr | see tcl.fr |
| Walking tour | 1.5 or 2 hours; the basilica only on the 2-hour option | €22 |
| Hop-on hop-off bus | 1 or 2 days, stops at Fourvière and the Roman theatres | €25 |
When not to go
Fourvière is a hill, and most of the visit happens outdoors. If the weather is bad, the museums are the better choice (see Lyon in the rain).
Our recommendation
For most people: funicular up, a look at the basilica and the view, then walk down into Vieux Lyon and on to the traboules. Book the walking tour if you want a guide. More ideas under things to do in Lyon.
