Day 1

Afternoon

Plunge straight from landing, an easy transfer with Emirates Holidays and smooth check in at one of their partner hotels, into Lyon’s medieval heart. Doing so on a food walking tour is one of the best ways to get to know any city. Secret Food Tours Lyon (secretfoodtours.com/lyon) offers three hours of culinary highlights woven with snippets of history as you wander. Start at the steps of Temple du Change and head first to Maison Pignol (pignol.fr), a Lyonnaise institution. Today, under Jean-Paul Pignol, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), and his son Baptiste, the House blends tradition with fresh energy. Here, sample creamy cervelle de canut, a silk workers’ cheese alongside fine regional charcuterie. The canuts, Lyon’s renowned silk weavers, helped make the city Europe’s silk capital in the 1600s, while the invention of the Jacquard loom by Lyonnais native Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1804 cemented that status.

Next, wander over to Place de la Baleine, where braving the queue outside Terre Adélice (terre-adelice.eu) is de rigueur. This ice cream parlour celebrates Ardèche fruits like pear, quince and blueberry, floral notes of hibiscus and rose, and more unusual flavours such as Roquefort or chestnut pumpkin.

A short stroll away, follow the buttery aroma along Rue Saint-Jean, one of Vieux Lyon’s busiest and most atmospheric streets, lined with souvenir shops, bouchons and centuries-old façades. This is also where you’ll find Pralus (chocolats-pralus.com). Founded by Auguste Pralus – a MOF and legendary pastry chef – the shop’s signature Praluline has been a Lyonnaise favourite since 1955. Expect a rich brioche studded with crunchy pink pralines, warm and impossible to resist.

"Continue through the old town’s cobbled lanes (Emirates Holidays’ cap and water bottle in hand to beat the summer heat), discovering hidden traboules. These secret passageways, like architectural wormholes, slip through courtyards and spiral stone staircases, weaving an invisible network behind Renaissance façades. Traboule 27 Saint Jean – 6 rue des Trois Maries is an exquisite example with colourful staircases and Italian-inspired galleries from the 16th century. When you pop out, you’ll see a shop that is a treasure trove packed with antique maps, vintage postcards and coveted photos."

"Rue du Bœuf is one of the old town’s most atmospheric streets. It’s also France’s most decorated Michelin-starred stretch, home to some of the city’s finest dining. Then head towards the riverfront to admire the grand Palais de Justice, a fine Neoclassical monument, with its impressive 24 Corinthian columns. Nearby, the moving Weight of Oneself statue stands sentinel along the quay.

End your stroll at Oacao (oacao.fr), a Willy Wonka-style chocolatier dreamt up by Pascal Brunstein – another MOF and world chocolate champion – together with his sons Tom and Nathan. Their delicate yuzu caramel milk chocolate buttons are addictive!"

Evening

For a more contemporary taste of Lyon, and one that feels like a true local experience, slip quietly away from the bustle to Chez Pimousse (chezpimousse.com) – a cosy bistro tucked on the river’s edge, where neighbours, friends, strangers and even chef Pierre Michaël Martin’s two young daughters gather around tables like family.

“It should be a place to share, have fun and feel at home,” says Pierre Michaël, who opened Pimousse during lockdown with the simple aim of good food and good company.

His philosophy is refreshingly unpretentious: follow the seasons, let the producers inspire you and change the menu whenever the mood strikes. “Whatever comes to mind – do this, do that,” he smiles. There are three menus on offer – go for the Discovery option: four courses that offer the perfect middle ground and a clear sense of his creativity.

Expect delights like a devilled egg bursting with fresh herbs, green beans that could convert any sceptic – crisp and bright with seasonal peach, hazelnuts and muscat vinegar. There might be lamb with wild asparagus, earthy chanterelles, summer truffle and juicy currants, finishing with a playful meringue and lovage sorbet.

DAY 2

Morning

Start the day with a pilgrimage to Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse (halles-de-lyon-paulbocuse.com) the city’s iconic indoor market named after its most beloved culinary hero. Paul Bocuse, fondly called Monsieur Paul, revolutionised French cuisine and turned Lyon into a global capital of good food. His name here is more than branding; it’s a promise of impeccable quality, artistry and tradition under one roof.

Step inside and you’re greeted by an intoxicating swirl of sights and scents: rows of dangling saucisson, seafood counters gleaming with oysters and lobster, and pastry stalls stacked with glossy tarts and candy-coloured macarons. Don’t miss Voisin’s Coussins de Lyon, delicate green marzipan cushions that are a true local sweet. The air is filled with the aroma of fresh bread drifting from artisanal boulangeries, while chocolatiers tempt you with glossy truffles and pralines that glisten like jewels.

Save time for the cheese counters: legendary names like Mons, La Mère Richard and Cellerier promise a treasure trove of the finest fromages. And before you fill your basket, follow the tasting notes of MOF François Robin to navigate some of the region’s finest cheeses.

Saint-Marcellin, Lyon’s own soft cow’s milk treasure, is runny, tangy and bold, with its richer cousin Saint-Félicien offering even more indulgence. Earthy, nutty Reblochon from Haute-Savoie melts to perfect creaminess, while its dense farmhouse cousins build flavour from the rind inward. In contrast, delicate Saint-Nectaire reveals wild, edible rinds and subtle earthiness.

Alpine Beaufort dazzles with fruity, nutty depth and crystalline texture, and Fourme d’Ambert blue brings a creamy, balanced bite with a comforting salty edge.

Midday

Continue your day steeped in the spirit of Monsieur Paul with an exquisite lunch at the legendary Restaurant Paul Bocuse (bocuse.fr), just outside Lyon in Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or. Here lunch is not simply a meal – it’s a performance, a tribute, and a continuation of a story that began more than a century ago. Seated in a private dining room at one of the grandes tables, we experience not only exquisite food but also the living legacy of the “pope of gastronomy”. This two-Michelin-star restaurant is housed inside Bocuse’s family home – the very place where he was born and where he passed away, overlooking the Saône.

Chef Gilles Reinhardt, a MOF and long-time protégé of Monsieur Paul, speaks with quiet reverence and unwavering loyalty. “We owe him everything,” he says. “There isn’t a morning we don’t think of him. We have a duty to preserve his memory, to be present, to show we’re here, and to continue this adventure. Last year we celebrated 100 years.”

"Having arrived as a young commis, Gilles never left, rising through the ranks before being entrusted – alongside chefs Olivier Couvin and pastry chef Benoît Charvet – with evolving this culinary temple.

“We are not here to revolutionise everything but to keep alive the cuisine he loved so much – to keep this tradition alive and moving forward,” says Gilles."

He adds, “Every dish we create, we ask ourselves: would Monsieur Paul have liked this? For example, he loved tomato salad – so we think, how can we transform that into a gastronomic dish?”

Their modern Tomato is just that: a whole tomato that tastes like candy, a roasted version, a sesame seed tuile and a refreshing sorbet – classic flavours, modernised.

Lunch is a symphony of refinement: voluptuous quenelles of lobster and pikeperch arrive under a moreish sauce crowned with a glint of caviar. Red mullet, cooked petit bateau style, recalls a Provençal bouillabaisse. Then comes the showstopper – whole Bresse chicken AOP, luxuriously truffled and cooked in a bladder, ceremoniously carved tableside and served with cream and morels.

"The dessert trolley is a dream: to-die-for chocolate tarts, fraisiers, pistachio pastries and a glorious île flottante crowned with bright pink praline, light as air.

Here, 80 or so passionate staff care for each guest with an extraordinary ratio of one chef for every diner. In this gilded house of tradition and modernity, you feel not just fed, but deeply moved – by the memory, the mastery and the magic of Lyon’s culinary heart. "

As Gilles reminds us, “The Rhône-Alpes region is France’s pantry: everything aligns here for good eating. It’s our responsibility to keep that alive.”

Late afternoon/evening

Even in Lyon, it’s good to occasionally stop thinking about where the next meal is coming from – especially after a day spent celebrating all things Bocuse. So, linger at your hotel and let Boscolo Lyon (boscolocollection.com) take care of everything instead. Booking this five-star luxury stay with Emirates Holidays, with your flight, is the easiest way to go.

Set on the Presqu’île, the peninsula wedged between the Rhône and Saône rivers, this elegant five-star haven places you just steps from the city’s best shopping streets and the storied lanes of Vieux Lyon. Housed in a beautifully restored heritage building, the Boscolo fuses classic French architecture with a subtle Italian accent. Inside, soft light plays off velvet, polished black marble and contemporary touches, creating spaces that feel both opulent and inviting.

Down in the basement, an ancient Roman thermal bath has been reimagined as a serene spa retreat, complete with a heated indoor pool, sauna, steam room and plush daybeds – the perfect antidote for weary legs after pounding Lyon’s cobbles, or a day of culinary indulgence.

Rooms are light-filled and spacious, especially the elegant Junior Suites, each the size of small apartments, offering king-size beds, cosy sofas and tranquil courtyard views. The opulent Grand Salon Sous Verrière is flooded with daylight beneath its striking skylight and is a good spot for a pre- or post-sightseeing repose.

DAY 3

Morning

Round off your 48 hours in true Lyonnaise style with a morning leg-stretch up leafy Fourvière Hill – or take the charming funiculaire from Rue de Bœuf if you’d rather save on time and energy. At the top, the city’s beloved Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière crowns the skyline with its glittering mosaics and storybook towers, while Lyon’s very own mini Eiffel Tower stands quietly nearby. From the esplanade, the whole city spills out below in a patchwork of rivers, rooftops and Renaissance lanes.

Amble back down through the shaded gardens, stop at Boulangerie du Palais (boulangerie-du-palais-lyon.eatbu.com) for a praline allumette, then linger over Boscolo’s breakfast (especially the signature truffle omelette) before Emirates Holidays’ transfer picks you up and it’s time to fly.

Get in touch

Plan your dream Lyon gastronomic adventure with Emirates Holidays – combining seamless flights, private transfers and a luxurious stay at Boscolo Lyon. For more information, visit emiratesholidays.com.