Best time to visit
Best Time to Visit Lyon
France's culinary capital, built on a peninsula between two rivers, with a UNESCO-listed old town of hidden passageways. It's often ranked alongside Paris for its food scene, without anywhere near the same crowds.
Best time to visit: April to June or September to October.
Local tip: Eat at a traditional bouchon — Lyon's classic small restaurants serving hearty local dishes like quenelles and andouillette.
Getting around: A funicular connects Vieux Lyon to the Fourvière hilltop, and the city's metro and tram network covers the rest comfortably without a car.
Good to know: Many traboules are inside private residential buildings but remain publicly accessible during daylight hours — keep noise down, as people actually live there.
What to plan your trip around
- Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière
A hilltop basilica with sweeping views across Lyon and, on clear days, the Alps.
- Vieux Lyon
One of the largest Renaissance districts in Europe, full of narrow cobbled streets.
- Traboules
Hidden covered passageways once used by silk workers to move goods between streets.
- Presqu'île
The peninsula between Lyon's two rivers, home to the city's main shopping streets and squares.
Lyon weather by month
Lyon weather by month
Average temperatures and rainfall Lyon gets in each month (2011–2020). Tap a month for the full breakdown.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C | 0°C | 66 mm | 91% |
| February | 8°C | -1°C | 48 mm | 86% |
| March | 13°C | 2°C | 54 mm | 82% |
| April | 17°C | 5°C | 64 mm | 77% |
| May | 20°C | 9°C | 85 mm | 76% |
| June | 25°C | 13°C | 76 mm | 71% |
| July | 28°C | 16°C | 73 mm | 64% |
| August | 28°C | 15°C | 63 mm | 62% |
| September | 24°C | 12°C | 55 mm | 67% |
| October | 18°C | 8°C | 81 mm | 79% |
| November | 11°C | 3°C | 86 mm | 88% |
| December | 8°C | 1°C | 77 mm | 91% |
Lyon through the year
January · 6° / 0°C · 66 mm
- It's one of the greyest months, with cloud cover near 76%.
- Pack for frost — nights average 0°C in January.
April · 17° / 5°C · 64 mm
- Just 90 km apart, but Lyon runs about 3°C warmer than Grenoble this month.
- Comfortable temperatures make it easy to walk between Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière and Vieux Lyon.
July · 28° / 16°C · 73 mm
- Good walking weather for combining Vieux Lyon and Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière in one day.
- July is Lyon's second warmest month.
October · 18° / 8°C · 81 mm
- Just 90 km apart, but Lyon runs about 3°C warmer than Grenoble this month.
- It cools down fast from here: November is about 7°C cooler.
The best time to visit Lyon is April, August and September, when average highs are 17–28°C and rainfall is around 61 mm a month.
At a glance
When to go to Lyon, season by season
December – February
Cold7° / 0°C · 64 mm
Cool to cold days. Fine for museums and city breaks, less so for the beach.
March – May
Good16° / 5°C · 68 mm
Comfortable weather overall, with fewer visitors than peak season.
June – August
Good27° / 15°C · 71 mm
Comfortable weather overall, with fewer visitors than peak season.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to visit Lyon?
- For pleasant, fairly dry weather, go to Lyon in April, August and September. Average highs are then 17–28°C.
- Why is April a good time to visit Lyon?
- In April, Lyon averages 17°C by day and 5°C at night, with about 64 mm of rain and 60% cloud cover: warm enough to be outdoors without the peak heat or the wettest weather.
- What is the warmest month in Lyon?
- August is the warmest month in Lyon, with average highs of 28°C and lows of 15°C.
- What is the coldest month in Lyon?
- January is the coldest month in Lyon: average highs of 6°C, dropping to 0°C at night.
- When does it rain the most in Lyon?
- November is the wettest month in Lyon with about 86 mm of rain. The driest is February, with around 48 mm.
- When is the worst time to visit Lyon?
- January is the least pleasant month in Lyon, with average highs of just 6°C. It's still fine for museums and fewer crowds.
- Is the shoulder season a good time to visit Lyon?
- Yes. May and October sit just outside the best months for Lyon, with average highs of 18–20°C and about 83 mm of rain a month. Weather-wise, they are a good alternative to the peak months.
- How can I check the weather in Lyon before I travel?
- Compare the live forecast for Lyon from three independent weather services on WeatherCompare. When they agree, the forecast is more reliable.
Cite or embed this data
Writing about this destination? Copy a ready-made citation or embed a live widget — free, just keep the link.
Best time to visit Lyon. WeatherCompare, 2026 (climate averages: NASA POWER / ERA5, 2011–2020). https://weathercompare.eu/guides/best-time-to-visit/france/lyon
<a href="https://weathercompare.eu/guides/best-time-to-visit/france/lyon">Best time to visit Lyon</a> (WeatherCompare)
<iframe src="https://weathercompare.eu/embed/france/lyon" width="300" height="160" style="border:0;border-radius:12px" loading="lazy" title="Best time to visit Lyon"></iframe> <p style="font-size:12px"><a href="https://weathercompare.eu/guides/best-time-to-visit/france/lyon">Best time to visit Lyon</a> – WeatherCompare</p>