About Lyon
Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône and is the standard embarkation port for southbound Rhône-Saône itineraries. The Renaissance Vieux Lyon quarter on the right bank — with its traboules, the covered passages between buildings — is a UNESCO site, and the Fourvière hill above is crowned by a basilica reached by funicular. Cruises generally moor on the Quai Claude Bernard within walking distance of the Place Bellecour, and most operators include a Lyonnais bouchon dinner during the embarkation overnight.
River cruise ships that call at Lyon
16 vessels from 11 operators include Lyon in their published itineraries:
Itineraries that include Lyon
- Burgundy & Provence
- Taste of Southern France
Operators serving Lyon
Viking River Cruises
Scandinavian-styled Longships exploring Europe's great waterways.
AmaWaterways
Boutique river ships with twin balconies and onboard bicycles.
Avalon Waterways
Suite Ships with beds that face the river.
Scenic Luxury Cruises
All-inclusive Space-Ships with butler-served suites.
Emerald Cruises
Star-Ships with an indoor pool that converts to a cinema.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Floating boutique hotels with hand-curated antiques.
CroisiEurope
Family-owned French line covering Europe's lesser-known rivers.
Tauck
Family-owned American operator with multi-generational departures.
A-ROSA River Cruises
Lifestyle river cruising for a German-speaking market.
Riviera Travel
British operator with single-supplement cabins on every ship.
Amadeus River Cruises
Family-owned Austrian line with classic European itineraries.
Rivers reached from Lyon
Seine
Seine river cruises round-trip from Paris, threading through Monet's Giverny, Richard the Lionheart's Château Gaillard, and the half-timbered streets of Rouen before…
Rhône & Saône
The combined Rhône and Saône itinerary runs the length of Burgundy and Provence — from the gastronomic capital of Lyon down to…
Main & Moselle
The Main and Moselle are the most picturesque tributaries of the Rhine. The Moselle in particular — a thirty-mile sequence of horseshoe…