Cool spots in Lyon

Cooling down indoors

The museums of Lyon

For a cultural visit away from the heat, make your way to one of Lyon’s main museums. Each offers a varied and entertaining programme throughout the year. Don’t forget, they are all included in Lyon’s culture and leisure pass: the Lyon City Card!

The Lyon Aquarium

Set off on a voyage across the globe! The Lyon Aquarium offers visitors a chance to discover more than 300 salt and freshwater species from around the world. A great experience for children and adults.

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Aquarium de Lyon

Mini World Lyon

Enter the world of miniatures, in La Soie district... Surprisingly realistic animated worlds on a reduced scale await you in a fully air-conditioned area. And this summer, for a change, you've got a date with life-size dinosaurs!

Exalto

Are you looking for action and excitement? Located near the Puces du Canal flea market, the Exalto leisure complex has eight air-conditioned activity areas with bowling alleys, laser games, escape games, trampolines and more.

City Surf Park

For those who love riding waves, the City Surf Park indoor wave pool is the largest in Europe and adapts to the skill level of participants so that they can surf in complete safety. A unique spot located in the new OL Vallée leisure centre, CitySurfPark is the perfect plan for cooling off!

Planetarium 

Take a break from the sun’s rays for a while and explore the Moon, planets and stars at the Planetarium. In its cool indoor environment, you can swap your sunglasses for a telescope and marvel at the wonders of the universe.

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Laurent Cerino

Eclipso

At Eclipso, you can discover the Great Pyramid of Giza or the lost world of the dinosaurs! Experience an immersive expedition through virtual reality at the Confluence shopping and leisure centre. 

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Emissive / Excurio

Shopping centres and cinemas

Les Lyon's shopping centers (Part-Dieu, Printemps, Confluence…) and cinemas are open all summer for a spot of shopping or a movie, in a cool indoor space.

A breath of fresh outdoor air

The parks and gardens of Lyon

Why not take an early morning walk, before the sun gets too hot, or a family picnic in one of Lyon’s many parks and gardens of Lyon, such as Tête d’Or Park and its lake in the 6th district, Blandan Park, a haven of green in the 7th district, and the Jardin des Curiosités in the 5th district, with its stunning panoramic view of the city. You are spoilt for choice in Lyon!

The City Aventure leisure park

Located in the hundred-year-old forest of Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, just a few minutes from Lyon city centre, the City Aventure leisure park is an ideal place for a sporty family day out in a green setting. Beneath the shade of the trees, discover an enchanted world in the company of Ekô et la Tribu des Kofans (Ekô and the Kofans Tribe)… Ready to experience an incredible adventure?

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City Aventure

France Aventures

Just a few minutes from Lyon, at the Fort de Bron, you will find the tree-climbing adventure park France Aventures. Beneath the shade of the trees, share fun and thrills with your family or friends. 

Grottes de la Balme

Just 40 minutes from Lyon, enjoy the charms of this rare and mysterious natural cave site: the Grottes de la Balme. Explore the galleries of this subterranean world, featuring natural labyrinths, an underground lake, stalagmites and stalactites. The temperature in the Grottes de la Balme is stable all year round, ranging from 12 to 15°C in winter and summer!

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© Les Grottes de la Balme

Grotte Chauvet

Discover humanity’s earliest masterpiece, dating back some 36,000 years. In a 29-hectare wooded park, the world’s largest cave replica – Grotte Chauvet 2-Ardèche – recreates the magic of the UNESCO-listed Chauvet Cave.

Grottes du Cerdon

Just over an hour from Lyon, you can discover the Grottes de Cerdon: a 45-minute to 1½-hour journey in a magnificent subterranean environment beginning where an ancient stream plunged underground. Wonder at how water has carved out this natural masterpiece over the ages. After crossing the grand chamber, the path leads to a stunning panoramic viewpoint along a cliff face looking out over the rolling landscape of the Reculée de Cerdon. At the end of the visit, you will find a unique porch offering a window into prehistory.

What better way to cool down than an outing on the water? Isabelle offers a selection of activities to discover Lyon by the  water. Enjoy the coolness and change of scenery!

The City of Lyon has also provided an interactive map of cool locations and routes that are freely accessible by all during the given time slots.