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Discover the origins of Christianity in Lugdunum (Lyon), home to the first major Christian church in Gaul, on this immersive half-day tour.

Visit the Church of Saint Irenaeus, site of Lyon’s oldest church, and, from June 2026, explore its crypt and Calvary. Here, Saint Irenaeus was entombed until the Wars of Religion, alongside martyrs Alexander and Epipodius of 178 AD. Stroll past the Roman Baths and Great Roman Theatres, then uncover the Dungeon of Saint Pothinus and the remarkable Crypt of Mosaics at L’Antiquaille Museum, which tells the story of the 48 martyrs who perished in the persecution of Lyon’s first Christians in 177 AD.

The tour also includes a short guided visit to Fourvière Basilica. 

Option Extras: 

House and Chapel of Blessed Pauline Jaricot: Founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and the Association of the Living Rosary. A peaceful and inspiring site of devotion and charity.

 UNESCO World Heritage Site St Jean Baptiste Cathedral, and Vieux Lyon, A short skip tour of the city’s historic Renaissance quarter and its historic  cathedral, built on the site of a 6th century church. Discover its rich history, marvel at its famous astronomical clock, and explore other treasures of the district with this optional guided tour. (If you wish to be guranteed access to a Traboule, we must visit in the morning). 

A compact, unforgettable journey through Lyon’s earliest Christian heritage.

Step into the ancient heart of Lyon on this exclusive full-day tour, tracing the city’s Christian roots from Roman times through the Renaissance and up to the 19th century. This carefully curated journey offers an intimate and in-depth experience, perfect for pilgrims, history enthusiasts, and anyone seeking not just a deeper understanding of Lyon and its culture but also its spiritual heritage.

Begin at St Jean Baptiste Cathedral and the Old Baptistry, then explore the hidden but famous Grande Traboule and other highlights of Lyon’s Renaissance quarter. 

Then ascend Fourvière Hill,to where Lugdunum (Lyon) began and the districts St Just and St Irenée, the rarely visited cradle of early Christianity in the city. Visit the oldest Church in Lyon, the Church of Saint Irenaeus — and from June 2026, its crypt and Calvary. Walk past the Roman Baths and Great Roman Theatres, then uncover the Dungeon of Saint Pothinus and the stunning Crypt of Mosaics at L’Antiquaille Museum, dedicated to the Christian martyrs of 177 AD. The day culminates at the majestic Fourvière Basilica, a spiritual and architectural treasure.

Optional Add Ons:

House and Chapel of Blessed Pauline Jaricot: Founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and the Association of the Living Rosary. A peaceful and inspiring site of devotion and charity.

Presqu’île: Explore the heart of Lyon, including St Nizier Church, one of the city’s oldest churches and a site of Marian devotion; the stunning Place des Terreaux; the Basilica and Tomb of Saint Bonaventure; and a walk past the home of Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, founder of the Society of St Vincent de Paul.

This is more than a tour — it’s a comprehensive journey through Lyon’s living story of faith, courage, and history, an experience that will leave a lasting impression.

Step into Lyon’s hidden history on this exclusive private tour. Explore the Brotteaux Crypt at Sainte-Croix Chapel, a moving tribute to the victims and martyrs of the Siege of Lyon in 1793, and uncover the city’s remarkable suffering and courage as it went through the Revolution. 

Visit some of Presqu’île’s most historic sites, including Place des Terreaux, St Nizier Church, the Basilica and Tomb of Saint Bonaventure, and Place Cordeliers — all arranged around your private crypt appointment.

Optional Add Ons: 

Begin at the Amphitheatre of Croix-Rousse, where Saint Blandine was martyred and explore Lyon’s vibrant silk-weaving district.

A private, once-in-a-lifetime journey through Lyon’s living history of faith.

It is also possible to book a tour of the just the Crypt if you would like to spend time reflecting and praying there and visiting a couple of the other stunning churches nearby.

Step away from the rush of daily life and enter a journey of prayer, contemplation, and encounter. This tour invites you to move slowly through sacred sites in Lyon—Fourvière Basilica, the home of Blessed Pauline Jaricot, and the resting places of Saint Pothin and the early martyrs—focuing on Mary accompanyng us ever closer to her Son. Pause, reflect, and let the richness of Marian devotion guide your heart closer to Jesus in a space of quiet awe and spiritual renewal.

Immerse yourself in the rich Marian heritage of Lyon on this reflective and inspiring tour. Begin at L’Antiquaille Museum, exploring the Dungeon of Saint Pothinus and the Crypt of Mosaics, to understand the origins of Christianity and of Marian devotion in Lyon, believed to have been brought by Saint Pothinus, the city’s first bishop.

Next, visit the house and chapel of Blessed Pauline Jaricot, founder of the Association of the Living Rosary, a remarkable figure whose life and work exemplified devotion and missionary zeal and who had a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin and the Rosary prayer. From there, ascend through the reflective Rosary Garden to the majestic Fourvière Basilica.

At Fourvière, enjoy a detailed tour, taking time to explore the original Chapel of the Virgin and the later additions of the Crypt of Saint Joseph,  and the stunning upper Basilica, designed by architect Pierre Bossan, as a poem of love to the Our Lady her Queenship of Heaven. 

Learn about the deep spiritual significance of Our Lady to the people of Lyon, the vows of the city’s aldermen when Lyon was consecrated to her and is every 8th September since, the origin of the famous Festival of Lights, and the global missionary influence that has spread from this sacred hill throughout the world.

This tour offers a unique journey of faith, combining history, devotion, and reflection, and invites participants to experience Lyon through the lens of Marian spirituality.

Optional Add on: 

UNESCO World Heritage Site St Jean Baptiste Cathedral, and Vieux Lyon, A short skip tour of the city’s historic Renaissance quarter and its historic  cathedral, built on the site of a 6th century church. Discover its rich history, marvel at its famous astronomical clock, and explore other treasures of the district with this optional guided tour. (If you wish to be guranteed access to a Traboule, we must visit in the morning). 

Church of Saint Irenaeus, site of Lyon’s oldest church, (and, from June 2026, explore its crypt and Calvary). Here, Saint Irenaeus was entombed until the Wars of Religion, alongside martyrs Alexander and Epipodius, who were martyred in 178 AD

 A half- or full-day pilgrimage tour, where we walk through carefully chosen sites such as Fourvière Basilica, St Pothin’s Prison cell, the crypt at L’Antiquaille and at St Irenée (once the crypt reopens), the chapel of St Philomena at the house of Bl Pauline Jaricot, and other locations of your choosing. 

This journey unfolds at a slower, more reflective pace, interwoven with moments of silent and communcal prayer, opportunities for personal contemplation, and Eucharistic Adoration. 

This pilgrimage invites you to take time out to walk with  Our Lady of Fourvière, in communion with the saints and martyrs of Lyon, towards her Son, Jesus. It is a chance to take time out of the busyness of life to listen, to reflect, to rest, to give thanks and to just simpley be.

Step into Lyon’s hidden history on this exclusive private tour. Explore the Brotteaux Crypt at Sainte-Croix Chapel, a moving tribute to the victims and martyrs of the Siege of Lyon in 1793, and uncover the city’s remarkable suffering and courage as it went through the Revolution. 

Visit some of Presqu’île’s most historic sites, including Place des Terreaux, St Nizier Church, the Basilica and Tomb of Saint Bonaventure, and Place Cordeliers — all arranged around your private crypt appointment.

Optional Add Ons: 

Begin at the Amphitheatre of Croix-Rousse, where Saint Blandine was martyred and explore Lyon’s vibrant silk-weaving district.

A private, once-in-a-lifetime journey through Lyon’s living history of faith.

It is also possible to book a tour of the just the Crypt if you would like to spend time reflecting and praying there and visiting a couple of the other stunning churches nearby.