Silk Tour in Lyon

Great guide!! Very informative. Learn about silk and the city. Would recommend to anyone interested in textiles

We. Loved. This. Tour. My wife and I were visiting Lyon for the first time, and on our third day in the city, we got to go on this tour to learn more about Lyon's storied history in the silk trade. Our guide, Alex, didn't dissapoint. He met us a cafe just next to where we were staying and whisked us away to the Croix-Rousse, where we got to walk down the streets of the old silk district on our way to one of the soieries in the area. We got to see a traditional canut home, and the looms they used to make their silks. We got to then go on a walking tour of the area, and Alex explained the architecture, history, culture, and modern day appeal of the area. Alex walked us through some of the most beautiful and non-touristy parts of the city, including some pretty well-hidden traboules and brought us to a charming soierie in Vieux Lyon, where we got to see the silk worms and understand the process of creating silk. Alex himself was so knowledgeable and kind, and I cannot recommend this tour highly enough!

We did a private 3 hour Silk Tour with Alex. I would do ANY tour Alex offers. He is very knowledgable and makes the information very digestible. I highly recommend the Silk Tour specifically because it is central to understanding Lyon. He has the inside track on getting to see the real looms and the behind the scenes of the silk industry. The tour covers the silk industry but also you see various parts of Lyon and learn about history and architecture. He also walks you through the famous passageways and you visit old town. Alex is one of the best tour guides I have ever had. I highly recommend him for any tour because he lives right in Lyon and is great!

We loved this tour! It covers so many different parts of Lyon. We were able to see a silk loom in action, learn about the history of the city, see secret passage ways, and see and hold silk worms! Our guide, Alex, was super knowledgeable and very personable. He made sure we had the best experience! Would definitely recommend.

My partner and I had a fantastic time and learnt a lot during the tour. Alex was a delightful host. Would strongly recommend.

AMAZING! Alex was so knowledgeable and engaging. Our group - 12 year old, 20-something, two 40-somethings - learned so much more about the city, the silk industry and the rich history of both.

This was a second tour with Alex, who again was a great tour-guide with great energy and humor! This tour was a lower-activity tour so would be good for those who want to have a less busy experience and who are interested in exploring artisanal silk products for purchase. That being said, Alex was 100% amazing on both of our tours! Merci beaucoup.

Alex was a great guide and his English was very, very good. We went to an authentic shop to see how the loom industry changed (from pre Jacquard through the electrification of the machine). We also visited a silk manufacturer to learn how silk is decorated. Along the way we talked about how the artisans of the silk industry transformed the area into other specialties like chemists and machinists. He engaged all 5 of us and kept it very interesting. Do this tour if you want an insiders view into the silk industry! Note: the meeting point is at the top of a very steep hill so leave time if you are on foot or take public transportation. Everything from there is flat or downhill.

Alex took us to see how the silks were woven and described the changes in production over the centuries with the invention of machinery that used punch cards like the old IBM cards from the 1960's. We were captivated by the son of a famous weaver and his demonstrations.

I booked this tour for my wife because she is a weaver. Alex is a wonderful guide. He even made it interesting for me as we walked the old silk district and explored the traboules. Highly recommend.