Best time to visit Lyon
France · 20-year averages
September is the best month in Lyon, scoring 84 out of 100, with January the weakest at 39. The 45-point spread means timing is worth planning around without being decisive. The good window runs May to October — 6 months within ten points of the best.
July is the warmest month at 28.1 °C and January the coolest at 7 °C — a 21.1 °C spread across the year. 52 nights a year dip below freezing.
There is a real wet season here. May, June and December carry the rain — up to 13 wet days in a month — while February and September drop as low as 8. That 5-day gap is the biggest single difference between a good month and a bad one in Lyon, and it moves further than the temperature does.
Daylight runs from 8.7 hours in winter to 15.7 in summer, enough to notice on a sightseeing itinerary.
The three strongest months are September, June, August. The one to think twice about is January. Each month below has its own page with rainfall reliability, extremes, daylight and crowd levels.
Lyon month by month
| Month | High °C | Low °C | Rain days | Daylight h | Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7 | 0.3 | 11 | 9 | 39 | A hard month |
| February | 8.7 | 0.3 | 9 | 10.3 | 48 | A hard month |
| March | 13.3 | 3.1 | 11 | 11.8 | 60 | Shoulder season |
| April | 17.4 | 6.3 | 10 | 13.5 | 73 | A good month |
| May | 20.9 | 10 | 13 | 14.9 | 76 | A good month |
| June | 25.6 | 14.2 | 12 | 15.7 | 78 | Prime time |
| July | 28.1 | 16.2 | 10 | 15.4 | 76 | A good month |
| August | 27.9 | 15.8 | 10 | 14.2 | 77 | A good month |
| September | 23.7 | 12.1 | 8 | 12.6 | 84 | Prime time |
| October | 18.8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 76 | A good month |
| November | 12 | 4.4 | 11 | 9.5 | 54 | Shoulder season |
| December | 7.7 | 1.2 | 12 | 8.7 | 40 | A hard month |
Planning the rest of the trip
- Flight time to Lyon how long you are actually in the air
- Lyon time zone and the difference from home
- Days until your trip count down to the departure date