Les visites d'Isabelle

Isabelle's Tours is a carefully curated guided tour service based in Lyon, France, designed and delivered entirely by Isabelle Massé, a passionate and highly qualified guide who speaks fluent French, English, and German. Rather than being a static location, it offers an immersive and mobile experience rooted in Lyon itself — a city with a multi-layered identity that Isabelle describes as being like many capitals: the capital of the Three Gauls in ancient times, of silk and printing during the Renaissance, of cinema since 1895, of global gastronomy since 1935, and of the French Resistance during World War II. Lyon has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1998 and was named the top destination to discover in the world in 2022. At the heart of the offering are unmissable routes through Lyon's most iconic districts. Fourvière Hill — the spiritual hill of the city crowned by the Basilica of Notre-Dame — anchors one of the flagship walks, while Croix-Rousse Hill retraces the heritage of the silk workers in Lyon. The historic district of Vieux-Lyon, with its Renaissance traboules and Saint-Jean Cathedral, forms another key route. The Presqu'île — the central peninsula of Lyon between the Rhône and the Saône — reveals Haussmann-style grandeur and the legendary Halles Paul Bocuse, the gastronomic heart of the city. Beyond the must-sees, Isabelle offers a rich programme of theatrical tours that use storytelling and character embodiment to animate Lyon's past: 'Lyon à la Plume' explores the city's printing heritage, 'Lyon à la Loupe' dives into its years as a criminal capital in the 1960s and 70s, and 'Lyon au Fil de l'Eau' follows the two rivers. The historical tours focused on the French Resistance — covering Caluire, Croix-Rousse, Presqu'île, and the banks of the Rhône — are among the most emotionally resonant offers. The guided visits to museums encompass the Gallo-Roman Museum of Fourvière, the Musée des Confluences at the end of the peninsula, and the Fine Arts Museum on Place des Terreaux. Neighborhood walks complete the picture: Part-Dieu and its urban transformation, the Parc de la Tête d'Or and La Cité Internationale, the emerging district of Confluence, the street art plateau of Croix-Rousse, the modernist neighbourhood of the États-Unis, and themed routes following in the footsteps of illustrious figures such as André-Marie Ampère. All walks combine the history of Lyon's buildings with the human stories that underpin them and can be tailored as custom itineraries upon request. The service is designed for a wide range of audiences: individuals, couples, families, and organized groups from ten people, including school groups, cruise passengers, coach tour operators, and receptive travel agencies. Business groups looking for an engaging team experience in one of France's most historically-rich cities will find Isabelle's multilingual expertise and her wide thematic repertoire particularly well-suited to their needs.