Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is the large region of east-central France formed in 2016 from Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes, and it runs from the extinct volcanoes of the Massif Central to Mont Blanc, the highest summit in western Europe. Lyon, its capital, stands where the Rhône meets the Saône and is known for its cuisine and its bouchons. East of it rise the Alps, with the lakes of Annecy and Le Bourget, the ski resorts of Savoie and Haute-Savoie and the Chamonix valley. In the south-west, the Ardèche river cuts a limestone canyon on its way to the Rhône.
must30 covers three destinations here: Lyon, Chamonix and Mont Blanc, and Annecy. The France page already has a bouchon meal and the traboules of Vieux Lyon, the Aiguille du Midi cable car, the Mont-Blanc Express and a guided Mont Blanc climb. This page adds two trips beyond them: the rack railway up the Puy de Dôme above Clermont-Ferrand, and a canoe descent of the Ardèche gorges under the Pont d'Arc.
Ride a rack railway to the top of a lava dome for a view over dozens of craters in a chain of about 70 volcanoes.
What it is
The Puy de Dôme is a lava dome that rose some 10,700 years ago and, at 1,465 metres, is the highest point of the Chaîne des Puys, a line of about 70 volcanoes listed by UNESCO in 2018. At the top are the ruins of a Gallo-Roman temple of Mercury, the spot where Pascal's brother-in-law measured air pressure in 1648, paragliders taking off and a view over dozens of craters.
How to do it
The Panoramique des Dômes, a 5.2 km rack railway open since 2012, climbs from its station at Orcines, a short drive west of Clermont-Ferrand, to the summit in 15 minutes. An adult return costs €18.60 from April to September and €17.20 from October to March. You can also walk up the Sentier des Muletiers, a former Roman road.
Good to know
Trains run every 20 minutes to every hour depending on the season.
Time needed
Half a day
Best time
A clear morning; check the summit webcam before you go
A half day for a short run, one or two days for the whole canyonBook ahead
Paddle under a natural stone arch and on into a 30 km limestone canyon, most of it reachable only by water.
What it is
Below Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, the Ardèche has cut a canyon about 30 km long through limestone, and most of it can only be reached by water. The first landmark is the Pont d'Arc, a natural arch about 60 metres wide that the river flows straight through.
How to do it
Rental companies in Vallon hire canoes and kayaks and bring you back by bus: a short run passes under the arch, while the full descent to Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche takes a long day, or two with a night at Gaud or Gournier, the only two bivouacs where you may sleep inside the nature reserve. Book them ahead.
Good to know
Leave the stove at home: stoves are banned at the bivouacs from 1 July to 30 September. Go in May, June or September, when the river is quieter than in high summer. On a rainy day, the full-size replica of the Chauvet cave paintings is near Vallon.
Time needed
A half day for a short run, one or two days for the whole canyon
Checked tablecloths, set menus and big plates of Lyon's working food, from cervelle de canut to a pink praline tart.
What it is
A bouchon is Lyon's own kind of restaurant: checked tablecloths, set menus and big plates of the city's working food. Expect cervelle de canut (fresh cheese whipped with herbs, not brains), salade lyonnaise, a pike quenelle in Nantua crayfish sauce, tablier de sapeur (tripe marinated in white wine, breaded and fried) or andouillette, and a pink praline tart to finish, usually with a Beaujolais or Côtes-du-Rhône.
How to do it
Plenty of places call themselves bouchons, so check the door: the Les Bouchons Lyonnais association, set up in 2012 by the Lyon chamber of commerce, audits members on about twenty criteria, including house-made food and at least 80% fresh produce, and members display its enamel plaque. The older Authentiques Bouchons Lyonnais sticker shows the puppet Gnafron.
Ride the Aiguille du Midi cable car to 3,842 metres
Chamonix
Half a dayBook ahead
In about 20 minutes the cable car lifts you from Chamonix to a terrace facing Mont Blanc, with a glass box over the drop.
What it is
At the top you get the Rébuffat belvedere, the summit terrace facing Mont Blanc and the Pas dans le Vide, a glass box over a 1,000-metre drop.
How to do it
The cable car leaves from the centre of Chamonix at 1,033 metres and reaches the summit terrace at 3,842 metres in about 20 minutes, changing cabins at the Plan de l'Aiguille (2,310 m). It runs on a seasonal timetable and only in good weather: from 28 September to 1 November 2026 it ran 08:10 to 16:30, last return trip at 15:00, and it then closes from 2 November to 18 December.
Good to know
Children under 3 are not allowed up and under-5s are not recommended. Bring warm layers, sunglasses and sun cream even in August, and pick a clear morning for the best chance of a view.
Pick by what you want: Lyon for food, museums and the Roman city, Chamonix for high mountains, Annecy for a lake and an easy old town. Lyon plus Annecy or Chamonix makes the classic week. Add the Puy de Dôme if you like volcanoes or are driving across the Massif Central, and the Ardèche gorges for a summer paddling trip on the way south to Provence.
How to combine them
Lyon to Annecy takes about 1 hour 45 minutes by car or two hours by train, and Annecy to Chamonix about 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Clermont-Ferrand lies about two hours west of Lyon by motorway, so the Puy de Dôme suits a stop on a drive between Paris and the south or a long weekend of its own. Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, at the head of the Ardèche gorges, is about two and a half hours south of Lyon and closer to Avignon than to the Alps, so it combines best with Provence.
Getting around
Lyon is the hub: TGVs from Paris reach Lyon Part-Dieu in about two hours, and Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport serves the region, with Geneva the closest airport for Annecy and Chamonix. Regional TER trains link Lyon with Annecy, Chambéry, Saint-Gervais and Clermont-Ferrand. A car makes the Puy de Dôme easier and the Ardèche far easier, since no train reaches Vallon-Pont-d'Arc.
When to go
Late June to early September is the season for the Alps, Lake Annecy, the Ardèche and the Puy de Dôme, while Chamonix fills again from December to April for skiing. Lyon works all year, and the Fête des Lumières lights the city from 5 to 8 December 2026. For hiking and paddling, May, June and September bring long days and fewer crowds than July and August.
Questions travellers ask
How many days do I need for Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes?
A week covers the classic route: two or three days in Lyon, then two in Annecy and two or three in Chamonix. Add a day for the Puy de Dôme from Clermont-Ferrand, and one or two for the Ardèche gorges if you paddle the whole canyon.
Can I visit Annecy and Chamonix without a car?
Yes. Annecy has direct trains from Lyon and Paris and a compact centre, and Chamonix is reached by train via Saint-Gervais or by coach from Geneva airport, with free valley trains for guests who hold the carte d'hôte. A car is more useful for the Puy de Dôme and the Ardèche.
How do I get up the Puy de Dôme?
Take the Panoramique des Dômes rack railway from its station at Orcines, at the foot of the volcano, which has free parking and is served by T2C bus line P36 from Chamalières. The ride takes 15 minutes. You can also walk up by the Sentier des Muletiers or the Sentier des Chèvres. The road is closed to private cars.
When is the best time to canoe the Ardèche gorges?
May, June and September, when the river is quieter than in July and August and the days are long. Book ahead in summer, and book the Gaud or Gournier bivouac if you plan to spend a night in the canyon.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
