Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is France's most geographically dramatic region, combining the ancient volcanic landscapes of the Massif Central with the highest peaks in the Alps. Lyon, its capital, is consistently ranked among the world's great food cities and is the birthplace of cinema. The region spans skiing at Chamonix and the Trois Vallées, lakeside beauty at Annecy, Roman heritage in Lyon, the volcanic chains of the Auvergne, and one of Europe's finest hiking networks.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes through its food.
Lyon Bouchon & Traboules Walking Food Tour
Includes: Walk through Vieux-Lyon's traboules (hidden silk-merchant passageways) with an expert food guide · Taste quenelles de brochet, salade lyonnaise, and Auvergne charcuterie at certified bouchons · Sample Beaujolais and Côtes du Rhône wines paired with traditional Lyonnais dishes · Discover how Lyon's silk-weaving past shaped the working-class bouchon culture · Receive a curated map of recommended bouchons for independent dining
Les Halles Paul Bocuse Market Tour
Includes: Access some forty specialist stallholders in France's most celebrated covered market · Taste rosette de Lyon and Jésus de Lyon charcuterie from master craftsmen stallholders · Sample Lyonnais and Rhône-Alpes cheeses including Saint-Marcellin and Comté at the fromagerie · Learn how to select and transport French market produce for travel with an expert guide · Conclude with coffee and pastry at a neighbourhood café near Cours Lafayette
Beaujolais Wine Domain Visit & Tasting
Includes: Guided cellar tour at a Beaujolais Cru domaine with the winemaker or cellar master · Taste four to six Beaujolais Cru wines (Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie) paired with charcuterie and cheese · Walk the granitic terroir of the Beaujolais hills and learn how volcanic soils shape Gamay wine · Learn the difference between Beaujolais Nouveau and aged Cru wines from a domain insider · Purchase wines directly at cellar-door prices with a domain discount voucher
Savoyard Cheese & Fondue Experience
Includes: Guided walk through Annecy's Place Sainte-Claire market with an expert fromager · Taste Beaufort, Reblochon, Tomme de Savoie, and Abondance directly from artisan producers · Traditional fondue savoyarde lunch with Savoie white wine in Annecy's medieval old town · Learn the history and technique of alpine cheese-making from a working artisan fromager · Receive a recipe card for preparing fondue savoyarde at home
Auvergne Cheese & Charcuterie Tasting
Includes: Taste all six Auvergne AOC cheeses — Saint-Nectaire, Cantal, Salers, Bleu d'Auvergne, Fourme d'Ambert, and Murol · Paired Auvergne charcuterie including saucisson sec and dry-cured jambon d'Auvergne · Glass of Côtes d'Auvergne wine produced from volcanic terroir near Clermont-Ferrand · Expert explanation of AOC designations and the farming traditions behind each cheese · Purchase cheeses at retail prices with guidance on packaging for travel
Rhône Wine Tasting in Crozes-Hermitage
Includes: Guided cellar tour through Cave de Tain's barrel hall and fermentation vats on the Northern Rhône · Taste four to six Northern Rhône wines including Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage AOC · Learn how Syrah on granite terroir produces wines distinct from southern Rhône varieties · Compare young and aged Crozes-Hermitage to understand the appellation's development arc · Purchase wines at cooperative prices with member-discount eligibility for tour visitors
Croix-Rousse Silk & Food Heritage Walk
Includes: Guided entry and tour of the Maison des Canuts silk museum in Croix-Rousse · Walk the historic canut plateau and learn the link between Lyon's silk industry and bouchon culture · Taste praline rose tart, regional charcuterie, and seasonal produce at the Croix-Rousse market · Coffee and pastry at a neighbourhood café in one of Lyon's most characterful working-class districts · Learn how the 19th-century canut revolts shaped both the architecture and cuisine of Lyon
Chocolate & Praline Workshop
Includes: Behind-the-scenes tour of Bernachon's bean-to-bar chocolate production floor — one of France's last · Hands-on praline rose fabrication session using the classic Lyon almond-coating technique · Guided tasting of six to eight single-origin Bernachon chocolates spanning Venezuela, Madagascar, and Ecuador · Pairing of Bernachon chocolates with Côtes du Rhône and Saint-Joseph wines · Participants leave with handmade pralines and a 10% boutique discount voucher
Tour formats
Different ways to experience Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes's food scene.
Items tours
Cooking classes
Take a piece of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes home with you.
Institut Paul Bocuse Cooking Workshop
Hands-on cooking workshops held at the Institut Paul Bocuse culinary school — one of the world's most prestigious hospitality and gastronomy institutions. Participants work under the instruction of professional chef-educators in the school's demonstration and practical kitchens, learning classic French technique applied to Lyonnais and regional dishes. Sessions cover knife skills, sauce-making, and the preparation of a two-course Lyonnais menu, which participants then eat together.
Bouchon des Filles Cooking Class
An intimate cooking class hosted by the chef-owners of Bouchon des Filles, one of Lyon's celebrated certified bouchons. Small groups of up to 8 participants learn to prepare three classic Lyonnais dishes from scratch — typically quenelles, salade lyonnaise, and a bouchon dessert — using the same techniques used in the restaurant's daily service. The class concludes with a seated lunch of the dishes prepared, accompanied by a pot of Beaujolais.
Savoyard Specialties Class
A hands-on class dedicated to the classic dishes of Haute-Savoie, run by La Cuisine d'Annecy across various partner kitchen venues in the town. Participants learn to prepare fondue savoyarde (including the correct ratio of Beaufort, Emmental, and Comté), tartiflette with Reblochon, and a seasonal Savoyard dessert such as gâteau de Savoie. Sessions are conducted in French and English and include a full meal of the prepared dishes with paired Savoie wines.
Auvergne Cheese-Making Workshop
A working farm experience at Ferme de la Borie in the Cantal highlands where participants join the fromager in a traditional morning cheese-making session. The class covers the process of making Tomme and young Cantal-style cheeses from the farm's own Salers cattle milk: heating, curdling, pressing, and salting. Participants leave with a small cheese to mature at home, along with a tasting of the farm's aged cheeses and house-made charcuterie.
Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
Book food tours and cooking classes at least one week in advance, especially in summer (July–August) and the winter ski season (December–February) when availability tightens significantly.
The Lyon Gourmet Pass — available from the Lyon tourist office — bundles market entry, a bouchon lunch, and one additional food experience at a combined price typically 15–20% below booking separately.
For wine tastings in Beaujolais or the Northern Rhône, visiting independently by train is straightforward and less expensive than organised tour packages. The Cave de Tain in Tain-l'Hermitage, for instance, welcomes walk-in visitors with no booking required.
Morning is always the best time for market tours. Les Halles Paul Bocuse is busiest and most animated between 07:30 and 09:30 on weekday mornings when professional chefs and experienced home cooks do their shopping.
When selecting a bouchon food tour, confirm that the operator's guide holds official certification from the Association de Défense des Bouchons Lyonnais or the Lyon tourist office — unofficial bouchon tours sometimes include restaurants that are not genuine certified bouchons.