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Rhône, Hawaï-sur-Rhône - Bras gauche rive gauche
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
66Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 10: Wind 9 kn gusting 24, Air 18 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Wed 4 · 54 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 61 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 59 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 5.3 mm
Sat 7 · 59 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 66 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Mon 9 · 72 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 25kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 10 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 24kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 357, fair
- Wed 454, fair
- Thu 561, good
- Fri 659, fair
- Sat 759, fair
- Sun 866, good
- Mon 972, good
- Tue 1075, good
- Wed 1176, good
- Thu 1267, good
The spot in two facts
- Grade IV+at its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 57, fair | 5 kn | 13kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 54, fair | 3 kn | 7kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 61, good | 4 kn | 9kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 59, fair | 2 kn | 6kn | 11°C | 5.3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 59, fair | 2 kn | 7kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 66, good | 8 kn | 18kn | 14°C | 0.6 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 72, good | 10 kn | 25kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 75, good | 9 kn | 24kn | 18°C | 0.3 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 76, good | 10 kn | 23kn | 18°C | 1.5 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 67, good | 10 kn | 30kn | 15°C | 13.2 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Rhône, Hawaï-sur-Rhône - Bras gauche rive gauche on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Rhône, Hawaï-sur-Rhône - Bras gauche rive gauche
A launch on the Rhône. Grade IV+, on the international scale. Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade. 7 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 3.6 km away. The town to stay in is Villeurbanne. Within 5 km we also list 6 kayak spots.
- River Rhône
- Grade Grade IV+, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 7 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 3.6 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,320–US$2,490 each
about US$1,320–US$2,490 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 3 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to LYS, estimated from distance and season, changing at CDG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$483–US$1,010 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$40–US$67 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$329–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$154–US$288 |
| Total | about US$1,320–US$2,490 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Villeurbanne
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
9 min by car · 60 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Villeurbanne its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$121 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 3 November 2026.
Getting there: about 17h 15m
About 17h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LYS, changing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), then 40 min by road
Flights ORD → LYS on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Villeurbanne · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Villeurbanne · GetYourGuide
River level
River level at Le Rhône à Lyon - Villeurbanne CNR: its gauge has sent no reading in the last day, so check it before you go.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River flow in France: Hub'Eau (hubeau.eaufrance.fr), data from the hydrometric services (SCHAPI, DREAL), Licence Ouverte 2.0. Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
SV Vaulx-en-Velin Canoë Kayak Pirogue 4.9 km
Base nautique 5.0 km
Go Captain 5.7 km
CKDM 7.2 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.