Dordogne
5
Day Itinerary •
France
Five days in the Dordogne and Lot valleys lets you explore the extraordinary full range of southwestern France's most beautiful region. Beyond the famous Sarlat and Lascaux lie some of the most extraordinary and least visited landscapes in France: the Lot valley with its extraordinary medieval towns, the pilgrimage city of Rocamadour on its impossible cliff, the black wine of Cahors and the extraordinary hidden gorges of the Cele and the Vezere. This route covers the complete hidden Perigord and Quercy. Sarlat and the clifftop river villages, the prehistoric wonders of the Vezere valley, the extraordinary food culture of the black Perigord, the dramatically sited Rocamadour that has drawn pilgrims since the Middle Ages, and the ancient city of Cahors with its extraordinary fortified bridge and black wine.
Best Time To Visit
May to June or September to October
Getting There
Fly into Bordeaux (BOD) or Bergerac (EGC)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 90 to 150 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
SARLAT AND THE DORDOGNE RIVER
MORNING
SARLAT, THE FINEST MEDIEVAL TOWN IN FRANCE
The most perfectly preserved medieval town in France. The Saturday market fills the entire old town with foie gras, black truffles, walnuts and local produce. Walk before 9am for the finest light and the empty golden streets. Drive: 30 min drive to river
MIDDAY
BEYNAC AND LA ROQUE-GAGEAC
Beynac has an extraordinary 12th-century chateau on a sheer cliff above the river. La Roque-Gageac is built directly into a limestone cliff face. Both among the most beautiful villages in France. Drive: 30 min canoe on river
AFTERNOON
CANOEING THE DORDOGNE
The most extraordinary way to experience the valley. A 10km canoe from Vitrac to La Roque-Gageac passes below the chateaux. Approx 15 euros per person.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Chateau de Castelnaud opposite Beynac has an extraordinary collection of medieval siege weapons and the finest view over the Dordogne valley. Entry approx 11 euros.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Marche de Sarlat Walnut cake and foie gras on toast from the market stalls. | Lunch: Le Grand Bleu, Sarlat Finest restaurant in Sarlat. Foie gras, truffles and duck. Book ahead. | Dinner: La Belle Etoile, La Roque-Gageac Outstanding with river views. Local confit and Bergerac wine.
DAY 2
LASCAUX AND THE VEZERE VALLEY
MORNING
LASCAUX IV, THE GREATEST PREHISTORIC ART
17,000-year-old paintings in a full-scale replica using the most advanced digital technology. More immersive than any other prehistoric site. Entry approx 22 euros. Book well in advance. Drive: 15 min drive to Font-de-Gaume
MIDDAY
FONT-DE-GAUME, THE LAST ORIGINAL PAINTED CAVE
The only painted cave still open to the public in France with original polychrome paintings from 17,000 BC. Extraordinary bison and mammoth. Only 180 visitors per day. Book months in advance. Entry approx 11 euros. Drive: 10 min drive to Les Eyzies
AFTERNOON
LES EYZIES, THE CAPITAL OF PREHISTORY
More caves and rock shelters per square kilometre than anywhere on earth. The Musee National de la Prehistoire is one of the finest prehistoric museums in the world, built into the cliff face. Entry approx 6 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Gouffre de Proumeyssac is an extraordinary underground cave visited in an aerial gondola descent into a vast underground chamber. Entry approx 10 euros.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Boulangerie in Montignac Coffee and walnut bread before the Lascaux museum opens. | Lunch: Restaurant du Musee, Les Eyzies Simple traditional. Local trout, duck and Bergerac rouge. | Dinner: Auberge de la Vezere Outstanding traditional. Confit de canard and walnut cake.
DAY 3
PERIGORD FOOD CULTURE
MORNING
A FOIE GRAS FARM IN THE PERIGORD
Several small farms offer extraordinary visits showing entire production from farm to jar. Direct farm sales at a fraction of Parisian prices. The Ferme de Biorne near Sarlat is outstanding. Drive: 30 min drive to Sorges
MIDDAY
SORGES, THE BLACK TRUFFLE CAPITAL
The Ecomusee de la Truffe explains the extraordinary biology and culture of the Perigord black truffle. The truffle market in January draws buyers from across the world. The surrounding oak forests dotted with truffle dogs from November to March. Drive: 30 min drive to Bergerac
AFTERNOON
BERGERAC AND MONBAZILLAC WINE
The Maison des Vins de Bergerac offers tastings of Bergerac, Monbazillac and Montravel. The sweet Monbazillac is Sauternes quality at a quarter of the price. Buy directly from the chateau.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Chateau de Monbazillac above Bergerac is one of the finest Renaissance chateaux in the Dordogne, surrounded by the famous sweet wine vineyards. Entry approx 8 euros.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Marche de Perigueux Saturday market in Perigueux. Coffee and extraordinary local produce. | Lunch: Ferme Auberge near Sarlat Lunch on a working duck farm. All-inclusive Perigord menu. | Dinner: L'Imparfait, Bergerac Outstanding traditional. Confit, foie gras and Monbazillac.
DAY 4
ROCAMADOUR AND PADIRAC
MORNING
ROCAMADOUR, THE PILGRIMAGE CITY ON THE CLIFF
Rocamadour is one of the most dramatically sited cities in France. The medieval pilgrimage town clings to a sheer cliff face in the Alzou canyon, with the chapels and sanctuary clinging to the cliff halfway up and the chateau at the top. The Chapelle Notre-Dame contains the extraordinary Black Virgin, a dark Romanesque statue venerated by pilgrims since the 12th century. Henry II of England, Louis IX of France and Blanche of Castile all made pilgrimages here. The view from the top of the cliff looking down over the layers of buildings is extraordinary. Free to walk, the Sanctuary entry is free. Drive: 30 min drive to Padirac
MIDDAY
GOUFFRE DE PADIRAC, THE EXTRAORDINARY UNDERGROUND RIVER
The Gouffre de Padirac is one of the most extraordinary underground experiences in France. A vast natural shaft 35 metres wide and 75 metres deep opens in the Quercy limestone plateau, leading to an underground river navigated by flat-bottomed boats in enormous underground chambers with extraordinary stalactites. The river hall and the Great Lake at the end are extraordinary. Entry approx 14 euros. Book ahead in summer. Drive: 30 min drive to Lot valley
AFTERNOON
THE LOT VALLEY AND HIDDEN VILLAGES
The Lot valley below Rocamadour contains some of the finest and least visited medieval villages in France. Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is one of the most beautiful villages in France, an extraordinary medieval village on a cliff above the Lot river. André Breton lived here and called it one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen. The view from the chateau ruins above the village down the Lot valley is extraordinary.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Grand Canyon of the Lot near Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is one of the finest kayak rivers in France. The 36km stretch from Bouziès to Cahors passes through extraordinary limestone gorges and past cliff-face prehistoric paintings visible only from the water.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Rocamadour lower town Coffee before the pilgrims arrive. The sanctuary streets are best before 9am. | Lunch: Relais des Merveilles, near Padirac Outstanding traditional restaurant. Local lamb from the Quercy causses. | Dinner: L'Oustal, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie The finest restaurant in the most beautiful village in France. Local duck and Cahors wine.
DAY 5
CAHORS AND THE CELE GORGE
MORNING
CAHORS, THE CITY OF THE BLACK WINE AND THE FORTIFIED BRIDGE
Cahors is one of the most extraordinary and overlooked cities in southwestern France. The Pont Valentre, a 14th-century fortified bridge with three towers over the Lot river, is one of the finest medieval bridges in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town behind it is a labyrinth of extraordinary medieval streets with the fine Gothic Cathedral of Saint-Etienne containing extraordinary Romanesque frescoes. The local black wine (Malbec grape) is the most intense red wine in France. Drive: 30 min drive to Cele valley
MIDDAY
THE CELE GORGE, THE HIDDEN TWIN OF THE LOT VALLEY
The Cele valley is the Lot valley's extraordinary hidden twin, less famous and far less visited despite being arguably more beautiful. The extraordinary clifftop village of Figeac, birthplace of Jean-Francois Champollion who deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics, is the gateway to the Cele gorge. The gorge walk between Figeac and Brengues passes beneath overhanging cliffs with troglodyte houses built into the rock face. Entirely free and one of the finest hidden walks in France. Drive: 30 min drive to Pech Merle
AFTERNOON
GROTTE DE PECH MERLE, ORIGINAL PREHISTORIC PAINTINGS
The Grotte de Pech Merle near Cabrerets contains extraordinary prehistoric paintings from 20,000 BC including the famous Spotted Horses, two horses dappled with black spots, painted with extraordinary sophistication. Unlike Lascaux, the original cave is still open to visitors. Entry approx 14 euros. Book ahead. The prehistoric paintings here are contemporaries of those at Lascaux and of extraordinary quality.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Malbec grape of Cahors, called Cot locally, is the same grape that was transplanted to Argentina to create Argentine Malbec. But Cahors Malbec is darker, more tannic and more complex. Buy it directly from small producers in the Lot valley for a fraction of what it costs in Paris.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe in Cahors old town Coffee before the Pont Valentre in the morning light. | Lunch: Restaurant le Ballandre, Cahors Most celebrated restaurant in Cahors. Local lamb and the finest Cahors Malbec wine. | Dinner: Chambre d'hote dinner, Cele valley End the trip with dinner on a Quercy farm. Local lamb, walnut cake and a glass of Cahors.
Where To Stay
Sarlat, Nights 1 to 3 Hotel de Selves in the old town. Approx 90 to 150 euros per night. Rocamadour or Lot valley, Night 4 Relais des Merveilles or chambre d'hote near Rocamadour. Approx 80 to 130 euros. Cahors or Cele valley, Night 5 Hotel Terminus, Cahors, or farmhouse near Pech Merle. Approx 70 to 120 euros.
Top Tips
1. Font-de-Gaume must be booked months ahead. Only 180 visitors per day. Do this first.
2. Sarlat Saturday market starts filling by 8am. Arrive early for the best produce and empty streets.
3. The Dordogne river canoe from Vitrac to La Roque-Gageac is the finest 2-hour experience in the valley.
4. Black Perigord truffle season peaks January to February. The Sorges market is extraordinary in winter.
5. Foie gras bought directly from farms is a fraction of the price in Paris. Visit the morning before leaving.
6. Monbazillac sweet wine is Sauternes quality at a quarter of the price. Buy it directly from the chateau.
Total Budget
85 to 140 euros/day