Our guides to the places on our routes, the food and wine, and planning a self-guided walking or cycling holiday in the Dordogne, the Lot and the Ardèche. Each one links to the holidays that go there.
Places to see
Sarlat-la-Canéda: a guide to the old town, markets and festivals
Sarlat, capital of the Périgord Noir: a walk through the old town, the Wednesday and Saturday markets, the glass lift, festivals and quiet evenings.
Rocamadour: a visitor’s guide
How to see Rocamadour: the Black Madonna, the 216-step Grand Escalier, the lifts, the view from L’Hospitalet and the quiet hours.
Castles of the Dordogne: which to visit
Beynac, Castelnaud, Milandes, Montfort, Marqueyssac, Castelnau-Bretenoux and Fénelon: what each is like and which of our holidays pass it.
The Gouffre de Padirac
The Gouffre de Padirac is a vast chasm in the Lot with a boat trip on an underground river. How to visit, what to bring and which walks pass it.
What you’ll see on our routes, day by day
Castles, caves, bastides and cliff villages: the sights on each of our Dordogne walking and cycling holidays, stop by stop, with what makes each special.
The most beautiful villages in the Dordogne
Golden-stone villages under clifftop castles, a whole village built of red sandstone, and a pilgrimage town stacked up a cliff: the villages our holidays are built around.
Hidden gems of the Dordogne
Cassie’s hidden gems of the Dordogne: the Château de Castelnau, Beaulieu from across the river, Domme’s boutique shops and the Rocamadour circular walk.
Visiting Lascaux and the Vézère valley caves
Visiting Lascaux IV and the Vézère valley caves from our walking and cycling holidays: which routes pass nearby and why to book your tickets ahead.
Market days in the Dordogne on our routes
Market days in the towns on our Dordogne walking and cycling routes, from Sarlat’s Wednesday and Saturday markets to the village markets along the way.
Why visit the Dordogne?
Golden-stone villages, clifftop castles, prehistoric caves, the river and its markets: why the Dordogne is so special, and how to see it on foot or by bike.
The Périgord explained: Noir, Vert, Blanc and Pourpre
The Périgord is the old name for the Dordogne department, split into four colours: Noir, Vert, Blanc and Pourpre. Here’s what each is known for.
Food and wine
Planning your holiday
When to go walking or cycling in the Dordogne
When to go walking or cycling in the Dordogne and the Ardèche, month by month from April to October, with the weather and the markets along the way.
How many days do you need in the Dordogne?
A week suits most people in the Dordogne. Compare our 6-day, 8-day and longer walking and cycling holidays, plus extra nights for jet lag.
Getting to the Dordogne
How to reach each walking and cycling holiday in the Dordogne and Ardèche from the UK, US, Canada and Australia, and how to get home again.
The Dordogne without a car
You don’t need a car in the Dordogne on a walking or cycling holiday. Walk hotel to hotel, your luggage is moved, and you arrive by train.
What to pack for a walking holiday in France
What to pack for a self-guided walking holiday in France: shoes, layers, rain and sun gear, a day pack, power bank, plug adapter, medicines and GHIC.
Your first self-guided walking holiday in France
First self-guided walking holiday in France? How it works: route notes and GPX on your phone, luggage moved, hotels booked and Cassie a call away.
How fit do I need to be for a walking holiday in the Dordogne?
How hard are our walking and cycling holidays? Daily distances, the biggest climb of each holiday and what each activity level means, from our own GPX tracks.
Self-guided or guided walking holidays: what’s the difference?
What a self-guided walking holiday is, how it differs from a guided group, who each suits, and how ours work: route notes, GPX, luggage moved and support.
What’s included in our self-guided holidays
What’s included in our self-guided walking and cycling holidays: hotels, breakfasts and most dinners, luggage moved, route notes, GPX and support.
How to choose a self-guided walking holiday company
The questions to ask before you book a self-guided walking holiday: who walked the routes, who runs it on the ground, what’s included, support and supplements.
Holidays for you
Solo walking and cycling holidays in France
Solo walkers and cyclists are very welcome. What a self-guided holiday on your own costs, the support you’ll have, and which of our holidays might suit you.
Walking holidays for over-60s
Self-guided walking in the Dordogne at your own pace: honest daily distances and climbs, luggage moved each day, rest days and extra nights.
E-bike holidays in the Dordogne
How pedal-assist e-bikes work, the hills on our Cycling in the Dordogne route, battery charging at every hotel and the £140 per person upgrade.
Walking in France with your dog
Bringing your dog on a self-guided walking holiday in France: dog-friendly hotels, UK pet travel rules, summer heat, ticks, caterpillars and livestock.
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