A week suits most people: our 8-day holidays give you six full days of walking or cycling, including a free day, between an arrival day and a departure day. If you have less time, Premium Périgord fits a relaxed taste of the region into six days, and if you have more, longer versions run to 10 or 11 days.
By Cassie ·
Counting the days
Every holiday starts with an arrival day (rooms are usually ready from mid-afternoon) and ends after breakfast on the last day, so the days that matter are the ones in between. On an 8-day holiday that means six days on foot or by bike, with a rest day or an optional walk built in. On Premium Périgord it means four days of short walks.
Dordogne Experience is a family business, owned and run by Cassie, creating walking and cycling holidays in the Dordogne for over 40 years. Every holiday is private and self-guided, your luggage is moved for you, and most start any day from April to October.
A long weekend
Our shortest holiday is six days. Three or four days in the Dordogne gives you a taste of one place rather than a walk from village to village, and much of a long weekend goes on the journey there and back: even from London, the train via Paris to Brive or Souillac takes most of a day, arriving in the evening. If a long weekend is all you have, tell us how many nights you can manage: a different length can be arranged on request and we’ll send you a price.
Six days: Premium Périgord
Premium Périgord is five nights and four days of short walks, 4.6 to 14.1 km (2.9 to 8.8 miles) a day. You stay three nights at the 4★ Hôtel Le Périgord at Le Port de Domme, then two nights in Sarlat, walking to La Roque-Gageac and the hilltop bastide of Domme on the way. A lunch platter in Domme, a Truffle Museum tour and tasting, and a private wine tasting in a 15th-century chapel cellar are all included, and so is your arrival taxi from Sarlat. It suits people who want time for the spa and the table as much as the path. From £950 per person.
A week: the 8-day holidays
Seven nights is the length of most of our holidays, and it’s long enough to walk properly from one area into the next:
- Castles & Caves of the Dordogne (from £995): Les Eyzies to Sarlat, 12.8 to 17.8 km (8 to 11 miles) a day, with a free day in Sarlat.
- France’s Most Beautiful Villages (from £965): Sarrazac to Loubressac, 15.5 to 23 km (10 to 14 miles) a day, with a rest day in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. Starts Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday.
- Exploring Rocamadour (from £975): Souillac to Carennac, with two nights in Rocamadour and two in Loubressac, each with a circular walk.
- Ardèche Adventure (from £985): our most demanding holiday.
- Cycling in the Dordogne (from £1,250): circular from Souillac, 23 to 47 km (14 to 29 miles) a day, hybrid bike included, e-bike upgrade £140 per person.
9 to 11 days: the longer versions
If you’d like more time, three holidays come in longer versions:
- Castles & Caves of the Dordogne, 9 or 10 days (from £1,120 or £1,230): extra days on the route, such as an optional extra day in Domme.
- France’s Most Beautiful Villages, 9, 10 or 11 days (from £1,080, £1,190 or £1,300): add one or more extra walks, a circular walk from Meyssac (13.3 km (8.3 miles)), Loubressac to Rocamadour (21.3 km (13 miles)) or a circular walk from Rocamadour (10.8 km (6.7 miles)). We fit them into your itinerary and send the full day by day with your quote.
- Premium Périgord, 7 or 8 days (from £1,070 or £1,190): extra nights at Le Port de Domme or in Sarlat.
You can also add extra nights or a rest day to any of our holidays, at the start, the end or somewhere you love.
Coming from the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand
Add a night or two before your holiday starts. The NHS says jet lag usually improves within a few days as your body adjusts to the new time zone. Its advice is to switch your sleep to the new time zone as quickly as you can, and to spend time outdoors in daylight, which helps your body clock adjust. Your first walking day is much easier to enjoy after a proper night’s sleep. Our getting there page suggests a night in Paris or Bordeaux before the train, and we can add extra nights at your first hotel too. So for an 8-day holiday, plan on about ten nights in France, plus your flights.
Holiday lengths at a glance
| Holiday | Days | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Périgord | 6, 7 or 8 | La Roque-Gageac, Domme, the Château de Montfort, Sarlat |
| Castles & Caves of the Dordogne | 8, 9 or 10 | Les Eyzies and the Vézère valley, Commarque, Beynac, Marqueyssac, Castelnaud, Vitrac, Sarlat |
| France’s Most Beautiful Villages | 8, 9, 10 or 11 | Turenne, Collonges-la-Rouge, Curemonte, Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, Carennac, Padirac, Loubressac, Autoire, the Château de Castelnau |
| Exploring Rocamadour | 8 | Souillac, St Sozy, Rocamadour, Padirac, Loubressac, Carennac |
| Ardèche Adventure | 8 | A circular route from Lamastre in the Ardèche |
| Cycling in the Dordogne | 8 | Souillac, Sarlat, Domme, La Roque-Gageac, Beynac, Castelnaud, the Château des Milandes, Les Eyzies, Montignac and Lascaux, St Geniès, Eyrignac |
Whichever length you choose, book early for May, June and September, as the small hotels fill first.
Which holidays go there
Premium Périgord
A Gourmet Journey
6 days · from £950 per person, sharing a double/twin room
6, 7 or 8 days
Castles & Caves of the Dordogne
8 days · from £995 per person, sharing a double/twin room
8, 9 or 10 days
France’s Most Beautiful Villages
8 days · from £965 per person, sharing a double/twin room
8, 9, 10 or 11 days
Exploring Rocamadour
8 days · from £975 per person, sharing a double/twin room
8 days
Ardèche Adventure
8 days · from £985 per person, sharing a double/twin room
8 days
Cycling in the Dordogne
8 days · from £1,250 per person, sharing a double/twin room
8 days
Questions
Is a week enough for the Dordogne?
Yes, for most people. Our 8-day holidays give you six days on foot or by bike, including a free day, and take you through several of the region’s villages and valleys.
Can I see the Dordogne in a long weekend?
You can see one place, but not walk between villages. Our shortest holiday is six days; ask us if you’d like a different length and we’ll send a price.
How many extra nights should I add for jet lag?
We suggest one or two nights before the holiday starts. The NHS says jet lag usually improves within a few days.
Can I make a holiday longer?
Yes. Castles & Caves runs to 10 days, Most Beautiful Villages to 11 and Premium Périgord to 8, and you can add extra nights to any holiday.
When should I book?
Book early for May, June and September, when the small hotels fill first.
More to read
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sources
- Dordogne Experience, Premium Périgord (6, 7 and 8 day prices) (dordogneexperience.com)
- Dordogne Experience, Castles & Caves of the Dordogne (8, 9 and 10 day prices) (dordogneexperience.com)
- Dordogne Experience, France’s Most Beautiful Villages (longer versions, extra walks, check-in times) (dordogneexperience.com)
- Dordogne Experience, Getting there (London to Brive or Souillac by train in a day, nights in Paris or Bordeaux) (dordogneexperience.com)
- Dordogne Experience, FAQ (extra nights) (dordogneexperience.com)
- Dordogne Experience, Hidden gems of the Dordogne (Domme on the longer Castles & Caves) (dordogneexperience.com)
- NHS, Jet lag (how long it lasts, sleep and daylight advice) (nhs.uk)