Self-guided walking holiday · 8 days
A week following the Dordogne east and climbing to Rocamadour, the pilgrimage town clinging to its cliff, with two nights there, the great Padirac chasm, two nights in clifftop Loubressac and a last walk to Carennac on the Dordogne.
The Camino de Santiago: the Way of St James, or le chemin de Saint-Jacques
Since the Middle Ages pilgrims have climbed to Rocamadour’s sanctuaries, built into the cliff above the Alzou gorge. Rocamadour’s Basilica of Saint-Sauveur and the Crypt of Saint-Amadour are part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing “Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France”. Two pilgrim routes come through the town: a detour off the Le Puy route (the Via Podiensis, GR 65), which pilgrims leave at Figeac to walk here on the GR 6 before heading on towards Cahors on the GR 46, and the Voie de Rocamadour, which links the Vézelay route to the Le Puy route by way of Collonges-la-Rouge, Turenne and Martel.
Our holiday isn’t a pilgrimage, but you arrive in Rocamadour on foot, as pilgrims have for centuries, with your luggage carried and your hotels booked: a taste of the Camino, not the whole thing.
| 8 days (7 nights) | |
|---|---|
| Per person, sharing a double or twin | £975 |
| Single room supplement | +£280 |
| Travelling solo (on top of the per-person price) | +£340 |
Prices are per person, sharing a double/twin room.
| In US dollars | about US$1,300 |
|---|---|
| In Canadian dollars | about C$1,820 |
| In Australian dollars | about A$1,860 |
| In New Zealand dollars | about NZ$2,290 |
| In euros | about €1,160 |
Approximate amounts at the 23 October 2026 exchange rate. Prices are set in pounds, and you can pay in any currency you prefer.
| Day | Route | Distance | Climb | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival in Souillac | – | – | Souillac · La Vieille Auberge |
| 2 | Souillac to St Sozy | 17.2 km (11 miles) | ↑ 390 m (about 1,300 ft) ↓ 370 m (about 1,200 ft) | St Sozy · Hotel Grangier |
| 3 | St Sozy to Rocamadour | 14.1 or 14.8 km (8.8 or 9.2 miles) | ↑ 290–300 m ↓ 140–230 m | Rocamadour · Hotel Bellevue |
| 4 | Rocamadour circular walk | Optional 10.8 km (6.7 miles) | ↑ 270 m (about 900 ft) ↓ 280 m (about 900 ft) | Rocamadour · Hotel Bellevue |
| 5 | Rocamadour to Loubressac | 20.1 km (12 miles) | ↑ 320 m (about 1,050 ft) ↓ 240 m (about 800 ft) | Loubressac · Le Cantou 354 |
| 6 | Optional circular walks from Loubressac | Optional 20.3 km (13 miles) | ↑ 390 m (about 1,300 ft) ↓ 390 m (about 1,300 ft) | Loubressac · Le Cantou 354 |
| 7 | Loubressac to Carennac | – | – | Carennac · Hotel Fenelon |
| 8 | Departure | – | – | – |
Make your way to Souillac, a lively old market town on the banks of the Dordogne and an easy journey by train or road from Paris via Brive. If you arrive in good time, wander its old streets and step inside the domed Romanesque abbey church.
Great views of the châteaux of La Treyne and Belcastel from high above the river valley, then a descent to a riverside path that passes prehistoric cave dwellings on the way to the timeless old village of St Sozy.
Through pleasant woods and fields, with glimpses of the Auvergne mountains on a clear day, to Rocamadour, spectacularly set in its rocky valley.
Today’s suggestion is the circular walk from Rocamadour in your route notes, shown on the map below. Or skip it and take the whole day to explore Rocamadour, an important religious site since its beginnings and a stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Tonight is bed and breakfast, so you can choose where to eat in Rocamadour.
The route follows the Combe Molière valley to the little village of Gaule and on to Padirac, where the underground river and caverns of the Gouffre de Padirac are well worth a visit. Pleasant sandy paths then lead you to the dramatically sited fortified village of Loubressac.
Three circular options today: a walk to the magnificent Château de Castelnau, with lunch at its restaurant, Les Remparts; a walk to Autoire, with its gentlemen’s houses and a climb up the cirque, the rock amphitheatre above the village; or, for the energetic, one that takes in both. It’s up to you on the day: the castle, Autoire, both, or a shorter, easier day. The map shows the walk that takes in both; your route notes have all three.
From clifftop Loubressac you walk down to the Dordogne at Carennac, one of France’s most beautiful villages. Take your time in its winding streets, and there’s a swimming pool for a cooling dip. Dinner tonight is at the Fenelon, which is known for its cooking.
Your holiday ends after breakfast. For the journey home, your hotel can book you a taxi to the station at Brive or Souillac.
By air. Brive–Vallée de la Dordogne airport is about 20 minutes from Souillac; Bergerac and Toulouse are around 1 hour 45 minutes.
From further afield. From Australia, the USA and further afield, most long-haul flights land at Paris Charles de Gaulle, with connecting flights to Bordeaux or Toulouse, or a train from Paris to the region.
By train. Souillac, where the walk starts, is on the main line from Paris Austerlitz to Toulouse, about 5 hours from Paris.
By car. Calais to Souillac is around 800 km, roughly 8 hours’ driving.
Going home. The walk ends in Carennac, and your hotel can book a taxi to take you to Brive or Souillac station.
Our detailed route notes come in digital form, so you always know where the next turn is.
We also email you GPX files, with simple instructions for using them on your phone, so you can see exactly where you are on the map.
It varies by route. Some sections are waymarked, and your route notes tell you where. The notes and GPS guide you the rest of the way.
Bring a smartphone with mobile data and a power bank. If you take a wrong turn, the GPX track shows you the way back, and we’re a call or WhatsApp away.
We’ve walked or cycled our Dordogne and Lot routes ourselves, so our notes come from first-hand experience.
Included: 7 breakfasts and 6 dinners. The day-by-day shows which nights include dinner.
Breakfast is usually French-style: fresh bread and croissants with butter and jam, and coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Some hotels add yoghurt, fruit or cheese.
Lunch is up to you, and it’s one of the pleasures of the day: pick up a picnic from a village bakery or market, or stop at a café along the way. On some days there are few shops on the route, so it’s worth buying lunch before you set off.
Tell us about any dietary needs when you book and we’ll let every hotel know. Vegetarian meals are no problem. Other needs, such as gluten-free food or a serious allergy, are harder for small country kitchens, so please talk to Cassie before you book, and always carry any medication you need.
Drinks aren’t included: anything you enjoy with dinner is simply settled with the hotel before you leave.
Whenever you change hotel, your bags are taken on for you, so they’re waiting when you arrive. Please have them ready at reception by 9am.
During the day you only need a daypack: water, snacks, a waterproof, sun cream and a hat, plus anything you’ll want before evening, such as medication.
Many of our hotels are in old buildings and some have no lift, so expect the odd flight of stairs with your bags.
One bag per person, up to 20 kg.
Rooms are usually ready from mid-afternoon, and check-out is usually by 10 or 11am. If you arrive early, the hotel will normally look after your bags while you explore.
Most rooms have a shower rather than a bath, as is usual in French country hotels.
The day-by-day above lists your hotels night by night, and we’ll send you full details with your booking confirmation.
Our season runs from April to October.
Spring brings wildflowers and fresh green valleys, with mild days that can still be showery; April mornings can be cool.
June and September are often the sweet spot: warm, settled and quieter, and September brings the grape harvest.
July and August are hot, often 30 °C or more in the afternoon, so set off early, carry plenty of water and plan a long lunch in the shade. Summer thunderstorms can be heavy but usually pass quickly.
October is golden and peaceful, with cooler days, shorter evenings and a little more rain.
French is the language of the route. Most hotels speak some English, but in small villages, shops and cafés you’ll often find they don’t.
A few words go a long way and are always appreciated: bonjour as you walk into a shop, merci, and l’addition, s’il vous plaît when you’d like the bill.
The Gouffre de Padirac, a vast chasm with an underground river you explore by boat, is close to the route after Rocamadour. Visits are by timed ticket, so book online before you travel.
Souillac’s market is on Friday mornings.
Rocamadour’s sanctuaries need no booking; go early in the morning or late in the day to enjoy them quietly.
Read the full Terms: www.dordogneexperience.com/terms-of-service
Send us an enquiry at www.dordogneexperience.com/book-holiday?trip=rocamadour#enquire, call or WhatsApp Cassie on +44 7476 205 325, or email hello@dordogneexperience.com. We’ll check availability and send you a quote, with the full details of your holiday.
The holiday page: www.dordogneexperience.com/rocamadour
Owned and run by Cassie at Dordogne Experience · +44 7476 205 325 · hello@dordogneexperience.com · www.dordogneexperience.com · Trip notes dated 23 October 2026
Dordogne Experience