Our Dordogne walking holidays are five self-guided walks in the Dordogne, the Lot, the Corrèze and the Ardèche, of 5 or 7 nights, with 4.6–23.2 km (3–14 miles) of walking a day. Each includes your hotels, breakfast every day, dinner on most evenings and your luggage moved for you, from £950 per person sharing.
New to walking holidays in France? Read our guide to your first self-guided walking holiday, or why visit the Dordogne?
Our Dordogne walking holidays: routes our family has walked
Manageable days, with plenty to see and time to stop.
Hotels chosen for you
Characterful, often family-run, with dinner on most evenings.
Walk with just a daypack
Inn to inn: your bags are waiting for you at the next hotel.
Self-guided walking tours (or hiking tours, as many of our North American guests call them), from one village inn to the next. Owned and run by Cassie, with Keith and Val on hand with advice. Our self-guided walking holidays take you through the Dordogne, the Lot and the Corrèze, from one golden-stone village to the next, and into the quiet hills of the Ardèche. Self-guided means you walk on your own, at your own pace, with no group and no guide to keep up with: we plan the route, book the hotels and look after the details, and you simply enjoy the walking.
We’ve walked our Dordogne and Lot routes ourselves, and our family walked the Ardèche route when we created it. You’ll have our detailed route notes and GPX files to guide you, and we’re only a call or message away. Our walks go inn to inn: you walk from one hotel to the next and your luggage is moved on for you each day, so you carry just a daypack and your bags are waiting when you arrive. You stay in characterful, often family-run hotels, with dinner on most evenings and, at many of them, a pool to cool off in before dinner.
Most of our walks are seven nights and moderate, with time to linger over lunch or explore a château. Premium Périgord is a shorter, more indulgent five nights in just two hotels, with short walks and included food and wine tastings, and our Ardèche Adventure is the most challenging. You can start on most days between April and October; each holiday page says which.
Which walk is right for me?
| Photo | Holiday | Days | Distance per day | Biggest daily climb | Level | Hotels | Start and finish | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Premium PérigordGood for: Food and wine, with shorter walks and a 4★ spa hotel | 6 days (5 nights) | 4.6–14.1 km (2.9–8.8 miles) | 210 m (about 700 ft) | Easy to moderate | 3 nights at the 4★ Hôtel Le Périgord, 2 nights at a 3★ hotel in Sarlat | Le Port de Domme to Sarlat | £950 |
 | Castles & Caves of the DordogneGood for: Prehistoric caves, clifftop castles and medieval Sarlat | 8 days (7 nights) | 12.8–17.8 km (8–11 miles) | 450 m (about 1,500 ft) | Moderate | Often family-run 2★ and 3★ hotels, 4 of 5 with a pool | Les Eyzies to Sarlat | £995 |
 | France’s Most Beautiful VillagesLes Plus Beaux Villages de FranceGood for: Seven of France’s most beautiful villages, the Plus Beaux Villages (Autoire on the day 7 walks) | 8 days (7 nights) | 15.5–23 km (10–14 miles) | 560 m (about 1,850 ft) | Moderate | Often family-run 2★ and 3★ hotels | Sarrazac to Loubressac | £965 |
 | Exploring RocamadourGood for: Rocamadour, the Gouffre de Padirac and clifftop Loubressac | 8 days (7 nights) | 14.1–20.1 km (9–12 miles) | 400 m (about 1,300 ft) | Moderate | Often family-run 2★ and 3★ hotels | Souillac to Carennac | £975 |
 | Ardèche AdventureGood for: The biggest hills, quiet countryside and exceptional food | 8 days (7 nights) | 13–23.2 km (8–14 miles) | 1,070 m (about 3,500 ft) | Challenging | Hôtel des Négociants (Lamastre, 3 nights), Hôtel des Voyageurs (Lalouvesc), Auberge des Myrtilles (St Bonnet-le-Froid) and Le Bois Sauvage (St Agrève, 2 nights) | Circular from Lamastre | £985 |
Shorter days: no more than 18 km (11 miles) a day. Gentler climbs: no more than 450 m (about 1,500 ft) of climbing in a day, measured from our GPX tracks. Prices are per person, sharing a double or twin room; single room and solo prices are on each holiday page. See how fit you need to be for what each level means.
Which walks visit which villages? See our guide to the most beautiful villages in the Dordogne.
Premium Périgord
A Gourmet Journey
6 days · from £950 per person, sharing a double/twin room
4.6 to 14.1 km (2.9 to 8.8 miles) a day · Easy to moderate
- Le Port de Domme (3 nights)
- Sarlat (2 nights)
Castles & Caves of the Dordogne
8 days · from £995 per person, sharing a double/twin room
12.8 to 17.8 km (8 to 11 miles) a day · Moderate
- Les Eyzies
- Boyer
- Beynac
- Vitrac
- Sarlat
France’s Most Beautiful Villages
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France8 days · from £965 per person, sharing a double/twin room
15.5 to 23 km (10 to 14 miles) a day · Moderate
- Sarrazac
- Meyssac
- Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
- Carennac
- Loubressac
Exploring Rocamadour
8 days · from £975 per person, sharing a double/twin room
14.1 to 20.1 km (9 to 12 miles) a day · Moderate
- Souillac
- St Sozy
- Rocamadour (2 nights)
- Loubressac (2 nights)
- Carennac
Ardèche Adventure
8 days · from £985 per person, sharing a double/twin room
13 to 23.2 km (8 to 14 miles) a day · Challenging
- Lamastre (2 nights)
- Lalouvesc
- St Bonnet le Froid
- St Agrève (2 nights)
- Lamastre
Travelling with friends
Our holidays work well for two or three couples or a small group of friends, up to 12 people in one booking. You all follow the same route and stay in the same hotels, and you can walk together or each at your own pace. Our hotels are small, so groups have more choice when they book early. Tell us how many of you there are and the rooms you need, and we’ll send you a price.
How it works
- Choose and enquirePick a holiday and the dates you’d like, then send us an enquiry, or call or WhatsApp Cassie.
- We book the hotelsWe check availability and book every hotel on your route, then send you a confirmation.
- We move your luggageYou walk inn to inn, and your bags are moved on for you, so they’re waiting at your next hotel.
- Walk with our notes and supportYou’ll have our detailed route notes and GPX files, and we’re on hand from 9am to 7pm, UK or French time.
What our guests say
“Had the most amazing few days in and around Sarlat. Highly recommend the castles and caves tour! Cassie is a fantastic host and goes the extra mile to make sure everyone gets the most out of their holiday, everything feels so well organised you can completely relax and enjoy it.”
“Four women over 60, one incredible adventure! We walked the Dordogne Castles and Caves Tour in September and had such a wonderful time. From start to finish, everything was exceptionally well organized. The booking process went smoothly, and Cassie, the owner, was responsive, patient, and helpful from the very beginning, answering all our questions and making us feel confident about our trip. Our luggage was always waiting for us when we arrived at the end of each day’s adventure, which made everything so much easier. And as we pushed through those last few kilometres each day, we found ourselves getting excited about discovering our next hotel and what delicious dinner awaited us. That was our reward at the end of the day, and we were never disappointed! This tour was a wonderful combination of adventure, beautiful scenery, fascinating history, and lovely places to stay. We made fantastic memories together and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. We would not hesitate to book another trip with Cassie and highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a memorable walking holiday. Thank you, Cassie, for such a wonderful experience!”
“Myself and my two children did the Castles and Caves tour - what an absolutely amazing experience. Views out of this world! So much to see and do, we just loved it and most definitely will be back. Thank you!”
“In August we did a walking holiday of the Dordogne region and included Rocamadour to finish. Dordogne Experience were really helpful leading up to our walk and we were very pleased that everything went as planned. The walking tracks were very well mapped out and really interesting and beautiful. The hotels exceeded expectations and all of the meals included were of good quality. We would recommend to anyone that want to see France in a slow and relaxing way.”
“Thank you so much for giving us a fantastic holiday walk – probably the best we have had in 25 years of trekking and cycling in France. The route was superb, through wonderful countryside, and the accommodation/meals couldn’t have been better, or the owners and staff more friendly and helpful. The route instructions were certainly the best we’ve experienced. The fact that we went on this year from the Dordogne to stay in a lovely gite in the Auvergne certainly made this one of the most perfect holidays we’ve ever had in France. Again, thank you.”
Questions about our walking holidays
Is a self-guided holiday right for me?
If you like going at your own pace, it probably is. There’s no group to keep up with and no guide to follow: just you, the route, and a good dinner waiting at the end of the day. Read the full answer →
What’s included?
Seven nights (five on Premium Périgord) in comfortable hotels, breakfast every day, and dinner on most evenings (each holiday page shows which nights). Read the full answer →
What is an inn-to-inn holiday?
One where you walk or cycle from one hotel to the next while your luggage is moved on for you, so you only carry a daypack and your bags are waiting when you arrive. Read the full answer →
When can I start?
On most days during the season, which runs from April to October. A few holidays have days to avoid, because restaurants on the route close: Read the full answer →
How fit do I need to be?
If you enjoy a good day’s walking or cycling, you’ll be fine. Each holiday page shows the distance for every day. Read the full answer →
Can I travel on my own?
Yes, solo walkers and cyclists are very welcome on Dordogne Experience holidays. Because the costs aren’t shared, there’s a solo traveller supplement on top of the per-person price. Read the full answer →
Can I add extra nights or change the itinerary?
Yes, you can add extra nights or change the itinerary of any Dordogne Experience holiday. Every itinerary can be shaped around you. Read the full answer →
Getting here: fly to Paris, Bordeaux or Toulouse, then take the train to the start of your holiday. How to get here →
If you’re unsure which walk is right for you, we’re happy to help.
Prefer to talk it through? Ask for a 15-minute call with Cassie.
Last updated