Dordogne Hike

Meet your guide(s) at 9 a.m. for an hour’s drive to an ancient land of meandering rivers and limestone escarpments where Cro-Magnon man lived 20,000 years ago. Our hike starts from the riverside village of St. Léon sur Vézère and follows the shady banks of the river, passing beneath limestone outcroppings which once sheltered our pre-historic ancestors. After lunch we have two options: we can visit La Roque Saint-Cristophe, a troglodytic cliff-dwelling that has been inhabited for 55,000 years, or the new "Lascaux IV" museum with an extensive mock-up of the famous caves that are now off-limits to human visitors. We have an afternoon transfer to Les Eyzies, where the very first traces of Cro-Magnon man were found in 1868. Our hotel for the next two nights is at a renovated noble house, the Hostellerie du Passeur (or similar), and we dine tonight at their lovely restaurant. The Hike: distance 10 km/6.2 mls; total elevation gain 376 mts/1233 ft, total elevation loss 370 mts/1213 ft;  hiking time 2 hrs and 15 minutes. Overnight Les Eyzies-de-Tayac.  Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.

This morning starts with a guided visit of the truly amazing Font de Gaume: a narrow cave corridor 65 meters long leading to an awe-inspiring series of over 200 polychromatic paintings of horses, bison, reindeer and mammoth. The paintings are from the Magdalenian period (15,000 to 9,000 B.C). The artists used the natural contours of the rock walls to create effects of perspective and movement. We still do not know if they were meant as art or religious symbolism, as simple sketches of daily life or abstract depictions of an afterlife. Thought-provoking, at the very least! Afterwards, we set out for a lovely hike along the Gorge de l’Enfer. Lunch will either be a picnic or in a bistro in the village. This evening we will do a tasting of wines from the emerging appellations of Cahors, Bergerac and Pécharmant before a dinner of beautifully prepared local specialties. The Hike: distance 10,4 km/6,4 mls, total elevation gain 173 mts/657 ft, total elevation loss 182 mts/597 ft, hiking time: 2 hrs and 15 minutes. Overnight Les Eyzies.  Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.

A short transfer takes us to the riverside village of la Roque-Gageac whose houses are tucked in under a limestone escarpment. After a café au lait with a view of the Dordogne River, we hike up the limestone bluff that hangs over the village for impressive views over the river valley. In the distance, we see our destination, the “bastide” of Domme perched high on a hilltop. Domme was a strategic fortified village during the Hundred Years’ War. We have lunch in Domme and then descend on foot to Monfort, passing through quaint Vitrac along the way. The Hike: 14 km/8.7 mls; total elevation gain 406 mts/1332 ft, total elevation loss 403 mts/1322 ft, hiking time 2 hrs and 30 minutes. After our hike, we transfer to Sarlat, famous throughout France as one of the country’s most beautiful towns. Our hotel for the next two nights is within the medieval walls of Sarlat, the Hotel Couleuvrine (or similar). We will enjoy dinner at their lovely restaurant. Overnight Sarlat. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.

This morning you are free to immerse yourself in the wonderful weekly market of Sarlat, an extensive and fabulous array of food, wine, and local products. We depart mid-morning for a different view of the Dordogne valley as we paddle along it by canoe (we also have a hiking option if you prefer). This is a very pleasant and easy excursion on the serene river. We’ll start in Ceynac, under the cliffs of Domme, and float almost effortlessly along this moderately flowing river to our picnic spot underneath the Chateau of Castelnaud. We finish our paddle on the other bank of the river beneath the imposing mass of Beynac castle.  The two castles, one French and one English, sit on opposite sides of the Dordogne River and were rivals for over 700 years. Return to Sarlat to further explore its beautiful medieval and Renaissance architecture. Tonight is a “free night” so you can choose between a salad and an early night, or the one-star Michelin Le Grand Bleu, and lots of other choices in between. Overnight Sarlat. Hotel and breakfast included. Dinner not included.

The nearby Château d’Erignac, whose fabulous gardens are considered to be among the most beautiful in France, is the starting point for today’s hike. We stop at the Moulin de la Tour, a 16th-century mill whose original 400-year-old water-driven mechanism is still used to crush walnuts and hazelnuts to extract their prized oil. They also make some killer chocolate-covered walnuts, a highlight for all chocolate lovers. After lunch, we have a 45-minute drive to our hotel for our final 2 nights, the Hotel Edward 1er (or similar, a 19th century turreted château that has been transformed into a lovely four-star inn, complete with a small swimming pool. It is located in the walled village of Monpazier, one of the best-preserved of Périgord’s “bastides.”  Bastides were walled fortress villages built by both the French and English during the Hundred Years’ War. The Hike: distance 10.5 km/6.5 mls, total elevation gain 276 mts/905 ft, total elevation loss 280 mts/918ft, hiking time 2 hrs. One of the attractions of Monpazier, besides its beautiful arcaded central square, is a superb little restaurant with a relaxed and casual atmosphere that is the perfect spot for our dinner this evening. Overnight Monpazier. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.

Today's hike takes us to the nearby Château de Biron, one of the most impressive fortified castles in the Dordogne region. It dates from the 12th century, and a hike through the castle gives us a fascinating glimpse of the historical development in France from the Middle Ages until the present day. Architecturally, it is an interesting mix of elements from different centuries, from the 12th-century castle keep to the elegant Renaissance living quarters of the duke. We will lunch at the nearby Auberge du Chateau, a lovely bistro serving up local specialties. The Hike: distance 20 km/12.4 mls, total elevation gain 349 mts/1145 ft, total elevation loss 359 mts/1159 ft, hiking time 3 hrs 45 minutes. This afternoon we can relax in the garden of the hotel before our final farewell dinner in the hotel's excellent gastronomic restaurant. Overnight Monpazier at the Hotel Edward 1er (or similar). Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.

After breakfast, we transfer to the Bergerac train station for rail connections to Paris and Bordeaux, arriving around 10 a.m.  Breakfast and one group transfer included.

Please note: Some details of the itinerary may change according to the departure date of your tour. Whenever we run a tour we make new discoveries. Sometimes they are good discoveries, like a wonderful new trattoria, and sometimes they are bad, like a trail has been washed away. The result is that we sometimes change our itinerary to improve it by adding new wonderful elements to the tour or by removing something that does not work anymore. Rest assured, our goal is to always provide you with the best possible experience. We will advise you of any changes to the original itinerary prior to departure.