Dordogne: A Delicate Savour of France(Walking Holiday)

Self-Guided 7 Days /6 Nights 2* Hotels “Logis de France” Half Board Available Mar Nov From €790
Highlights

Puce Time travel and witness fortified villages, castles and the sleepy Dordogne valley.
Puce Marvel at 14000 year-old paintings & carvings in the “Font de Caume” cave.
Puce Enjoy a sweet Montbasiac, savour truffles, foie gras and a crisp Bergerac.
Puce Relax in our selected “logis de France” hotels.

A Walking Holiday in Dordogne, France. Known to the French as “Prigord”, the Dordogne “department”, is named after the most important of the region’s seven rivers. The area is a celebration of colour and diversity
of landscape. It is also called the “Land of the 1001 stles”. To walk here is to travel through time.

This trip will bring you through the “Parigord Noir”, known for its dark forests, medieval chateaux and great food. Dordogne supplies almost half of France’s fine food produce: wine, cpes, truffles, duck and goose, which yield many specialties from foie gras to the “Demoiselle” (the whole bird grilled over a wood fire).

Dordogne

Map

During 7 Days, we will pass through some of the most beautiful villages, hamlets, and oak forests. As Parigord is one of the cradles of human civilization, you will also have the chance to visit some of the most well-preserved cave paintings – created more than ten thousand years ago!

Our team has specially selected our hotels for their location, character, comfort, facilities and
for the quality of their food. While dinner is included, we decided not to include the “picnic lunch”
(Optional) in the trip, this way you can choose stop at one of the many great restaurants along your route.

“Good food and
wine, this is paradise on earth,” said France’s much loved king, Henri IV.

Enjoy!

Day By Day
gradients

puceDAY 1 – Coming to Sarlat

After your flight to Bergerac, you will be pre-booked in a charming 2* hotel “logis de France” in the heart of town. The facilities include a large garden and a swimming pool and all the rooms are en-suite. Daniel, your host, is a very jovial gastronome! SARLAT is a city of art. Stroll around the old medieval town and soak up the atmosphere. NOTE: market on Saturdays

Day 1

Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities.
Hotel: 2* “Logis de France” hotel, former family residence, situated just 10min from the historic centre. Also features large garden, wimming pool and open fire. En-suite.

puceDAY 2 – Sarlat to Vitrac [5h30, 19km, +50m -50m].
At first we follow the “piste cyclable” – an old railway track converted into a scenic path – through woodlands. After an hour or so, we leave the path behind and take a marked trail through organic vegetable fields to the cliffside castle of Montfort, overlooking the luxuriant Dordogne valley. It”â„¢s also a perfect stop for lunch! Later, we will arrive in our beautiful 2* “Logis de France” hotel. Jean-Claude, our chef, creates local dishes with passion while maintaining the grand gastronomic tradition of the Prigord Region. Enjoy!

Day 1

Hotel: 2* “Logisde France” hotel with swimming pool. Rooms en-suite.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner

puceDAY 3 – Vitrac to Beynac [3h30, 12km, +70m -80m]
Probably the most beautiful walking day. From Vitrac, we cross the Dordogne valley and follow the left banks through cornfields. As we ascend to Domme, the views of the white cliffs on the other side of the river are stunning. After one hour we come to Domme, a very well-preserved medieval village and noted as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Going down, we pass walnut trees, fields and forests. You will soon catch a glimpse of the chateau of Castleneau; a superb example of a fortified medieval castle. Efforts have been made to make a visit there interactive, so don’t miss it! Crossing the Dordogne river again, we follow the right bank through a large poplar forest.On the way into Beynec you can see the 900 hundred year-old fortified castle, sitting majestically atop the limestone cliffs.

Day 1

Town: ATM, shops, all facilities.
Hotel: 2* hotel with a large garden. Rooms en-suite.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner.

puceDAY 4 – Beynac to Les Eyzies [3h30, 12km, +70m -80m]

To save you an unpleasant walk along the road, we have organised a 15minute transfer to the picturesque village of St Cyprien. The walk today starts with a steep – but short – walk to the plateau above. As we cross vineyards and cornfields, you can see numerous mansions and small castles. After passing through a forest, you will find a great picnic spot, with super views of the valley below. Continuing down, we arrive in Les Eyzies, the European capital of prehistory. The town is nestled between limestone cliffs.We arrive at our hotel early in the afternoon. Here,a large garden awaits you, and of course – an excellent meal.

If you wish, it is possible to stay an additional day here. Les Eyzies is known for its archaeological wealth and its cliffs with numerous underground caves. The village offers a variety of sites & monuments that will interest both adults & children. We recommend a visit to the Museum of Prehistory. Also of interest – The “Cave du Grand Roc”; a cave inhabited by Cro-Magnon people some 14,000 years ago. The cave is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cave “Font de Gaume”, famous for its well-preserved Cro-Magnon paintings is also worth a visit.

Day 1

Town: ATM, shops, all acilities.
Hotel: 2* hotel with a swimming pool and garden. En-suite.
Meal: Breakfast, dinner

puceDAY 5 – Les Eyzies to Marquay [5h, 19km, +150m -20m]. Today is a very easy walk in a shaded wooded valley. From Les Eyzies we follow the GR6 through typical villages & hamlets. En-route you will have the chance to visit the “Abri du Cap Blanc” to witness some more unique prehistoric art. Tonight we stay in Marquay, a fortified village dating from the 12th century. Michel, our host and chef, is waiting for you in the Hotel La Condamine. Facilities include a swimming pool and a large garden.

Day 1

Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities.
Hotel: 2* hotel “Logis de France”. En-suite. Large garden and very quiet surroundings.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner.

puceDAY 6 – Marquay to Sarlat [4h, 15km, +70m -150m]. Our
last day”â„¢s walk takes us back to Sarlat through shaded woodland and up into the hills for views of the surrounding countryside. We recommend
stopping in Campagnac for lunch. The castle is also
worth visiting. Then it’s back to medieval Sarlat to the hotel we stayed at on Day 1.

Day 1

Town: Internet, ATM, shops, all facilities.
Hotel: 2* “Logis de France” hotel, former family residence, situated just 10min from the historic centre. Also features large garden, swimming pool and
open fire. En-suite.
Meals: Breakfast

puceDAY 7 – Sarlat. End of the Adventure

After breakfast we bid you farewell.

Day 1 Meal: Breakfast
How Yo Get There

To from Sarlat, Dordogne, France:
From Dublin, Aer Lingus fly to Bordeaux. Then take a train to Sarlat (3hrs, via Bergerac)

(See: www.sncf.com)

- From London, Ryanair fly to Bergerac. Then take a train to
Sarlat (1hr30, several a day)

About The Trip
Included Not Included
  • 6 Nights in 2* hotels
  • Half Board (Except in Sarlat, no dinner)
  • Your luggage transported from hotel to hotel
  • Transfer to St Cyprien on Day 4
  • Detailed Walking Notes
  • Pick-up from the airport (Guided trips only)
  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Drinks
  • Transfer from/to airport (included in Guided trips departure)
Hotels
Sarlat

Night 1&6

Vitrac
Night 2
Vitrac

Night 3

Vitrac

Night 4

Our hotels have been carefully selected for their comfort, location, friendliness and character, and are subject to availability. If the hotel described is not available, we will provide you with alternative lodgings of the same standard and price.

Vitrac

Night 5

Lunches Luggage

Lunch can either be taken in a restaurant along the way, or lunches
can be purchased in local shops in the villages. Or we can provide you with a picnic lunch, see options below.

Your luggage will be transported by us from hotel to hotel. During the walk, you only carry your day pack!

Options
  • Picnic lunches (€50pps)
  • Additional night anywhere on the route, double €85 pps, single €110
  • Single supplement (€140)