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Dordogne / Périgord

5-day bike trip to explore the Dordogne Valley

From the vineyards of Monbazillac to the medieval city of Sarlat via the Lascaux cave, discover the treasures of the Dordogne by bike.

Reviews (6) :
4.83 / 5
Reference DP0501
  • Itinerant trip
  • 5 days
  • Challenging
  • From April to October
  • Minimum age 14 years
GPSGPS-app available
565€ / pers.
  • Itinerary
  • This 5-day self-guided bike tour offers you a good overview of the most beautiful sites in the Dordogne. You start your route discovering the vineyards of Monbazillac and its castle. Then, you cycle along the banks of the Dordogne river and cross charming typical villages. After an overnight in Le Bugue, you cycle in the Vézère valley, known as the "Vallée de l’Homme" (Man’s Valley) due to its many prehistoric sites. You will cross on your way troglodyte villages, medieval fortresses before reaching Montignac and the famous Lascaux cave. Then, you cycle to Sarlat, beautiful medieval town with its rich architectural heritage. Finally, a nice loop tour leads you to the most beautiful castles in the region, you will even have the possibility to exchange your bike for a canoe!

    Day 1

     
     

    Loop tour to Monbazillac

    Altitude
    ±326m
    Bike
    33km
    Today discover the Monbazillac vineyards with a nice loop tour! You cycle to the beautiful château de Monbazillac that you can visit. Continue on small country roads in the middle of vineyards and cycle by the château de Bridoir in Ribagnac, nicknamed the "100 games castle". Your path will cross many wine estates where you will have the opportunity to stop for a wine tasting. Finally, you cycle back to Bergerac to spend another evening in the beautiful city.

    Day 2

     
     

    Bergerac - Le Bugue

    Altitude
    ±297m
    Bike
    52km
    You take a beautiful greenway along the Dordogne river to leave Bergerac. The peaceful shores of the river are only disturbed by the majestic gabarres (traditional boats) sailing there. From the charming town of Lalinde, small winding roads lead you to the top of the cingles de Limeuil et Trémolat from which you can admire the meanders of the river.

    Then, you cycle to the medieval village of Limeuil, listed among the most beautiful villages of France and located at the confluence of the Dordogne and the Vézère rivers. You are now following the Vézère valley, known as the "Vallée de l’Homme" (Man’s Valley) with its fifteen prehistoric sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Your day ends at Le Bugue, a charming little town built like an amphitheater on the side of a hill.

    Day 3

     
     

    Le Bugue - Montignac

    Altitude
    ±285m
    Bike
    38km
    You leave Le Bugue to reach Les Eyzies, a troglodyte village considered as "the world capital of prehistory", it was here that the Cro-Magnon Man was discovered. You can take a short break to visit the beautiful National Prehistory Museum housed in the former castle. You keep cycling along the Vézère river where you will come across many architectural treasures: the Maison Forte de Reignac, the Roque Saint-Christophe and the Château de Losse.

    Then, you cross the medieval village of Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, very typical village of the Black Périgord. You finally arrive in Montignac, a charming medieval town where you can visit one of the most precious gems of prehistory: the Lascaux Cave.

    Day 4

     
     

    Montignac - Sarlat

    Altitude
    ±708m
    Bike
    44km
    From Montignac you cycle on small country roads to the village of Saint-Genies, one of the most beautiful villages in the Black Périgord. You cross Salignac and its castle, then a few kilometers further, cycle by Eyrignac gardens where we advise you to stop for a visit. Listed as a Historic Monument, these gardens are a green masterpiece combining rose gardens, ponds, flowers, grass carpets, fountains and plant sculptures on an area of 200 hectares.

    You end your day cycling down to Sarlat, the capital of the Black Périgord. Labeled City of Art and History, the medieval city holds a large number of national heritage sites, a real open-air museum! Finally, do not miss the traditional market of Sarlat, one of the most famous in the region!

    Day 5

     
     

    Sarlat

    Altitude
    ±563m
    Bike
    43km
    Bike or canoe
    Today, discover the most prestigious castles of the Dordogne by bike or canoe!

    A beautiful loop tour takes you to the foot of the most beautiful castles of the region: the château de Monfort perched on its rocky spur, the château de Castelnaud and its museum of war in the Middle Ages and the château de Beynac, one of the best preserved in Dordogne. You also cycle through the villages of Domme and La Roque-Gageac, both listed among the most beautiful villages in France. On your way you will also have the opportunity to visit the majestic Marqueyssac Gardens overlooking the Dordogne valley.

    For those who wish to admire the castles from a different perspective, you can exchange your bike for a canoe! You cycle from Sarlat to Vitrac (12km) where you leave your bike to get a canoe. You explore the Dordogne river while admiring its castles until Beynac where you leave the canoe (16km-3h). Then, we will drive you back to Vitrac in a mini-van where you collect your bike to cycle back to Sarlat (12km).
       

    Canoe ride along the Dordogne 3h

    You must be able to swim.
    22,00 € / adult
  • Accommodation
  • Category A

    You will enjoy staying in these clean and cozy 2-3 Star hotels that give you a pleasant rest after your day of biking. Breakfast is included zhen you spend the night in these friendly and family-run hotels.

    * Example of the type of accommodation

    Category B

    You will get a good night’s sleep when you stay in these 3-star hotels or charming Bed and Breakfasts. All properties have been selected for their cleanliness, style and friendliness of the staff. A hearty breakfast is included!
    * Example of the type of accommodation
  • Bikes, luggage and documents
  • Bikes

    On your arrival day, we provide you with:

    • a touring bike adjusted to your size
    • equipped : front rack pack with an integrated file compartment, saddlebag, helmet (on demand), reflective vest, repairing toolkit with patches etc.

    You will be asked for a deposit (imprint of bank card) when you collect the bikes.

    Electric bikes are also available for adults (+1m55).

    You can of course also bring your own bikes, in this case a reduction will be applied (see the Tarif tab)


    Luggage


    For this trip, bikes are equipped with 2 waterproof saddle bags with a capacity of 10 to 20L each to transport your luggage. Do not forget to put your items in a soft travel bag to be able that you can roll it up in your saddle bags.

    For more comfort, you can choose to add luggage transport in your booking:
    (see rate in "Prices")

    • We transport your luggage from one accommodation to the next using a private vehicle.
    • Your luggage is directly delivered in your accommodation before you arrive.
    • We provide a saddlebag for the things you shall need during the day.(included in your bike rental).
    • We advise to take an extra set of clothes with you if you expect to arrive before 5p.m. at your accommodation.

    Our word of advice : as we know from experience, we strongly recommend you to avoid wearing a backpack during your cycling trip.


    Travel documents

    A cycling holiday is the best way to explore a region and discover its culture, landscapes and local traditions.

    Your tour is self-guided to give you the freedom to ride at your own pace. You will be provided all the information you need to enjoy the itinerary and its points of interests.

    We can provide you with travel documents in paper format (for a supplement of €15 for printing and postage), which include:
    • a roadbook with maps that we drew at the easiest scale to follow on a bike
    • a roadbook with step-by-step description giving the direction to follow at each intersection and highlighting the points of interest

    Example of a map and of a step-by-step description


    Our GPS App

    For this trip, you can also use our smartphone app featuring GPS guidance (without extra fee).

    You will find in the app all the information given in the map and step-by-step roadbooks. You will be located on the itinerary with the GPS device of your phone. The route and directions to follow will be both viewable on the screen of your phone and announced aloud. As you ride along the itinerary, you will be given information about visits, restaurants, services and useful alerts on the way.

    -> You need to have a smartphone and download Le Velo Voyageur app on your Apple or Android store before the trip. All details concerning the downloading and the use of the application will be given after we have confirmed the booking and the balance is paid. Once the trip is downloaded, the GPS guidance can be used off-line.
  • Practical information
  • To get to departure point:

    • By plane: To Bergerac airport, flights from Lyon, Nice, Brussels and many cities in England (London, Liverpool, Manchester...). Then take a taxi to the city center. Other nearby airport: Bordeaux. Then take a train to reach Bergerac.

    • By train: direct regional trains from Bordeaux to Bergerac (1h20). To plan your trip, www.sncf-connect.com


    Parking

    If you come by car to Bergerac, you can park in the secure car parks of Bellegarde, Gambetta ou République.

    To get back to starting point:

    Trains take you back to your starting point if you wish. Regular regional trains are riding between Sarlat and Bergerac. Bikes are accepted for free. The duration of the trip is about 1h. Full rate is 13.50€/pers.

    You will find the timetable of the day in your travel documents.

    Meeting time:

    You have an appointment between 9am and 10am at your hotel in Bergerac to collect your bikes. Please let us know if you plan to arrive later.

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  • Reviews
  •   Memory of the trip  

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    6 bike travelers reviews 4.83 / 5

    Beautiful scenery on quite roads

    On the 2024-09-30 by john
    The route was excellent. We enjoyed the beautiful villages, quiet roads, and lovely scenery. The hotels were good (other than the Hotel St Albert in Sarlat) and the luggage transfer worked well. Our party of eight older cyclists upgraded to e-bikes and were happy with the choice. There were some significant hills on the route.

    Tout roule !

    On the 2024-07-22 by Maurice
    Des étapes bien calibrées,des hébergements de qualité et authentiques toujours au calme et bien situés.Des informations pratiques très précieuses.Un guidage très précis et efficace,l’application est très intuitive. Enfin bref,un séjour où tout roule en douceur !

    Rando vélo très agréable

    On the 2023-09-11 by francois
    Quel bonheur et quel sentiment de liberté de partir le matin avec son vélo à la découverte d'une région, sans contrainte avec la prise en charge des bagages. Nous recommencerons probablement avec une autre région.

    Isabelle

    On the 2023-07-25 by ISABELLE
    Le circuit en Dordogne est vraiment magnifique.C'est un parcours qui est très riche en paysages et en découvertes culturelles et gastronomiques. Un accueil parfait dans tous les établissements.

    Un super séjour

    On the 2022-06-19 by Bernard
    Mention très bien à la fois pour le choix des itinéraires, la logistique, les informations pratiques et sur les sites à visiter, le service d'assistance. Du fait de la vague de chaleur pendant notre séjour (12-18 juin 2022), nous avons particulièrement apprécié les petites routes peu fréquentées et bien ombragées. Les informations fournies nous ont permis d'organiser au mieux les temps de visites et de vélo pour profiter au maximum de ces vacances.

    Séjour en couple au Périgord

    On the 2021-09-12 by Animor
    Nous avons adoré notre première expérience de voyager autrement grâce à VELO VOYAGEUR. Le parcours proposé était tout à fait adapté à nos attentes. Toute l'organisation était au top: options proposées (catégorie de logements, vélo électriques, transport de bagage, etc), remise de documentation sur les lieux à visiter, recommandation des restaurants, et surtout le très utile GPS proposé pour suivre le parcours sans se prendre la tête. Nous avons tellement adoré notre séjour que nous ne hésiterons pas à faire appel à VELO VOYAGEUR pour faire d'autres voyages.
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