Cycling holiday in the Vézère and Dordogne Valleys

You arrive in Bergerac, city of Art and History where you can meet the statue of Cyrano, famous hero of the play by French author Edmond de Rostand. Take the time to stroll through the heart of the Renaissance town with its charming alleys and half-timbered houses. Be sure to stop by the covered market to taste some delicious local products: foie gras, mushrooms, walnuts, duck confit, truffles ... Welcome to Dordogne!

Start your bike tour with a gentle first step. 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. Cycle through the charming town of Lalinde, the first English bastide in the Périgord, before reaching your hotel for your evening stopover.

You cycle on small winding roads to the top of the cingles de Limeuil et Trémolat from which you can admire the meanders of the Dordogne river. Then, 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. Cycle through the charming town of Le Bugue before ending your day in Les Eyzies, a troglodyte village considered as "the world capital of prehistory", it was here that the Cro-Magnon Man was discovered.

Enjoy a break day in Les Eyzies for a hike or a canoe ride on the Vézère river.

A nice 12km hike will take you to the Gorge d’Enfer valley. From Les Eyzies, you walk along the Vezère river to the magnificent Grotte du Grand Roc, a natural masterpiece that offers crystallizations renowned for their diversity (listed by UNESCO). You continue your walk through the undergrowth and the old kaolin quarries, then you reach the charming hamlet of Le Peuch with its cave houses. Finally, you walk back to Les Eyzies across the agricultural plain. You will enjoy a magnificent view of the cliffs and the ancient troglodyte castle, it now houses the National Museum of Prehistory which we highly recommend visiting.

You can also exchange your bike for a canoe to discover the very beautiful Vézère valley. You leave your bike in Les Eyzies and we drive you to La Roque Saint-Christophe or Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère (your choice) to start your canoe ride. The Vézère is much more natural than the Dordogne and offers a magnificent setting for canoeing in the middle of the caves and golden cliffs. You pass in front of amazing places such as the Maison Forte de Reignac or the troglodyte village of la Madeleine. A very nice excursion to discover the hidden treasures of the Vézère!

You leave Les Eyzies and cycle along the Vézère river where you will come across many architectural treasures: the Maison Forte de Reignac, the last intact example of a cliff-castle in France, la Roque Saint-Christophe, the largest troglodyte site in Europe, the Château de Losse, a medieval fortress built sheer... 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.

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!

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).

After breakfast, enjoy a last stroll through the streets of Sarlat before leaving.