Castles and Caves of Dordogne

In the magnificent Dordogne, every trail reveals a scene from traditional France: timeless villages of golden stone, hilltop castles shining like visions from a medieval tale, and pilgrim trails meandering through towering oak forests. Our hikes bring us to some of the most magnificent chateaux in all France, along the meandering Vezere River, and to fortified medieval bastides perched on rocky promontories. In between, we explore lively open-air farmers’ markets, discover the stunning cave galleries of Lascaux II, and feast on local gastronomic delights from foie gras to truffles. Vive la France!

Itinerary at a Glance

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Days 1-2
St. Amand de Coly / Lascaux II Caves

We meet in Brive and head along the beautiful Vezere River to the charming village of St. Amand de Coly. From this sleepy village, we hike across sun-dappled countryside past traditional farms, with their corn sheds and flocks of geese, and through the grounds of the 16th century Chateau La Grand Filolie, a beautiful privately owned chateau. We continue on foot to Lascaux II, a meticulous recreation of the original Lascaux Cave, a sacred prehistoric site whose discovery in 1940 stunned the world with vivid images of 15,000-year-old galloping horses, reindeer, bison, and ibex. Later we stroll in beautiful Montignac, with its limestone buildings in typical Perigord-style along the Vezere River.

Days 3-4
Valley of the Vezere / Chateau de Commarque / Les Eyzies

The valley of the Vezere River, a World Heritage Site, offers an enchanting world of evocative hilltop chateaux along with Europe’s greatest concentration of prehistoric sites. We hike to charming Saint-Leon sur Vezere, with its fine Romanesque church and Renaissance chateau. After a picnic at Saint-Leon, we hike to amazing Roque St. Christophe, a multi-storied cave in a limestone cliff above the Vezere. A pilgrim trail brings us to the ruins of Chateau de Commarque, a 12th century fortress that fell to the English during the Hundred Years’ War. Our base is the impressive town of Les Eyzies, the capital of prehistory, where Cro-Magnon man was discovered.

Days 5-8
Domme / Castelnaud / Sarlat / Market Day

Hiking up from the river’s edge, we enter the hilltop bastide of Domme through its 14th century gatehouse, then continue to the massive red Chateau de Castelnaud. Another hike brings us from impressive hilltop Chateau de Beyanac to the spectacular Jardins de Marqueysac, offering the most amazing panoramas in the Dordogne. Our nights are in the bustling Renaissance town of Sarlat. We are in Sarlat on a Saturday morning, when the famous open-air farmers’ market is held. It’s an unbelievable sight, with hundreds of vendors lining the cobbled streets and the fresh ingredients for the renowned cuisine of Dordogne, including the prized truffle, all on display. We depart via Brive on Day 8.

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What the Trip is Like

The trip is Level 2+, Easy to Moderate, according to our trip grading system We hike from 2 to 5 hours each day over rolling hills. Distances are not long (4 to 5 miles), but trip members should be in good shape and have good hiking boots. A vehicle will transfer our luggage between overnight accommodations. On some days, we enjoy picnic lunches prepared by your Trip Leaders with local wine, breads, vegetables, and cheeses. On “town” days, we often have lunch at local cafes. Single rooms can be requested but are not always available, due to the limited space in the hotels. If you require a single room, please make the request as early as possible. Accommodations are in charming small inns. Please note that in Europe, the dinner hour is considerably later than what it is in the U.S. We do our best to secure early reservations for our groups, but most often the evening meal will be at 7:30 PM.

In an effort to capture the spirit of old Europe, the hotels that we use are often family-run converted villas or inns, full of ambience and colorful local history. Although the rooms in these hotels are not always of uniform or international size, our leaders always try their best to assign rooms in a fair way so that all participants experience an equal advantage throughout the trip as a whole.

Explanation of Trip Levels