Open Search
Tours
Close

Cycling the Dordogne

Guided Bike Tour in Dordogne
  • Length 7 days
  • From USD$4150
  • Style/Level Classic 3.0
  • Countries France
  • Begin/End Cahors / Sarlat-la-Canéda
See related tours
The Dordogne River valley in Western France is one of the country’s longest and most scenic. For 500 km, the Dordogne cuts through layers of limestone plateau and meanders from the woody hills of the Massif Central through the heartland of prehistoric human settlements in Europe. Our bike tour of the Dordogne takes you on some of the nicest cycling routes in Europe, with breathtaking views of medieval castles topping the hills at every bend in the river. This is one of our all-time favorite bicycle tours.

***Extend this bicycle tour 4 more days. Click here to review our Cycling Dordogne Plus! the Vineyards of Bordeaux tour details page.***

Highlights

  • beautiful landscapes, Gouffres of Padirac, 3 nights in Sarlat, Rocamadour, medieval castles

Includes

Keep in mind

We work hard to maintain consistency across all of our tours, but some trips have unique differences. Here are some things to keep in mind about this tour.

For this trip, we recommend packing shoes that can get wet/dirty since you’ll be visiting caves and canoeing.

Open all days

Highlights: Cahors, special introductory dinner

Arrive this afternoon in Cahors, known for its Malbec-based wines, it is a charming medieval town with ruins dating back to Roman times. After we fit and test bicycles, you’re free to explore more of this town. This evening, we’ll gather for a glass of wine and a welcome dinner together.

Meals : Dinner
 Lodging : Hotel Terminus

Highlights: Scenic cycling, pilgrimage village of Rocamadour, goat cheese

Enjoy superb views over the cliffs and valleys of the Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park, a vast limestone plateau, to legendary pilgrimage site Rocamadour. Rocamadour will take your breath away as it clings miraculously to the sheer cliffs of the Causse de Gramat. Dinner together this evening, with a taste of Rocamadour’s famous creamy, hand-made goat cheese.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
 Lodging : Beau Site

Highlights: Medieval Carennac, prehistoric caves of Padirac

We bicycle quiet country roads to the picturesque medieval town of Carennac this morning, stopping at the caves of Padirac on the way. Our exploration of Padirac begins with a 75-meter descent and culminates with a boat ride on one of the most spectacular underground rivers in the world. Along the way we’ll discover stone tools dating back more than 50,000 years. After our exploration back in time we’ll continue the ride to the picturesque medieval town of Carennac which is a perfect spot for lunch. We’ll be back in Rocamadour tonight.

Meals : Breakfast
 Lodging : Beau Site

Highlights: A duck farm, Souillac, a gorgeous ride along the Dordogne, and rails-to-trails path to Sarlat

We leave Rocamadour this morning for a short ride along country roads to encounter some “local flavor” in the form of duck. We will visit a local foie gras producer and you’ll have a chance to taste this famous delicacy from the southwest. Then we enter walnut country –la route de la noix– as we head for a stunning ride along the Dordogne River to S. Julien-de-Lampon. The last ten kilometers of the ride we’ll be on a rails-to-trails path that takes us to our home for the next three days, Sarlat.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
 Lodging : Au Grand Hotel De Sarlat

Highlights: Regional market in Sarlat, 9th-century Benedictine abbey, Bastide town of Domme, optional bike ride

Today is a free day to enjoy the extraordinary regional market in Sarlat. The town was built around a 9th-century Benedictine abbey and today preserves a collection of 15th-century buildings – many constructed with golden sandstone – which gives it a unique character. If your legs are feeling strong, take an optional climb to the 13th-century bastide town of Domme for a chance to visit the medieval castle of Castelnaud.

Meals : Breakfast
 Lodging : Au Grand Hotel De Sarlat

Highlights: Canoe trip, La Roque-Gageac, and visit to Beynac Castle

We begin the day with a leisurely ride back to the Dordogne River where we’ll find our canoes for an easy float trip past La Roque-Gageac to Beynac Castle. This imposing castle, built during the 13th Century, was a French stronghold during the Hundred Years War. You can visit the castle, then we bicycle back to Sarlat.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
 Lodging : Au Grand Hotel De Sarlat

You’re on your own now, prepared to face Bordeaux and a few more castles and wineries. Have fun!

Meals : Breakfast

Visit our Tour Level page to learn more about terrain levels and how we dermine day and tour levels.

Date Price Private room fee Note
Jun 4-10, 2024 USD$4150 USD$550 Book by November 1 and save $200 per person.
Book it
Sep 3-9, 2024 USD$4150 USD$550 Book by November 1 and save $200 per person.
Book it
DateJun 4-10, 2024
PriceUSD$4150
Private room feeUSD$550
NoteBook by November 1 and save $200 per person.
Book it
DateSep 3-9, 2024
PriceUSD$4150
Private room feeUSD$550
NoteBook by November 1 and save $200 per person.
Book it

Download Itinerary

We’ll send you a link to a full day by day tour itinerary that can be downloaded and printed so you can review all the details online and offline. This packet also includes details about what to expect on tour and arrival and departure details.
Name(Required)
Tour date(Required)
Have you traveled with us before?(Required)
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Privacy(Required)

Pre-trip planning checklist

See all trip photos

  • The tour exceeded my highest expectations. The painted arrows are a blessing for those of us who are map challenged.

    Lizz V.Sunny Vale, CA

  • We took this tour one time previously, thirteen years ago, I think. It was, and still is, our favorite. The new itinerary is much improved. We liked having two nights in Rocamadour and three in Sarlat; we also liked staying in Rocamadour and not in the modern hotel (with pool and tennis court) up on the upper level. The tour was enjoyable from start to finish.

    Damian K., Washington, DC

  • Staying overnight in Rocamadour was a real treat. The cave tour and the canoe trip were great additions to the bike trip. I loved the variety on this trip. John’s training as a sommelier added another dimension to our wonderful dining experiences. He accompanied us to a wine shop to make sure we could obtain the wines we wanted to take home with us. We can always count on ExperiencePlus! to give us a top-notch vacation experience!

    Kathy V., Roseburg, OR
Read more reviews