DAY 1
Sarlat Gourmet Walking Tour / Villages of the Dordogne
Sarlat Gourmet Food Tour
- Visit the village of Domme
- Enjoy a peaceful Boat Ride
- Visit the medieval village of Beynac
DAY 2
Art of the Caves Tour
Depart for the Unesco World Heritage Site of the Vézère Valley
- Guided visit of the National Prehistory Museum .
- Visit Rouffignac Cave
- Visit the International Center of Parietal Art - Lascaux IV
DAY 3
Tour to Padirac Chasm and Rocamadour
One of the most stunning visits of the area: Padirac Chasm
Rocamadour: A Castle set above a sanctuary set above a village
DAY 1
Sarlat Gourmet Walking Tour / Villages of the Dordogne
Sarlat Gourmet Food Tour
In the morning, follow a guided walking tour of historic Sarlat la Canéda, a rich merchant town of the 18th century. Today is market day, so follow your guide through the winding streets of this beautiful town and stop on the way to taste some local delicacies. Your guided tour will include several tastings directly on the market but also in carefully selected local shops that sell typical products of the Dordogne.
Visit the village of Domme
Drive along the Dordogne Valley to the beautiful village of Domme. With its trapezoid city plan, Domme is a bastide, or a fortified medieval town, adapted to the surrounding terrain, and thus falling short of the rectangular city plan characteristic to bastides. The village is classified as one of the "Plus Beaux Villages de France" ("The Most Beautiful Villages of France").
In 1307, Knight Templars were imprisoned in Domme while during the Hundred Years' War, the bastide was coveted by the English who first took the town in 1347 and repeatedly changed rulers throughout the war until 1437 when it finally fell under French rule again.
Enjoy a peaceful Boat Ride
Then drive to La Roque Gageac and enjoy a peaceful cruise on the the Dordogne River on board an authentic Gabarre to admire mighty castles that loom over the riverside. The Gabarres are traditional flat-bottomed boats that have been used for transporting goods along the Dordogne since the Middle Ages.
A trip on one of the Gabarres offers a relaxing way to enjoy the sight of some of the many Dordogne chateaux and villages from the perspective of the river. Various sights and wildlife are pointed out to you as you meander slowly down the river as well as the history of the Gabarres.
Visit the medieval village of Beynac
Finally, reach Beynac to admire the village and the Castle. This Middle Ages construction, with its austere appearance, is perched on top of a limestone cliff, dominating the town and the north bank of the Dordogne River. The castle was built in the 12th century by the barons of Beynac (one of the four baronies of Périgord) to close the valley.
The sheer cliff face being sufficient to discourage any assault from that side, the defenses were built up on the plateau: double crenelated walls, double moats, one of which was a deepened natural ravine, double barbican. See architectural phenomenon, aided by nature, and discover more about the history of this unusual city on this half-day tour!
After the visit it will be time to return to Sarlat.
DAY 2
Art of the Caves Tour
Depart for the Unesco World Heritage Site of the Vézère Valley
Some 15,000 years B.C. unknown artists created breathtaking paintings, drawings and etchings inside caves of which the most extraordinary examples are found in the Dordogne area. During this day you will be introduced to this fascinating art and to the people who created it.
Guided visit of the National Prehistory Museum
Established in July 2004 in the small town of Les Eyzies de Tayac, the museum houses some 18,000 pieces and a collection of six million artifacts. The museum’s collections were established as early as 1913, when indefatigable researcher Denis Peyrony convinced the French state to acquire the Château des Eyzies, built at the end of the 16th century, and to transform it into an excavation warehouse that could double up as a museum.
Follow your guide and discover the main chapters of the Hominids’ development through an anthropological frieze and a brief reminder of Africa’s history, starting with the early Australopithecines.
Many themes are explored, including the legendary “Lucy”, the small 3.5-million-year-old woman discovered in Ethiopia in 1974. You will then visit the permanent exhibit galleries that will plunge you into the mists of time, revealing seven sequences that cover the entire Paleolithic era through an “ideal historiography”.
Free time for lunch in a local restaurant (at own expense)
Enjoy some free time for lunch in Montignac or a village of the Dordogne region. Ask your guide for recommendations.
Visit Rouffignac Cave
Continue to Rouffignac Cave. This cave possesses original and authentic etchings and drawings. The Rouffignac cave was already mentioned in 1575 by François de Belleforest. In his ” Cosmographie universelle” he cites “paintings and animal traces”. In the 19th century, the cave was known as a tourist attraction.
Famous archaeologists like Henry Breuil, André Glory and Martel had visited the cave in the early 20th century, but it was only in 1956 when Louis-René Nougier and Romain Robert, two prehistorians from the Pyrenees, rediscovered and confirmed the cave art.
Visit the International Center of Parietal Art - Lascaux IV
Finally, end the tour with the visit of brand new Lascaux IV cave that has replaced Lascaux II – open since December 2016. For the first time, all of Lascaux cave paintings are revealed. A complete new replica retraces the discovery of the famous decorated cave.
But that’s not the end of the adventure: the entire site inquires into the position that Lascaux occupies in cave art and its relation to contemporary creation. The opening of the International Center for Cave Art marks the beginning of a new adventure combining the emotion of ancestral art and an important technological achievement.
After the visit, return to Sarlat.
DAY 3
Tour to Padirac Chasm and Rocamadour
One of the most stunning visits of the area: Padirac Chasm
After a drive of just over an hour, arrive in Padirac. Experience a unique visit of one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena of the region as you plunge in an unexpected underground world. The chasm itself is 103 m (338 ft) deep, with a diameter of approximately 35 meters (115 ft). The flooded network of Padirac Chasm is the second longest in the world after those located in the Yucatan province of Mexico.
The visit of this vertiginous chasm begins with a 75 meter descent via a lift before actually entering the cave system. Following the descent, enjoy a peaceful boat ride on the mysterious subterranean River. Then, disembark and walk along a path that will take you through large caves decorated with stunning gigantic limestone concretions. After the walk, you will return by boat to your original departure point and take the lift back up to reach the outside world.
Rocamadour: A Castle set above a sanctuary set above a village
After the visit of Padirac, board the minivan and continue your full day tour to the nearby village of Rocamadour. Miraculous rock, collection of tales, legends and beliefs, sanctuary of the Black Virgin, pilgrimage site: the Village of Rocamadour is all of this at the same time.
The old medieval houses, the towers and fortifications, the oratories all tumble along the steep cliff that dominates the Alzou Canyon. The whole site is topped off by the castle and its dungeon and the seven sanctuaries. Your guide will certainly stop here for a breathtaking view of the whole site that make for fantastic photo opportunities.
Depending on your time of arrival, you will either follow a guided walking tour of the village or enjoy some free time for lunch. Rocamadour is without a doubt one of the most beautiful villages of the area. Classified as a Unesco World Heritage site as it is located on the way to Santiago de Compostela (St James Way), the main attraction of the village lies in its sanctuaries especially that of Notre Dame that bears a statue of the Black Virgin.
The visit of the village can be painful for those with walking problems but please note that there is a possibility of accessing the sanctuaries by lift (tickets not included in price). For lunch, there are many restaurants & snacks to be found in the village and your guide will make the adequate suggestions depending on what type of meal you are looking for.
Please note that tour days can be modified depending on days of Travel. Sarlat Gourmet Tour will always take place on Wednesday or Saturday during market day in Sarlat. We also organize private tours departing from Sarlat
